the south of france

[beastmonkey]

it's my 30th in April and my wonderful girlfriend has said she will take me away, i fancy Provence/south of France can anyone suggest any areas worth looking at staying which would give us an opportunity to drive around and see a bit of the area?

I do like good food and drink and so would like to incorporate this on the trip.

Also how warm would it be around the end of April/start of May.

yes I have watched too many films/Rick stein programmes so I have a romantic view of the area, will I be shocked or will it be as good as it seems on tv?

[jno]

temperatures by then should be in the high 60s to low 70s, very pleasant but not super hot. The beaches are ok (mostlly pebbly on the riviera as I recall) but it's probably too early for a beach holdiay. Lots of pretty villages and sights inland. Food and drink wonderful (though stay away from the most touristy areas where it can be boring and overpriced). Accommodation is variable - it's a long time since I was there and this may have changed, but check out reviews on tripadvisor.com

[Lil O'lady]

Depends on what you like - old towns, Roman ruins, beaches - but the south of France has got the lot. Places such as Carcassonne - the 'fairytale castle' town - Arles with the Roman arena where they still have bullfights - sophisticated town like Montpellier....
Depending on how you are getting there and how long you are staying for, you could get the fast train from Perpignan to Barcelona either for a big day out or to stop overnight.
There are loads of hotels, both budget and fancy, and as you are not in the peak holiday period you should be able to book very easily.
I want to come too.........

[wan_amri]

Drive to Rousillon and Languadoc and head to Pyreneess and Andorra is very beaitful through country roads. It is worth to visit City of Carcassone too on the way to Toulouse if you drive from Provence. I have been to this parts of France so many times.