Just in time for the August holidays - when France closes down and decamps to the beach for a month - easyJet's new flight from Gatwick to La Rochelle, on the Atlantic coast, starts on July 14. The laid-back and beautiful Ile de Ré a 20-minute hop from La Rochelle on the mainland, is a quintessential grand vacances destination where you can cycle through vineyards and salt flats and picnic in the dunes. The boutique L'Hôtel de Toiras, a former ship-owner's residence, overlooks the lovely harbour of San Martin. You can accompany the hotel chef to the harbour and fish market in the morning, and buy whatever you fancy for dinner that night. Less pricey is the cosy but chic Hôtel L'Ocean at Le Bois Plage, which has a pool - just in case you tire of the island's beaches - and a great restaurant.
· EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from Gatwick and Bristol to La Rochelle from £28 one-way inc tax. L'Hôtel de Toiras (0033 5 4635 4032, hotel-de-toiras.com) doubles from €195 B&B. Hôtel L'Ocean (+5 4609 2307, re-hotel-ocean.com) doubles from €80 B&B.
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