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South of France, suggestions?
Wed, 02/17/2010 - 16:02
KRF888
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Hello everyone,

My two friends and I are backpacking this summer and have allocated 5 days for the south of France around late May and early June, but we aren’t sure where to go exactly. Ideally we’re looking for cute, small towns with restaurants and cafes that will keep us occupied for a day or two as we travel around. We’re all still in college, so we would like places with some social life, but we are also on a pretty tight budget, making St. Tropez and Cannes out of the question. I have been to Albi and Toulouse in the past and had so much fun- we like museums, beach towns are great, but we also would like suggestions of places that are a bit less traveled so we can enjoy the culture and people without a million other tourists. I have been to Carcassone as well, but didn’t enjoy how crowded and touristy it was. We’re hoping to stay on the east side of the country because from France we’re traveling to Cinque Terre. Avignon, Nice, and Arles have all been suggested, and we like the sound of those places; hopefully we can get feedback from people who have been there already. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Eurotrip 2010: 3 girls, 9 weeks, lotsa $
I am leaving from DC with $5000 for 64 days
London, Dublin, Berlin, Amsterdam, Bruges, Paris, Berne, Interlaken, Gimmelwald, Nice, Cinque Terre, Florence, Rome, Dubrovnik, Split, Budapest, Prague, Munich, Valencia, Seville, Madrid, Barcelona
Requesting help with Transport, Hostels, Budget, Nightlife, Sights
Wed, 02/17/2010 - 20:25
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You would probably like Avignon and Aix-en Provence.
I will also suggest Collioure (sandy beach, museums), and maybe St Remy de Provence.
None of these towns are particularly close together, you’ll need to consult a map and figure out your itinerary accordingly.
Nice is definitely worth a visit, but I always suggest staying in Antibes instead (sandy beach, museums).
Strasbourg is in Alsace rather than southern France, but if you like Toulouse, you would probably enjoy it, and it is on the eastern border.

Thu, 02/18/2010 - 09:54
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You could also take a look at Sète. Anitbes is beautiful. If you have a rental car, I would look at heading to Bormes les Mimosas as well. Beautiful area!

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Thu, 02/18/2010 - 15:28
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I liked Vence and St. Paul, which are relatively easy to get to from Nice or Cannes. The Matisse Chapel (Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence) in Vence is a “can’t miss,” IMO. Henri Matisse created the whole thing: architectural design, interior design, stained glass, ceramic tiles, vestments. Fondation Maeght in St. Paul has a great collection of modern art and sculpture.

If the mountain roads and the ultra-aggressive French Drivers (LA’s tame by comparison) don’t bother you, it’s a great place to rent a car for non-urban exploring.

Fri, 02/19/2010 - 07:42
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Agree about Vence and the Matisse Chapel.
We actually stayed up in Vence for a couple of days.
Grasse is touristy but I kind of liked the perfume thing (especially having read Jitterbug Perfume.)

Fri, 02/19/2010 - 11:14
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KRF888
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Thank you so much for your help, I’m a huge Henri Matisse fan and I will definitely head to Vence! All of this information is really useful, so thank you! Can’t wait to go already, haha

Eurotrip 2010: 3 girls, 9 weeks, lotsa $
I am leaving from DC with $5000 for 64 days
London, Dublin, Berlin, Amsterdam, Bruges, Paris, Berne, Interlaken, Gimmelwald, Nice, Cinque Terre, Florence, Rome, Dubrovnik, Split, Budapest, Prague, Munich, Valencia, Seville, Madrid, Barcelona
Requesting help with Transport, Hostels, Budget, Nightlife, Sights
Fri, 02/19/2010 - 16:27
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Quote:
Thank you so much for your help, I’m a huge Henri Matisse fan and I will definitely head to Vence!
This takes some planning as it’s only open to the public a few hours a day. There wasn’t an English-speaking guide the day I visited, but my high school French proved entirely adequate to understand the descriptions. The VarMer bus (I think the route is a loop from St. Laurent du Var to Cagnes sur Mer) goes right by it if you don’t have a car.

These links may help: http://www.ville-ven…
http://pagesperso-or…