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Don’t even think about visiting Provence in high season without reserving accommodation. From the beginning of July to the end of August the region, especially the Riviera and Côte d’Azur, is at its busiest and everything, from grand hotels to campsites, is full. May to mid-June and September to mid-October are less crowded. Some smaller hotels in rural areas close from November to February.

You can book direct with hotels and other accommodation providers by phone, fax and, increasingly, by email and via the web. The site www.franceguide.com provides useful links to sites where you can find and book accommodation. You will normally be asked for a deposit, which you can pay by credit card in most larger hotels and campsites, or by money order.

The South of France is very well geared up for family tourism, both on the coast and inland. Many hotels will provide an extra bed for smaller children or a cot for babies at a nominal cost. Gîtes (see Gîte Farmhouses) and camp sites (see Under Canvas Choices) also offer excellent value for families travelling on a budget. Most camp sites have facilities and activities for children.

The best way to save money is to travel off-season (and avoid the glitzy Riviera resorts). However, accommodation in France can be surprisingly cheap, with rooms in small pensions available for as little as €30 for a double room (see Value-for-Money Hotels). Hotels in Maison de la France’s Bon Weekend en Villes programme (see Government Tourist Offices) offer two nights for the price of one at hotels in towns including Aix, Arles, Avignon and Marseille.

Camp sites in Provence usually feature pools, playgrounds, cafébar and often a mini-market and morning bread delivery. They become crowded in July and August, and most close their gates by 10pm. Independent camping is discouraged, as is sleeping on beaches.

France pioneered the “limited service hotel” which offers clean, comfortable rooms at budget prices, and not much else. Chains such as Formule 1, Campanile, Etap and others cluster at motorway junctions, airports and on the outskirts of cities. Although lacking in character they can be perfect for the first and last night of your stay.

Accommodation in gîtes is plentiful – most are privately owned and often in pretty cottages or farmhouses. Crockery and kitchen utensils are supplied, but you usually have to bring your own bedlinen and do your own cleaning.

A villa holiday offers a more luxurious version of self-catering. Most villas are in or near coastal resorts and usually have a pool. They offer basic maid service (cleaning and linen change) but the more luxurious can be fully staffed with cook, valet service and chauffeur.

Holiday apartments can be found in most resort areas, especially in the Cannes-Antibes area, but few offer the facilities of a gîte or villa and most are geared to long stays.

You don’t have to be mega-rich to stay on a yacht or cruiser. The closer you get to Cannes or Antibes the more expensive such boats become, but there are less ostentatious vessels in such harbours as Le Lavandou and Ste-Maxime.