I would recommend Cap Corse, a mile long peninsula at the northern tip of Corsica. It isn't exactly a tourist area: it's very mountainous, very wild and beautiful but it has wonderful white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters.
There are direct flights from Gatwick to Bastia on Sundays with easyJet and some tour operators go there but I would recommend backpacking around the tiny, sparsely inhabited fishing and mountain villages.
In Pino, the church of Santa Maria Assunta has exceptional baroque frescoes, and there are lots of private mausoleums: the most famous and spectacular is the tomb of Gustave Eiffel's wife in Nonza.
There are very good hostels auberges and great local food in every village. Alternatively, I'd suggest Provence. A few kilometres east of Avignon to which Eurostar will run a direct service this summer , just next to the Luberon β but less posh β L'Isle sur la Sorgue is a small town famous for its antique shops, art and craft boutiques, waterside cafes and restaurants β and an array of working water wheels.
Fontaine de Vaucluse is built around the biggest spring in France at the foot of the Vaucluse mountains, while Roussillon is famous for its range of ochre-coloured houses.
