The 38 coolest places in Provence — the expert's très chic guide
They look hilarious but are also weirdly cool. Sure, they won't get you very far but that's not the point. Throw a couple of dogs in the back and you'll be the envy of every tourist in town. Hire from Yes Provence, the most universal car hire company in Provence. 914 CD 29 Route de Cavaillon, Saint Andiol; yesprovence.com
The Saturday fruit and veg market on Place Richelme is a total vibe and it sells the best strawberries from every part of Provence. Carpentras strawberries have the sweetest perfume and are best eaten on a bench in the sun. Place Richelme, Aix‑en-Provence
Lovely little town in the far north of the region, close to Mont Ventoux. We stay at an excellent hotel called Le Clair de la Plume. Very dog friendly and there's a perfect courtyard where you can have dinner. 2 Place du Mail, Grignan; clairplume.com
Equal parts cold beer to cold lemonade with a dash of grenadine.
My favourites, in no particular order, are Ansouis, Ménerbes, Lacoste, Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt, Saignon, Goult and Forcalquier.
I order from the same company, Sun-e-bike, every year, but there are lots of options in Provence. Completely changed my experience of the place. I discovered so many fields of sunflowers completely devoid of the TikTok crowds. Best price per use ever. 2 Rue Camille Pelletan, St-Rémy-de-Provence; sun-e-bike.com
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Great vibe. Fabulous art. A Roman amphitheatre that will take your breath away. Arles amphitheatre, 1 Rond-point des Arènes, Arles; arenes-arles.com
The best are in Aix-en-Provence on a Saturday morning, when the entire town is in market mode, with a brocante near the bus station, clothes near the giant fountain and the aforementioned fruit/veg/flower market in Place Richelme. Also: Marché de Forcalquier — very arty (Place du Bourguet); Banon — very hip; Coustellet — good organic produce; Marché de Lourmarin — really busy, but worth seeing once as it's so pretty; Carpentras — fabulous, low-key Sunday brocante with cheap prices; Apt — the Saturday market is good for everything, but there's also a giant one on the second Sunday in July every year (Place Gabriel Péri).
Didn't think I'd find this on a list of suggestions, but I took a Zou! bus from Cavaillon to Aix this summer and, well, I was blown away. Big comfy seats, air conditioning, gets you to a lot of those fiddly places that are hard to reach unless you drive. So much better than the buses back home. zou.maregionsud.fr
Provençal lavender honey is incredibly floral and sweet. There's always a local seller at one of the many markets, so stock up.
Veggie soup made with pesto and seasonal vegetables/beans. Incredible. If you see it on a menu, just order it.
Not unique to Provence — maybe more of a French thing — but this fizzy, slightly fruity soft drink is the one thing we bring home every year. Track it down in the local supermarket.
Everyone knows Cannes. Most people have an opinion on St Tropez (too flash in the summer, too quiet in the winter, bliss in the spring); while Nice, Antibes and Cap-Ferrat are all well-worn stops on the Riviera tour. But Hyères is the new place to rest your head. Once famous with the British aristocracy — and the Twenties literary crowd (Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald famously partied here) — this seaside town is now having a moment. Last year Lilou Hotel opened its stylish doors — 37 cool rooms across 4 floors. There's also the magical island of Porquerolles, which is a few minutes away by boat and perfect for an afternoon of cycling. The beautiful Villa Noailles is a short cab ride away, and as well as having one of the best gardens in all of France, it was where everyone from Picasso to Salvador Dalí partied the night away. Lilou Hotel, 7 Boulevard Pasteur; lilouhotel.fr. Villa Noailles, 47 Montée Noailles; villanoailles.com
The best place in the south of France to buy vintage sheets, pillow cases, quilts and fabric, some dating back to the 18th century, which the owners have been collecting for more than 50 years. You'll find it in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and it's only open Saturday/Sunday. (Although forget lunchtime, which is usually 1pm-3pm. In fact, this is the case for almost everywhere in Provence.) 20 Avenue Julien Guigue, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue; laboutiquedefrancine.fr
Such a good shop, with a few different locations in Provence overseen by three generations of the Jouvaud family. It sells great homewares, linen napkins, lovely teacups, but also beautiful chocolates to take back home, especially the little muettes, which come in multiple flavours. 5 Avenue des Quatre Otages, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue; patisserie-jouvaud.com
