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READER INSIGHTS

REVEALED: What are France’s best beaches and coastal resorts?

The Local asked readers for their top tips for places to visit along the French coast and we were overwhelmed with suggestions for beautiful beaches, off-the-beaten-track villages and lively resorts.

Published: 3 October 2022 16:29 CEST
REVEALED: What are France's best beaches and coastal resorts?
An aerial view shows the The Hollow Needle of Etretat and its deserted beach, Normandy, western France (Photo by Lou BENOIST / AFP)

The Local has been seeking out France’s best coastline in recent weeks, after a disagreement on an episode of our Talking France podcast where Editor Emma Pearson defended La Vendée as home to the best (and most underrated) coastline in the country, while journalist Genevieve Mansfield fought for Brittany.

To settle the debate, The Local asked its readers to share their favourite place to go on France’s shores, and the results are in, along with exclusive recommendations:

Brittany wins

Almost half (48 percent) of those who responded to The Local’s survey about the best part of France’s coastline voted for Brittany. 

Where to go

Several people recommended the Morbihan département.

Angela Moore, said her favourite part of this area was the islet between Vannes and Lorient, which is home to romanesque chapel and the Etel river oyster, a delicacy in the area. 

Others chose the Morbihan for its “lovely little coves, wonderful beaches and seafood,” as well as for boat rides in the gulf. Meanwhile, some pointed out Carnac, as a spot to visit, as the town is known for its prehistoric standing stones.

Some preferred travelling further north in Brittany, and they recommended the Finistère départment.

Rebecca Brite, who lives in Paris’ 18th arrondissement, said she loves this part of France for the overall atmosphere. Her top recommendation was to “Go all the way to the Baie des Trépassés and stay at the old, traditional hotel-restaurant of the same name. Pretend you’re in the legendary kingdom of Ys, swallowed up by the sea on this very site.”

The other part of Brittany that came highly recommended was the Emerald Coast (Côtes d’Armor) – specifically the Côte de Granit Rose.

The Mediterranean coastline

The Mediterranean remained a very popular vacation spot for readers of The Local, with almost a third of respondents claiming it as their favourite part of the French coastline. From sailing to cliffs and architecture, the Mediterranean had a bit of everything according to The Local’s readers.

Cassis and the Calanques were among of the most popular responses for where to go and what to see in this part of France.

One respondent, Gini Kramer, said she loves this part of France because “There’s nothing like climbing pure white limestone cliffs rising right out of the sea. The hiking is spectacular too.”

Some counselled more lively parts of the riviera, like the old port in Marseille, while others suggested the quieter locations.

David Sheriton said he likes to go to the beaches of Narbonne: “It’s a gentle slope into the sea so great for the (grand)children.” He said that the area does have a “few bars and restaurants” but that it does not “attract the party crowds.” 

In terms of beautiful villages, Èze came recommended for being home to “the most breathtaking views of the French coastline,” according to reader Gregg Kasner.

Toward Montpellier, Dr Lindsay Burstall said that La Grande Motte was worth visiting, for its “coherent 60’s architecture.” Burstall proposed having “a chilled pression au bord de la mer while watching the world go by…”

Meanwhile, three readers listed locations near Perpignan, and all encouraged visiting the area’s “pre-historic sites.”

Sally Bostley responded that her favourite spots were “between Canet-Plage and Saint-Cyprien-Plage” and she advised visiting “Collioure, Banyuls with the aquarium, Perpignan, nearby prehistoric sites, Safari Park, Prehistory Park.”

Other parts of the coastline

Though these locations may have received less votes overall, they still stood out in the minds of The Local readers:

Normandy did not receive as many votes as its neighbour Brittany, but it is still home to unique attractions worth visiting. The WWII landing beaches “plages de débarquement” came highly recommended, along with cathedrals and abbeys in the region, like Coutances in the northern Manche département.

Reed Porter, who lives in Annecy, likes to go to Êtretat when he visits Normandy. He had several recommendations, starting with “les falaises!” These are the dramatic cliffs overlooking the ocean.

Porter also suggested visitors of Êtretat head to “the glass stone beach” and the “old town” for its architecture. If you get hungry, there are “oysters everywhere all the time.”

Basque country was also highlighted for its proximity to the Pyrenées mountains. Maggie Parkinson said this was the best part of France’s coastline for her because of “The long views to the Pyrénées, the pine forests, the soft, fresh quality of the air, the many moods and colours of the sea – gently lapping aquamarine waves to thunderous, crashing black rollers churning foam onto the shore.”

A huge fan of the area, Parkinson had several recommendations ranging from cuisine to “cycling the many paths through the tranquil pines, visiting Bayonne, the Basque Country and the Pyrénées or northern Spain (for wonderful pintxos).”

She said that she loves to “[chill] on the endless, wide sandy beaches or [rest] on a hammock in the park” or “[catch] a local choir sporting blue or red foulards singing their hearts out to traditional or rock tunes.”

Similar reasons were listed in favour of Corsica as France’s best coastline, as it is also home to tall mountains with beautiful views over the water.

If you are looking to visit Corsica, Paul Griffiths recommends “having a good road map” and then “just [driving] quietly along the coast and over the mountains.” He said that this is “all easily doable in a day” and along the way you can “find beautiful beaches, lovely towns with good restaurants – especially Maccinaggion and Centuri – to enjoy one day after another.”

Finally, the preferred coastline location for The Local’s France Editor, Emma Pearson, also got some support by readers, with one calling La Vendée an “unpretentious” and “accessible” place for a vacation.

