Holidays in Brittany and Mediterranean cruises visiting Portugal and Spain

British holidaymakers have been visiting France for many years, mainly owing to its proximity and the wonderful food and wine that can be found there. Today it is possible to rent a country cottage with maid service included so families can spend their holiday relaxing in private surroundings and explore the local countryside at their leisure. For a more structured type of break there are many ships leaving the UK on trips around Europe of varying durations that include shore excursions to lots of interesting places. Quite often, these type of packages include all onboard meals and certain drinks so they can work out to be a lot cheaper than they look at first glance. If you decide to book a country house in Brittany or another part of France then it is normally possible to arrange for a local cook to provide any meals that you wish to eat in the house. Alternatively, there are plenty of cafés and restaurants all over the country that serve a range of excellent dishes, so many people eat out for most of the time that they are there. On most modern ships there are a number of options when it comes to eating, ranging from bar snacks to formal dining in first class restaurants.

This gives passengers a lot of flexibility with regard to mealtimes and the type of dishes that they can eat. Whilst a ship is in port most travellers take the opportunity to sample the local cuisine in countries that Mediterranean cruises visit. During the summer, the French countryside makes a great setting for a picnic and if your accommodation includes the services of a cook then they will probably be able to supply you with some food and wine for a day out. If not, a visit to the local bakery might be in order. Breakfast usually consists of croissants washed down with fresh coffee and can be taken before setting off for the day. Passengers onboard a luxury liner sometimes have the choice of having breakfast in their cabin or joining others in a restaurant to enjoy a buffet meal after they have showered and dressed in the morning. When the ship spends more than one night in port it is always possible to have breakfast in the local town instead of onboard, if desired.

There is of course a lot more to planning a holiday than deciding what and where to eat every day. Some people like to have a fairly good idea of what they will be doing whilst away, such as visiting the many cathedrals that are dotted around France, whereas others prefer to take a more relaxed approach to their vacations and see how they feel. On a cruise holiday there is less flexibility with regard to what you can do every day but passengers have the choice of whether they want to go on the various excursions or not, although it is often necessary to book in advance due to their popularity.