It's easy to miss the beautiful home of the surrealist photographer and Picasso muse, who spent every summer here before her death in 1997. It is now a residential centre for artists and writers, but on Tuesdays and Saturdays you can tour the interior and garden. 58 Rue du Portail Neuf, Ménerbes; maisondoramaar.org
Quite possibly the best garden in the world. I go almost every year for a private tour with the head gardener. You will be smitten. Le Jardin de la Louve, Chemin de Saint-Gervais, Bonnieux
A slightly surreal experience where, as well as a tour of the Hollywood director's vineyard (and a lovely tasting session afterwards), you get to see dozens of the original costumes and props from his many films, including Gladiator and Alien. One for the movie nerd in your life. 1575 Route du Four Neuf, Oppède; masdesinfermieres.com
High in the hills above St Tropez, this rustic restaurant (it does big portions) was the favourite of the late, great AA Gill. You will need to book. 2 Place de l'Église, La Môle
This hotel-restaurant needs no introduction. There are Picassos on the wall, lanterns in the fig trees and probably a Hollywood director lurking at one of the tables. Place du Général de Gaulle, Saint-Paul-de-Vence; la-colombe-dor.com
The former childhood home of Paul Cézanne just opened this summer and is an absolute treat, with the remains of Cézanne's paintings on some of the walls. It's quite possibly better than his studio in nearby Lauves (see no 33) — but if you are in Aix, why not see both? 4 Rue de Valcros, Aix-en-Provence; aixenprovencetourism.com
Out in the wilds of the Camargue you'll find this superchic restaurant, which has a green Michelin star. Almost all the produce comes from the organic garden. A perfect way to spend a long, lazy Sunday lunch. Mas de la Chassagnette, D36 Route Sambuc, near Arles; chassagnette.fr
Alain Ducasse bought this place in the Nineties from a local potter and it still feels like a little country house not far from the green Verdon Gorge for which this part of Provence is famous. We spent the most beautiful couple of nights here many years ago. 511 Chemin de Quinson, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie; bastide-moustiers.com
Sort of like Soho House but smaller and with a storied past (everyone from Brigitte Bardot to Jackie O used to hang here). It was renovated a couple of years ago and is now one of the chicest places to stay just outside St Tropez. Route de l'Épi, Ramatuelle; epi1959.com
This hotel has fabulous interiors and it's right next door to a really cool bakery. The same company also owns the Nord-Pinus round the corner, which is very romantic, especially if you can get the room with the balcony on the corner. 20 Rue du Sauvage, Arles; arlatan.com
I've been buying simple, good-quality leather sandals from this place in St Tropez for years. The Sahariennes design is a dead ringer for The Row, but will last longer. 18 Rue Georges Clemenceau, St Tropez; rondini.fr
If money is no object, this super-swanky medi-spa in Ramatuelle is heaven. 736 Chemin des Crêtes, Ramatuelle; lareserve-ramatuelle.com
It was here that poor Vincent van Gogh was carted off after severing his ear in Arles. While in residence he completed 150 paintings. You can visit the room where he lived and see the big skies and olives trees that he painted each day. Part of the hospital is still in use. Saint-Paul de Mausole, Place Saint-Paul, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
Chic waterfront hotspot in Les Goudes, outside Marseille. Hard to get a reservation, so book early. Oh, and some new rooms have just opened if you'd like to stay the night. 2 Boulevard Alexandre Delabre, Marseille; tuba-club.com
In the teeny village of Villars, just outside Apt, you will find this buzzy bar/restaurant. Closed Monday and Tuesday and booking is essential. Place de la Fontaine, Villars; bardesamisvillars.fr
Every summer, the stylish couple behind the French wicker company Atelier Vime open up their incredible home in the Camargue as part of La Maison Vime boutique. Here they sell ceramics and 18th-century plates as well as the wicker products they are famous for. 24 Quai du Rhône, Vallabrègues; ateliervime.com
This café and deli is very much a vibe. Get a takeout picnic to eat on the beach. Gorgeous sandwiches and pastries. 116 Corniche Kennedy, Marseille; ceciledeli.com
Aix-en-Provence celebrates its most famous resident, Paul Cézanne, with a major retrospective of his work at the Musée Granet as well as the much anticipated opening of his family home La Bastide du Jas de Bouffan (see no 21). His studio at Lauves, just outside Aix, has also undergone a major renovation. This is one of the biggest Cézanne celebrations, so book tickets in advance where possible. Musée Granet, Place Saint-Jean de Malte, Aix-en-Provence; museegranet-aixenprovence.fr. Atelier des Lauves, 13 Avenue Paul Cézanne, Aix-en-Provence; cezanne-en-provence.com
Charming little flower farm not far from Goult. Route de Vaugines, Lourmarin; terre-du-luberon.com
