Your guide to the South of France
Whether you're searching for the perfect home, planning a permanent move, or simply trying to understand what life is really like here, I'm here to help.
After living abroad for many years and relocating back to France a second time myself, I understand both sides of the journey. My goal is to help you settle with confidence: from finding the right property to discovering the neighborhoods, services and local knowledge that make the Côte d'Azur such a wonderful place to call home.
By Jacquie
I moved to the Côte d'Azur twice before making it home. Now a local real estate agent, I share what I wish someone had told me.
The turn of the year
France has two new years. January may actually be the quieter one. La rentrée in September is when everything starts moving again: schools reopen, businesses return from the summer break, appointments fill up, projects restart and everything that was quietly postponed in June suddenly lands back on the calendar. Whether you have lived here for years or are only just settling in, it is worth knowing just how much life on this coast revolves around la rentrée. September does not really feel like the end of summer. It feels like the beginning of a new year.
School goes back in the first days of September. Overnight the beaches lose their families, the supermarkets fill with stationery and every village square with a school on it becomes impassable at half past eight and again at half past four.
So do the offices. This is the part nobody warns you about. In August you could drive the coast road at nine in the morning. From the first Monday of September the A8 between Cannes and Nice, the Basse Corniche and the approaches to Sophia Antipolis go back to being a commute. Rush hour here means roughly seven-thirty to nine-thirty and five to seven.
And the associations reopen. The first or second Saturday of the month, most communes hold a forum des associations on the main square: every club, choir, language exchange, hiking group and pottery class in the village, at trestle tables, signing people up for the year. If you have just moved here and know nobody, this is the single most useful morning of your first twelve months. It costs nothing and everybody is there.
What's on
September makes getting out and about on the Côte d'Azur more appealing. The August heat has eased, the crowds have thinned and it's a good time to visit an exhibition, explore a village or enjoy music outdoors. This month's events range from yachts and classic sailing boats to music, art, glassmaking and local heritage. I've picked the ones I'd put in my own calendar.
September 8–13 · Cannes
This one is happening right now, so I'm putting it first. Even if you're not planning on buying a yacht anytime soon (I'm certainly not), it's quite a spectacle. More than 700 boats take over the Vieux Port and Port Canto and the whole atmosphere spills into Cannes.
My pick: Friday the 11th. The show stays open until 10pm, and I think this is one of those events that becomes much more fun once the sun goes down and Cannes lights up.
September 12–19 · Beaulieu-sur-Mer
This one sounds rather special. For eight days, classical music takes over some of the loveliest spots around Beaulieu-sur-Mer, with concerts at the Casino, St Michael's Anglican Church, the Royal Riviera and even on the beach.
My pick: Saturday the 12th. The opening concert brings the Nice Opera Choir to Plage de la Petite Afrique at 8:30pm, performing outdoors by the Mediterranean as the sun goes down. It's free, though you do need to reserve a free pass in advance.
Until September 28 · Musée Matisse, Nice
This is definitely on my September list. The exhibition brings together two names that seem made for the Côte d'Azur, exploring the connections between art, colour, fashion and design.
I love an exhibition that gives me an excuse to spend a few hours in Nice, and this is exactly the sort I'd combine with lunch and a wander afterwards rather than making it a museum-only outing.
September 18–20 · Biot
This one is practically on my doorstep, and probably my favourite pick this month. For three days, the old village of Biot becomes one enormous open-air glass studio, with around 200 glassmakers coming from across the world.
There are live demonstrations, exhibitions, workshops and artists working with fire and molten glass right in the village. It's unusual, slightly magical, very Biot, and free.
September 19–20 · across the Côte d'Azur
If you've never experienced the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine in France, this is a weekend worth keeping free. Buildings, museums, monuments and places you might normally walk or drive straight past suddenly open their doors, often for free.
I wouldn't try to cram ten places into one day. I'd choose somewhere I've always been curious about and use it as an excuse to explore. Some visits require advance reservations, so it's worth checking before you go.
September 19–20 · Biot
There's an unusual coincidence this year: the Biot International Glass Festival and European Heritage Days fall on exactly the same weekend. My suggestion? Go to Biot.
Spend the morning wandering through the glass festival, then stop for lunch in the old village. One of my favourites at the moment is Le 410, right on the Place des Arcades. After lunch, head down to the Musée National Fernand Léger, where admission is free for Heritage Weekend, with guided visits and the current exhibition Léger et La Création du Monde. Sometimes the best weekend plan isn't trying to fit five towns into two days.
September 19–26 · Cannes
If you love beautiful old boats, I think this might actually be more charming than a yacht show. More than 150 classic sailing boats are expected in the Bay of Cannes, including some extraordinary historic yachts.
