Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur People & Culture

Absolutely beautiful in the late spring - you really can't go wrong in the south of France! The food and wine are awesome and the people are much more generous than you'd find in Paris.

A trip back in history for anybody interested in the middle ages - this is a medeival town! The people are friendly, and from the gardens at the palais des papes you get an amazing view...despite the climb on a hot day. The only down side, is that the sewerage system is totally inadequate during the tourist season, and the whole place stinks. This shouldn't bother medieval enthusiasts though ;)

We stayed in a lovely villa with 7 of our closest friends and had an amazing vacation. The views are beautiful, the people were immensely friendly and it was near impossible to come home to the US.

Well, I was there for 2.5 months at the CIC! You will love it, the beach is beautiful, the city itself wonderful. and the people are nice to, some are definately weirdos XD

The heart of Nice beats in the Cours Saleya. The daily morning flower market offers much more than just cut flowers. Plants, cacti, fresh fruit, vegetables, delicatessen, bread, olives, socca, traditional glaced fruits, and on Mondays the flowers give way to antiques. Many tourists of course pass through here - you will hear a lot of English and Italian spoken - but also this is where the Nicios also like to come and do their daily shopping. The fruit is from heaven - sugar-sweet clementines from Corsica, figs and grapes from Provence, exotic Kaki-fruit, lychee, or simple apples bursting with flavour. If its a bit touristy don't assume everything is marked up for tourists - it is terrific value and little different from the supermarket - only better quality. You will also be introduced to the novelty of French pricing. For no discernable reason there will be wide differences in prices for the same fruit between different stalls. You will also discover the difference between the flavour of fruit picked a few days previously in Provence, and the flavour of fruit which has spent the last month chilled in a distribution warehouse waiting for delivery to your home supermarket. Lined with restaurants and brasseries, the Cours is a great place to sit with a beer or coffee and people watch. Terrific atmosphere that is so magnetic everyone passes through here just for the sheer buzz.

Je suis très objective en vous disant ça: Avignon est une ville magnifique! Des vieilles pierres, de la culture, une histoire passionnante...et un climat idéal pour un week end dans le Midi!! Ne manquez pas la place de l'horloge, les ramparts, le pont st benezet, le rocher des doms et bien sur le palais des papes. Beaucoup de bons restos aussi en centre et des activités nombreuses autour du Rhone. Pratique avec le TGV, proche de Paris, Lyon et Marseille! a découvrir absolument!

Marseille is a very beautiful city, specially the port and the beach are very attractive for tourism. You should know, that marseille is very near to the african continent, so that there are many people who are actually arabian. I like the arabian culture, but many of them will try to get the money out of your purse. Don't be neat. Be convincing, without fear and walk with an air of decision through marseille, then no one of them will try to rob you or do worser things

not so many things to see and visit except during market days where local products are sold like lavender perfumes. mixed culture of different nationalities.

Pour le ski.
Quelques chiffres :

- 250 km de pistes
- 115 pistes
- 66 remontées mécaniques


La station est répartie sur 4 secteurs :

- Briançon
- Chantemerle
- Villeneuve la Salle
- Monêtier les Bains

En plus d'être une des stations les plus ensoleillées, notre domaine skiable vous offre l'un des plus grands espaces de neige de culture d'Europe.

Nous vous garantissons ainsi des conditions optimales de ski à tout moment de la saison.

Pour la medecin:

On peut y trouver de tres tres bon dentiste tres humain pour les enfants je le dis en conaissance de cause pour y avoir subit une operation de plus de 3h.

