Combine that with a visit in the spring time and you'll also find that a vacation rental out of the peak season is far more reasonable than you might have thought!
In spring, the beaches on the French Riviera are almost empty, the sun is still warm and the welcome is friendly.
Booking yourself a holiday in the south of France in the spring time is just what you need to chase away the cold grey days of winter. You'll The pretty hill town of Bormes-Les-Mimosa typifies what is just so perfect about France in the spring. The Mimosa trees are in full bloom with a perfect yellow blossom. The pavement cafes are open and you can take a seat and enjoy a view out across the hills to the Mediterranean sea in the distance. Browsing around the village shops you'll find jewellery stores, stores selling limoncello (a local drink made from lemons), fresh olives, olive oil flavoured with basilic and cushions filled with fragrant lavender. It's well worth the winding drive up the hillside to see this pretty village.
At this time of year not only are the road and beaches empty but the restaurant owners are pleased to see you and have plenty of time to serve you and make your time there enjoyable.
Even the renowned St Tropez wakes up quiet and sleepy on a spring morning and you can find a waterfront seat in one of the cafes overlooking the harbour. If you get there early enough you can browse the designer shops in the little backstreets before enjoying your croissant or petit pain with a hot chocolate or coffee in one of the many pavement cafes.
If you have children, they'll relish the opportunity to dig alone in the clean sand whilst you lie back and enjoy the sight of the sun glittering on the sea.
With little competition you can also enjoy the delicacies created by the local bakeries, in particular the gateau and confectioneries that are often snapped up quickly during the summer months.
With the arrival of Easter, the French are on vacation but there is still plenty of room for everyone. You have time to visit the shores of La Lavandou, the wide beaches at La Cavaliere, the delightful shops at Le Rayol.
With access from Nice Airport direct on to the autoroute (motorway) you can be at your holiday destination within an hour or two of landing on the runway.
Vacation Rentals are often cheaper than their counterparts in the U.K. and combined with the very cheap airfares now available to all European locations, you could treat yourself to a week in the warm French sun for about the same as a week in Padstow in the drizzle.
Out of season, villa rentals are fairly reasonable, but if you are on a budget then renting an apartment can be very well priced. You'll also find adapted accommodation suitable for the disabled at well below the price of it's equivalent in the UK.
Of course, you'll also be the envy of all your friends and work colleagues when you return looking slightly bronzed and very relaxed from your holiday in the Cote d'Azur!
For further information on choosing your holiday home, visit
This article was submitted by Jen Carter, she is owner of the website.
The twelfth arrondissement of eastern Paris is located on the Right Bank of the Seine River. It contains one of Paris's largest parks, the Bois de Vincennes described below. Its land area is about 6.3 square miles (16.3 square kilometers) counting the park. If you exclude the Bois de Vincennes the land area is less than 2.5 square miles (about 6.4 square kilometers). The population is about one hundred thirty seven thousand inhabitants, and the area is home to over one hundred twelve thousand jobs, mostly in the Bercy area near the Seine.
The Place de la Bastille was the site of the infamous Bastille prison, destroyed in the early days of the French Revolution. The square is shared by the fourth, eleventh, and twelfth arrondissements. Nothing of the old prison remains, except the memories. At the center of the square is the Colonne de Juillet (July Column) a 154 foot (fifty meter) column commemorating the 1830 Revolution in which King Charles X was overthrown in favor of his cousin Louis-Phillippe.
The Bastille was built during the late Fourteenth Century to help defend Paris. It was converted into a prison, mostly for political prisoners, in the Seventeenth Century. Just before its destruction the Bastille was composed of eight eighty foot (twenty-four meter) towers and an armory. By that time the cachots (dungeons) had been abandoned and the prison was not considered the worst in the city. When it was stormed on July 14, 1789 the jail contained seven inmates: four counterfeiters, two madmen, and a young aristocrat on the outs with his father. During the storming ninety-eight attackers and one defender died. Others including the governor died afterwards. During excavation for the Paris Metro the remains of one tower surfaced and are on display in a nearby park. The Bastille square is often used in political demonstrations, and the area is full of night life, in particular to the northeast.
