• It’s beautiful and unspoilt
• Only 1hr 40 mins flying time from the UK.
• Wide variety of scenery, from deserted beaches to mountain villages and forests. Easy to travel from beach to mountain in around half an hour. This means it’s easy to pack in a variety of activities without feeling rushed. You normally meet wild cows, sheep, goats and wild boar (and their babies) on a drive up to the mountains - a source of great excitement for any toddlers on board.
• There are some fascinating towns and villages, including Bonifacio in the South, Calvi in the North, the ancient capital Corte and the proud, beautiful Sartene.
• Plenty of historical interest too, with a fantastic number of relatively untouched prehistoric sites with menhirs and dolmens
• Fabulous beaches - unspoilt clean, turquoise water, white sand - best beaches this side of the Caribbean according to Julie Burchill and Jane Horrocks (Guardian 00/01).
  Most shelve very gently and are ideal for small children.
• Good priced set menus at most restaurants where children are very positively welcomed.
• Good Mediterranean weather (not too hot) with cooling breezes.
• Very low-stress destination

Things to think about:

• Very busy with French and Italian tourists in late July and throughout August
• Accommodation can be quite rustic
• Eating out isn’t cheap (but it doesn’t deserve its ‘expensive’ tag either)
• Corsica’s beaches are for the most part unspoilt, but this in turn means there aren’t lots of loungers, parasols etc (unless you’re in one of the more developed areas or attached to a hotel)
• Only charter flights (but British Midland very good) unless you change at Nice, which defeats the tiny flight time advantage

Best times to visit: May-early July, September-October

Flight times from GB: 1hr 40mins

Time difference: GMT+1hr

Currency: Euros. Travellers cheque and/or credit cards not always accepted, so take some cash and ensure you have access to more

Capital: Ajaccio