One of Nice's best kept secrets is La Colombe d'Or restaurant. Up in the hills about 19km west of Nice, you'll need a car to get to the small village of St. Paul de Vence. La Colombe d'Or is a South of France cultural institution; a truly French dining experience. There is a six-month waiting list for a dinner reservation, but you might get lucky at lunchtime. Book well ahead. Tel. + 33 49 33 28 002

for a great night out go to waynes bar by the old square. great music food and drinking to be had.

amazing !
as I walked around people played music and danced in the street
There were boys doing pole vaulting right in the old street
the river with the ancient roman aquaduct was brill
and the trees were just as van gogh painted them

Cassis is one of many jewels en Provence... lovely, picturesque, its a small historic fishing village just 15 minutes east of Marseilles, its restaurants have some of the best bouillabaisse (slowly cooked seafood soup), there are pebbly mediterranean beaches in the town itself, or more idyllic sandy ones contained in secluded "callanques" (inlets in the limestone cliffs) accessed through daily boat trips to the other coastal areas. Hotels on the waterfront are hard to come by and expensive, but worth it. Rent a car, but make sure its compact - the streets are narrow, sometimes steep, and have tight turns. Nightlife isn't huge, but there are bars and music to keep you entertained.

Go during " la fete de la musique ". It's just amazing how much more alive the city becomes!

If you visit Arles in September, you should try to visit the city when they are hosting a bullfight in the town's Roman Ampitheatre - the entire city is alive with people, street vendors, artisans, music etc. (Note: I discovered that the Provencal-style "bullfighting" is not harmful. Instead, the men try to remove a tassle from the bull's horn without getting injured.)

Travel around on a bike - great way to relax and see it all!

The trip to Notre Dame du Roc is worth the little hike. Go in the early morning and carry some bread and cheese and you can see the river and the valley and intriguing ruins. A very sacred, old spot that hums with spirit. And don't miss Surfer Dude Jesus on the outside of the church at the bottom of the hill.

Paradise on earth! This sea-side part of the city of Cagnes-sur-Mer is my favourite. Take a walk along the promenade all the way from hippodrome to the port of Saint-Laurent and you will pass by many nice restaurants, bars and cafés. If you are out early you can get a fresh fish at the market stands in the harbour. Just opposite the little church on the promenade is my favourite beach spot. A perfect small lively but not too hectic summer city.

Marseilles has seen better days, but remains an important transport hub, connecting en Provence (and France) with international shipping, trains, and flights. Lots of nightlife, and Marseilles and the rest of this region is known for its excellent bouillabaisse (seafood soup) cooked slow for days, but the city itself can be a bit grotty... I would go further east to Cassis (only 15-minute drive) where this quaint fishing town has beautiful beaches, day trips, history, fresh food and smaller hotels. A perfect romantic getaway!

Cassis is one of many jewels en Provence... lovely, picturesque, its a small historic fishing village just 15 minutes east of Marseilles, its restaurants have some of the best bouillabaisse (slowly cooked seafood soup), there are pebbly mediterranean beaches in the town itself, or more idyllic sandy ones contained in secluded "callanques" (inlets in the limestone cliffs) accessed through daily boat trips to the other coastal areas. Hotels on the waterfront are hard to come by and expensive, but worth it. Rent a car, but make sure its compact - the streets are narrow, sometimes steep, and have tight turns. Nightlife isn't huge, but there are bars and music to keep you entertained.

Parking is quite restricted and pou are unlikely to get away without having to pay. If you have kids with you, walk past the tourist shops and follow the river. There are some great areas to scramble over the rocks.

Avignon, city of the Popes, is also famous for its bridge. Thus, you need to visit the bridge, the Popes Palace and the walls. If you can, try to make it during the Theatre festival, when the city is alive with activity!

Lovely beaches (no braws, like all over Europe) , everyone is crossing streets on red lights, you can do it too, but be aware of the traffic nevertheless. A short train ride to Monaco and Kann, you should visit those places too if you are near the region ...

There is beautiful views from the fortress

Hyeres has a great karting track and the bars on the marina a really nice in the evenings. it can get a bit crowded on summer weekends. The Presqu'ile de Giens, and lsland of Porquerolles are definitely worth a day for their (almost) quiet white sand beaches.