Respondent Anthony Scott said that “Les Sables d’Olonne and Luçon both epitomise the spirit of Vendée.” He enjoys the “inland serenity and historic sites, beautiful beaches and inviting seashores” as well as “traditional appetising meals.” He also noted that the area is “not too expensive.”

READ ALSO Brittany v Vendée – which is the best French coastline?

Many thanks to everyone who answered our survey, we couldn’t include all your recommendations, but feel free to leave suggestions in the comments below.

Member comments

  1. Would just like to clarify that La Rochelle and Île de Ré are to be found on the West coast of France and not the East coast as described under your newsletter photo today… 🙂

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READER INSIGHTS

‘We moved here for the healthcare’: How foreigners view France’s social model

As France mulls cuts to some services to reduce the country’s deficit, readers reveal their experiences of health and social care here.

Published: 10 April 2024 15:37 CEST
'We moved here for the healthcare': How foreigners view France's social model

From free taxi rides for patients to state grants for holidays and concert tickets, via a robust system of benefits and healthcare, the French social model – funded by taxes – has long been renowned as a generous one.

But finance minister Bruno Le Maire has indicated that some services will need to be cut as the French deficit is high and steadily rising.

So we asked our readers – is France’s social model really too generous? Or does it serve the people who live here well, in exchange for their hefty tax contributions?

Healthcare

We started off by asking people about their experiences of French healthcare, and whether they believe any changes should be made.

Overall, people were very positive about the French health system with most saying they had had good experiences and several people expressing gratitude for French medics who had saved their lives.

Pamela, from Bayeux, wrote that French benefits and healthcare services are, “Excellent”. “I pay a lot of tax and cotistations,” she wrote, “I feel like I get a fair return on this.”

Liz Barclay, who lives in Aveyron, wrote that an American friend’s six-day hospital stay and surgery following a heart attack cost around €11,000 in France compared to around $250,000 in USA. The care the friend received was ‘highly praised’ by an American cardiologist, she wrote.

She added that, “Regular doctor visits at €25 or even €30 seem very cheap.”

In fact, the general consensus among the responses is that care and services are mostly excellent – Alphonse Thompson went so far as to say it was: “Excellent, humane and a model for the Anglophone world”.

And Eric Stillwell, from Lot, said: “We moved here for the healthcare and believe it should be the model for more countries.”

D Packman, in Paris, wrote about the “Quality services, reasonable costs” of social and healthcare services in France.

READ ALSO How to get a carte vitale in France and why you need one

American Amy Freeman said: “I have used the system three or four times. I love the ease of making appointments and the bills were very low. I have never abused the system or asked for more than I needed. Probably because I am American and am terrified of getting a massive bill. I can’t seem to shake that mentality no matter where I live.”

Social benefits

France’s social benefits are also potentially in line for cuts, especially unemployment benefits, so we asked our readers who had used those services what they thought.

A Var reader pointed out: “[U]nemployment benefits are not unreasonably generous and only available if sufficient working contributions prior to losing a job.”

Richard Romain, who lives in Aude, described the French model as, “socially inclusive and allows people to get into employment”.

He added: “My employer received a grant over five years for employing me as I am disabled. I also got 100 percent grant for adapting my place of work.”

And Andy Parsons, who has lived in Calvados since 2007, said the system was: “Easy and generous. As a full time carer for a three children, one of whom has disabilities, the allowances were generous and the tax breaks enormous.”

But not everyone agreed. Aditya Das, who moved to Lyon from India, was one of a few respondents who felt France’s social model was ‘too generous’. Das argued that “some undeserving people” benefit from a combination of state aid that keeps, “able bodied people from working”.

And A McKnight, from Argenteuil, wrote: “Every area of benefits goes too far – there need to be clear conditions and termination points set in place.”

Carol Schoen, who lives in Strasbourg, argued unemployment payments were too high: “There is too much abuse and not much incentive to get a job … [and] child allowances are too generous and don’t always benefit the children.”

And Ceinwen Reeves Izzard, from Dordogne, said that the model may be weighted against some, pointing out the, “[l]ack of generosity in sick pay for self-employed people who are too ill to work when others get spa treatments on prescriptions”.

Cuts

And finally the million euro question – is there anything that is too generous and should be cut?

While some argued that unemployment benefits are too generous and don’t incentivize work, others looked for savings amid healthcare. 

Reimbursed taxi costs for certain appointments, prescriptions for spa treatments and over-medication were causes for concern.

READ ALSO How to get free transport to medical appointments in France

Most people, however, advocated limiting or means-testing certain services, rather than axing them altogether.

“France could certainly eliminate free taxi rides to appointments for people who can drive themselves or can easily find a ride,” wrote Barclay, an view echoed by Pamela, who added: “It’s more the abuse that bothers me than the existence of the service. I see a lot of Britons living here taking the mickey with it.”

Several readers – especially those living in rural areas – told us they had used the taxi service to travel to vital medical appointments including cancer treatments. 

Several people also flagged up waste when it comes to medication, or just general over-prescribing (and it’s true that the French are among the most highly medicated nations in the world).

Robert Hodge, living in the Vendée, said: “The amount of medication issued by pharmacies needs to be limited to that which is actually prescribed. Two pills a day for six days should be 12 pills and not 20 just because they come in boxes of 10.”

Ceinwen Reeves Izzard added: “They are overly keen to prescribe MRIs, I have had multiple. They oversubscribe medication. I have lots of morphine locked in a safe because the pharmacy wouldn’t take it back.”

Matthew Davison agreed, adding: “The big one is medication. My doctor might prescribe 3 pills a day for 5 days, but the pharmacy will give me the double because that’s the amount in one box. This creates so much waste. I have a cardboard box filled with leftover medicine I didn’t need.”

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