Corsica is just off the coast of the South of France, about ten miles north of Sardinia. It has changed hands between the French and Italian rule several times, so its language and cultural history is diverse. Their official language is French, but it’s only the main language of about 35% of the population with the rest speaking Corsican, which is closer to Italian.

It is a beautiful place to visit at any time of year. Its amazing, picture postcard sandy beaches, breath-taking mountain scenery and lots of lovely villages coupled with Mediterranean climate make Corsica the destination of choice for many travellers year after year. Popular water sports, swimming, wind-surfing, scuba diving and snorkelling abound, popular with those who like to combine some serious sunbathing with something a bit more active.

If sand and surf aren’t really your thing, then why not go for a walk in the hills and mountains – in the National Regional Park of Corse there are paths and routes for those who like to stroll and those more into their serious hiking and climbing. Don’t miss the Scandola Nature Reserve, which you can only reach by means of a short boat trip. Or hire a bike for a pedal through the mountain pathways. These might be preferable in the Autumn and Winter months, when the weather isn’t as hot but is still mild enough to feel like you’re on holiday.

If you’re interested in the history of the country, perhaps the best place to start would be the Bonaparte museum in Ajaccio on the Western coast – Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Corsica and his family home (owned by that family until the 19^th century) is now the home of the museum. Or visit Filitosa in Sollacaro (also on the Western coast), which has proof of human civilisation dating back an extraordinary eight thousand years and has Roman remains dating back two thousand years.

Corsica isn’t a ‘touristy’ destination despite the vast numbers of tourists who visit each year: it has kept its identity and has not pandered too much to the needs and wants of foreigners. It can get busy in August in the main towns, which experience some pretty terrible traffic jams, so if you are visiting at that time of year, stay close to the less populated areas and enjoy the scenery!

Most people who choose Portugal for their holiday are interested in spending a good deal of time lazing in the sun on sandy beaches, and spending their evenings in the local bars. However, there is a large number of the tourists who visit Portugal who do so to explore the country on foot, who choose to go on specialist walking holidays.

There is a competitive market amongst suppliers for walking holiday package deals, and with competition high, prices tend to be low. Choose a package that suits you: you might want, for example, the reassurance that the company will transport your luggage between destinations (rather than you having to carry all your belongings in a giant rucksack all the way). You may wish to walk between specially selected hotels, or to have one hotel as a base whilst undertaking circular walks nearby. You might want a guide to take you on your walk, or to go solo but have all the planning taken care of with detailed maps and notes of the places you will see being provided by your tour operator.

One of the beauties of Portugal as a destination for a walking holiday is that it has such a diverse landscape. Mountains, coastal paths and valleys are all available to explore. Try the Costa Vicentina or the Douro Valley (where the nation’s port and wine are produced). Or see a new side to the Algarve that you might not have known existed, with flower-covered hills and cliffs leading down to spectacular beaches. Or perhaps the volanoes and hot springs of the Azores is more to your taste.

If you are interested in wildlife, then you can try to spot Iberian wolves, Spanish Imperial eagles, and wild ponies in the North. The Montesinho National Park is the place to go if you want to see Portugal at its natural best and to have the best chance of spotting the local wildlife.

As Portugal is such a popular tourist destination, flights from the UK are plentiful and relatively inexpensive.

Many people from many different backgrounds and of many different ages and group dynamics choose to go caravanning in France every year, but such holidays are perhaps most popular with families with young children.

Yes, it’s a long drive down to the ferry port for most people, and yes the ferry journeys can be a dreadfully long experience if you’re tired or the boat is full and crowded (not so bad if you’re going Dover Calais, where the crossing is about an hour and a half; not so good if you’re going Portsmouth – Caen, which is about six hours).

But the freedom to pack as much as you can cram in the car (including your son’s twenty-five teddies, none of whom can be left behind), to stop when you need to during the journey, to have only yourselves to worry about (as opposed to the other hundred-and-fifty people aboard a Boeing, none of whom want to hear your child screaming about their ears hurting) are all worth the journey alone.

Then you arrive and realise that actually a journey of twice that duration and length would be worth it for the experience of relaxing at a well-serviced caravan park by the beach.

A popular destination for Brits who like warm but not hot weather is Brittany. This is part of the country that’s still very popular amongst French for their holidays too, so it doesn’t feel like Bridlington in the sun – there are plenty of locals to converse with and not so many Brits that you feel like you might as well have stayed at home.

The north coast of Brittany looks completely different when the tide is in to how it looks when the tide is out. When the tide’s out, rock-pools abound, and most caravan sites will happily lend (or sell) nets and buckets for exploring with. When the tide’s in, warm, clear blue water is a joy for paddling in and makes the whole place entirely picturesque.

