Deauville

Deauville was laid out from 1860 by the Duc de Morny, half-brother of Napoleon III, as a resort for Parisians at a comfortable train distance, and it has stayed that: half-timbered villas in a deliberately picturesque style, a racecourse, a casino, polo grounds and a marina. The boardwalk, Les Planches, runs along the beach on wooden decking past rows of parasols and beach huts, each hut bearing the name of an actor who attended the American Film Festival, which the town has hosted since 1975. Coco Chanel opened a shop here in 1913 that helped make her name. The tide goes out a long way over flat sand.

What you actually see

• Les Planches - the wooden boardwalk with named beach huts.
• The film festival names - actors' names on the huts along the beach.
• The half-timbered villas - a picturesque resort architecture from the 1860s.
• The racecourses - two tracks with a major August thoroughbred season.

When to go

May to September for the beach; the American Film Festival is in September and horse racing peaks in August. The town is quiet and much of it closed in winter.

Honest expectations

Prices are high across the board. The Channel is cold and swimming brief for most. The town empties and closes substantially out of season.

Nearby

Trouville lies across the river; Honfleur is east.