A dream holiday is just a few hours away with a ferry crossing to Northern France, says SIMON YOUNG

WITH  THE POUND taking a battering against the Euro, it is tempting to think no further than Cornwall for this year's summer holiday.

Think again.

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There is a destination close to home, that offers all the ingredients for a wonderful summer vacation.

Northern France ticks all the boxes. It has great food, endless sandy beaches and countryside sprinkled with medieval buildings.

It offers something for everyone.

The Alps offer the perfect environment for a spot of walking while the chic Riviera gives you the chance to mix with the beautiful people and browse the designer boutiques of Nice and Monaco. If you're a wine buff, you could take a tour of the stunning rolling vineyards of Alsace, Burgundy and Champagne providing the perfect opportunity to stock up your wine cellar for that special occasion or the festive season.

Because France is so close it makes it cheaper to get there than most of its European neighbours and with accommodation, food and attractions often much cheaper than at home, it makes for a good-value break.

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Taking the ferry remains the first choice for most Brits heading over to France - and with good reason. Any holiday that avoids airports has to be considered a bonus. No long security queues, restrictions on your baggage, lost luggage or cramped seats on airlines.

It also means, you can take your car on the ferry and pack as much luggage as you like.
And on the way back. . . well it would be rude not to take advantage of all that wonderful - and cheap - food and wine you can buy from one of the main hypermarkets close to the ports.
Brittany Ferries offer a choice of routes to France from Plymouth, Poole and Portsmouth. You can cruise by day or overnight enjoying award-winning service and facilities, or get there quicker on a high-speed service.

Brittany Ferries have recently launched a state-of-the-art £90 million cruise ferry, the Armorique. Sailing between Plymouth and the Breton port of Roscoff, the Armorique takes you right into the heart of Brittany saving the long drive from Calais, not to mention fuel, tolls and overnight stops.

The Armorique incorporates the very latest technology and is particularly fuel efficient as well as environmentally-friendly by keeping CO2 emissions to a minimum.

There's loads of entertainment too. There are two cinemas, children's playroom, wi-fi internet access and lots of good eating opportunities.

Brittany Ferries also offer a great selection of inclusive holidays with hundreds of cottages, apartments, and hotel breaks on offer. They currently have a saving of 10 per cent off a French cottage booked between June and the end of October.

Sun lovers in search of sophistication can guarantee they get what they want by making the trek south to the Mediterranean coastlines of Languedoc and the Cote D'Azur.

If you prefer your beaches wild and uncrowded, washed by a raging sea, head for the Atlantic coast in the west. While for the traditional seaside resorts, Normandy and Brittany deliver those in spades.

Beg-Meil in Brittany is a firm favourite. It has a children's beach club in the summer months, offering activities such as trampolining and sandcastle-building competitions.

The Normandy coastline will forever be associated with the 1944 landings by Allied troops that began the task of recapturing France in the Second World War and this year sees the 65th anniversary of those battles. But there is more to this part of the world than landing sites.

Deauville, lying between Caen and Le Havre and with handy ferry connections to Portsmouth, is an international seaside town famous for more than 100 years for its great beaches and horse-racing.

At its western extremity, lies Mont-St-Michel, the most visited French attraction outside Paris. With its abbey built on a rocky outcrop that becomes cut off at high tide, Mont-StMichel is truly stunning. Visitors who make the effort to climb the steps will be rewarded.

Foodies can go anywhere in France and not be disappointed. The only warning I'd offer is to loosen the belt a notch or two. The food is irresistible.

There are plenty of Michelinstarred restaurants dotted around, but you can eat fantastically well at a fraction of the cost at local bistros and cafes.

Eat out at lunchtime. That is when most restaurants offer their set menus - great food at a fraction of the a-la-carte cost. These will invariably offer seasonal dishes using the freshest ingredients - giving you the chance to live like a king, without breaking the bank.

Brittany is cider country and the local tipple is the perfect partner to a long, lazy lunch.

Seafood lovers will find top-notch catches almost everywhere along the coast but aficionados should head for the Atlantic coast island of Ol'ron, due west of Rochefort and reachable by the longest bridge in France. Ile d'Ol'ron is beautiful in its own right but also one of Europe's biggest producers of cultivated oysters and offers tours of the famous oyster beds and a chance to meet the oyster farmers.

The real business of sampling the freshest oysters you'll ever eat takes place afterwards and is well worth the wait.