With long stretches of beaches, eccentric fishing villages, unspoilt countryside, mediaeval vineyards, wildlife parks and historical sites, France is the perfect destination for family holidays. Just a short hop across the channel and you’ll find yourself in a completely different atmosphere. A trip to France is the easiest way to gain new experiences for the whole family.

Many families taking a holiday in France head for Brittany or Normandy, where they can visit the aquarium at Brest or Croisic, enjoy the award-winning zoos of Pont-Scorff and Champrepus, tour the Cerisy forest and Reptilarium of Domaine de Litteau, or visit the Planète Sauvage Safari park. In Britanny, the great tide around Mont-St-Michel will amaze not only the kids but the adults as well.

If you are interested in ancient history, France has a genuine Roman stadium at Puy du Fou, in the heart of Vendee, where you can watch historical re-enactments. On an even older site you can find the Neolithic standing stones at Carnac, on the south coast of Brittany. In fact, the whole of Brittany is scattered with similar prehistoric remains. Bayeux, of course, is famous for its tapestry – a “news reel” of the Battle of Hastings. Nearby, the beaches recount battles of a more recent era, the D-Day landings of Normandy. On a lighter note, kids love Le Parc Festyland, a Viking theme park at Caen.

No holiday in France is complete without plenty of seaside activity. The Côte d’Emeraude and Cote d’Azur boast superb golden beaches, while the Côte de Granite Rose is great for rock pools. The Mont-St-Michel is surrounded by swathes of golden sand, and well worth the climb for the view from the abbey at the top. For traditional fishing villages and Breton cuisine, try Quimper and Carnac. 

Wine lovers, meanwhile, should take their family holidays in the Bordeaux or Languedoc districts. Saint Guilhem-le Désert and Carcassonne are both captivatingly beautiful, mixing spine-tingling ancient legends with a mediaeval landscape lush with vineyards.