L'Opera de la Bastille (Bastille Opera) is a new home of the Opera National de Paris. It was supposed to replace the old Paris Opera House (Palais Garnier) described in our companion article I Love Touring Paris - The Ninth Arrondissement but such was not to be the case. Given the city's size and cultural importance it should surprise no one that Paris can support two (actually more) opera houses. Interestingly enough the winner of the international competition was an unknown architect from Uruguay. Each and very one of the Bastille Opera's nearly three thousand seats has an unrestricted view of the stage. On the other hand many say that the acoustics are disappointing at best. The building, replacing a train station, was inaugurated on the two-hundredth anniversary of the storming of the Bastille but its first opera performance was almost a year later.
The Promenade Plantee is a 2.5 mile (4.5 kilometer) long elevated park constructed over an abandoned Nineteenth Century railway viaduct, that runs from the Bastille Opera almost to the Bois de Vincennes. The Promenade is said to be only elevated park in the world. Some portions are enclosed and others are open and provide great views. There are pedestrian and cyclist routes and arcades with arts and crafts workshops. The Promenade was featured in the 2004 movie, Before Sunset.
The Cimetiere de Picpus (Picpus Cemetery) is the only private cemetery in the city sitting on land seized from a convent during the French Revolution. It is a few minutes from the Place de la Nation, site of a 1794 guillotine in 1794 that dispatched up to fifty people a day. After the beheading of Robespierre the violence stopped. Among the cemetery's dead are the Marquis de La Fayette, who died a natural death, his wife, and her sister and mother who died in the terror.
The Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy (Paris-Bercy All Sports Palace) is an indoor sports arena that hosts many different sports including Basketball, Boxing, Gymnastics, and Show Jumping. It also hosts popular concerts featuring Britney Spears, Celine Dion, Madonna, and many, many more. The Palace seats up to eighteen thousand spectators.
The Bois de Vincennes (Vincennes Woods) is an English-garden type park covering over 3.8 square miles (a little less than 10 square kilometers). This Parisian gem is almost three times as big as New York's Central Park and four times as big as London's Hyde Park. The Bois de Vincennes was once a royal hunting preserve. After the French Revolution it was transformed into a military exercise area. Napoleon III made it a public park in 1860. Be sure that you visit the Chateau de Vincennes, once a royal castle, and later a porcelain factory, a state prison holding the Marquis de Sade among others, and even an arms factory. The famous spy Mata-Hari was executed here. The Chateau de Vincennes also served as the military headquarters of the Chief of General Staff in 1940 during the unsuccessful defense of France against the German invasion of 1940. The Bois de Vincennes is also boasts a small zoo and four lakes.
Of course you don't want to be in Paris without sampling fine French wine and food. In my article I Love French Wine and Food - A Midi Syrah I reviewed such a wine and suggested a sample menu: Start with Garbure (Cabbage Soup with Poultry). For your second course savor Cassoulet Toulousain (Bean and Pork Stew). And as dessert indulge yourself with Violette de Toulouse (Violet Flower Crystallized in Sugar). Your Parisian sommelier (wine steward) will be happy to suggest appropriate wines to accompany each course.
Both Alissa Carter & Levi Reiss are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Alissa Carter has sinced written about articles on various topics from Flirting Tips, Web Development and Computers and The Internet. Jen loves visiting France whenever she can and in particular the Provence and Cote d'Azur regions. She enjoys writing about her experiences to encourage others to enjoy the benefits of a holiday in France!. Alissa Carter's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.
Levi Reiss has sinced written about articles on various topics from Touring Italy, Travel and Leisure and Food and Drink. In his younger days Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books. Now he prefers drinking fine Italian, German, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and the right people. He knows what dieting is, and is glad that for th. Levi Reiss's top article generates over 450000 views. to your Favourites.