Aix-en-Provence is exceptionally beautiful… the shopping in Nice is also very, very good (if you’re interested in that sort of thing!)

It isn’t! Places like Nice and Montpellier are lovely and not very expensive (I guess that is relative though). I had a blast in voth places and woul love to go back. Cannes is probably what people think of when they say the south of France is “overrated” but I’ve never been there so no comment.

Provence & the Riviera definitely has some beautiful areas and cities (Avignon, Pont du Gard, Eze, Cap d’Agde, Orange, Nimes, etc), but it also has it’s large share of slums, especially along the Mediterranean. I personally don’t get the big deal about Nice. Except for the museum and a few nice areas, I thought it was way overrated. Cannes, Antibes, etc are pretty much sh*t holes.

So yes, I love the south of France, but it’s much better to approach it realizing large swaths of it (especially in the large cities) are basically 3rd world. Stick to the smaller towns and cities and you’ll be just fine.

Whether it’s overrated or not, depends, like so many things in this life, on what you like. If you like French food and French people and medieval history and architecture, and want a warm sea to bathe in, it doesn’t get much better than that. If that’s not your cup of tea … well, then there’s plenty other places in the world to check out.

I like the South of France just fine, but for my taste, the Atlantic coast is best.

I would never say that the South of France is overrated. I loved the towns I visited- San Sebastian was beautiful, as were Nimes, Arles, and Marseille. I think that, like most travel, it’s really your outlook and personal taste. So often I saw tourists when I lived in Italy who were unwilling to open themselves to cultural differences and let their guards down. I think this has a lot to do with how one experiences a place.

I have only been to France twice and the first time is always special and everything seems great. We spent some time on the Riviera, but honestly, I thought it was the very worst part of France. Over built with high rise hotels and apartments. It was very disappointing to me. However, when we crossed the boarder into Italy, it was perfect. Italy wasn’t as rich as France to develop their coastline, and for that reason, it still has charm. But back to France, I really loved Provence and want to go back. Everything is so clean, neat and tidy. The towns are beautiful. The food is great….I mean come on.

Cause it isn’t – and Conde Nast didn’t say that also.
I am travelling France for all of my life now.

It’s not overrated at all. I’ve cycled from Nice to Avignon via… well, have a look at it here: http://china.thusgaard.com/?page_id=17

That was a great experience and especially the nature around the Gorge du Verdon is fantastic!

I don’t know where you heard that…..

I think there are some incredible places in the South of France. One of my favorite towns is Menton. It is near the Italian border and is lovely.

Eze is also beautiful.

It depends on what you like, there are some beautiful little jewels there. If you like big cities though, the cities in the South of France aren’t the greatest.

that’s a really hard question to answer. I have stayed in the Basque country and even crossed the border into Spain. It’s very beautiful but I will admit I have been to much more interesting places.

Everyone has their own preference on places to go or be and The South of France may not be your ideal location but I don’t believe that means it is overrated. I quite enjoyed it actually.

because it is beautiful there

The South of France is over-rated in the same way that any place in the world that is on every tourist route is over-rated.

But first of all, we need to define what you mean by the South of France. As far as I am concerned, having been born in Brittany, northwestern France, the south of France is everything south of the Loire river. However, what most people have in mind when they think “south of France” is a few famous touristy cities along the French Riviera such as Cannes or Antibes. Those can feel over-rated because everybody goes there and you end up being in a very crowded place full of tourists, with inflated prices.

You don’t need to go very far to find the real gems. For instance, staying on the coast, go down to the region around Perpignan and you will find some of the most dramatic coastline, at the foot of the Pyrenees. Go inland and you will find Provence, Quercy, Camargue and many other regions that are breathtakingly beautiful and quiet.

The Southern France of the glossy brochures, tour operators and celebrity magazines is way over-rated. The Southern France you find when you get off the beaten tracks is another world. So pick up your backpack and a phrasebook (English not spoken where you’re going), follow the signs that lead to nowhere that’s in Hello! magazine and you’ll have the time of your life.

Well, it is one of those places where you have to know when and where to go. There is something for almost every taste y’know. I am sure that if you work out what you want from it and plan your trip accordingly you’ll learn to love it.