10 International airports with cheap flights to South France

Written by Iain Laverock. Posted in Tourism

With 10 international airports in South France operating regular flights from UK, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, continental Europe, Canada and USA; it is easy to plan your next vacation in Southern France. Here we detail the cheapest flight routes to South France during 2021 and the frequency of the flights.

Cheap flights to South France airports

Nice airport
Toulon airport
Marseille airport
Avignon airport
Nimes airport
Montpellier airport
Beziers airport
Carcassonne airport
Perpignan airport
Toulouse airport

Hopefully, with the rapid deployment of Covid-19 vaccines across Europe during the early part of 2021, the flight services to Southern France will return to the new-normal during the summer of 2021. The airlines serving the South of France will certainly be looking to recover revenues, following the disastrous year of 2020. We expect many of the airlines such as Easyjet, Air France and Ryanair to be offering excellent cheap deals on flights in 2021, especially for early bookings.

The list of international airports in South France includes Nice and Toulon airports in Cote d'Azur, Marseille and Avignon airports in Provence, and Nimes, Montpellier, Beziers, Carcassonne and Perpignan airports in the Languedoc.

Although most of these airports in South France were originally developed by Air France, it is undoubtedly the presence of low cost carriers such as TUI, Ryanair and Easyjet, who have really opened up the international flights to the South of France.

A lot of the low coast airports in Southern France were formerly naval or air force bases, but they have now been developed to provide regular civil flights, to serve the tourism industry in Southern France. Most of these newer airports have taken great strides in recent years to develop greater passenger facilities, with Perpignan airport and Carcassonne airport in particular, undertaking major refurbishments. These airports no longer look like high school gymnasiums (although Avignon airport and Beziers airport still do to a certain extent).

Cheap flights to South France

There are now 10 international airports that operate cheap flights to Southern France. This has resulted in a major boom in the tourism industry in the South of France, especially in the Languedoc region. It is now now longer a question of whether you are flying to Nice for a holiday in Cote d'Azur or Marseille airport for a cottage rental in Provence. The growth of international flights to Montpellier airport, Beziers airport and Carcassonne airport has opened up a whole new area to explore in Southern France. Nowadays, you can fly direct from over 240 destinations to the South of France.

When we first started our Go South France over 15 years ago, I would say that around 50% of our customers took the long drive down from Ireland and the UK. Now it is less than 10% - although we did have some Norwegian guests last year who drove down from Oslo, but they vowed never to do it again!

I have arranged these airports in Geographical order, starting in the French Riviera with Nice airport and moving round through Provence (with Avignon, Toulon and Marseille airports) and then down to the Languedoc (with Nimes, Montpellier, Beziers, Carcassonne, Toulouse and finally Perpignan airport).

Nice international airport France

Nice airport is the the largest international airport in South France. It currently serves more that 100 destinations, with direct flights to South France from:

Ryanair flies to Nice airport France from Manchester, UK; and Dublin & Shannon, Ireland.
Easyjet flies to Nice airport France, from Amsterdam, Holland; Bremen and Hamburg, Germany; Bristol, Newcastle, Belfast, Glasgow, London Luton and London Gatwick, UK; and Brussels, Belgium.

Nice airport operate regular flights to Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven.

Norwegian Air flies to Nice airport France from Oslo, Stockholm, and Copenhagen.
Lufthansa and German Wings, provide flights to Nice airport France from Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Dussledorf and Frankfurt.

Nice also provides a direct flight from and to North America (New York) with Delta airways.

The stunning coastline around Nice has been attracting holidaymakers for over 200 years. There are also many things to do and see in Nice itself, with more museums and art galleries than any other city in France outside of Paris. Nice airport provides quick access to the local motorway and public transport network. This collection of villas and apartments near Nice France, can all be accessed in under 30 minutes:

Nice villas South of France

Toulon airport South France

Toulon is a former military airport located just outside the seaside town of Hyeres. The airport is still shared with the French Navy. Toulon is predominantly a domestic airport, with regular flights to Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux, but some smaller carriers do provide services to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Charleroi and London City airports.

Ryanair has a regular flight to Toulon airport from London Stansted.

TUI runs 2 flights a week to Toulon airport from Charleroi in Belgium (Fridays and Sundays)

Flybe has a weekly flight (Sundays) from Southampton (UK) to Toulon airport

Transavia runs 4 flights a week from Rotterdam airport in Holland to Toulon airport South France on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Marseille-Provence international airport France 2020 flights

Marseille airport in South France is quite handy for reaching villas in Provence, St Tropez and also holiday rentals around Nimes and Montpellier (1 hour 20 mins drive). During the summer holiday season Easyjet flies to Marseille-Provence airport from 5 destinations in the UK.

