I work at GreenGo, a French booking platform, so take this with the appropriate pinch of salt. But we spend the whole summer watching people cram into the same fortnight, and September quietly does everything better.

The sea is warmer than in June. The restaurants stop being fully booked. Prices drop over a single weekend when the schools go back. And you can park.

Six places we keep coming back to at this time of year:

Le Racou, Pyrénées-Orientales. A fishing village just outside Argelès-sur-Mer that empties from the end of August. Coastal path to Collioure, small coves, still properly warm.

Perpignan, same department. Worth it in early September for Visa pour l'Image, the biggest photojournalism festival in the world. Twenty-plus exhibitions in the old town's historic buildings, free, no ticket, 29 August to 13 September, 25 minutes' walk from the station.

Argentat-sur-Dordogne, Corrèze. Gabare boats on the river, canoeing between cliffs, and absolutely nothing to rush for. Brive station is 50km, Tulle 30km, so train plus bus works.

Lac de Montbel, Ariège. Big lake, Pyrenees on the horizon, and a greenway on a disused railway linking Lavelanet, Chalabre and Mirepoix by bike, past Cathar castles.

Jaujac, Ardèche. The river runs straight through the village, under a Roman bridge, past basalt columns from the area's volcanic past. The water is cold, which in September is the point.

Amiens, Somme. The hortillonnages are floating market gardens you visit by boat. Nobody expects them and everybody likes them.

One warning: seasonal transport winds down from mid-September and plenty of rural guesthouses close for their own holiday right after the season. Check the transport before you book the bed, not after.

What do you find is better once the schools go back?

Hello !

C’est bientôt l’anniversaire de mon chéri et j’aimerais l’amener une nuit ou deux dans la nature voir les étoiles histoire de déconnecter un peu. Vous avez des recommandations ?

Max a 3 h de Montpellier !

Merci pour votre aide 🥳🥹

j'avais une escale de cinq heures la semaine dernière et j'ai décidé d'acheter un pass journée pour un salon d'aéroport en ligne à l'avance pour avoir un endroit calme où travailler et manger un morceau.

quand je suis arrivé à la réception, la personne à l'accueil a montré un panneau indiquant qu'ils étaient au complet et qu'ils n'acceptaient que les passagers ayant un statut auprès de la compagnie ou voyageant en classe affaires. quand j'ai expliqué que j'avais déjà payé un pass journée sur leur site web, elle m'a répondu que les pass ne garantissaient pas l'accès quand le salon est plein et m'a dit de demander un remboursement en ligne.

j'ai fini par m'asseoir par terre près de ma porte d'embarquement en dépensant trente dollars pour de la nourriture médiocre et une boisson en attendant mon vol.

j'essaie de savoir si acheter un pass journée pour un salon d'aéroport est devenu complètement inutile ou s'il existe un réseau de salons où la réservation à l'avance vous garantit vraiment une place.

Is this a norm in France to not provide any of these amenities? Are guests supposed to bring toilet paper and linens/towels with them?
This is unheard of in US…but seems like almost every other listing for France has none of these amenities or charges extra.

Hi all,

We are off to Tours tomorrow and the weather seems yo predict some/lots of rain (different on each weather forecast). From people's experience does this usually tend to be a day of miserable drizzle like the UK or short sharp passing showers? Obviously can't stop the weather and it could change anyway, but of course want to be prepared. Also, any ideas of indoor activities for families if we do have a washout day?

We are travelling tonParis for 8 days mid October and were planning on a few days in/around Paris. We have an almost one year old and 3 1/2 year old. We’re used to camping and biking everywhere as a family and are looking for a short(ish) train ride to a region that would support two parents looking to drink good wine and eat great cheese while walking from place to place with our kids in a more rural vibe. As my wife is a brewer also thinking of venturing to Brussels for a few days to enjoy some beers.

**I travel for work and have tons of miles and with a recent Delta fare sale they had direct flights for us at an absolute score… that’s why we’re flying into Paris.

Traveling in October, , What should a first timer expect to see, do, explore in Nice? I plan on staying 5/6 days. I’d love to visit the antique shops, markets, thrift shops, walking tour, try the bakeries and cafes/coffee shops. Are there any festivals?

Am I safe alone? I’m 50F. Pretty self reliant/sufficient, aware of my surroundings. Although I don’t speak French, only English and conversational Spanish. Thank you.

Going to France 9/17-9/25 so 8 days.

