Choose between public and private beaches On the one hand public beaches are free of charge and you can just bring your towel to lie on the rocks at your convenience. The downside is that you will be surrounded by the other tourists and locals (and it can get very crowded in summer!).

In France, the majority of the coastline is public and free to access, but there is a well-established tradition of "Plages Privées" (private beaches) that can be found in popular Riviera destinations like Nice, Cannes, and Saint-Tropez. Under French law, no one can "own" the sand or the sea, so even at a private beach, a strip of public land must be maintained near the water's edge for public walking. However, at a private beach club, you must pay a "location" fee (typically €20 to €45 per day) for a sunbed, mattress, and umbrella, as well as access to private showers, changing rooms, and waiter service. These private clubs occupy large sections of the best beachfront real estate, but there is almost always a "Plage Publique" (public beach) located directly adjacent to the private ones where you can roll out your own towel and enjoy the Mediterranean for free. In 2026, some municipalities have introduced small, seasonal "environmental taxes" or crowd-control reservation systems for extremely delicate protected areas like the Calanques near Marseille, but for the vast majority of France’s thousands of kilometers of coastline, the beaches remain free, open, and an essential part of the "Liberté" associated with the French summer.