SOUTH FRANCE HOLIDAY VILLAS

Everyone loves a good holiday, but not at the cost of your life savings. So here's a guide for low budget holiday ideas in the Languedoc region.

First of all, choose the right property for you. On our website we have properties that suit every possible need, so you're guaranteed to find something suitable for yourself. Even our budget friendly properties are absolutely gorgeous, beautifully decorated and wonderfully located.

Once you've found the right property, there are tons of things that you can do in the Languedoc area that are either free or cost very little!

1. Spend the day at the river, Roquebrun is the perfect place for this, there is a beautiful river open to the public where you can lounge around, swim in the water, or just gaze at the beautiful hilly surroundings and waterfalls. There is also a Mediterranean Garden in Roquebrun which is gorgeous to wander around. You can finish off the evening by eating at one of the cheap local restaurants overlooking the river, our personal favourite one is Le Petit Nice.

2. The beach! Of course, the beach! Free for all and the best day out you could ever wish for. There are so many beaches all around the Languedoc, the best ones are Cap d'Agde, Grau d'Agde, Portiragnes and Valras (my personal favourites). Money-wise, if you're thinking of grabbing some drinks or some food after your day of sunbathing, I would choose either Portiragnes or Valras, as they have a lot of affordable places to eat.

3. Walk along the Canal du Midi. I think that every local in the Languedoc has done this at some point as it is such a nice day out, surrounded by beautiful views and fresh air. While walking along the dirt road, you'll come across some picnic tables. Make a day of it and pack a picnic to enjoy while gazing over the river,

4. Visit marinas. There are a lot of marinas in the South of France and for some reason it's always been one of my favourite things to do. You can wander along the Valras-Plage port, admiring all of the beautiful boats, If you're lucky and there at the right time, you can watch the fishermen come back with the fish they've caught, and if you're extra lucky they might have caught something big like a tuna fish which they will then display on a hook before taking photos.

5. Visit a wine cellar. I don't need to tell you that wine cellars are pretty common in the Languedoc, you'll find one in pretty much every village and city that you visit. You can just walk in and ask for a free degustation. They will let you taste the wine, take you on a tour of the cellar and you might even get a bottle of wine to take home! It's a really interesting day out, and you can learn all about how wine is made. I enjoyed this so much as a little girl so be sure to bring the kids along, it's a great experience.

6. Go to a waterpark! Now this is a bit more expensive but definitely worth it if you've got little children with you. Aqualand in Cap d'Agde is probably the most popular waterpark in the region, it has so many slides for young and old, and the atmosphere there is incredible. Everyone is in good spirits riding down the slides! It costs 30euros per adult to get in, but if you bring your boarding passes with you they should allow you a discount. Bring a picnic though, the food is very overpriced and not very nice. There are lockers where you can store your things, so you can bundle everything inside of them and race each other down the slides.

7. Watch the sunset on a deserted beach. There are countless beaches in the Languedoc, it's only fitting that some of them are rather 'undiscovered'.Often, if you go to a popular beach but drive right down to the end of it, there will be next to no one there. It'll be lovely watching the sunset on a golden sanded beach.

8. Go on a day trip to a big city, Montpellier has always been my favourite city in Languedoc, thanks to its beautiful buildings, students roaming around and incredible shops and architecture. It might cost you a little bit to get there depending on where you're staying, but once there you can spend the day exploring the beautiful city. Stear away from the tourist spots and just allow yourself to get utterly lost in the hundreds of little side streets; you'll discover absolute gems. The tram isn't very expensive at all, so you can just buy a ticket and zoom around the different parts of Montpellier. I don't think I've ever come across an ugly part of this city.

9. Go to a Festipal! During the summer there are so many festivals it's become too hard to count. One of the most popular ones is the Pezenas Festipal. The city centre gets completely transformed with decorations and tables, food stalls show up, live music comes at you from every direction and couples dance with their families. It's an utterly amazing experience and the food on offer is delicous!

10. Spent the morning roaming around a market. There are so many markets in the Languedoc it's hard to choose. I definitely have 3 favouites which are St Pierre sur Mer, Pezenas and St Chinian. Get there early to insure a parking space and just lose yourself in the midst of all of the different stalls. Try some olive tapenade, juicy strawberries and delicious seafood, pick from the cheese and meat platters and to finish off, buy a delicious roast chicken and ratatouille for lunch.

So there you have it, just 10 cheap or free things to do in the South of France during the summertime. My family and I do every single one of these every year, as they are so much fun and really make a great day out!