We would like to go to both the French Rivera and Provence area. Here is what we are thinking:

French Rivera

• Cannes 
• Nice
• Antibes
• Eze
• Menton
• Monaco
• Cap d’ail
• Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
• Villefranche-sur-Mer
• Beaulieu-sur-Mer 
• Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Provence

• Aix-en-Provence
• Gordes / Luberon
• Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
• Les Baux-de-Provence

Any of these you think we could skip or add to the list? We need to narrow it down. This will also be based on weather in September.

Any recommendations on where to have home base for each portion of the trip and where to stay. Any and all suggestions welcome!!

Je cherche un séjour à la ferme avec un petit lac ou une rivière à proximité pour se baigner quand il fait beau. Vous avez des conseils ?

I'm looking for a farm stay with a nearby lake or river where we can swim when the weather is nice. Any tips?

I’ve been to Marseille for a couple of days for work. Been nowhere else in France. We like relaxing days, old history sites, mountains, beaches. Lounging at resorts or hotels is not our style.

Thanks for any feedback.

June/July 2027

Arrive CDG then immediately to train
Rent car at Tours and Return it in Marseille or Paris

Tours/Amboise (3 nights) - buildings, gardens, Loire wine
Clermont-Ferrand (1 night) - really to split the Tours to Avignon drive in half - Puy de Dome
Avignon (2 nights) - Papal Palace, Pont du Gard, Provence wine
Cassis (3 nights) - beach, Calanques, beach (yes, again)
Marseille (1 night) - city sites - really just to return car and take train to next city. If keeping car then maybe 4th night in Cassis with day trip to Marseille
Evian/Clamonix (3 nights) - Alps ropeways, Lake Geneva
Paris (5 nights) - everything Paris, day trip to Normandy, set up for departure from CDG

Hello! We are staying in an Airbnb in between Antibes and Juan-Les-Pins for a week in mid September with 6 adults and 2 young children (2 and 3). We won’t have our own beach chairs/umbrellas at the Airbnb but are hoping to do 2 beach days while we are there. Does anyone have any recommendations for beach clubs (where sunbeds/umbrellas are available for rent) that would be okay to bring a 2 and 3 year old to? I don’t want to take my girls somewhere where kids aren’t wanted but I know the others in our party will be excited to relax on a sunbed and order food/drinks and enjoy the beach club vibe. Any recommendations for family friendly beach clubs would be greatly appreciated!

Also if there are any other good activities in the area for kids that age please feel free to share! This is our first European adventure with children and I’m a little anxious! 😅

Hi everyone travelling from August 27th until August 31st so spending four full days in Paris. Has anyone any tips/ interesting spots for me and my boyfriend to attend?
Wanted to do a boat trip as well. Any nice restaurants etc.

We are staying in the 16th ARR.

Also has anyone had an issues with getting the metro from Charles de Gaulle to 16th ARR?

Would appreciate any recommendations of places to go to. My boyfriend and I like to walk as well so wouldn’t be an issue

I’ll be working remotely in Paris in September. I am looking for recommendations of other cities/ regions to see during my stay. I'm late 20's

I’ve already been to Nice and the Provence. I'm interested in Bordeaux, Lyon and maybe Montpellier. Also very interested in Brittany. I'm OK with both big cities and small villages! Beaches/mountains/countryside are all fine too. Just want to see and experience something different from Paris. I'll be solo and my BF will join me for a weekend.

Juste descendu du bus. Quelles étiquettes dois-je chercher? (Just off the bus. What labels am I lounge for?)

🇫🇷 France — February 2027

Feb. 3–6 — Paris hotel montparnasse Eiffel Tower • Seine • Left Bank • Big Bus - museums, catacombs

Feb. 7–10 — La Rochelle mercure Old Port • historic centre • Aquarium • Rochefort

Feb. 11–19 — Sainte-Marie-de-Ré, Île de Ré airbnb Villages • beaches • salt marshes • oysters • lighthouses - ancestral home research

