The secret stretch of coastal France that's nicer than Nice

I felt Nice was faux-high-class nasty yuck. I did like Marseille which felt more like a port-town to me. I think France is best travelled to small towns (< 5000 people), but perhaps that is just because I like travelling to small towns in most countries.

hn_throwaway_99• 4 years ago

Curious how Nice is now - is it still filled with Russian oligarchs and "oligarch-adjacent" since the Ukraine war?

I was there years ago, went to a nice restaurant, there was a table there where it looked like the dudes were just trying to buy more and more expensive bottles of wine for show.

fancyfredbot2• 4 years ago

Wouldn't it be amazing if this actually was a secret. If some huge conspiracy had manipulated maps, satellite photos, roads and so on. Then CNN blew the whole thing wide open. That'd be an article worth reading!

prmoustache3• 4 years ago

Saying it is a secret while it is full of tourists every summer is a big stretch.

usr11067• 4 years ago

Isn't the Côte Bleue a bigger secret? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Côte_Bleue doesn't even have a real Wikipedia page. Of course the stress there is on coastal, for anything bigger you would need to go to Marseille.

yread• 4 years ago

Yes, I spent some time in Carry le Rouet, amazing stretch of coasts with all the calanques to explore

prmoustache3• 4 years ago

They may be considered secrets internationnally but they aren't really. All the mediterranean coast is packed with tourists every summer. The difference only is on the individual restrictions in urbanization, natural parks/parking space limits that makes that some areas are better preserved/less practical to visit.

prmoustache3• 4 years ago

By the way, regardless of the exact place the best way to enjoy the mediterranean coast is to dial your habits/schedule. I can literally see the mediterranean sea from the office I am writing that comment and only have to cross the street to enjoy some beach time. By 11am the beaches are just packed. What I usually do during summer time is go to the beach/sea before work and 2h before sunset when most tourists are leaving the beach to take a shower and dress up before going for dinner.

When I go doing standup paddle between 7 and 9am the beach is the cleanest and empty.

wnscooke• 4 years ago

It's a secret because it's a pain to get to.

zoenolan2• 4 years ago

Ryanair fly into a bunch of the smaller airports. Toulouse (home of Airbus) is well served.

The TGV goes through Narbonne on the way to Barcelona and into Toulouse.

If you drive the Millau viaduct is well worth a visit

Archelaos• 4 years ago

Ryanair

As the parent said: a pain to get to ...

layer8• 4 years ago

Great, now it will become overrun by hackers.

usr11067• 4 years ago

It's already crowded during the season. All of HNs audience going there at the same time would not stick out.

zoenolan2• 4 years ago

The fireworks for Bastille Day in Carcassonne are worth seeing

https://youtu.be/ZzOULKOZCAY

lokl• 4 years ago

If you're in this area and like windsurfing, kitesurfing, or watching either, La Franqui is the place to go (40 km from Narbonne).

dicknuckle• 4 years ago

Are there any catamaran rentals? Would love to sail a 16'-19' on the other side of the ocean.

baud147258• 4 years ago

Having been there and considering the number of English people I've seen, I can hardly call that a secret. Very nice wine, though

orwin• 4 years ago

Obviously, if you compare it to Nice, it's not that hard.

Avoid Narbonne during summer. I'd say avoid France altogether in summer. It's nice from mid may to the 10th of July and from the last week of august until mid october. If you like river sports, mid-april starts to be nice.

Unless you go to Brittany, Normandy or Haut de France. We have really nice museums there, there is not that much people, mostly retired Brits.

ydnaclementine• 4 years ago

How would you fair without knowing any french in cities like this?

usr11067• 4 years ago

I think it has changed a lot during the last 2 decades. Nowadays most younger people are able and willing to speak enough English to deal with typical tourist concerns just fine. For people over 50 it might still be different unless they are 100% proud of offering good service to tourists.

I am not an expert on the matter because I always try to practice my French when being there. So those who are not willing or able to communicate in English I would never notice. Sometimes it happens that some I could understand decently well in French switch to English and I get difficulties to understand what they are trying to say. Not disturbingly often I'd say.

usr11067• 4 years ago

Forgot to say: Maybe listen to a couple of conference presentations about vlc before your trip to get started with the French accent ;)

spyspy2• 4 years ago

I enjoyed Nice. I also enjoyed the towns around it. I even enjoyed Monaco which seems like an unpopular opinion. Not sure why it’s one or the other. I’d also recommend Corsica if you make your way down there. Now THAT’S a secret (for Americans).

usr11067• 4 years ago

Corsica has partly violent fights for independence. I think if you are not up to a 100% touristy program and speak the language of the "occupying force" you can feel the tensions. Not an ideal holiday destination, unfortunately.

JPLeRouzic• 4 years ago

If you don't like Corsica for some social climate reasons, Sardinia (in Italy) is really close, equally as beautiful and there are much less tourists (except the north part).

spyspy2• 4 years ago

I think that's a bit unfair. I went for my honeymoon and found the people there more than welcoming to two very-basic-french-speaking Americans. We drove around and explored the island totally independently.

The secret stretch of coastal France that's nicer than Nice

Related Stories