English in the South of France?

English is spoken by almost all. I have traveled o s. France many times and never had a language problem whether city or countryside.

Thank you.

I spent 2 weeks in the south of France with a rental car, staying in small towns in the countryside. I speak no French other than the niceties and I got by just fine and was always able to find English speakers when needed.

I stayed in Arles for seven days in May 2017 and toured the area with no problem whether it was Hotel,restaurant or remote area like Lormarin.
Mike

no problem the British have traveled there for hundred of years
just try to greet everyone in French and learn to ask formally if a person speaks English in French before spouting in English

If you stick to tourist-oriented locations, finding people able to communicate with you in English should be relatively straightforward.

If you get away from such locations, such as in small towns or rural areas that are not commonly frequented by tourists, finding people able to communicate with you in English will be more challenging, if not infeasible. But that shouldn't pose a major problem in the absence of some kind of emergency.

In my view, if you take some time to understand the idiosyncrasies of French driving regulations (priority to the right, speed limits, parking rules) you should be fine. One other odd thing about French road signs: they never say east, west, north, or south (est, ouest, nord, sud). Instead, they show city and town names. There's an underlying assumption that you know, for example, that Valence is to the east whereas Alés is to the south. After living here for several years, it's a running joke for my wife and me that "You're just supposed to know." The French know (they study French geography extensively in school), and they evidently figure that's what matters.

As for Amsterdam versus southern France, I like Amsterdam -- a lot. But you indicate that you prefer the countryside to big cities.

-- Edit --

I suppose, since others are citing their bona fides, I should note that I've lived in France for 5 years and -- prior to that -- have visited here on various trips for both business and pleasure, ranging in duration from 1.5 weeks to 6 weeks.

We've been to France three times for a total of 2 months in Provence and Dordogne. We speak no French and got along fine. We are getting ready to go back to Dordogne for the month of September. Smile and be polite, greet with bonjour and you will be ok. Enjoy your trip.

Where in the south of France? The more you stick with tourist staples, Riviera, Provence, Dordogne, the more and better English speakers you encounter (and English menus).

As you get off the beaten track, you find fewer English speakers. I was in Languedoc and the French Pyrenees in June. You still find some English speakers but they're fewer and farther between. I loved the area, partly because it's away from the more common tourist spots.

It's more important to understand politeness in French culture than it is to speak French. Starting each conversation with a polite greeting (Bonjour Madame) is huge. If you do nothing else, do that.