How We Holiday: The South Of France
Twelve days living the chic sunshine dream, heavily influenced by Below Deck: Mediterranean. Where we stayed, what we saw and most importantly, how much we ate.
The first holiday that Joe and I ever went on together was to the South Of France. It was 1999 and it was still necessary to buy a massive book of maps in order to find your way cross country. We drove, from top to bottom and back again, in his company car, rather conveniently a convertible, flicking endless Silk Cut out of the window with the wind in our hair and a constant supply of garage coffees (significantly better in France, even then), equipped not only with Alan Roger’s Camping Guide (a classic) but also the AA Bed & Breakfast In France manual. Our playlist contained The New Radicals, You Get What You Give (which still to this day reminds me of that trip) and the soundtrack to Evita (the Madonna version). We knew how to live.
I had booked - by telephone, obviously - regular stop off’s along the way, some of which were more salubrious than others. The best of the bunch was a chateau in Carcassone with huge high ceilings and a long table outside for the guests to eat together, a set up that didn’t work in our favour as our French speaking was atrocious. The other guests were Parisian and refused on principle to speak English, despite being fluent, and as a result Joe and I spent a very lonely evening across the boeuf bourguignon. A night in Reims transpired to be the home of a Michelin starred chef, who cooked a seven course meal for us and the other six guests for the princely sum of 15 euro each including wine. Our bedroom in a tiny boutique Hotel in Arles had part of the original City wall integrated into the bathroom. In 1999 there were no online forums to slag off accommodation or, indeed, praise it - you didn’t know what you were going to get, but that was part of the fun.
Our aim was to stay in B&B’s on the way down and then when we reached Antibes, to head for a local campsite and erect our two person tent. We arrived late afternoon, only to find that all plots were taken and we had been allocated a pitch which benefited from the full glare of the sun during waking hours. As a result, it was as if a Babyliss 2400 was relentlessly directed into your face full blast upon entry at all times. We tried to make the best of it, investing in some plastic garden furniture so that we weren’t restricted to the stifling tent heat but we couldn’t last the course - it was impossible to sleep (or even breathe properly), our faces were continuously bathed in a layer of sweat and our legs stuck to the plastic airbed. We gave it two nights, bequeathed our plastic garden furniture to the couple in the (equally hot) tent next door, donated our tent and airbed and drove to Juan Les Pins where we checked into a Hotel and lay prostrate on sunbeds by the pool for the remaining six days to recover. Sometimes, you just have to cut your losses.
Anyway, fast forward 24 years and we decided it was time to go back, complete with children, to revisit this first heady holiday, minus the convertible, the Silk Cut and the two person tent. At this point, I have to admit that I was also completely influenced by Below Deck: Mediterranean, in which the boat was decked around Nice, sucked right in by watching the crew eat moules frites and drink copious good rose wine. So I headed to the internet, researched well and pulled together an itinerary so that we could live the South Of France dream for a full 12 days. Here’s what we did.
Let’s Start With The Basics. Where Did We Go?
So a few places, starting with one night in the centre of Nice before heading to Mougins which is approximately half an hour in the car from the centre. It’s only fifteen minutes from Cannes - it’s set above in the hills, surrounded by forest and you can see the sea in the distance. The town dates back to pre Roman times and is set 260m up at the top of the peak, an abundance of little winding streets and a lot of history. It’s extremely pretty, with limited traffic due to the car parks at the base of the hill.
After a week in a rented villa, we then headed to Juan Les Pins for three days which is around 25 minutes from Mougins. Juan Les Pins is a seaside town that sits alongside Antibes, directly in between Nice and Cannes. It’s super busy, lined with restaurants, bars and clubs and my children’s dream. This whole stretch is the home of the international jet set (yes, we felt right at home) but Juan Les Pins has a more casual vibe.
How Did We Get There?
We flew from my favourite airport ever, Leeds Bradford (as mentioned previously, it holds this title due to the fact that our route there is only 40 minutes via pretty country roads and you can park directly out the front as if you’re simply popping to the supermarket). The Jet2 flight is only 2 hours 20 minutes which made my husband very happy and we also flew at a nice, sensible times. It was also significantly well priced for six of us (Ella’s boyfriend, Lucas, came with us too). Once we arrived in Nice, we got a taxi direct to our Hotel which took about 20 minutes and the next day, collected our car from Nice train station.
We booked the car via Virtuo which is an app based service for car rental. I hadn’t tried it before but decided to take the risk as it was an excellent price. You do the whole thing in the app, then it tells you where it’s parked up and you use a code to get into the car. I had my reservations about this but it worked SO WELL. Nothing to sign, no queues, no one to meet you, all done over the app. Because there were six of us and we didn’t want to hire a massive car for the whole week, we booked just a small one for supermarket trips so half of us took the car and half a taxi. We kept it for the Juan Le Pins stint too and then dropped it off at a designated point on the way back to the airport. Super simple.