You don't need to know anything about sailing to enjoy it. I'd go down to Cannes, watch the boats in the bay, wander around the harbour and make an afternoon of it. Definitely one for the camera.
Through November 15 · Saint-Paul-de-Vence
September is such a lovely time for Saint-Paul-de-Vence, and the Fondation Maeght is one of those places I never really tire of. This autumn they're showing Ellsworth Kelly: Aux bords de l'eau.
See the exhibition, wander around the sculpture gardens, then head into Saint-Paul for lunch or a drink. That combination of art, a beautiful village and absolutely no need to rush anywhere is a pretty perfect September outing.
Until September 21 · Musée Marc Chagall, Nice
This one is more of a go-now-before-you-miss-it pick. The exhibition finishes on September 21, so there are only a couple of weekends left to catch it.
And if you've never visited the Chagall museum itself, I think it's worth going regardless. It's small enough that you don't leave feeling museumed-out, which is always a plus in my book.
Where the locals swim
September might just be my favourite month for the beach. The sea is still beautifully warm, the intense summer heat begins to soften, and once the August crowds disappear, some of the Côte d'Azur's loveliest spots become a pleasure again. Here are three I'd choose this month.
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat · Morning
Tucked into the eastern side of Cap Ferrat, Paloma looks across the water towards Beaulieu and the cliffs of Èze.
When I'd go: Around 9:30am for a quiet swim, followed by a walk along the Pointe Saint-Hospice coastal path before lunch.
Jacquie's tip: September gives you the best of Paloma: warm summer water without quite so much of the summer circus.
Beaulieu-sur-Mer · Beach day
Sheltered beneath the cliffs at the eastern end of Beaulieu, Petite Afrique is the one I'd choose when I want to settle in rather than just stop for a swim.
When I'd go: Around 10:30am on a weekday. Swim, read, have lunch and stay for a few hours.
Jacquie's tip: Bring a book and don't make too many plans. This is a beach for staying awhile.
Cap d'Antibes · Sunset
Small, sandy and looking west towards the Lérins Islands and the Esterel, Plage des Ondes is particularly lovely once the day begins to cool.
When I'd go: Around 5pm. Swim first, then stay as the sun starts dropping over the Esterel.
Jacquie's tip: Bring a towel and something cold to drink. There's no need to make this one complicated.
The village of the month
Each issue takes one place and tells it properly: what it is really like, what's genuinely worth seeing and when to go. This month, somewhere much smaller than last month's pick, and much closer to home: the village we chose, twice.
Biot is small, but that's part of why I love it.
After living internationally and moving our family more than once, we were drawn here by that rare combination of village life, community and location. It feels tucked away and peaceful, yet we're only minutes from the coast, Sophia Antipolis, Antibes and everything we need. When the time came to choose where to settle again, Biot is where we found ourselves coming back to: the quiet, the sense of community and how easy everyday life is here all still hold up once the novelty has worn off.
Once inside the old village, everything is within a few minutes' walk. The little streets are filled with independent boutiques, clothing and jewellery, artists' studios and galleries, and of course glass.
There's also La Maison de Lucille, one of my favourite souvenir shops on the Côte d'Azur. It's the sort of shop I always take visitors into, packed with lovely little finds, Provençal gifts, Côte d'Azur keepsakes and plenty of things you actually want to take home rather than the usual tourist souvenirs. It's a great place to pick up a small gift for someone, or inevitably something for yourself.
Glass is very much part of Biot's identity. The village became famous for its distinctive bubbled glass in the 1950s, when Éloi Monod turned tiny bubbles, normally considered an imperfection, into a signature style. Today Biot is still home to master glassmakers, workshops and galleries, and you can even watch pieces being blown and shaped by hand at the Verrerie de Biot.
If you're looking for something special to take home, stop at Verrerie Farinelli / Sappa at Biot 3000. It's one of my favourite places for unique glass pieces, keepsakes and gifts, with plenty to choose from at different price points.
A day in the life
Our Sundays usually start at the AntibesLand brocante, where my husband loves hunting for treasures. His idea of the perfect time to arrive is very early, as that's when all the best finds are still there. I join him when I can, although I'm definitely not as enthusiastic about the alarm clock.
Afterwards, I'm usually ready for coffee and breakfast. I love meeting a friend or taking the family to Le 410 for a proper English breakfast, something that's surprisingly hard to find around here and always feels like a little taste of home.
September afternoons are still warm enough that we'll often head to the sea for a swim. As the weather starts to cool, we tend to swap the beach for our rollerblades or bikes and head along the bord de mer at Villeneuve-Loubet: flat, easy and a lovely way to spend an afternoon by the water.
Then we see where the evening takes us. September sunsets are just too good to waste. Sometimes we'll stay close to home, sometimes Antibes, but the Juan-les-Pins side is my favourite for sunset, with those gorgeous views across the water.
