Camping Côté Ô Mont-Saint-Michel

Gourmands should get French hols off to a sweet start with an immediate trip to La Ferme des Cara-Meuh!, a local farm 10 minutes’ drive away where the owners turn milk into caramel. Signing up for a tour should provide something to chew on until more far-ranging trips can be arranged… The next stop has to be the seaside resort town of Granville (the ‘Monaco of the North’) 25 minutes from base. Ranged along the cliffs of the bay of Mont Saint-Michel, the pretty spot has lots of sandy beaches (have a go at the sand yachting), as well as an art deco casino and a Dior museum in the Villa les Rhumbs. Granville is also the port of call for ferries to the Chausey Islands. The largest archipelago in Europe, there’s lots on les îles to tempt visitors across the waves, including a hulking castle, a pretty church, fishing villages and white sandy beaches… paradise, non? Of course, a trip to Mont Saint-Michel bay can’t be complete without a day’s exploration of the UNESCO site itself – cross to the island from La Caserne (40 minutes away) to wander the steeply winding streets as far as the abbey, and snap as many photos as humanly possible.