There are a number of caravan holiday operators who will take bookings direct – they all tend to use the same sites, and the standard of caravan or static tent are largely the same, so you can pick and choose. The best idea is to pick a site that you like the look of (choose one with a restaurant, creperie, mini-golf and swimming pool with slide and you will find that the children are perfectly happy to stay there all day if you want them to) and then compare prices for that site across the main operators.

Most static caravans offer basic accommodation: beds, sofa, table, small kitchen (check if it includes an oven and not just a hob) and bathroom. Most static tents offer these but you’d need to use the communal shower/toilet blocks. Most also come with barbeques and outdoor furniture. You can book direct from people who own their own caravans, but beware. Many people have done so and arrived at the site having paid a fair amount of money for their holiday only to find that they have been swindled and the caravan site knows nothing of the caravan they have booked.

One of the nicest parts of a caravan holiday in France is arguably sitting outside your van in the warm evenings with a glass of wine and a good book whilst the children are fast asleep after a long day spent at the beach or pool. Bliss for all.

Some people think that if you’ve seen one Greek island, you’ve seen them all. And that might be true of most of them, but Rhodes is an island set apart from the others. Once you’ve discovered Rhodes you might never holiday anywhere else again.

 Why? Well, obviously it’s sunny (it averages 300 days of sunshine per year) and has lots of lovely beaches, but so do all the other Greek islands. No, what’s so great about Rhodes is its history steeped in mythology; its wealth of natural sites and exciting excursions; its quaint villages and its amazing nightlife. It has something for everyone.

 Legend has it that when Zeus won out against the Giants, he divided the earth between the Olympic Gods, but poor old Helios (god of the sun) got forgotten. All the land was taken by the other gods, so Helios said that he’d have any land that rose out of the sea from that point on. At that point, Rhodes rose out of the Agean Sea.

 The island has plenty of museums and monuments to explore to find out more about its place in mythological history. Some places you might like to visit are the Acropolises of Lindos and Rhodes, the Palace of the Grand Masters, The Medieval City of Rhodes and the castles of Monolithos and Kritinia.

 If you just want to relax and enjoy the scenery, there are plenty of little villages to visit, such as Archipolis, Koskinou, Messanagros and Monolithos. Alternatively, you may want to step out of the towns and into the countryside to visit several places of natural beauty. Don’t miss: The Valley of Butterflies; Anthony Quinn Bay, Seven Springs and the mountains of Atavyros, Akramitis and Profitis Ilias. 

 Dining in Rhodes is a pleasure, with local specialities including taramasalata, dolmades, milizanosalata and locally grown (blooming enormous) olives. Try any local Tavernas or Ouzeries for a light bite or main meal (usually grilled fish in the bay areas and sometimes meat – usually lamb)

Think of Finland and you might think of Santa, and if you’re thinking of Santa then why not consider booking a break in Lapland in time for Christmas this year? I know, I know, Summer’s only just finished but before you know it there’ll be Wham and piped through the speakers in every shop.

 So, what’s so great about Finland that you might want to spend your Christmas there? Well, snow for one thing: it’s the most likely place in Europe to be covered in the stuff. When it’s not snowing, there are loads of forests and lakes, which are nice to visit in the warmer months, but if you’re thinking of a Christmas getaway then you’ll be interested in what’s there in Winter.

 You can feed reindeer (not necessarily with red noses, alas), have a ride on a sledge pulled by huskies, and stay in an ice hotel or igloo if you’re really committed. Lapland is described as the ‘top of the world’ as it feels so remote. Trips on sledges to see the northern lights are usually available, although it’s rather hit-and-miss as to whether you’ll be lucky enough to see them. Still, if you’re there for a few days then chances are you’ll be able to see the eerie, greenish glows in the sky at some point.

 Other activities available locally in Lapland include mountain biking in the mountains, white-water rafting, fishing and kayaking in the rivers and even panning for gold – though these activities are best enjoyed in the Autumn or Spring months.

 The provincial capital of Lapland is Rovaniemi, which is actually on the Arctic Circle (they really mean it about the ‘top of the world’ thing). This is, as we all know, where Santa lives. If you miss the big man himself, you can visit the Arktikum museum that gives you all the information you could possibly want about the region and the history of the country and its links to Father Christmas. 

 In Rovaniemi you can also go for rides in snow-mobiles and participate in the usual winter sports (skiing, snow-boarding etc) and have a go at ice-fishing. Here too are the husky safaris and igloos. There are standard, traditional hotels available too of course, but since you’re there it would be a shame to miss out on the chance of staying somewhere really different.

 And how cool for the kids to go back to school in January and say they slept in a hotel made of ice, saw Santa’s house and fed his reindeer…!