Nothing fancy, and plans often change along the way. But brocante hunting, a good breakfast, the sea and a sunset is pretty much my kind of Sunday.
Village fêtes
September's calendar is quieter than August's and, in some ways, more interesting. These are village affairs rather than events staged for visitors. (Heritage Weekend itself is above, in this month's picks; here's the rest of the local calendar.)
Les Voiles de Saint-TropezClassic and modern yachts racing in the gulf and the village turned over to it. Free from the shore.
Fêtes des vendanges, inlandThe grape harvest itself runs through September across the Var and the Bellet hillsides above Nice, though the public fêtes tend to follow once the picking is done: Saint-Laurent-du-Var's harvest fair is 17 October, and Bellet's wine fête runs 18–24 November. Worth marking down for later if you want the party rather than just the grapes.
Vide-greniers & brocantes
My husband does this for a living. He organizes house clearances across the region: he sorts and values what is there, sells the pieces worth selling on the owner's behalf, gives what can be given to charities and makes sure the rest is properly recycled. So this section is his and September is his favorite month.
September is when houses that were full all summer get emptied. Holiday rentals turn over, second homes close up, estates that waited for the family to gather in August get settled in September. More goes onto the tables this month than at any other time except the spring.
There is plenty happening already. Nice runs its professional flea market, Les Puces de Nice, several days a week, and two dates are locked in for September: a vide-greniers in Menton on Sunday 13 September, and a brocante at Terra Provence in Les Arcs on Saturday 19 September, worth the drive if you have a car. Antibes, Cannes, Vence and Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey also run theirs this month, with Cannes leading off on 6 September and the rest clustered around the 12th and the following two weekends.
A quick note on vocabulary. A vide-greniers is mostly private individuals emptying their own attics, with a few dealers mixed in: a bit of everything, cheaper, and the best hunting ground if you are after an actual treasure. A brocante professionnelle, like Nice's, is different: dealers only, and the prices reflect the sorting they have already done for you. More reliable, less of a gamble, and less of a bargain.
Brocante du Cours Saleya, NiceThe east end of the Cours, professional, best before nine.
Les Puces de NiceThe professional flea market, recurring through the week.
Brocante professionnelle, AntibesPlace des Martyrs de la Résistance.
Vide-greniers du Suquet, Cannes6 rue Saint-Dizier. Free entry, dealers and locals side by side, best arrived early.
Vide-greniers, AntibesStade du Fort Carré, run by the local football club – separate from the Tuesday professional brocante above.
Vide-greniers, Saint-Vallier-de-ThieyLe Grand Pré. Two dates this month, up on the plateau.
Vide-greniers, MentonParking Rondelli, organized by the association Mahras. Free entry for visitors.
Brocante, Terra Provence, Les Arcs495 boulevard de la Liberté, 83460 Les Arcs. About an hour inland, worth the drive.
Vide-greniers, VencePlace Clémenceau, in the historic centre.
The village vide-greniersThis is often where the best finds are. Dates change regularly, so check the local calendar before you go.
At the table
The terraces are still very much alive, but that intense August heat has finally started to ease. You can actually enjoy a long lunch outside without desperately searching for the one table in the shade, and best of all, I can finally leave the little handheld fan at home.
It's also just easier. The summer crowds begin to thin, reservations become a little less competitive and there's a more relaxed feeling everywhere. You can decide to go out without necessarily having planned it three days earlier.
I also love watching the markets begin to change. We still have all those wonderful late-summer tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, figs and melons, but slowly you start seeing the first signs of autumn creeping onto the stalls.
Restaurants reopen and rebook. Many good addresses close for two weeks after the season, usually in the second half of the month, then reopen with the autumn menu. It is the one moment of the year when you can get a table at short notice at places that were impossible in August. Ring rather than book online: the closure dates rarely make it onto the website.
What to see
If I had a completely free September day and felt like escaping to Nice, this is pretty much how I'd spend it. No big itinerary, no rushing from one "must-see" to another. Just good food, a wander, a swim and hopefully a beautiful sunset.
Morning. I'd start in Vieux Nice, preferably early enough that the streets are still relatively quiet. First priority is always coffee and a croissant, then I'd make my way towards Cours Saleya. I love wandering through the market without really needing anything, and then disappearing into the little streets of the old town for a while. Nice is much better when you allow yourself to get a little lost.
Lunch. I wouldn't book anywhere particularly fancy. I'd find a table outside in the old town, order something good and settle in for some people-watching. This is France, after all. Lunch does not need to be rushed.
Apéro. I'm not going home yet. I'd make my way up towards Colline du Château for that incredible view over Nice and the Baie des Anges. I've seen it plenty of times and it still gets me. Then back down for an apéro somewhere with a view of the sea: a glass of rosé, something small to nibble on and nowhere else I particularly need to be. That, for me, is a pretty perfect September day in Nice.