London Gatwick to Marseille-Provence airport (daily flights during the summer)

London Luton to Marseille-Provence airport (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday)

Glasgow airport to Marseille-Provence airport (Saturday and Wednesday)

Bristol airport to Marseille-Provence airport (Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday)

Manchester airport to Marseille-Provence airport (Saturday and Tuesday)

4. Cheap flights South France to Avignon airport

Avignon airport specialises in providing cheap flights to Provence, France. Avignon airport is located in the village of Montfavet, 8 kilometres southeast of Avignon. The facilities are a little sparse, but then benefit is that you can get on and off your flight pretty quickly. Cheap flights to Avignon airport can be found from the following destinations:

London City airport
Southampton, UK
Birmingham, UK
Liege, Belgium

Cheap flights to Avignon international airport France during 2021

Avignon airport in South France is quite handy to reach holiday villas in Provence and the Nimes area of France. There is a motorway link between Avignon and Nimes, Provence and Cote d'Azur. The travel time is under 50 minutes. Flybe flies direct to Avignon airport in South France from 3 UK airports. This is the 2021 summer schedule of flights to Avignon airport in South France:

Belfast City airport to Avignon airport France (during August only: Wednesday flights)

Birmingham airport to Avignon airport France (during July: Saturday flights; during August: Wednesday and Saturday flights)

Southampton airport to Avignon airport France (during July: Saturday flights; during August: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday flights)

5. Cheap flights to Nimes South France international airport

This former naval airbase has been developed into Nîmes Airport in recent years. Nimes airport or Nîmes–Alès–Camargue–Cévennes Airport or Garons Airport or Nîmes Garons Airport (I prefer just Nimes airport!!), is located 9 km south-southeast of the city of Nîmes in the village of Saint-Gilles near Garons. The airport operates flights in to the Provence region, Avignon, Arles, the Camargue, the Cévennes and the wider Gard department. It has some commercial flight services, operated by Ryanair and it also serves as a naval air base. Cheap flights to Nimes airport can be found from the following destinations:

London Stansted
London Luton
Brussels, Belgium
Fez, Morocco

Holiday rental accommodation Nimes Southern France

The area surrounding Nimes was an important settlement during Roman times and there are some beautiful archaeological sites to see. You have your choice of the Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct, the amphitheatre and Maison Carree in Nimes and other sites in nearby towns such as Arles, Uzes and Sommieres.

Also on your doorstep you have St-Remy-de-Provence, Avignon, Aigues-Mortes, Anduze and Beau-de-Provence. Nimes airport provides quick access to the local motorway and this collection of villas near Nimes France, can all be accessed in under 30 minutes:

Nimes villas South of France

Summer 2021 flights from UK to Nimes international airport France

This is the 2021 schedule of summer flights to Nimes airport in South France:

London Stansted airport to Nimes airport (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday flights)

London Luton to Nimes airport France (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday flights)

6. Cheap flights to Montpellier airport South France

Montpellier airport is the largest and most developed of the Languedoc airports. Due to the demand from business travellers, Montpellier airport is a regional hub for Air France, as well as Ryanair and Easyjet. In addition, Montpellier airport also operates flights to the main cities in Europe, including London Stansted, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Lisbon and Copenhagen.

Montpellier also operates a schedule of flights to North Africa (Morocco and Algeria). Cheap flights to Montpellier airport South France can be found from the following destinations:

Algiera, Algers & Oran;
Brest, France; Casablanca, Morocco, Charleroi, Belgium; Copenhagen, Denmark,
Corsica - Ajaccio & Propriano,
Croatia - Pula & Dubrovnik
France: Brest, Lyon, Nantes, Paris & Strasbourg
Germany: Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg; Dusseldorf, Frankfurt & Munich
Holland: Amsterdam & Rotterdam
Italy: Rome
Madeira
Malta
Morocco: Casablanca & Fez
Portugal - Lisbon & Porto
UK: London Stansted, Leeds

2021 cheap flights to Montpellier airport South France

This is the schedule of 2021 cheap flights to Montpellier airport in South France. We have highlighted the Saturday flights to coincide with holiday villas that have a Saturday changeover during the high season:

London Gatwick airport to Montpellier airport (Daily flights)

London Luton to Montpellier airport France (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (2 flights))

Holiday villas & gites to rent in and around Montpellier, France

Montpellier, France, is a great city to visit for a long weekend break or a summer vacation. Montpellier has it all. The beaches are just 10 km from the city centre. It is surrounded by beautiful countryside. The historic centre of the city is full of life and has excellent restaurants, bars and shops. There are many cultural activities including a world famous art gallery (Musee Fabre), a stunning Opera house, live music venues and summer arts festivals covering film, dance, theatre and classical music.