Where Did We Stay?
Nice Old Town
Our first stop for one night only was The Deck Hotel in the Old Town of Nice. It was right in the centre, on the doorstep of loads of bars and restaurants and super buzzy. We booked three rooms (THREE BLOODY ROOMS - this is what happens when you have three older children) and it was quite basic but clean and minimal. There was an entire cohort of American High School teens arriving at the same time but the Hotel coped admirably and it took only a few minutes for check in. It had a downstairs social space with a pool table and a cool little outdoor bar area which was perfect for drinks - breakfast was included and extensive and for some reason they also included our bar drinks (a very nice chilled Rose) in the rate which I didn’t complain about. Perfect if you want to be central.
Mougins
Finding a suitable villa for our family took, I kid you not, weeks. The South Of France is not cheap, a fact I discovered whilst endlessly perusing Airbnb and Booking.com and it took a while to find somewhere from which you could walk to a town. Villa Oleander was at the foot of the hill and up a winding road with the most amazing views across Mougins Old Town and Cannes in the distance. The website stated a 20 minute walk to the main town - this was correct, but it wasn’t a particularly scenic walk (over a dual carriageway) and was also very hilly (Leo was still recovering from his broken ankle) so we mostly drove and got taxis which cost very little.
The Villa was perfect - three bedrooms but lots of downstairs space and a dining balcony, plus a pool, poolside kitchen space, a table tennis and petanque area. One of the other excellent features was that it had a games room with a pool table and huge TV on which the boys could keep up with the football (I can never escape, I tell you).
Juan Les Pins
We stayed at Hotel La Villa Juan Beach, after, again, many weeks of something that was going to fit our needs and our budget. A small boutique Hotel in a beautiful old house, it was right off the main grassy park in the centre of the town and a three minute walk to where it was all happening. The rooms were a good size and fairly minimal which worked well for us and it also had a nice pool in the front, plus a bar which doubled up for breakfast in the morning and was nicely decorated. There was also space to park the car which was no mean feat when in a busy town.
What Did We Do?
Nice
We were only there for a night and a morning but Nice Old Town is a great place to be. It has that whole cool French thing going on and everyone looks super glam with literally no effort at all. We walked the whole stretch of the promenade which is well worth doing - the beach restaurants have their own beach spaces in front, each with different coloured umbrellas and it’s really pretty. We went into the town and went to the market which is in one of the main squares but it was SO HOT that we didn’t last long before collapsing into a restaurant. We also revisited the Hotel that Joe and I had spent our romantic break in which was now a very sad looking abandoned building. This time next year, Rodney…. I’d be snapping that straight up.
Mougins
We spent almost all of our time lying by the pool reading books, about which I had minimum complaint. This, quite frankly, is why I go on holiday. I convinced Joe to come to the market with me in Valbonne which was excellent (side note: he agreed to come if he could sit in a cafe on his phone drinking coffee). Valbonne is well worth a visit and is super pretty; we totally looked in the window of the estate agents after joining the queue to buy fresh bread and cakes from the bakery #livingthedream. I also went into Old Mougins myself as no one in my family would come with me (see note below) and it was HEAVEN. I went to the Musée d'Art Classique de Mougins and spent a wonderful hour just wandering and looking at their collection which is out of this world and includes pieces from Picasso, Warhol, Cezanne and Matisse amongst others. Plus a collection of artifacts dating back 4000 years and the biggest phallic piece I have ever seen. It has just reopened, I noticed, as the FAMM (Female Artists of Mougins Museum) and that also sounds like it’s worth a visit.
Note about Old Mougins: If you have teenagers, it may not be for them. Especially if you have the kind of teens who go on boys holidays to Malia and sleep for a week upon their return. It is extremely beautiful and very gorgeous but I would bet my life that my kids were the only ones in the vicinity with skin fades, a state school education and no ponies. There is also no music in the restaurants. To summarise, it’s not the place for buying knock off football shirts.
Juan Les Pins
Ah yes, this was far more up my children’s street. On the day of arrival we lazed by the pool, but the second day we booked the beach. Like Nice, the promenade is filled with beach clubs where you can pay a fee for a nice comfortable sunbed, drinks service and a restaurant booking. It was super buzzy, super cool and you can walk the whole stretch if you fancy a wander. Joe and I left the kids there at lunchtime and went to the Hotel Du Cap Eden Roc, the Slim Aaron print of which has been on my wall for over 12 years and which I’d wanted to visit for ages. You don’t have to stay there, you can just book for a meal and so that’s what we did. It was completely amazing, the most beautiful views and grounds and a huge bucket list tick. Went for a walk around after lunch and took loads of photographs, along with another couple who were clearly visiting for exactly the same reason. WELL worth a visit.
