British Isles

A tantalising taste of the high life awaits young gourmets at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons this month. Children up to and including the age of 12 stay free and have dinner on the house at Raymond Blanc's two Michelin-starred restaurant in Great Milton, near Oxford. Their parents have to foot their own food bill, however. The package costs from £395 a night per room for two adults and two children. Dinner costs from £95. Before eating, the youngsters can explore Le Manoir's grounds or play croquet, while their parents relax with an aperitif. After tucking in, the young diners can be tucked up in bed with a teddy bear each, which they can take home, along with free bathrobes. A French breakfast for the whole family is also included. 01844 278881

More foodie treats are in store during a luxury break in the Scottish borders. A seven-course tasting menu served with wines to match is one of the highlights of a two-night stay at turreted Cringletie House, set in 28 acres of gardens and woodland in Peebles, near Edinburgh. The break, which includes breakfast and dinner both days, costs from £235 midweek or from £275 on Fridays and Saturdays - a saving of £100 on both prices - until the end of September. Pride of Britain Hotels, 0800 0893929

A welcoming farmhouse tea will be served to guests on arrival at Lower Treluggan cottage in the grounds of an historic manor house near Looe, Cornwall. The cottage, which sleeps four, is surrounded by 35 acres of gardens and orchard and has an all-weather tennis court. It has been reduced by £190 to £445 for the week beginning August 22 and by £108 to £251 for the week starting August 29. Contact Toad Hall Cottages, 01548 853089

If you are trying to resist temptation, however, check into the Mercure Brandon Hall Hotel and Spa in the quiet Warwickshire village of Brandon, near Coventry. Rooms in the four-star country house hotel, which was originally a shooting lodge dating back to the 1300s, cost from just £59 for two people until the end of the month. Accommodation is free for one child under 12 years sharing with its parents. 0871 7029471

An 18th-century former mill worker's cottage at Buckfastleigh, Devon, is still available for the Bank Holiday week starting Saturday, August 23. The beamed cottage, which is on the southern edge of Dartmoor, sleeps four and costs £572 through Helpful Holidays. Pets are welcome. 01647 434063

A timed entrance ticket to see the Hadrian: Empire and Conflict exhibition at the British Museum in London is included in a one-night package deal with Superbreak. The price of £66.50 covers accommodation at the four-star Grafton Hotel, in nearby Tottenham Court Road, with full breakfast and is valid at weekends throughout the month. 0871 2223055

Short haul

A week-long Nile cruise in Egypt costs from £449 full board with Voyages Jules Verne, departing September 1 or 8 on a four-star vessel. A five-star upgrade costs from £549. The tour operator is also offering seven nights at the five-star Steigenberger Nile Palace Hotel in Luxor from £469, flying out on September 1, 8 or 15. Flights from Gatwick are included in the cost of both holidays (£25 supplement for Manchester). 0845 1667035

The cost of a 17-day grand voyage to Venice has been slashed by almost half. Passengers taking the Voyages of Discovery cruise from Harwich on September 4 pay £1,299, including full board and entertainment, a saving of £1,280. The ship calls at Lisbon, Gibraltar, Almería, Nice, Livorno and Sorrento before reaching Venice, from where passengers fly back to Gatwick (or Manchester for an additional charge). 01444 462150

A charming cottage with views over the vineyards outside Bergerac in France is available for seven nights, departing August 23, from £1,075 or £269 based on four sharing. The hideaway, close to the village of Gageac-et-Rouillac, has a pool and is a good base for walking, cycling and tasting the local wines. Flights are not included. www.simply-perigord.com

Motor racing fans keen to see Lewis Hamilton compete in the Belgian Grand Prix on September 7 can cross the Channel for just £35 each way for a car and up to five passengers with SeaFrance Dover-Calais Ferries. The Spa-Francorchamps course in the Ardennes hills is a three-hour drive from Calais. Three-day tickets for the practice run and race cost from £142 through formula1.com. 0871 2222500

Long haul

Escape to the Maldives for seven nights from August 31 and save £368 per couple. Kuoni is offering a B&B break at Kuramathi Village resort, for £699, flying from Gatwick on Monarch Airlines. 01306 747008

Seven nights at the four-star Mercure Pattaya in Pattaya, Thailand, costs £669, a discount of £195, for departures between August 21 and 31. Premier Holidays, 08444 937542

Book by August 15 to save £588 per couple on five nights' B&B at the five-star Shangri-La Rasa Ria resort in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo. Prices are from £1,199 for September 24-30 departures from Heathrow with Malaysia Airlines. 01306 747008

All prices are per person and based on two sharing a room unless stated otherwise.

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