France

Southern France’s Dordogne valley is the heart of walnut country, where the humble noix (nut) has been part of the landscape since the 10th century, when peasants would pay their debts with bushels of nuts. A weekend break in this picturesque valley will worth it, and good time to go is in early autumn when the temperature is moderate twenties and best of all, there are less tourist, so you are free to wonder unhindered.  Just next door to the Dorgogne, is the Lot department which boast the same golden stone villages and breathtaking views.

Thinking of going skiing this year, but not sure where your budget can take you? Let us help you with a few options. You have to be quick though before these well-kept skiing and snowboarding secrets are discovered by the masses.  Destination ranges from Europe, North America to the Far East. Some of these were once used as Winter Olympic destinations.

For me, being beside the seaside is synonymous with feeling happy in that slightly hypnotised way that sparkling blue oceans bring on. Happy and hypnotised is not how I'm usually feeling when I find myself in East London, so the fact that I can step on a plane in London's grey downtown and find myself in a chic seaside resort an hours later, is perhaps Deauville's biggest selling point. 

The stunning Valais region has more than 40 ski areas and 2,500km of slopes; of 45 mighty summits above 4,000m, including the famous, pyramid-shaped Matterhorn; of glorious panaromic views; of 50 grape varieties (best enjoyed chilled in a glass on one of the region’s many sun terraces) and one UNESCO World Heritage Site.  When the first thing you say about a Swiss ski region isn’t the fact that it’s probably the most snow-sure in a country pretty reliable for its snow, you know it’s got a whole lot more going for it.  Valais is one of the most spectacular ski regions in all of Europe.

On the French and Swiss border, in the shadow of Mount Blanc, the Portes du Soleil ski area attracts skiers and boarders (and hardy sledding fans) who come for the thousands of kilometres of runs on offer between December and April, and the chance to ski in two countries on the same day.

Pristine snow-capped peaks spread out on all sides as the ski lift takes us higher and higher up into the French Alps. The mountains are grand, stunning and peaceful all at once, but stunning and peaceful all at once, but their impressive size is making me feel like a tiny ant beneath the Eiffel Tower. After all, these are some of the highest in Europe with 80 per cent of the ski area above 1800m.

Scorchio in summer, Morocco cools down for its autumnal peak season. Space is already limited for October half-term but specialist operator Naturally Morocco can tailor-make a three-stop itinerary beginning in the High Atlas mountains south of Marrakech. There you'll undertake a soft trek - with mules for the kids to hop astride when needed - to salt-mining villages and passes that will leave you gasping. Next comes a chance to ride camels along sand dunes around seaside Essaouira, before two days in Marrakech itself.

There's nothing quite like a family road trip, and one of the best ways to see France at its fiest is behind the wheel. What is surprisingly is how much of the country's most traditional attractions - gourmet food, the world's best wine, astonishing history and stunning architecture - are within a doable drive from the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle terminal in Folkestone.

We set off from Hampshire - and after a short dash on the other side through pretty Normandy, crossing some incredible viaducts over gaping valleys, found ourselves in Rouen.

I'm sitting outside a restaurant in France, 700ft up a mountainside and the winter sun is out.  Not so strange really, considering that this particular region of the Catalan Pyrenees receives over 300 days of sunshine every year.  It is, however, a region that has remained under wraps for years, enjoyed in the most part only by French and Spanish locals.

Winter sports heaven 

Font-Romeu and its sister resort, Les Angles, provide some spectacular winter sports activities at prices well below those of their more illustrious neighbours.

Paris - or the City of Light as it is known - has a reputation for being one of the most romantic and beautiful destinations in the world. And it would be hard to disagree as you wander the whimsical bridges of Canal Saint-Martin or gawk at the glittery Champs-Elysees from the top of the iconic Arc de Triomphe...