My new favourite restaurant in Provence. Smart, hip, with a small but perfect menu. I shall dream of the gazpacho with fresh goat's cheese for many months. 1 Place de la Fraternité, Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt; lesainthubert.co
Pretty vineyard at the tail end of the Nesque Valley, under papal control for 800 years, offering excellent wines and lively tours. Route de Methamis, Malemort-du-Comtat; chateau-unang.com
I'd never heard of this hotel group until recently but it specialises in chic boutique hotels, many of which are in Provence including Le Moulin in Lourmarin and Les Roches Rouges in Saint-Raphaël. beaumier.com
One of the largest bookstores outside Paris, located in several Provençal houses in the gorgeous town of Banon. Get lost here for an afternoon, then go for coffee in Café Union. Rue Saint-Just, Banon; lebleuet.fr
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Molly Mae Hague flaunts her £2K-per-night Turkey holiday with Tommy Fury and daughter Bambi after claiming she 'hasn't done one fun thing' all summer
Molly Mae Hague has shared a further glimpse at her £2,000-per-night getaway in Turkey as she holidays with her boyfriend Tommy Fury and daughter Bambi. The influencer, 26, is on her seventh holiday of the year, this time to the luxury 5-star Regnum The Crown hotel after claiming her summer has been 'no fun'. Molly Mae came under fire from critics who blasted her for complaining about her 'boring' summer, despite a jam-packed schedule of events and holidays. Her latest trip is to the celebrity hotspot hotel, which has been 'carefully curated to deliver a true family holiday without compromise.' Sharing her latest look at the trip, Molly Mae posted pictures of herself relaxing in the pool and playing on the slides with her two-year-old daughter. The mother of one revealed how it was the first time her little girl had been down the water slide by herself, as she filmed the adorable tot. Molly Mae also shared how she has been trying to get to grips with Bambi's curls and how to style them, as she admitted 'I don't know what I'm doing' Molly Mae also shared how she has been trying to get to grips with Bambi's curls and how to style them, as she admitted 'I don't know what I'm doing. Sharing snaps of Bambi in a cherry print outfit, Molly Mae said: 'Curls out. I'm honestly still learning how to look after her curls properly... 'No clue what I'm doing! I know she would probably hate the hair dryer/diffuser so for now it's s crutch and hope for the best. 'I don't want to tie it up all the time because I love her curls... just need to figure out how to do them justice!' Molly also posted a look at the stunning interior of the hotel as she posed in front of a bar area, wearing a striped vest top and slouchy black trousers. The snaps also revealed the lobby of the resort, as her and Bambi strolled through holding hands. To date, the millionaire Love Island star has spent the warmer months enjoying first class trips to Dubai, Paris, Saint Tropez and Wimbledon 's Centre Court, where she was greeted like Hollywood royalty after being invited by tournament sponsor Evian. But the evidently hard to please influencer has once again ruffled feathers last week across social media by claiming her summer has, thus far, been boring. 'I haven't socialised once,' she told her older sister Zoe in a recent YouTube vlog. 'I haven't done one social, fun thing... I haven't a life.' Despite this, Molly showed off her luxury lifestyle once again with her 8.5million followers as she spent quality time with family at the celebrity hotspot hotel, which has been 'carefully curated to deliver a true family holiday without compromise.' Molly looked amazing in the triangle bikini top which she paired with matching striped trousers as she posed for a selfie in her huge room, which is one of 553 spacious suites and private villas at the hotel. Styling her blonde tresses in a neat ponytail to keep cool, the influencer hid her face behind her iPhone and simply added a black heart emoji. The TV personality also shared sweet snaps of daughter Bambi, two, meeting a pirate and his green parrot while exploring the hotel. Bambi, who was dressed in all pink complete with a sunhat and sunglasses, looked thrilled as she watched the bird. In another snap, Molly filmed her bundle of joy enjoying the hotel's Aqualantis, the newly unveiled water park. She wrote: 'No words for this place. @regnumthecrown'. It comes after the reality star shared videos of her taking her little girl on the waterslides on Sunday. Bikini-clad Molly was seen beaming as Bambi sat on her lap while going down a small water slide, at the Aqualantis which also includes a number of water slides, lazy rivers and an immersive themed zones for hours of entertainment for every age. The family looked happy to be spending time together at the celebrity hotspot where Jennifer Lopez recently