Whisper it: it’s becoming increasingly easier to visit Europe without hiring a car. Rental prices have, luckily, fallen, but a boom in cross-country train networks and operators offering alternative transport options means that often, holidaymakers can leave the car keys at home.
The consummate city-breaker, of course, already knows this. Those visiting the continent’s capitals can, as a rule, rely on public transport networks to get around, moving from gallery to attraction to restaurant without so much as touching a steering wheel. Still, there’s a sense that a more remote holiday – or a beachier one – might be more difficult. Yet even that doesn’t have to be the case. Across Europe, there are some beautiful coastal destinations that are easy to navigate by foot or bike, and that can be reached easily enough via public transport from the airport.
And going car-free doesn’t mean having to resort to package-holiday high-rises with the hordes. The key is to look between the obvious honeypots and over-touristed hotspots, and find an under-the-radar little place that has all you need for a beach holiday: namely, a fantastic coastal spot, a handful of restaurants and bars where locals drink, and a charming place to stay. So here are 20 appealing destinations that fit the bill for offbeat beach breaks in Europe – no car required.
Ile de Groix
In this most British corner of France, the beaches have echoes of Cornwall – deep bays bookended by rock pools and green and heathered headlands. Except here, 200-odd miles due south, the weather’s a bit better – the Ile de Groix even has its own microclimate. It’s a laid-back, timeless little island, perfectly cyclable with kids. Grands-Sables is Groix’s poster girl, a convex arc of fine, white sand – but there are numerous others, including pinot-blush Sables-Rouges and, a scramble down the rocks, the hidden nook of Poulziorec.
How to do it: Train from London St Pancras to Lorient, then ferry to Groix.
Stay: Three-star Hôtel Ty Mad Groix has 24 rooms, three apartments, a sequestered pool and a nautical-vibe restaurant terrace. Doubles from £80.