Surviving the South of France on a budget.

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!

Beziers Christmas Market.

It's November, which means that whether we like it or not (and let's face it, we do), Christmas is upon us! One of the best things about Christmas time, is going out and choosing gifts for your family and friends, and the best place to do that in my opinion, is a market. Sure, you'll have to actually leave the house and search for the perfect gift, but I find that so much better than just clicking on a web page like Amazon and then putting in your credit card details.

Languedoc events during November.

Contrary to popular belief, the festivities don't abruptly end the second that the sun disappears. Sure, lots of restaurants and businesses close and beaches resemble ghost-towns, but the events don't stop! There is so much to do during the colder months, you just have to know where to look!

Here is a list of events going on in the Languedoc region this November:

1. HAUT LANGUEDOC CHESTNUT FESTIVAL

A trip to the past - Carcassonne.

Some of my family's very best friends came to the South of France to visit us the other week, and we pretty much went out every day. One of the places we went to was Carcassonne - the medieval city. I've been there hundreds of times (it's a great day out so whenever we've had guests we've taken them there, which means that my family and me have been there countless times) but it's always fun and the last time I went was about 3 years ago, so there was a lot I had forgotten about.

The drive there is pretty straightforward, you just go on the motorway and then follow signs to "Cité" and then to the car park (there are a few so you can take your pick).

Tarzan for a day.

We all remember watching Tarzan as a kid, right? Raise your hand if you wanted to be able to soar and jump through the trees like he could. Pretty much everyone in the world ever is now raising their hand. Well you'll be glad to know that there is a way to do this.

Portiragnes bike riding.

Time to go back in time. Many many years ago, little 9 year old Gina put on her rollerblades and set off with her friends to Portiragnes Plage.

Falling and falling again; my skiing experience.

Me coming down the slopes.

I remember the first time I ever went skiing, I was only 8 years old and I went with my mum and brother. One of our friends had an apartment up in Les Angles, so we were lucky enough to be able to use it. We were all so excited we went straight to the ski rental place and fitted into our skis, and off we went.

It's Bastille day!!!

Bastille day is a massive celebration in France, and it occurs every year on the 14th July. Pretty much every single place in France has big celebrations, and this year we're joining in by going on a boat in Grau d'Agde and watching fireworks. Seeing as that's happening tonight, I thought I would share what I did last year with you!

Le Pont du Gard

I'm sure you've heard of the Pont du Gard and how amazing it is, but you have to be there and see it for yourself first hand in order to understand what everyone is talking about.

Holidaying in Nissan.

The village of Nissan Lez Enserune is a small, mediaeval wine-producing village. In the village centre you will find bars, several restaurants, banks, ATM. grocery store, salon, local wine outlet, bakery, post-office and chemist. Nissan has a traditional street market every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning.

Why you should stay in Colombiers.

Canal du Midi. There are often jousting competitions on the water, during the summer months. 

When you visit Colombiers, you will find a pretty network of old streets in the village which nestles in a curve in the Canal du Midi. A port was built here, on the Canal du Midi, in 1989 and there are many boat hire companies from which to choose, if you fancy a relaxing cruise along the canal.
A good company to choose from is Rive de France.

Why you should rent in Valras-Plage.

There are countless beaches in the South of France. No, really. Literally countless. But one of my all time favourites is Valras-Plage.

We have quite a few villas there, one of our most preferred properties is in a residence in Valras itself.

A review of Capestang.

There are so many different villages and towns in the South of France, and every single one of them has something different to offer! We asked one of our property owners to describe life in Capestang for you, so you can get a really solid idea of the wonderful town itself. If you would like to see his property, click HERE!

"The village of Capestang is situated in the beautiful wine growing region of Languedoc, 25 minutes by car to the nearest Mediterranean beaches.
A typically Frencg working village quite unspoilt by tourism, which has a selection of bar sand restaurants, all within walking distance of the house.

7 Things to know before you book your holiday.

Holidaying in the South of France is just as amazing as it sounds. The sunny days, sandy beaches and crystal clear swimming pools aren't all myths, but there are some things that you need to be aware of before booking your holiday; just small things that you wouldn't usually think of, so I'm here to help!