Hi. My wife and I are going to France in August, and are considering Provence. I have two questions.
1) RS's "when to travel" tips say that it's really hot there in August. Has anyone spent time in Provence in mid-August, and if so, was the heat so unbearable that you would recommend against it? (BTW, this concerns day activities only, as I would ensure we got a hotel with A/C, so we could at least have a chance at a decent night's sleep.)
2) Wife says that with the Med so close, we might want to head from Avignon to the coast. But, when I look at the map, it appears that the coast closest to Avignon is swampy. And, the Michelin Guide says to beware of mosquitoes there, which would tend to confirm that (also, I can fight skeeters here; don't need to travel for that attraction). Does anybody have experience with the Provence coastline, good or bad? (P.S. we're not interested in the tourist crowds on the Riviera.)
Merci!
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
Yes it is hot in PROVENCE In Aug. it may also be windy "Le Mistral".
You have lodging with a/c and hopefully your car rental also,
I have been many times in summer months and i too do not like the heat. I find a way.
Start early, find shade for lunch , return in afternoon if too hot then enjoy beautiful cafes with outdoor dining in eve.
It is a beautiful area so if your only free time is aug then inwould not miss it.
There is alot to see and enjoy , so many villages so little time is what i always think when there.
Re coastal visit i would skip.for the reasons u posted.
Posted by
Long Beach, California, USA
3398 posts
I will also chime in to confirm that it is extremely hot in Provence in summer, as is most of southern Europe. If you have AC in your hotel then do like the locals and head home for the afternoon, close the shutters, and take a nap! If you have rental car then AC is a must also. We were in the south of France for 5 weeks one summer form the middle of July to the end of August and it was oppressively hot!
You are correct - the coast close to Avignon is not great. You need to head either east towards the Riviera or to southwest France, closer to Spain, for good beaches and interesting coastal villages.
Posted by
San Francisco
124 posts
We stayed on the Riviera and Avignon in July and the heat was pretty oppressive then. And I was eaten alive by mosquitos on the coast. I tend to attract those pests in general, but I was getting bitten daily even with repellent. No problem with them in Avignon.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
Expect 25-35 Celsius (that's about 75-95 Fahrenheit) in the middle of the day, possibly even hotter if you're unlucky.
Posted by
Copenhagen/Manila
15 posts
The swampy coast as you call it is actually the Camargue Regional Park, known for its pink flamingoes, bulls and wild horses, and extremely popular with French tourists, but not with American travellers apparently. Le-Grau-du-Roi, La Grande-Motte, Aigues-Morte, les Saintes-Maries-de-la Mer are interesting coastal villages and seaside resorts.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10623 posts
" but not with American travellers apparently." Are you really lumping 250 million citizens of the United States into one bag? As for La Grande-Motte, maybe you haven't been there in the last fifty years:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=la+grande+motte&view=detailv2&&id=94878564B86C671E20D0A94664527E6FEC9D36FF&selectedIndex=1&ccid=hPPPJXrP&simid=608034994803835237&thid=OIP.M84f3cf257acf8193b9b9baebb4d7aeefH0&ajaxhist=0
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
La Grande Motte has always been like that. I think the person who posted about it is interested in modern architecture.