celebrated her birthday and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and actor husband Jason Statham have also holidayed. Other celebrities who have stayed at the hotel's same hotel group, include Dua Lipa, Rita Ora, Jason Derulo and Tom Jones. The couple also enjoyed a freshly cooked lunch while sitting in a restaurant overlooking the picturesque beach. If Molly and Tommy would like some time alone the hotel also offers 'Bamboo Kids World, a safe, vibrant space where children can explore, learn and create under expert supervision while, parents can enjoy well-earned relaxation, knowing their little ones are in excellent hands.' The mother-of-one looked restless on Thursday as she prepared to board a Jet2 flight with partner Tommy and Bambi after arriving at a busy Manchester Airport. The influencer had her hands full with Bambi's empty pushchair and the family luggage while Tommy walked hand-in-hand with their young daughter. And there wasn't a smile to be seen as she waited at check-in with her family before helpful Jet2 staff came to their assistance. After landing at the Antalya International Airport, Molly only had a twenty minute trip to the hotel which is surrounded by panoramic views of the turquoise Mediterranean. However, the holiday is the latest in a series of overseas trips for Molly-Mae, but neither the art and architecture of Paris, the sun-kissed glamour of Dubai nor the sweeping Mediterranean coastlines of Saint Tropez have impressed. 'I will get to the end of summer without having done one fun thing,' she moaned while talking to her sister in July. 'Zoe, I haven't socialised once. I am going to get to the end of this summer, I haven't done one social fun thing.' The family are believed to be staying in a spacious luxury family suite costing £2K a night The globe-trotting influencer added: 'I haven't a life. I haven't a life. It's not good. 'It's all kids related, if it's not work and kids I am not doing anything. It's not good. People going for a drink with their friends or to a beer garden. 'Oh my gosh, I don't remember the last time I did my hair and makeup and put an outfit on for something that wasn't work related. 'I don't do anything. Lets normalise it. For the girls that are going to get to the end of summer and not done one fun thing.' However Molly-Mae did accept that her recent trip to Wimbledon, during which she did indeed wear make-up and a £3,000 Dior dress, was a 'fun' occasion. She said: 'No that's a lie because people are going to say "You went to London in your last vlog and had a ball," and I did.' Unsurprisingly, Molly-Mae's latest comments didn't go down well with her two million-plus YouTube subscribers, with many claiming she was 'out of touch', 'tone-deaf' and 'always moaning'. The influencer started strong this summer by signing a seven-figure deal with consumer goods firm Unilever and starring in a new campaign for its detergent brand, Persil and Comfort, in May. She fronted a new 'delicate' fragrance range with her toddler Bambi, who made her campaign debut in a fluffy pink jumper and ballerina tutu. Putting her name behind their 'Heaven Scent' non-bio capsules, fabric conditioner and a scent booster elixir, Molly-Mae said: 'I can be really protective of what I use at home, especially since having Bambi. 'My skin's always been sensitive, so I need products I know are kind to my skin but still leave everything smelling amazing and this range honestly does both.' But it wasn't all work though as Molly-Mae jetted off on her sixth holiday of the year – once again to Dubai. 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For her final trip in May, she flew on a private jet to Disneyland Paris to celebrate her 26th birthday alongside Tommy, their daughter and some of her best friends. She shared pictures from inside the jet alongside photos complete with birthday cake, balloons and plenty of Minnie Mouse ears. Come June, Molly-Mae told her YouTube followers she was jetting off yet again. First to Germany for two nights for a 'secret project' and then on to the South of France to shoot the summer campaign for her clothing brand Maebe. Basking in the sunshine at a luxury villa in St Tropez, the influencer shared various snaps of herself lounging on sunbeds and dining at luxury restaurants. Later that month, Molly-Mae was whisked back to the Cotswolds for a 'surprise staycation'. This time, she and Tommy stayed at the lavish £700-a-night hotel Estelle Manor which has a swimming pool, four restaurants, spa and farm on site. On her Instagram stories she showed off the plush accommodation as well as swimming in the pool with daughter Bambi. July didn't see Molly-Mae slow down either, as a trip to London beckoned. After a day shopping with friends and staying at the luxury Corinthia hotel in London, she attended Wimbledon as a guest of Evian water. On Sunday, she gave a tearful defence of her comments in a separate video.
