France wine break deal

One idea for those looking for a short break this Autumn is an Irish Ferries' wine shopping trip to France with prices from €130 return per person for four adults and a car.

Valid from September until December 11th, this offer includes two nights cabin accommodation on board the cruise ferry 'Oscar Wilde' and one night's stay in Hotel Campanile, Cherbourg with buffet breakfast.

While choosing to stay 1, 2 or 3 nights in France, Irish Ferries customers can avail of the savings to be found while shopping in Cherbourg's hypermarkets, wine warehouses and D.I.Y. depots.

For further information and reservations visit www.irishferries.com/france or call 0818 300 400.

New France Michelin map

Irish drivers planning to holiday in France can now download the first edition of the 2011 Michelin France map for iPad to help them navigate their way to their destination.

The application can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store.

The map enables users to access three scale settings to that they can easily move about, zoom in on maps and refine their searches; launch rapid searches for a specific city; display hotels and restaurants from the Michelin guide as well as tourist sites selected in the Michelin Green Guides; interface using the same graphic standards and symbols as on the printed Michelin maps.

And no internet link is necessary as all map data is embedded in the iPad so the maps are accessible at all times.

Users can consult the offline application from their home country when preparing their trip or when travelling in France.

Michelin maps are updated every year with new infrastructure data from across France. The 2011 Michelin France map can be downloaded for around €10 (cost in stg is £7.99).

On the beach in France this summer

France might not be the first destination you think of for a beachside holiday, but the country has a diverse coastline which makes it one of Europe’s top three ‘Blue Flag’ beach destinations. These details from the siblu holiday parc network give some suggestions.

Stay at a Siblu holiday parc (www.siblu.ie or call 0818 274 097) along the Côte de Jade (Loire Atlantique), Côte Lumière (Vendée) or Côte Sauvage (Charente Maritime), and you can discover small secret coves, golden sands at the edge of rolling forests and town beaches packed with activities.

Côte de Lumière
The St Jean-de-Monts tourist office has announced a programme of family activities on the town’s stunning sandy beach through the summer, ranging from baby games to Thai fitness. Visitors are encouraged to take part, but it can be difficult to drag yourself away from your lounger once you have settled on the immense Côte Lumière beach. A stay at siblu’s Le Bois Masson holiday parc for seven nights starts from €703 for a family departing 4 July (www.siblu.ie or call 0818 274 097).

Côte de Jade
The Côte de Jade in the Loire-Atlantique department is popular with water sports enthusiasts who practice their skills on the region’s long sandy beaches. Siblu’s Les Pierres Couchées holiday parc is a short walk from a great beach where guests can now try kite surfing. A two-day introductory course starts from €166. A seven-night holiday at Pierres Couchees starting 4 July costs from only €679 for a family (www.siblu.ie or call 0818 274 097)

Côte Sauvage, Charente Maritime
The Côte Sauvage in Charente Maritime has the sunniest weather on France’s west coast, massive sandy beaches screened by forests of pine trees and fun seaside towns, making it a favourite family destination. There are more than 100 beaches to explore, including the seaside resort of La Palmyre, where the sea is gentle at low tide but the waves crash in at other times. A stay at siblu’s Les Charmettes holiday parc from 4 July costs from €719 for seven nights (www.siblu.ie or call 0818 274 097).