3 lovely places selected by us
Brittany is one of France's great undiscovered family holiday secrets, and for families travelling from the UK it couldn't be more accessible — a short ferry crossing from Portsmouth or Plymouth and you're in a landscape that feels wonderfully different to home. The rugged Atlantic coastline delivers miles of wide sandy beaches, dramatic headlands and rock pools that children can spend entire days exploring, while the hinterland is dotted with ancient standing stones, medieval walled towns and crepe-filled market squares that make grown-ups very happy too. Inland, rivers and forests offer kayaking, cycling and forest trails at a genuinely unhurried pace. Breton food culture is tailor-made for families — galettes and crêpes are universally loved, seafood is spectacularly fresh, and even the fussiest eater tends to come around. The climate is reliably warm in summer without ever being exhausting, and accommodation ranges from working farm stays with animals to large cottages perfect for extended families travelling together.