If you’ve never cruised before or you’re a cruise connoisseur, where can you cruise in October?

Should you wish to stay close to home and don’t fancy a holiday stuck permanently on one beach, then how about cruising the Mediterranean?

Costa Cruises still have availability during October embarking in Venice then cruising to Greece and Croatia for their “Adriatic & Aegean” cruise. A double inside cabin for seven nights, based on two people sharing, starts from £469 per person. If you’d rather Italy, Tunisia, Spain and Provence in France, then prices start from £569.00 per person. Flights are extra (see their website for details).

For a cruise holiday in October travelling further afield, consider Virgin Holidays Cruises who are offering a nine night “Mexican Riviera Cruise” on Princess Cruises’, Sapphire Princess; including Virgin flights from Heathrow Airport to Los Angeles, with one night at the Hyatt Long Beach and 7 nights in an inside cabin prices start from £849 per person. There is no reason to stay on the ship when you could enjoy cliff diving at La Quebrada, partying in Cabo San Lucas, any number of water sports and fishing along the Mexican coast, exploring the island of Catalina or strolling through Acapulco!

Want to travel in style, then how about a Royal Caribbean Cruise around the Canary Islands departing on 10th October 2009 from Southampton on the “Independence Of The Seas” staying in a stateroom for £8,606.00 per person? Wait a few weeks until later in the month however and the price is currently showing at £2,432.00 per person leaving on the 21st October.

From Canet to the Cote d’Azur, from the Spanish border to the Italian border; this delightful area of France is gently lapped by the Mediterranean Sea.

A little known piece of France by the Brits, the Languedoc Roussillon region covers from the Spanish border to Provence, and if you’ve not been here before, you really are missing a treat! There are miles upon miles of long sandy beaches, some wild, some developed and with the towns so close to Spain, there is quite a Catalan atmosphere in the sea side resorts.

There are tonnes of low cost carriers flying into airports in the south of France around the “Languedoc” including Perpignan, Bezier, Carcassonne and Montpellier, and you really do need to hire a car to explore the area. Fly into medieval Perpignan the capital of the Pyrenees-Orientales in southern France and drive to Canet for bustling excitement, but if you fancy something a little quieter and picturesque then the fantastic long Espiguette Beach complete with hilly sand dunes, or go to Beziers beaches, Portiragnes and Serignan, may be for you. Naturists should head to the purpose built resort of Cap d’Agde although there are plenty of beach areas for those who prefer to wear a little on the beach!

If you can tear yourself away from the beaches, do head into the Pyrenees mountain range and explore the mountain side towns and villages, or inland to the spectacular fortified town of Carcassonne, a real fairy tale castle dating back to Roman times.

Heading to the centre of France’s Mediterranean cost, is the region of Provence, and fly into Nice or Toulon. How about popping on the ferry at Giens near Toulon and sailing to Iles d’Hyeres where white sandy beaches follow the whole circumference of the island?

As you travel onto the area popularly known as the Cote d’Azur or French Riviera, you will come across the well known and popular, upmarket town of St Tropez. Plage de Tahiti (Tahiti Beach) is as well known as the town and popular with topless and nude bathers. Not far away is the long sandy beach at Port Gimaud which is also where actress Joan Collins owns a home. Sailing enthusiasts will love this area of France as many expensive yachts are tied up in the bustling harbours.

As you approach Cannes Mandelieu to the west of Cannes, the beaches are stunning long stretches of golden sand dotted with palm trees and great for families and groups; however, as you reach Cannes Beach in front of La Croisette and the delightful promenade, you’ll find the beach divided into “private” sections particularly during the summer, and the rich and famous taking in the rays!

Nice beach is great for people watching although this pebbly beach is not for sand lovers, but following the coast east, Monte Carlo Beach is by far the most fashionable although the sand is imported.

If holidaying in France, do as the French do and drive!  Many don’t believe in leaving their country, and come August, the city dwellers head straight for the many spectacular French beaches – it won’t be long before you realise why!

Head to the French Riviera otherwise known as the Cote d’Azur and pick up cheap Nice airport car hire with easyCar.  Overlooking the glorious Mediterranean Sea, Nice is the perfect location for a weekend break with its fantastic shopping, Promenade des Anglais walks, historic buildings and popular beach.  Just 20 minutes away by road is Cannes famous for the May Film Festival when it is full of the rich and famous. Take a stroll down la Croissette and see who you can spot (any time of year)!

If you prebook Nice car rental however, the south of France becomes so much more!  The scenic views as you follow one of the coastal roads, Corniches de la Riviera, between Nice and Menton is both spectacular and dramatic, so why not consider hiring a convertible car?  Look towards the east if driving from Cannes Mandelieu through Theoule sur Mer, and you should be able to see the striking mountain ranges – perfect photo opportunities!  There are the pretty villages of the Luberon, the bustling sea side resorts of Saint Raphael and Frejus, trendy and popular St Tropez and just so much more to explore!

Arrange car rental from Toulouse airport and you either drive towards the Languedoc Rouission region and the delightful family friendly beaches close to Perpignan such as Canet and St Cyprien, or closer to Beziers and popular Cap d’Agde.  Driving to the Pyrenees is also easy from Toulouse and the scenery again is spectacular and the villages delightful.  Car hire at Carcassonne airport is popular and having stopped for lunch in this medieval city, just a short drive from the south coast too.

When travelling any distance in France be it through Normandy, Brittany, the Dordogne, Provence or the mountainous Rhone-Alpes, collecting a hire car does make driving easier when using the tolls roads or when overtaking.  The charges to use the toll roads can add up, but there is nearly always less traffic and the roads are well maintained as well as offering numerous picnic stops and toilets.

Accommodation is plentiful and available at any budget for holidays in France. Choose a deluxe four star hotel in the south or a privately run gite in the north. Pick an apartment in a family friendly complex from a huge choice of locations around the coast (north, west or south) or a luxury villa with spectacular countryside or sea views.