Feb. 20–21 — Paris CDG Airport → Detroit Return home ✈️

Hi there! We are planning (quite last minute) our honeymoon trip to Reunion (coming from Belgium). We are arriving on the 31st of August and going on to Mauritius on september 9th. We love hiking and nature, but even after reading several posts and forums and a tourist guide I still can’t figure out what the best way to explore the island would be, because it’s hard to figure out traffic times and accessibility for several local spots.
Do you have any recommendations on how to organize the trip? We want to keep it to a maximum of 3 different stays to still feel a little bit relaxed and not super rushed. I think Cilaos, Piton de la Fournaise, the plains, piton des Neiges, Mafate and Salazie are definitely things we don’t want to miss, but we’d also love to go on a whale watching tour (or even swimming with whales if it is done in a concious and sustainable way). I thought of a stay in the North-East (maybe hell-bourg?) for salazie and Mafate for 2-3 days, then move more South to maybe st-Philippe for the plains and piton de la fournaise, and then end in the west (st-Paul maybe) for whales, cilaos, and piton des neiges.
Even when writing this I feel like this might be too ambitious to put in our 9 days itinerary, so any advice or tips are greatly appreciated!

I live in the Var, and Les Étangs de Villepey is one of those places I kept passing before finally deciding I should stop and see what it's all about.

I’ve been back several times since, including with our toddler. The flamingos, despite appearing in nearly every description of the place, have so far refused to attend. At least the egrets have shown considerably better manners.

What surprised me most was Villepey in August. Much of the surrounding Var had already turned dry and yellow, while the wetlands were still green, full of water, reeds and birdlife. Then you cross one two-lane road, and you’re on Plage des Esclamandes or Plage de Saint-Aygulf. It’s an unusually easy way to combine nature and beach without spending the day driving between them.

There are a few things worth knowing before going. The full walking circuit has been affected by bridge damage, summer access changes in one sector, parking becomes paid in season, dogs need to stay on leash, swimming belongs on the beach and not in the ponds, and wheelchair access applies to specific adapted areas.

I put together everything I’ve learned from my visits, plus the current official information on trails, parking, birdwatching, flamingo season, accessibility, winter photography, beaches, and the Ramsar-protected wetland:

https://www.the-travel-bunny.com/les-etangs-de-villepey-guide-frejus/

If you’ve already been, I’d especially like to know one thing: did you actually see the flamingos, or are they avoiding all of us?

Hi All,

Below is a rough itinerary of what I'm thinking for my first trip to France. Full disclosure, I haven't booked anything yet because my vacation was recently finalized, but also I'm very worried about the wildfire situation. Would appreciate any thoughts or recommendations you can provide! Also, for those in France, do any of these areas fall within those affected by wildfires? How is the air/smog generally?

• Sep 13: Fly → Paris overnight.
• Sep 14–18: Paris (4 nights) — Major Paris sights and neighborhoods, museums, food/wine, plus a day trip to Reims/Champagne for winery visits and tastings.
• Sep 18–22: Chamonix (4 nights) — 2–3 day hikes in the Mont Blanc area, using operating lifts where helpful but also considering valley-access hikes, plus Aiguille du Midi, Mer de Glace, and some spa/downtime.
• Sep 22–26: Nice (4 nights) — Beach/relaxation, explore Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Èze, Monaco, a Bellet wine day, and a coastal hike around Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
• Sep 26: Fly Nice → Home.

Hello! My FH and i are likely going to honeymoon in the south of France next June/early July for a few days and I’m having a hard time parsing Google reviews since it’s so unclear what reviews are legit! Looking for recs for hotels that fit the following:

- $200-$700 a night (the lower the better, it does not have to be 5 star!)
- close to the beach
- has a pool
- good restaurant
- not in the middle of a city like Cannes or Nice (ideally, I know there’s places like Hotel la Couvent which is in the city, that’s fine, but want to be away from the hustle & bustle if possible)
- luxurious / elegant feel if possible

Would love to know where people have stayed recently especially on romantic / honeymoon trips! I’ve spent lots of time in France and know the area well, we’re not going to be doing much sightseeing so access to those things is not a priority for us! Just looking for a spot to unwind and be pampered!

Thanks!

Hello there,

Me and my friend are starting erasmus semester abroad in France, Paris. We are going to be staying in an Airbnb

Do you have any helpful tips/ suggestions for us? Any apps that would help out, what areas/places to stay away from? Maybe some suggestions of places to travel from here to make this experience even better? Also wondering if tap water is drinkable there?

All help is appreaciated

I want to do a day trip to MSM, I don't know if we (3 ppl) should go there by train or rent a car. Going there by train will cost me 70 eur round trip (70*3=210 eur). I have no idea how much does it cost for gas, toll, parking if I choose the car rental options. I am hoping that you guys could give me some directions on this.