Key Takeaways:
- Use public transport
- Be flexible
- Self-catered accommodation
Have you been influenced by beautiful pictures of the French Riviera, with its bright blue sea and famous beaches? Me too! My initial reaction was that the cities along the Côte d’Azur were reserved for the super-rich, but after doing lots of research, I managed to spend a week on an unforgettable adventure exploring coastal towns, medieval villages and sun-kissed vineyards. I have compiled a list of tips and tricks for the best places to visit in the South of France if you want to do it on a budget. Enjoy!
1. You don’t need to stay in the most expensive or popular towns to be able to visit them!
Every single town on the Côte d’Azur is beautiful, but some are significantly more expensive than others to stay in. If you’re looking for a good hotel on a budget, St Tropez and Monaco are probably out of reach. Whilst Nice and Cannes are the most popular destinations, both can more expensive than towns like Antibes, which is located about halfway between the two. Antibes is a beautiful town which has cute french shops to browse and honestly some of the best beaches in the South of France (sandy, not pebbly!). However, we did find Nice to have more affordable food options, with more casual style dining than the restaurants in Antibes, so both are good options.
It is so easy to do day-trips to anywhere you want to visit, if you visit a different town everyday then where you spend the night doesn’t really matter!
2. Use Public Transport!
The train system in the South of France can take you from one town to another incredibly quickly and is super affordable. You can book tickets on the Trainline app or at the station before you board. In our experience, tickets were very rarely checked but better safe than sorry! There are so many small villages along the coastline to explore, if you’re staying in Nice, you can get the bus to Eze village for between €1-3 euros and spend the day hiking up the mountain and exploring. You can get Ubers and taxis but the trains are regular, reliable and fast so they really aren’t necessary. Bear in mind that the trains do stop at around 11pm (later on the weekends) so make sure that you catch the last one!
3. You don’t need to eat out for every single meal!
Restaurants can be incredibly expensive in the South of France and are likely to be one of your main outgoings. Staying in a self-catered air-bnb will allow you to prepare some food to take out with you/ have before you leave so that you don’t always need to eat out. For breakfast, try visiting a local supermarket or bakery and picking up some fruit and croissants. For lunch or dinner, having pizza on the beach (especially whilst watching the sun set) is arguably a better experience than dining out. Eat like a local and share some bread and cheese, supermarkets also sell bottles of pre-mixed sangria and relatively cheap wine, because cocktails can be slightly pricy.
- Top tip: If you do drink in a bar, make the most of happy hour! They can sometimes be quite short and early, so make sure you clarify the times in advance.
…….However, I know you want to make the most of your holiday, so here’s some cheap places to eat out:
– ‘Kalos’ is one of the most affordable restraunts in Nice, serving Mediterranean food for around €14 per main dish.
– ‘Rene Socca’ is located on the outskirts of Nice’s old town – they serve small plates of local dishes for local’s prices!
– ‘Le Caveau 30’ is a beautiful restaurant in the centre of Cannes with a luxury vibe. It has a menu where you can get three course for €35. For your starter, you can get a large plate of fresh mussels – the price is totally worth it for the quality if you want to treat yourself one night.
4. Shared Activities: – Rent your own boat!
This activity works best if you are in a larger group, but if you visit the website ‘Sam Boat’ you will see a great selection of motorboats for around €100 per day, they often fit up to 6 people so if you fill the boat this will only cost you around €15 each, which is a great deal for a full day of entertainment. Find a boat that says ‘Skipper Optional’, because these are an extra charge and unnecessary when they are so easy to drive, you don’t need a boating license at all.
Alternatively, other water-based activities such as Stand-Up Paddle Boarding or renting a kayak are really affordable ways to entertain yourself at the beach.
Visit in the shoulder seasons…
Last year I visited the South of France at the beginning of June and the weather was absolutely perfect, yet all the main attractions were tourist-free in comparison to the peak summer holiday period of july and august! September is also a fantastic time of year to visit, when average daily temperatures remain around 25 Degrees. You can still wear all the euro summer outfits that you have planned but hotels, flights, restaurants and excursions in the French Riviera can be dramatically cheaper if you are flexible about travel dates.
