Across the Rance estuary from Saint-Malo, Dinard has a certain faded charm with its sandy beaches, expensive hotels and grand villas, relics of a turn-of-the-century heyday, but there is little to detain you beyond a stroll along the seafront Promenade du Clair de Lune. The beaches make a pleasant change if you are based in Saint-Malo, and regular ferry services make the ten-minute crossing.

Villa holidays: Dinard, its surroundings and the whole of Brittany offer many holiday rental properties.