EXPLORING THE BRITTANY COAST

If you've just a few days to get away from it all, then the French coast of Brittany beckons. Jonathan Crouch and family enjoy its deserted charms.

You don't expect somewhere so close to feel so far away, yet Brittany does. It remains a region of Northern France relatively undiscovered by the English. You, your car and a short break can put that right.

I was tempted by the thought of doing that yet, like most people, my free time is scarce. Hence my interest in Brittany Ferries 'Gourmet Brittany' package, which claims to immerse you in the culture of this historic region in about the same time as it would take to merely travel to and from a more exotic destination.

It's one of 13 car and motorcycle tour packages offered by the company starting from £214pp and the concept is pretty straight forward. You give Brittany Ferries three to five days and, the case of the 'Gournet Brittany' package, just under £400 a person. They do the rest, organising a driving tour that takes in the sights, the culture and the cuisine. In our case, that meant the gastronomy of Brittany's unique Northern coastline. You cruise across the Channel on the company's Portsmouth - St Malo route and once you arrive in France, there's a real opportunity to relax, with all the preparation work having been done as part of the 'Gourmet Brittany' package.

With this, a route is pre-prepared taking in hotels that are part of the 'Tables et Saveurs de Bretagne' label, the Brittany equivalent of a Michelin star, the cost for which is incl...