Why Bordeaux?

France is known worldwide as a romantic destination, yet as it is on our doorstep it is so easy to overlook. Avoid long haul flights and jetlag, reduce your carbon footprint and spend the money that you save on travel on a truly luxurious break.

Bordeaux is just 90 minutes from most UK airports, with fares around £100, and a climate similar to the UK but 8 - 10 degrees warmer from spring to autumn, making it a great place for a break at most times of year. Watch out for the summer heatwave - for 6 weeks from the 1st July there is a tendancy for temperatures into the 40's.

With just 2 or 3 days to spare you can relax at a spa, walk on deserted beaches, eat oysters fresh from the sea, browse the shops in historic Bordeaux or the beautiful St Emillion, and even source some fantastic wine.

Read on for our suggested itinerary.

Book a leisurely late morning flight to arrive in Bordeaux. For maximum flexibility, pre-book a hire car. Drive 20 minutes to reach Les Sources de Caudalie, nestled in the famous vineyards of Smith Haut Lafitte.

Relax in the spa for the afternoon with a Divine Duo massage together, and perhaps stroll or cycle to a nearby chateau to sample some wines. Dinner in the hotel.

Click here to read a full review about Sources de Caudalie.

Spend the morning wandering around the beautiful city of Bordeaux before heading out towards the beaches of Cap Feret. Stop on the edge of Bordeaux at one of several popular and busy bakeries to pick up a packed lunch.

We would recommend the beaches just beyond L'Herbe, a few miles before you reach Cap Feret, around 45 minutes from Bordeaux. The beaches here are wide and sandy with huge dunes behind, and are often deserted. The surf is impressive - be aware of rip tides if you are going in the water.

Before heading back towards Bordeaux, park on the harbour's egde in the pretty fishing village of L'Herbe. Venture through the traditional wooden fishing huts, past old men playing "petanque" and a pretty fountain, and you will find a well hidden culinary gem. The local oyster fishermen bring their catch ashore here for cleaning and packing, and you can sample oysters fresh from the boat, with a glass of wine and fresh bread, served by a fisherman in wellies.

Bordeaux boasts numerous fine restaurants including some excellent seafood restaurants. Enjoy dinner in one of these, or at Les Sources de Caudalie.

Borrow the hotel's bicycles and visit a couple of local wineries before heading to St Emillion for lunch in the sunny but sheltered courtyard beneath the church's clock tower. Be sure to wear sensible shoes; the streets are steep and cobbled. There is plenty to see and do in this beautiful little town, however it can get a little touristy in the summer.

On the way back to the hotel, plan a trip to Gavin and Angela Quinney's Chateau Bauduc. Gordon Ramsey and Rick Stein serve wine from Chateau Bauduc in their restaurants. Learn about the wine making processs and the challenges faced by this English family embarking on a very French lifestyle, and sample the wine. Chateau Bauduc has a strong following in the UK so it is very easy to get the wine shipped home if you want to start your own collection.

Spend the morning reading the papers and relaxing together with a treatment in the spa to send you home feeling refreshed, relaxed and revitalised.