The French lesson
A page each month on how things are actually done here. Not grammar: the small rules nobody writes down.
The word
You heard it all August and it meant nothing was going to happen. Well, this is la rentrée. It is the moment to go back to every person who said it and hold them to it.
Do it in the first fortnight. By October the sentence becomes on verra après les vacances de Toussaint and you are into the next loop.
Vous and tu
Start with vous when you're unsure, especially in professional situations or when meeting someone for the first time. It isn't cold; it's simply the neutral starting point.
The move to tu often comes naturally, sometimes with the phrase on peut se tutoyer. If you're not sure, let the other person suggest it. After a while in France, you stop thinking about it quite so much.
The paperwork word
September is administration month, and this is a phrase you'll hear often. A justificatif de domicile is simply proof of address. Depending on what you're applying for, this might be a recent electricity or water bill, a rent receipt or another official document showing your address.
Jacquie's tip: Keep a recent one as a PDF on your phone. You'll be surprised how often it comes in handy.
September vocabulary
The counterpart to August's fermeture annuelle. The handwritten sign changes and the village restarts.
Its cousin is reprise, used for anything starting again: reprise des cours, reprise du marché, reprise des travaux. When you hear it, whatever it is has begun.
Where all of the above is enforced, gently, by everyone.
In the garden
If you're planning to plant, autumn is a better bet here than spring. The soil is still warm and the rains are coming, giving anything you put in now time to root before next summer's heat.
Bulbs go in from the end of the month. Narcissus, iris, anemones and ranunculus, though tulips do better planted in November once the ground has cooled. It's also the moment to divide irises, which want lifting and splitting every three or four years and hate being buried: the rhizome sits on the surface, half out of the soil.
Sow the winter vegetables too. Broad beans, spinach, chard, winter lettuce and the last radishes. Keep them damp for the first fortnight and they're up within days.
The market note
A short honest note each month, from someone who does this for a living rather than from a press release.
There's a definite change of energy on the Côte d'Azur in September. After two months when so much revolves around holidays, visitors, beaches and simply trying to stay cool, September suddenly feels purposeful again: phones start ringing, emails get answered and diaries fill up. Real estate wakes up with it and it isn't only that there are more people looking. The mindset changes too.
The September buyer. Summer brings people who fall in love with the Côte d'Azur on holiday and start imagining owning a home here, which I understand completely. But September brings a different kind of energy: buyers return to searches they started earlier in the year, families have had time to talk about what they actually want and new properties are coming onto the market, so even buyers who felt they had already seen everything before the summer often find it worth starting again.
September shows you the real Côte d'Azur. I particularly like this month for people considering a permanent move here. July and August are wonderful, but they're not an accurate picture of everyday life: in September the villages feel local again, you can get a table at your favourite restaurant, parking is possible again and neighbourhoods return to their normal rhythm. Those everyday details matter enormously if you're actually going to live here. I know from our own moves that choosing a home isn't only about the house: you're choosing what your Tuesday morning looks like, where you'll buy your bread, how long the school run takes and whether you can walk somewhere for dinner.
Buyers are looking more carefully. People are comparing properties closely: how much sun a place actually gets, whether the garden is usable, road noise, how steep the access is, where you park and what condition the house is really in. When a listing says a property is "five minutes from the village", I always want to know what those five minutes actually look like. A spectacular view can make you forgive a lot, but perhaps not everything.
Price versus value. A beautifully renovated home with a great view, good access and a garden you genuinely want to spend time in can absolutely justify a premium, but buyers are just as aware as sellers of what another €100,000 should be buying them. It's natural for sellers to feel emotionally attached to a home they've lived in and invested in for years; the buyer doesn't have that history. They're looking at your home alongside everything else their budget can buy.
Those first few weeks. This matters in September especially, because new listings are arriving and buyers suddenly have more choice. A home that has just appeared online is new. Agents and buyers notice it. Price it significantly above the market and buyers tend to watch and wait; leave it sitting for months and the conversation shifts from "have you seen this new house?" to "why hasn't this sold?", which is not where you want to start a negotiation. Every seller wants the best price and my job is to help them get it, but starting with the highest price and achieving the best price are not always the same thing.
What I tell my clients. I would never tell someone what number to sell for: it's their home and their decision. What I can do is show them what has actually sold nearby, what they're competing with today and where I believe their property fits, because a home can also have something comparable sales don't capture: an extraordinary view, a beautiful renovation, a fabulous garden or simply the feeling you get walking through the door.
Thinking about buying or selling here? Tell me roughly where you are in the process on the property page and I'll answer properly.
Vol. 1 The Arrival Guide · Vol. 2 The Property Guide · Vol. 3 Homes in Transition · Vol. 4 Jacquie's Address Book