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Telegraph
The 16 unofficial middle-class holiday rules… that we're getting all wrong
There are many supposed truisms about travel trotted out by right-thinking people. These are often misguided. Among the more specious are the following: 1. Chain hotels are soulless, so to be avoided No. Give me a clean room, a comfortable bed, a bath in the bathroom (Lord help us, not the bedroom), lighting I can understand, predictable standards – and I'll supply all the soul that's needed. 2. Always eat where the locals eat Why? Even in Europe, locals will eat some appalling muck – or perhaps you've never tried Provençal pieds-et-paquets or Norwegian rakfisk? And following locals in, say, Hackney might very well lead to jellied eels. How Bolivian visitors will curse you for that bit of advice. 3. Never order a full English breakfast in foreign parts Why ever not? Look around you. Japanese people seek out Japanese restaurants in London; Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz both favour Spanish restaurants near Wimbledon; Italians pile into trattorie all over the world. So eggs, bacon and the full floor show are not merely allowed but positively recommended in the morning sun of Torremolinos. It's the finest possible setting for the best breakfast in the world. Be proud, and demand brown sauce. 4. Keep off the beaten track Wrong. The track is beaten because there's something worthwhile at the end of it. Otherwise it wouldn't be beaten. Stay off the beaten track and you'll likely end up somewhere no-one wants to go: Chernobyl, North Korea, Roubaix, Northampton, that sort of place. 5. Airline meals are dreadful Really? You're moving at 550mph, 35,000 feet above the ground… and you're complaining about the state of the lasagne? 6. You mustn't use knives and forks for Chinese food, or spaghetti Oh yes, you must. Thin sticks are uniquely ill-designed for the eating of rice and noodles. Only a totalitarian society would insist on them. Meanwhile, the Italian requirement that spaghetti be not cut but twirled is just another of their ways – coffee invisible to the naked eye, Mario Balotelli, the Mafia – of annoying the world. Chop it up, for heaven's sake – it tastes the same and doesn't stain – and, when Chinese or Italians come to Britain, demand they eat their fish and chips with a brick. 7. Always avoid other Britons on holiday Why on earth? We're usually pretty decent; also the only ones who can maintain a conversation about the pension triple lock, Bonnie Blue, Port Vale FC, roadworks on the A59, the mystery of London's parakeets or the legacy of Ozzy Osbourne. Spaniards in a Spanish bar are no more interested in talking to you if you don't speak Spanish than you are interested in talking to monoglot Slovenians down your local pub. Also you are the other Britons to other Britons, so need to leave wherever you are as soon as other Britons show up, so as not to torpedo their holiday. 8. We got on marvellously, though we had no common language No. You thought you got by with signs and smiles. You didn't. As you expressed admiration for Volodymyr Zelensky, so they understood you were inviting them for a fortnight back in Peterborough. 9. In France, you don't order a well-done steak or a café au lait in mid-afternoon Yes you do, if you want to. You're the customer, Gaspard is the waiter. He disapproves? So what? If he was so great, he'd be sitting where you are and you'd be serving him. 10. We support sustainable tourism Terrific. Go to Southend. Or Blackpool. Or Nice. They've all sustained tourism since the late 18th century. 11. We're not tourists, we're travellers No, you're not. If you leave home for leisure, you're a tourist. 'Travellers' are merely tourists with ideas above their station and odd headgear. There's no moral or qualitative hierarchy of holiday experiences. Flying to Alicante is in no way inferior to flying to Ulaanbaatar. It's just a different departure gate. 12. We always try to soak up local culture Dangerous. Flamenco is occasionally OK, as is tango in Buenos Aires. That said, fado in Lisbon, dirndl skirts in Bavaria and any folk dancing anywhere have the same effect on a holiday as a colonoscopy. 13. We never stoop to fast food outlets Believe me, you would – if you saw the alternatives in some resorts I could mention. Put it this way: thank heavens for KFC in Fleetwood, Lancs. 14. We never fly Ryanair – they treat passengers like cattle No, they don't. Look around you again. It's mainly the passengers who behave like cattle. Ryanair staff undoubtedly take vows of patience. Were I faced with shuffling hordes trying to cram a ton of hand luggage into the overhead locker and a gallon of gin and tonic down their throats, I'd be roaring down the aisle, kicking travellers right and left towards the emergency exits. Which I'd open. 15. We don't buy tourist tat A pity. Gift shops, their owners and families depend on you buying a small cuckoo clock or plate featuring a bloke in lederhosen blowing an alpenhorn and emblazoned 'Andenken aus Deutschland'. 16. Sorry, but we don't do lying-about-on-the-beach holidays Yes, we get it; you're way too cultivated for that, way too clever to relax with a book and your family and a glass of rosé and maybe some friends and maybe also a leisurely dip and laughter and a chance to educate the kids ('How do crabs have babies?' 'Sideways') and the sort of relaxation you always say you hanker for, don't have time at home. Why waste time doing all that, when there's a neo-Gothic chapel to explore?
