South of France 12 nights - recommendations

My first question is, define what you mean by "beaches (which she really wants)". Like sandy beaches? Probably not going to happen in southern France. Avignon and Nice would be my recommendations with like somewhere like Gordes or Roussillon for something different (although not in Provence) ...maybe St Remy for a small-town feeling.

I see Florida as your location.
When your daughter will see what passes for beaches on the French Mediterranean coast (east of Camargue), she will wonder why she did not stay in Florida. The coastal scenery is amazing, the beaches are not. There are better sandy beaches between roughly Montpellier and Perpignan, but you would have to pick your location carefully - some resorts are a bit tacky or overbuilt.

I lived in the South of France for several years in Provence. There are many beaches in (and near) Nice that you can easily access (just google). But if you want to branch out, I definitely recommend renting a car and exploring the coast. The little town of Bandol is about two hours drive from Nice and you can visit the beaches of Grand Vallat, the Casino Beach and the Central Beach within the town. These are small but quaint beaches. There are plenty of restaurants, some hotels and shopping. You're also near the little village of Sanary S/Mer that you can also explore, and you're not far from vineyards and hilltop villages if you want to take a break from the beaches. Many beaches are rocky so the ones that are sandy will be quite crowded during peak season. I recommend getting to the good beaches early to avoid the crowds (before 12 pm), have your lunch/explore the town, then head back out for the beautiful sunsets. I hope this helps somewhat.

Thanks folks - you echo my concerns - we have some of the nicest beaches here in Florida, I feel like she will be disappointed. But... It is her trip.

My thoughts are maybe some great "night life" locations where she will have some fun. I usually stay away from very touristy areas, or stay somewhere in the general vicinity, but make sure we go places knowing when the crowds will congregate (for example, we LOVED Taormina, and could have stayed forever as we stayed away from tourist areas during tourist times, and engaged in the local life, horseback riding, cooking classes, etc)

Anyway, I digress. I was thinking 2 places in the Provence area, and then one on the coast - and we are good going to a not so common place - for example, I don't see us going to Nice (but then again, I hate to stereotype a place I have not been to).

I hope this helps a bit. Bottom line - she is in her mid 20's, looking for her to have. great time :-).

Thanks,

Glenn

erica98115 mentions Bandol. It is a great suggestion. When we have been there the tourists are mostly French. The town is charming, and strolling along the promenade before or after dinner is a lovely way to spend an evening. Great restaurants abound, and in a short drive inland (15-30 minutes) you can access vineyards featuring the outstanding rose wines of the region. Day trips to villages and towns of Provence are easy from there...Vaison la Romain, Nyons, Aix-en-Provence...lots of yummy places to see. Marseille is worth a day's visit also.

I would then move away from the Mediterranean and go inland to one of the towns there. There may be some lavender fields in bloom as well at that time, and wineries to visit for tastings of Bouche de Rhone wines. It's been years since we were in the Nice area, so I can't comment on that, but in Provence I would stay in Bandol for a few days, then move to someplace like Avignon or St. Remy de Provence. Check out recommendations on this forum for all that there is to see and do around Avignon or Arles. The "south of France" has a magical feel to it. The air seems to sparkle, the scents of the fields and the sea stay with you. At St. Remy de Provence t is easy to see why Van Gogh lived there.

I won't even try to talk about the food. It goes without saying that you will relish the meals you will have there. Have a wonderful celebration with your daughter, whatever you decide!

Like Balso, I would tend to recommend Montpellier and its surroundings.

Montpellier is a pleasant city with many universities, so very popular with young people. From Cap d'Agde to the west to the Carmargue region to the east you will find more than 50 km of sandy beaches along the entire coastline around Montpellier.
As Balso pointed out, some areas have been overexploited by hideous tourist infrastructure, but there are still plenty of wild places.

https://www.montpellier-france.com/

Also for horseback riding, the Camargue is the ideal place

Nightlife in small towns might be difficult.
Nice is a terrific location and old town is very special. easy to travel to other destination from there on the train for day trips. Don't rule it out. It will have the nightlife and some great restaurants that celebrate the diversity of France. I can highly recommend a food tour by foodtoursofnice. Ally is a GREAT guide.
I love Bandol it is a great wine destination, but I'm not sure it's in Provence, but I also recommended a couple towns not in Provence.

Vaison la Romaine is a great town but sort of on the edge of Provence. Cool Roman ruins. I could live there thought because I like the location.