You have all of this, plus 300 days of sunshine a year! It is easy to see why Montpellier has become the fastest growing city in France. Visit our collection of Montpellier apartments and villas to rent in France for a weekend break or summer vacation:

Montpellier France apartments & villas

7. Flights to Beziers France international airport 2021

Beziers beaches South France [Photo courtesy of www.instagram.com/viasmediterranee/]The Béziers Cap d’Agde airport in the Languedoc is a small airport that has expanded its international flights rapidly since 2010. The airport now receives over 250,000 passengers per year. Cheap flights to Beziers airport France can be found from 9 international destinations:

Paris Beauvais,
Bristol UK,
London UK,
Manchester, UK,
Edinburgh, UK,
Dusseldorf Weeze, Germany
Bremen, Germany
Stockholm Skavsta, Sweden

All of these flights are operated by Ryanair. Beziers airport is located just a short taxi ride from Beziers city centre and it is also has a regular bus service to local towns such as Agde, Cap d'Agde, Vias and Marseillan. There is a small selection of car hire operators at Beziers airport.

Vias Plage near Beziers South France [Photo courtesy of www.instagram.com/viasmediterranee/]

In terms of a location for a vacation in South France, Beziers has everything going for it. It is just 10km from the Mediterranean coast. It has a great transport network. It has over 2,000 years of history and it is quickly regenerating itself for the 21st Century. There is a real spirit about Beziers (some good, some not so good) and its star is definitely rising. Money is pouring into Beziers. Both from the local and central governments investing heavily to improve the range of facilities it offers and its physical appearance and from Property Investors looking to capitalise on the growth that this will bring.

This historic South France city grew famous as the capital of the wine region in Southern France. A settlement has stood here on the banks of the River Orb, since before Roman times. There are remains from Greek settlers (who first arrived in the 6th century BC) and new archaeological remains have been unearthed to show that a settlers may have been living on the site of Beziers well-before the Greeks. This would make Béziers the oldest town in France, even before Marseille.

Beziers was also the first town in the South of France to suffer from the bloody crusade against the Cathars. Beziers was an important centre for the Cathar movement in the 12th Century. Virtually the whole population of the town was put to the sword on the orders of Simon de Montfort in the 13th century.

Beziers owes its fame and fortune to the Canal du Midi, which snakes past the city walls. The Canal du Midi was built by a local man, Paul Riquet, who is celebrated all over the city with statues, street names and buildings all commemorating him.

Beziers is well served by the French transport network. It has a TGV station, an international airport and it is served by two Autoroutes (A75 and A9). There is an excellent hospital in Beziers (I can personally vouch for that!) and it now has an excellent range of shops. It is almost as if this Southern French town is slowly awakening from a gradual decline to catch up with its dynamic neighbour - Montpellier.

Beziers has a reputation as a bit of a party town - especially during the summer Feria. Somebody told me once that they have to deliver over €15 million to the ATM cash machines in Beziers during the one week of the Feria, just to keep pace with the demand. Beziers also has some good restaurants like the Petit Pierre and it is also home to my favourite Indian Curry restaurant.

Beziers South France [Photo courtesy of www.instagram.com/beziers_mediterranee_tourisme/]

The countryside around Beziers is glorious . If you are looking for peace and tranquillity then the Languedoc Regional Park about 45mins from Beziers is a good choice. There are some excellent walking trails and cycling routes. Beziers is also home to some of the best vineyards in the South of France - such as Faugeres and St Chinian. There are a number of local villages around Beziers that I would recommend you consider as a base for a long stay in France:

St Genies de Fontedit - this old wine-making village is situated 15 mins North-West of Beziers, in between the Mediterranean coast and the Black Mountains. The village is surrounded by vineyards and has lovely views over the hills. Next to the village there is a handy commercial centre with supermarkets, an exellent butcher, boulangerie, pharmacy. The D909 main road also provides easy access down to the coast, Beziers airport and the A9 motorway
Thezan-les-Beziers - a lot of investment has been made into this village in the last few years. The centre of the village has undergone a major facelift and there is a very smart shopping centre on the edge of the village. Thezan is just 5 mins drive from Beziers and is located on the old wine route through the Orb river valley.
Lieuran-lès-Beziers - this is a very pretty village with the Libron river running through the centre.
Cessenon-sur-Orb - another pretty village, slightly further inland from Beziers. The River Orb runs past the edge of the village and is a popular swimming spot.
Abeilhan - the village was a former Roman settlement, which made use of its hilltop location for defence. Today the village is an important wine-making centre, with a number of popular vineyards.

