Think of an idyllic long weekend away. Perhaps Cornwall, say Padstow - great scenery, great seafood... nightmare journey, more than likely dodgy weather.

Or you could pop down to Luton and hop on a flight to Beziers in the south of France - great scenery, great seafood... an hour-and-a-half hop by Ryanair and temperatures in the mid-70s even in mid-October.

Oh yes, and the seafood will be just as good as Rick Stein's, and at least half the price...

Picture the south of France and Nice, Cannes, the whole Cote d'Azure thing comes to mind – forget that and move west and you'll find the Cap d'Agde and Beziers. It's largely undiscovered by the Brits – even the French seem to ignore it for all but the July/August high holiday period – and brimming with character and charm.

With Ryanair now running a regular service to Beziers the idea of an affordable long weekend in the south of France has become a reality - it really is that easy!

The area out of season - and that really is pretty much any time except high summer - is uncrowded, unpretentious, surprisingly cheap, friendly and with some interesting places to visit, if you are so inclined.

Add to that more than 300 days of sun a year and a region that is, in effect, the biggest vineyard in France and that choice between Cornwall and Beziers is starting to sound like a no-brainer...

Beziers itself has plenty to delight over a weekend visit. There's an impressive old town, replete with bloody history - a crusade in 1209 resulted in many hundreds of the Cathar population being massacred in the shadow of the city's cathedral - and the scenic and impressive Canal du Midi climbs its way via a staircase of five huge locks through the outskirts to its nearby Mediterranean destination.

Nearby the smaller town of Pezenas has a marvellous medieval quarter to explore, while the Cap d'Agde itself has miles of sandy beaches - including a black volcanic sand version - large marina and some fabulous seafood restaurants.

Hire a car and head inland through endless vineyards and frequent opportunities for degustations (wine tastings) and head for the tree-covered Black Mountains - and if you are lucky you'll chance upon a small mountain village called La Combe with an astounding restaurant.

A lengthy lunch on a warm terrace overlooking a fabulous vista of valleys and mountains, and food that wouldn't be out of place in one of London's top restaurants. The sanglier especially - a casserole made with the wild boar that roam the thickly-forested slopes - was, no word of a lie, as good as anything I've ever tasted. And less than half the price of those London restaurants...
It's easy to wax lyrical about the Beziers region - but it really is one of those gems that does seem to offer just about everything you could wish for - and it's still cheap and largely unspoiled.

Catch it while you can - I'm certainly going back for second helpings.....

For more information about the Beziers region visit www.beziers-tourisme.fr and for information about flights from Luton and Stansted to Beziers visit www.ryanair.com