Where Did We Eat?
Everywhere, pretty much.
Nice
Soho: We had cocktails and snacks here but the main menu also looked delicious, a two minute walk from our Hotel. Very cool Instagram worthy loos and decor.
Cafe Du Palais: This was next to the market and the perfect place to stop and people watch. The kids ate croque madames and Joe and I had platters of charcuterie and cheese which is pretty much my dream meal.
Mougins
Le Petit Fouet, Mougins: This was in a stretch of small restaurants in Mougin Old Town and the food was SO GOOD. Seating was a little tight for six of us but it was really busy.
L’Abreuvoir De Mougins: This was a nice surprise at the bottom of the hill as we left the village - a small bar with live music. Delicious cocktails.
Cheer Mama, Cannes: This little restaurant was on the seafront and it had excellent cocktails, good antipasti and delicious pizza.
Cafe Des Arcades, Valbonne: This is a huge sprawling restaurant across the square and it was super busy - the service was great and the food excellent (stuffed mussels with herbs and parmesan).
Cafe Latin, Valbonne: A restaurant, we sat in the bar area for cocktails and there was live music.
Loka Bar, Cannes: This was a cool little restaurant on a packed side street near the main road and there was live music in the courtyard. Mexican food, kids loved it and the cocktails were delish.
L’Epicerie Coste, Mougins: I stopped here on my lone visit for coffee and a cake and it was utter perfection. So pretty, they also have a shop inside and I bought some mugs.
Trattorio Quattro, Valbonne: This was one of the nicest restaurants we found; it was packed full at 6.30pm and the pizzas were amazing. On the main road between Mougins and Valbonne.
Juan Les Pins
Le Crystal, Juan Les Pins: Absolute iconic Juan bar in the centre of all the action. Full plates of snacks with every drink. SO GOOD.
Pam Pams, Juan Les Pins: Another iconic venue, Joe and I went here 23 years ago when we first visited. Crazy cocktails, crazy prices but definitely a must visit. You have to queue to get in but worth the experience.
Le Ruban Bleu, Juan Les Pins: Excellent beach club with food and cocktails on the beach. You need to book in advance.
Hotel Du Cap Eden Roc Grill: A dream. They even gave me a table for my handbag. The lobster roll cost 100 euro but you only live once. Ha.
Food Recommendations?
So drinks wise, it was endless piscine de rose - basically rose with lots of ice. Rose is one of those drinks that I am able to drink any time, any where and France is very supportive of this endeavour.
We ate lots of seafood - the scallop and prawn risotto in Mougins was a dream - and endless moules frites which were unequivocally delicious everywhere we went. There is a LOT of pizza and pasta in the South Of France, due to it’s proximity to Italy I am presuming, but it’s all the real thing on thin bases with loads of tomato. Yum. And keep a look out for violette ice cream - madly delicious and I wish it was available here in the UK.
From a supermarket perspective (we went to Super U) we were bulk buying Roules Apero (cream cheese wrapped in ham), fresh tomatoes, basil infused cheese and tomato and ricotta dip from the deli section which was all perfect lunch fodder. We BBQ’d quite a few nights and breakfast we scoffed back baguette and apricot jam which will always remind me of family camping holidays in La Rochelle in the mid 1980’s. Good times.
What Can I Buy?
My very first stop when we arrived in Nice was the pharmacy. You simply cannot beat a French pharmacy and I wrote a post about this a few months ago - I’ll link here, it contains all that I bought, plus links.
The markets were full of leather goods and ceramics, but I managed to restrain myself and only bought four mugs. It’s totally the place for fruit and vegetables though - the figs were perfection. And I also bought two dresses and a cotton shirt - again, the markets have endless excellent beach wear and the prices are all fairly similar. And if you’re going into Valbonne on market day, look out for the vagina ceramics stall which is definitely a sight to see.
We really did have the best of times - France isn’t a budget holiday; it’s on the same level as the UK cost wise if you’re intending to eat in restaurants so you need to budget accordingly. France is always glorious but the South is particularly beautiful and it’s certainly worth getting a car to see as much of it as you can. So will we go back? Yes, indeed. And next time I’ll be popping a vagina dish in my suitcase for my dry roasted peanuts. Ha.
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Wonderful article Lisa - thank you
Sounds an idyllic time. We’re off camping near Carcassonne for two weeks in August so wish me luck. I’ve got a good airbed and decent sized tent. Extra pop up for our 12 year old. Looking forward to the markets and wandering along the canal stopping for coffee and people spotting. Your blog reminds me of the many times we’ve been in south of France- it’s always beautiful and the sun certainly helps. The pharmacies certainly beckon. And no restrictions as we’re also driving. Thanks for all the tips.