The Vendée, an area about half way down France’s west coast, is synonymous with family beach holidays. It also offers extremely good value for cost-conscious visitors, says Robert Ashton, who stayed in self-catering accommodation close to St Jean de Monts.


The harbour at Vendee

1) If you’re self-catering, a good option in the current climate, the daily market in St Jean de Monts offers all the good value fresh food that self-catering families could need (and free parking), such as cheese (cows, goats, sheep), fresh breads, several butchers and locally grown (often organic) fruit and vegetables. On Thursday’s and Saturday’s it’s extended to include clothes, plants and general bric-a-brac.


An example of a 'gite' in Vendee

2) As well as the usual more expensive offerings, the little off licence in the town’s main square has large steel vats of different local wines (mainly Loire valley). Approximately EU €3 euros buys you 1.5 litres of unbranded white, rosé or red wine (poured into a used plastic water bottle) that you would reasonably expect to be as rough as sandpaper. However, the locals all drink it and I’ve bought far worse from so called ‘select’ UK wine clubs for upwards of 10 times the price.

3) There are many restaurants worthy of mention. To ensure great value, eat where the locals do (look for 85 as the last two digits on the number plates in the car parks. It’s the number of the Vendée departement and indicates a local’s car). Two that really stand out are Les Tendelles, in a small hamlet called Le Perrier (inland a little) and Hotel Le Robinson in St Jean de Monts, a Logis de France hotel which serves up a 5-course gourmet dinner for EU €23. Three-course lunchtime menus can be had in most places for less than EU €10, which is great value for the quality you receive!


A windmill in Vendee

4) Notre Dame de Monts is the smaller, prettier sister of St Jean de Monts, just along the coast (why there are so many ‘de Monts’ in such a flat area I have no idea). It too has a huge, sandy (and often quiet) beach.

5) The surrounding area also offers some interesting produce. Muscadet wine is excellent value. EU €5 will buy a bottle of top grade sur lie of varying vintages and the ordinary AOC Muscadet is less than half that price. The hand-harvested sea salt, Fleur de Sel de Guerande is internationally renowned as the finest salt available and is treated with a degree of reverence. A small bag costs between EU €4 to EU €6 and is well worth it.

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Fact Box: Robert Ashton stayed at the Domaine de Vertmarine villa complex just outside St Jean de Monts, available through Wake Up In France www.wakeupinfrance.co.uk. Villas are available that sleep from 4 to 10 people and all have private pools. Wake Up In France can also arrange cycle hire, with bikes delivered and collected from your villa. Most major tour operators such as Keycamp, Siblu, Matthews and Canvas have campsites in the area. The closest ferry crossings are Plymouth–Roscoff or Portsmouth–St Malo. Both are operated by Brittany Ferries www.brittany-ferries.co.uk

For details of holidays in the Vendée and throughout France, plus ferry crossings, go to www.franceyesyoucan.com

For information and to book transportation from the U.K. to France please click on the P&O Ferries, DFDS Ferries and Rail Europe advertisements on this page.