Times
4 hours ago
- Times
Cannes v St Tropez: which is better?
Pitting these two Riviera rivals against each other is more honourable duel than bar-room brawl — you'd be hard-pushed to find more elegant opponents. The names of both have become synonymous with sun-soaked Gallic luxury, and while there are similarities — both destinations, beloved of Hollywood A-listers, offer a good line in beaches, boats and boutiques — there are significant differences which may sway you in favour of one or the other. While both are titans of tourism, their physical size is an obvious point of contrast. Cannes is a city of 75,000 people; St Tropez is a small seaside town with less than 4,000 residents. As a result, high-season crowds are more heavily felt in the latter, where 80,000 visitors a day can swamp the picturesque streets that inspired Matisse, Chagall and their fellow Fauvists. Visit off-season if you want to sense the small fishing village that existed before the jet set came in their superyachts. The candy-coloured old town is undeniably gorgeous, as are many of the bronzed and beautiful visitors, who flock to the beach clubs and chichi restaurants. With few places to park and no railway station, St Tropez is designed for languid, lazy days and sybaritic nights. Cannes, on the other hand, offers not only more action within its environs — from markets and museums to the Lérins Islands in the bay — but is also a better base from which to visit the wider Côte d'Azur, not least because its hotel prices are a little more reasonable. However, the city isn't lacking in glamour, from the beach clubs lining La Croisette promenade to the star-studded film festival, usually held in May. As busy as St Tropez and Cannes may be in high season, the summer months bring swimmable waters, sun-kissed days, night markets and plenty of art and music festivals. And that's without mention of the celebrations around Bastille Day, which arrive with a bang on July 14 as fireworks are launched from beaches along the coast. Our guide sets the two combatants to contest everything from beaches and attractions to hotels and restaurants — en garde! This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue Winner It's a tie … both have fabulous beaches Cannes' main seafront sprawls along the palace hotel-lined La Croisette promenade as one big, golden beach. A handful of spots are public, such as Plage du Palais des Festivals (below the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, venue for the film festival). But the expensive private beach areas are the places to be seen, especially the plages of the Carlton and Martinez hotels, where champagne flows by the bucketful and A-listers snack on lobster with their feet in the sand. When you need to escape, the down-to-earth Lérins Islands, a short boat hop away, have charming creeks without the crowds, and shaded paths through wild forest. St Tropez, on the other hand, is all about beach parties. It has its share of restful spots — butterscotch-sand Plage des Graniers and pebbly Plage de la Ponche, amid the pastel-coloured houses below the citadel — but it's the beach clubs along Plage de Pampelonne that get the mega-yacht crowd going. Celeb-tastic experiences await along its sands in places such as Le Club 55 (created when Roger Vadim shot And God Created Woman with Brigitte Bardot) and La Réserve à la Plage, where the jet set come to swim, bronze and fine-dine. • Best beaches in Europe Winner St Tropez Cannes' seafront beach clubs are glorious spots for cocktails, especially at sunset, when the skies are striped Gucci pink and orange. But you can't beat its rooftop bars, where your spritz comes with 360-degree Med views and laid-back DJ sounds. You'll find a bustling bar scene in the streets behind the promenade — in trendy wine bars and British-style pubs, where punters spill out on to the pavement — and also in the city's three casinos. But for sheer fun, St Tropez wins hands down — for its posh Pampelonne beach clubs (again), but also for the Vieux Port in the old town, where celebs in flip-flops party on mega-yachts as champagne-fuelled crowds watch on from the terrace of Café Sénéquier. You'll find a more laid-back vibe behind the port, on plane tree-lined Place des Lices, a market square where locals sip bière over a game of pétanque. At sunset, the best spots are at Plage de la Bouillabaisse, where the beach bars have views across the shimmering gulf on to the twinkling lights of nearby Port Grimaud. • Read our full guide to France Winner St Tropez Beyond the Croisette's sea-facing palaces (where the food comes with