When I hear 'the south of France' I immediately think of 'old money.' The south of France is covered in Yacht clubs, boujee beach bars and every second car that drives by is expensive. However there are still ways to travel there on a budget!
We trained in from Paris which took about 6 hours with a train change in Marseille. We trained to Beaulieu-Sur-Mer which is located between Nice and Monaco. We found the most charming airbnb here for just under $90 a night and the location was perfect. Day trips to all the little French towns were just 20 minutes away.
The town of Beaulieu-Sur-Mer was STUNNING. It's surrounded by cliffs with a little beach oasis right in between. It was lively at all hours of the day, the cafes were buzzing in the morning, happy hour would be packed and dinner places were always full.
From there we did a day trip to Eze & Monaco. I wish we also did a day trip to Menton and Villefranche-Sur-Mer.
Walking into the small village of Eze felt like you entered medieval times. All the narrow roads are made of cobblestone and all the buildings built uniquely together with stone. There's a gorgeous botanical garden that you must walk through. It costs €5 but worth the little extra cost. There's TONS of shops but few restaurants that mostly all require reservations so be mindful of that, we were not so we were STARVING when we got back to the airbnb.
The day we went to Monaco it was POURING rain. Like dumping. We did try to make the most of it however I feel like we didn't give ourself the 'full experience.'
We took the train and went to the famous Monte Carlo Casino. I have never in my life seen so many nice, fast, loud cars all gathered in one spot. Everyone stepping out of their flashy vehicles, just resembled money. It blew my mind.
We didn't get to go in the actual casino since we weren't dressed the part (lol stupid rain) but we were still able to go inside and enjoy a cocktail in the bar. We then walked around where we found the 'Brasserie de Monaco' that served delicious beer and pizza and we felt right at home.
After our 4 nights in Beaulieu-Sur-Mer we trained to Nice where we stayed just one night in Villa Saint Exupery Beach Hostel. It was in the perfect location to walk to the beach as well as all the restaurants and bars. We paid $32 each for a dorm bed. I do wish we stayed for an extra night just to give us a bit more time.
After our one night in Nice we trained over to Cannes. We checked into our airbnb and got ready to go out for the night. Our original plan was to go to Le Speakeasy but it was unfortunately closed, so we found a wine bar called 'Le Bar A Vin.' It was stunning. The wine selection was HUGE and the vibe in there was so romantic.
The next morning we spent the day on the sandy beach before we had to catch the train to Aix En Provence.
How to choose where to stay:
- Stay in Beaulieu-Sur-Mer if you're looking for small town vibe, slow pace and easy access to explore more near by towns (low budget)
- Stay in Nice if you want lots of beach time, a variety of restaurants and a young crowd (medium budget)
- Stay in Cannes if you are looking for expensive hotels, yacht energy and good shopping (high budget)