The Ile de Ré on the French Atlantic coast is where smart Parisians decamp in summer, but it also has some great value accommodation. A long thin island of beaches, sand dunes and pine forests, it's criss-crossed by family-friendly cycle paths connecting sleepy villages, historic ports and local markets. 
Recommended accommodation: Pierre & Vacances
Pierre & Vacances says
The charm of the Ile de Ré lies in its simplicity – you can spend your days cycling to the beach, exploring whitewashed villages and browsing around local markets. Stroll along the harbour front with an ice cream or sit at a pavement café to enjoy fresh seafood.
This is a great island for young children. There are few busy roads, and no noisy resorts, but plenty of wide sandy beaches, vast dunes to explore, pretty villages, markets and restaurants.
Another great feature of the Ile de Ré is its micro-climate, which makes it a great bet out of season. It enjoys as many hours of sunshine as the south of France yet is much easier to reach, either by road, rail or flight – it is a short transfer across a road bridge from La Rochelle airport, which is served by low-cost airlines.
We recommend staying at the 4-star Residence Le Palais des Gouverneurs close to the seafront in Saint-Martin. These luxury self-catering apartments have a heated swimming pool and sauna and are enclosed by parkland.
The apartments come in various sizes sleeping up to 6 people and are fully equipped with a modern kitchen, dishwasher, microwave and coffee machine. There is free parking and mini golf, tennis, horse riding and watersports nearby.
Find out more about the Residence Le Palais des Gouverneurs and prices.
Pierre & Vacances has self-catering apartments across France and Spain with deals of up to 40% off. Find out more.
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