whopping price tags), some of the loveliest eateries in Cannes are amid the steep, meandering lanes of the old town area of Le Suquet. Here, Provençal food features on most menus on your way up towards the Notre-Dame d'Espérance church — the perfect spot for a post-prandial walk thanks to its panoramic look-out terrace. Be sure to try local specialities such as soupe au pistou (a veggie and bean soup) and daube Provençale (red wine-marinated beef stew). But (as you'd expect in a town of such overt hedonism) St Tropez is possibly even more gourmet, with everything from Michelin-starred restaurants to hip seafood shacks to see and be seen in. It's fortunately not all about the bling, either: the creative dishes on the plates often shine brighter than the stars tucking into them. And many of the highlights — think artful reinterpretations of classic Mediterranean fare — are found in restaurants (such as La Table de la Messardière) beyond the seafront. Don't leave without munching on the town's namesake cake — tarte Tropézienne, a brioche-like delight filled with vanilla cream, created in the town in the Fifties. • Best restaurants in Nice Winner Cannes — by a sliver In most people's minds, the words 'Cannes' and 'hotels' equate to beachfront film-star haunts like the Carlton and the Martinez. But behind the Croisette, in the town centre and north of the train station (towards Le Cannet), there are plenty of lesser-known gems that'll place you in the action, without the price tag. St Tropez is smaller, so doesn't have quite as much choice (hence Cannes winning here). But what it does have are luxurious hidey-holes nestled in the lush hills just above the old town. One such place is La Bastide de Saint Tropez, a peach-coloured manor surrounded by gardens. Back in the centre, the Hôtel de Paris — where some junior suite dwellers can yacht-spot from their windows — famously attracted everyone from Édith Piaf to Clark Gable. Or try country-chic La Ferme d'Augustin — a fraction of the price and very pretty. For Garbo-esque isolation in Cannes, you'll want the hills around the nearby perched village of Mougins, or the rocky seafront just west of central Cannes, in Théoule-sur-Mer. Moroccan-themed Tiara Yaktsa is a secluded standout, with endless clifftop views over the azure sea. For a secluded splurge in St Tropez, bolt down at the super-romantic Château de la Messardière, surrounded by landscaped gardens and umbrella pines. Winner Cannes The seafront is a must-see when you're in Cannes — whether you do it on foot, along the Croisette (via the Allée des Stars, Cannes' handprint-filled answer to the Hollywood Walk of Fame), in a posh hotel in the beach area, or by boat. But it's just a fraction of the offerings: Forville market in the old town drips with fragrant, Provençal delights; fashion boutiques congregate around Rue d'Antibes, and a hike through the panoramic Croix des Gardes hillside takes you into an arboretum of mimosa trees (in peak bloom in February). Or you could sail to Île Sainte-Marguerite, home to the fortress that once held the Man in the Iron Mask and a magical underwater sculpture museum (accessible by snorkelling). When the beach parties get too much, St Tropez does have a few diversions up its sleeve: there's art to see in Musée de l'Annonciade (in a 16th-century chapel filled with the works of 20th-century greats such as Matisse and Signac) and at Maison des Papillons, a quirky butterfly museum amid pastel-painted former fishermen's homes. Wine-tasting abounds on the peninsula, at places such as Château Minuty, a glorious vineyard near the pretty hilltop village of Gassin. For sports, you can try Flyboarding and parasailing off Pampelonne, or hiking along the wild Sentier du Littoral, a spectacular coastal path that glorifies St Tropez's sumptuous natural setting. Cannes It's a very close call but Cannes just pips St Tropez to the post. Swinging in Cannes' favour is its accessibility, both in terms of prices and location. After all, you don't come to this part of France just to stop in one place. You hop around from bar to restaurant, and from boat to party. So having good transport links will certainly help you get from A to B, while every penny saved on hotels will allow you to get more out of the experience. Then there's the fact that Cannes is just so much bigger, absorbing those summer crowds with ease — something that St Tropez often struggles with. If it's any consolation, St Tropez is just a short drive away for those big nights reporting by Oliver Berry and Joanna Booth • Best beaches in France• Best villas in the south of France
