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).

Cheese (cow, goat, sheep), fresh breads, several butchers and locally grown (often organic) fruit and vegetables. On Thursday and Saturdays it’s extended to include clothes, plants and general bric a brac.

2 As well as the usual more expensive offerings, the little off license in St Jean de Monts’ main square has large steel vats of different local wines (mainly Loire valley).

Approximately €3 buys you 1.5 litres of unbranded white, rose 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 served up a five-course gourmet dinner for €23 - a three-course lunchtime menus can be had in most places for less than €10, which is great value for the quality you receive!

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) which also has a huge, sandy (and often quiet) beach.

5 The surrounding area also offers some interesting produce. Muscadet wine is excellent value. 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 €4-6.

NEED TO KNOW

Robert Ashton stayed at the Domaine de Vertmarine villa complex just outside St Jean de Monts and available through Wake Up In France. Villas are available sleeping from 4 to 10 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 Vendee and throughout France, plus ferry crossings, go to www.franceyesyoucan.com

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