If you are looking to find a long term rental where you can experience the real South of France way of life - with its focus on good food and wine and the simple pleasures in life, then Beziers is an excellent choice.

Summer 2021 flights from UK to Beziers airport France

This is the summer 2020 schedule of Ryanair flights to Beziers airport in South France:

Edinburgh airport to Beziers airport (Sunday and Wednesday flights)

Bristol airport to Beziers airport (Monday, Wednesday and Friday flights)

London Luton to Beziers airport (Monday, Wednesday and Friday flights)

London Stansted to Beziers airport France (Sunday and Wednesday flights)

Manchester airport to Beziers airport (Sunday and Tuesday flights)

Beziers airport is just 10 kms from the Mediterranean coast and there are many popular beach resorts such as Cap d'Agde, Serignan Plage, Marseillan and Portiragnes all close-by; it is easy to see why Beziers airport has grown so rapidly over the last few years. But Beziers is not all about beaches, the surrounding area is one of the largest wine-producing regions in France and you can can find many holiday homes for rent in quaint little villages surrounded by the vineyards. See our range of Bezeirs holiday homes South France for rent this summer:

Beziers holiday homes South France

8. Cheap flights to Carcassonne France international airport

I think that Carcassonne airport must be a hidden secret, because we often get customers asking us where the nearest airport to Carcassonne is. Either that or the PR Manager at Carcassonne airport needs to be fired. Carcassonne is a small regional airport that like Beziers airport, has grown rapidly in recent years thanks to Ryanair. Cheap flights to Carcassonne airport can be found from the following destinations:

Alicante, Spain
Bournemouth, UK
Eindhoven, Holland
Porto, Portugal
Glasgow-Prestwick, UK
Cork, Ireland
Liverpool, UK
London, UK
Brussels, Belgium
Dublin, Ireland
East Midlands, UK

Summer 2021 flights to Carcassonne international airport France

This is the 2021 summer schedule of Ryanair flights to Carcassonne airport in South France. We have highlighted the Saturday flights to coincide with holiday villas that have a Saturday changeover during the high season:

East Midlands airport to Carcassonne airport (Monday and Friday flights)

Edinburgh airport to Carcassonne airport (Tuesday and Saturday flights)

Glasgow airport to Carcassonne airport (Wednesday and Saturday flights)

Manchester airport to Carcassonne airport (Monday and Friday flights)

London Stansted to Carcassonne airport (Daily flights)

Dublin airport to Carcassonne airport (Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday flights)

Carcassonne is a great area to be based in for a family holiday in South France. With the impressive fortified Castle in Carcassonne, numerous Cathar ruins and the Canal du Midi all on your doorstep; you will never be short of things to do. All the holiday villas we advertise near Carcassonne are under 35 kms from Carcassonne airport, so you can step off your plane and be in your accommodation within 30 minutes. See our range of Carcassonne villas South France to rent this summer:

Carcassonne villas South France

9. Cheap flights to Perpignan France international airport Southern France

Perpignan airport is the Southern most international airport in mainland France. Perpignan airport has recently undergone a much need refurbishment and it has expanded its schedule of flights. Cheap flights to Perpignan airport can be found from the following destinations:

Ajaccio, Corsica
Ibiza, Spain
Madrid, Spain
Paris
London, UK
Brussels, Belgium
Southampton, UK
Nantes, France
Dublin, Ireland
Birmingham, UK

2021 Summer flights from UK to Perpignan airport France

This is the schedule of 2021 flights to Perpignan airport in South France:

Birmingham airport to Perpignan airport (Tuesday and Saturday flights)

London Stansted to Perpignan airport France (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday flights)

We have a great range of properties to rent within 30 minutes drive of Perpignan airport, many close to the beautiful beaches on the Cote Vermeille. Visit our collection of Perpignan villas to rent in Southern France.

Perpignan villas France to rent France

10. Toulouse airport flights from UK 2021

Toulouse airport is fast becoming one of the major airports in Southern France. Toulouse is also quite handy to reach holiday villas in the Carcassonne area. There is a motorway link between Toulouse and Carcassonne and the travel time is under 50 minutes. Easyjet flies direct to Toulouse airport in South France from 3 UK airports: