Renting a family villa on the French Riviera: far more than a summer destination

From Saint-Tropez and Cap d’Antibes to Monaco, the summer high season accounts for most rental demand on the French Riviera. Yet from April to June, and again from September to mid-October, families have access to the same luxury villas, with warm, mild weather, a more intimate Riviera and rates that often reflect the quieter season, sometimes offering better value than at the height of summer.

A mild climate, ideal for longer family stays

In April, temperatures range from 10°C to 17°C, with around twenty days of sunshine. In May, they rise to between 14°C and 21°C, with a similar number of dry days. By June, conditions are already distinctly summery, with temperatures between 18°C and 25°C and average rainfall of just 34 millimetres.

It is an ideal time to enjoy a villa with a swimming pool in Cap d’Antibes, the hills above Cannes or the hinterland of Saint-Tropez, without the heat of July and August. September extends these mild conditions, with temperatures between 17°C and 25°C, before October brings a slightly wetter Indian summer that remains pleasant until around mid-month.

Renting outside peak season: easier access to the most sought-after villas

Summer demand is concentrated almost exclusively on July and August. The most sought-after villas on the French Riviera, with heated swimming pools, sea views or private tennis courts, from Saint-Tropez and Cap d’Antibes to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, are often booked several months, and sometimes more than a year, in advance.

Renting in April, May or June provides access to the same portfolio of properties, with greater flexibility over dates, length of stay and bedroom configuration. Renting outside peak season means choosing the property you want, rather than the one that happens to remain available.

A more intimate Riviera, from Saint-Tropez to Monaco

Outside the high season, the beaches of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Cap d’Antibes become noticeably less crowded. Addresses such as Club 55 on Pampelonne Beach, near Saint-Tropez, which recommends booking two months in advance during the summer, or the restaurants along the Croisette in Cannes, become easier to access.

The coastal road between Nice and Monaco, often congested at the height of the season, is considerably easier to travel at this time of year, as are the routes leading to Saint-Tropez and Cap d’Antibes. The slower pace is particularly well suited to families with children, who are less affected by the heat and crowds of midsummer.

Family activities combining beaches and heritage

Outside the summer season, families also have a wide choice of activities suitable for children, combining beaches and cultural heritage.

La Garoupe beach in Cap d’Antibes, for example, has calm, shallow turquoise waters, making it ideal for younger children. In Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens offer children aged seven to twelve a puzzle trail through its nine themed gardens, followed by refreshments in the tearoom.

The Oceanographic Museum of Monaco also offers activities designed for families, including a tactile exploration of crabs, starfish, sea cucumbers and other species found along the Mediterranean coastline, as well as an escape game.

 

From Cannes, a crossing of less than fifteen minutes leads to Île Sainte-Marguerite, one of the two Lérins Islands, and its Fort Royal, for a day of walking beneath eucalyptus trees. In Nice, Parc Phoenix, which holds the ‘Famille Plus’ label, combines a 7,000 sq m tropical greenhouse with a treetop adventure course suitable for children from the age of three.

Water sports, diving and outdoor activities on the coast and in the hinterland

In the hinterland of Nice, the Vésubie Valley offers canyoning, rafting and swimming in the Bollène Valley, as well as a via ferrata in Lantosque. The Roya gorges offer rapids through clear waters. The Verdon Gorges, accessible from Nice, offer rafting from April to October, with some operators welcoming children from the age of seven.

Beneath the surface, the Lérins Islands are among the approximately forty diving sites in the Cannes-Cap d’Antibes Natura 2000 area. At La Fourmigue, between 10 and 15 metres below the surface, divers can discover a submerged village dating from the 1960s, with a church, houses and a reconstructed Roman amphitheatre.

In autumn, Mercantour National Park reveals forests of golden larch trees and wildlife including chamois, ibex and bearded vultures, across 1,700 kilometres of marked trails.

An events calendar that brings spring and the shoulder season to life

In Saint-Tropez, May marks the beginning of the events season with two major occasions.

In May, Les Chefs à Saint-Tropez brings together producers and chefs for a local producers’ market, culinary demonstrations and the Tarte Tropézienne pastry competition, under the patronage of a renowned chef.

Also in May, Les Bravades continue a tradition established in 1558. The Capitaine de Ville and his entourage parade through the village in ceremonial dress, accompanied by artillery salutes and tributes to former Bravadeurs.

In the vineyards of the Côtes de Provence and Coteaux Varois, the harvest begins as early as mid-August in the earliest-ripening areas and continues through September, offering an opportunity to visit an estate during the grape harvest.

At the end of September, Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez brings together almost 250 sailing yachts, from classic yachts to the most modern vessels.

At the end of October, Saint-Tropez hosts its major annual sale, when local shops extend into the streets and the village is transformed into an open-air marketplace.

Each year, from early December to early January, the Christmas village on the harbour and the seasonal illuminations extend the calendar well beyond summer.

A Riviera true to its origins as a winter destination

The French Riviera has not always been a summer destination. From the late 18th century, Scottish writer Tobias Smollett praised the climate of Nice, which subsequently became a winter resort for the British aristocracy. Since 2021, Nice has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name ‘Nice, winter resort town of the Riviera’.

A terrace laid out in 1822 by the city’s Anglican chaplain would later become the Promenade des Anglais in 1844. Lord Brougham, former Lord Chancellor of Great Britain, discovered Cannes in 1834 and had a villa built there. Queen Victoria stayed there five times between 1895 and 1900, mainly from mid-March to late April: it was spring, rather than summer, that she chose to experience the Riviera.

A mild climate, greater availability, a varied cultural calendar and activities for all ages make spring and the shoulder season an opportunity to discover a different side of the French Riviera. Our family villas between Saint-Tropez, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Cap d’Antibes can be discovered well beyond the months of July and August.