Every August the South of France fills up as the rest of France arrives. Motorways can be horrible and the traffic near the beaches even worse. But the reputation, while sometimes deserved, is overdone. With a little homework, even in August it is still possible to find your own place in a villa with a pool in the sun far from the crowds.
A quick geographical tour of some of the areas of interest:
The Cote d’Azur: is the area stretching West as far as Menton. The scenery is beautiful. It is here that the foothills of the Alps fall off at the coast. This dramatic combination of scenery and sea views is one of the things that makes the area so famous. Villas that are a little way inland are generally the best value for money in the area: you will find some very comfortable holiday villas for about half of what one pays closer to the coast. For most people, this area has the ideal combination of pretty villages and easy driving distance to the sea when one is so inclined. Villas in the area are in the areas around Valbonne, Opio and Tourrettes-sur-Loup. A little further West, in the areas around Grasse are the villas with the most spectacular views in the South...