PARADISE BEACH HOTELS MYKONOS HOW TO

Stay: Three-star HГґtel Ty Mad Groix has 24 rooms, three apartments, a sequestered pool and a nautical-vibe restaurant terrace.

PARADISE BEACH HOTELS MYKONOS HOW TO

How to do it: Train from London St Pancras to Lorient (7hrs ), ferry to Groix (45 mins 0820 056156 ). Grands-Sables is GroixвЂ™s poster girl, aВ convex arc of fine, white sand вЂ“ but there areВ numerous others, including pinot-blush Sables-Rouges and, a scramble down the rocks, the hidden nook of Poulziorec. ItвЂ™s aВ laid-back, timeless little island, perfectly cyclable with kids. Except here, 200-odd miles due south, the weatherвЂ™s a bit better вЂ“ the Ile deВ Groix even has its own microclimate. In this most British corner of France, the beaches have echoes of Cornwall вЂ“ deep bays bookended by rock pools and green and heathered headlands. So here are 20 appealing destinations that fit the bill for offbeat beach breaks in Europe вЂ“ no car required. The key is to look between the obvious honeypots and over-touristed hotspots, and find an under-the-radar little place that is easy to reach and has all you need for a beach holiday: namely, a fantastic beach or two within strolling or cycling distance, a handful of restaurants and bars where locals drink, and a charming place to stay. Watch new landscapes slide by a train window, or hop aboard a boat bound for protected, car-free shores.ДЄnd going car-free doesnвЂ™t mean having to resort to package-holiday high-rises with the hordes. Pack light and step lightly, play it by ear, stay for another drink as the sun goes down. Perhaps not having a car offers its own sense of freedom вЂ“ a sort of footloose liberty. The ВЈ100 on-the-spot fine for failing to stop at a dotted line in Ibiza. In Mallorca, getting towed for parking on the wrong side of the street on a Wednesday. Sitting gridlocked in Formentera in searing heat outside an overflowing carpark, while a happy family coasted by on bicycles. The stress of navigating unfamiliar roads, the problem of parking, the carbon footprint, the tricksy Spanish driving fines. I love the freedom it gives you to explore, to unearth secrets вЂ“ the incomparable joy of rounding a bend and a bay of dazzling blue opening up before you, above and below. I love cars! The hire car has always been as vital a part of our family holidays as flights and accommodation. ThatвЂ™s the point.вЂќ), I was gripped with cold horror. Secretly (because saying anything out loud would smack of Edina Monsoon: вЂњAnyone can use public transport, darling.вЂќ Saffy: вЂњI know. As we searched, it became clear that for the first time in 15 years, we were going to have to take public transport instead.

Petrol prices spiralling upwards the rising costs of owning a car, financially and ecologically and now, the dearth and consequent inaffordability of hire cars in Europe.ДЄnother media panic, I thought вЂ“ until my husband and I went to book one for our holiday in Galicia in July, and were quoted ВЈ1,300 for a tinpot Kia Picanto for a fortnight. The economics of motoring seems to have become an acceptable topic of conversation among those of pre-pensionable age lately, having been hitherto reserved for in-law visits.

Paradise beach hotels mykonos