Somewhere for the weekend... Deauville

WHY GO NOW?

WHY GO NOW?

For the past 29 years, this chic resort on the Normandy coast has been host to the Festival of American Cinema (00 33 2 31 14 14 14; www.festival-deauville.com). It's a friendlier and more publicly-accessible version of the madness that descends on Cannes every spring. From Friday until 14 September, several dozen films will be shown in the presence of various stars and directors, among them Ridley Scott, Harrison Ford, John Cusack, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts. Some of the films will be entered into the festival's competition, overseen by jury leader Roman Polanski. And for the first time, the festival is adding a special series, The Documentaries of Uncle Sam, which includes the Edinburgh Festival's scene-stealer Capturing the Friedmans.

The sumptuous casino near the seafront (boulevard Cornuché) also doubles as a cinema, and this is where most of the action will be. Deauville's tourist office (Place de la Mairie; 00 33 2 31 14 40 00; www.deauville.org) is erecting a temporary festival village near both the casino and the International Centre of Deauville (CID) - scene of yet more screenings - and this is where the public can pick up the latest film times.

DOWN PAYMENT

This summer's shortest-lived air route was from London to Deauville. Now that Air Atlantique has abandoned it, the fastest way to reach the resort is by car and ferry, using the P&O Ferries link (0870 520 2020; www.poferries.com) between Portsmouth and Le Havre, about 45 minutes from Deauville. Five-day return fares for a car and two people start at £152. By rail, the journey from London Waterloo takes six hours and involves a change in Paris, for a return fare this weekend of £79 through Rail Europe (08705 848 848; www.raileurope.co.uk).

INSTANT BRIEFING

Deauville was just a tiny village in the mid-19th century sitting in front of 350 acres of marshland fringed by a sandy beach. That the meadow "was in the shape of a racecourse", as Flaubert described it, wasn't lost on the Duc de Morny who had both a casino and racecourse built there in the 1860s. Soon Parisians were snapping up villas on the seafront in their droves; some 150 years later, Deauville has established itself as Paris's unofficial 21st arrondissement. The popular practice of people-watching can be enjoyed at the Café de Paris in Place Morny in the centre, from which its main streets for shopping and eating fan out.

The tourist office (00 33 2 31 14 40 00; www.deauville.org) is next to the town hall on Place de la Mairie and maintains its summer hours during the festival. It opens 9am-7pm Mondays to Saturdays and 10am-1pm and 3-6pm on Sundays.

REST ASSURED

Deauville's most famous hotel is the Normandy, a stone's throw from both the town hall and the seafront, at 68 rue du Général Leclerc (00 33 2 31 98 66 88; www.lucienbarriere.com). The enormous manor house was built in 1912 in lavish Anglo-Norman style, with pale-green timber, turrets and even ceramic cats perched on the sloping roofs. Elegance and luxury are the key words but it's not cheap, with double rooms in high season (including the festival) starting at €375 (£260) per night excluding breakfast. You do get some extras for your money, such as free bicycle hire, tennis and a golf lesson, and you can cut the cost by booking a package: French Life (08704 292188; www.frenchlife.co.uk) offers a two-night B&B stay at Hotel Normandy from £294 per person, based on two sharing, including Dover-Calais ferry. The price drops to £211 after the festival. The Normandy also has an even more expensive sister hotel right on the seafront, the Royal (14, boulevard Cornuché; 00 33 2 31 98 66 33) where rooms start at €397 (£275). Breakfast is extra. For those on a more realistic budget, a cheaper option is the compact and basic Hotel Chantilly at 120, avenue de la République (00 33 2 31 88 79 75), where rooms are €72 (£50) in high season; breakfast is not included.

For more money but bags more comfort and style, there is L'Augeval at 15, avenue Hocquart de Turtot (00 33 2 31 81 13 18; www.augeval.com), a charming confection made in the half-timbered style with plenty of balconies and turrets. Double rooms cost €85 (£59) to €215 (£149) and there's a a heated pool.

MUST SEE

While Deauville loves its gambling, racing and golfing traditions, the town isn't overwhelmed by them. For those who don't indulge in these pastimes, more pleasure can be had just from strolling the streets and admiring the dominating half-timbered Norman style which gives the place a refined, yet tranquil, air.

An enduring image of Deauville is its seafront, les Planches, where a boardwalk leads you past restaurants, brightly-coloured umbrellas and a delightful collection of bathing huts, all of which are fronted by rails inscribed with movie stars' names. Echoes of Hollywood are evoked as you walk past rail after rail with such names as Ava Gardner, Gene Kelly and Robert Mitchum stencilled in. It's a beautiful place for a sunset stroll.

Just across the river Touques is Deauville's down-to-earth neighbour, Trouville. It has more of an air of a bustling seaside resort, with a good range of beach facilities for children and even donkey rides. Its hilly and winding streets are filled with bric-a-brac shops, art galleries and restaurants. A fun way to reach Trouville is by the Bac de Trouville-Deauville, a tiny foot ferry which trundles back and forth from Deauville's quai des Yachts to Trouville's casino. It runs until 8pm and costs €0.90 (62p); after 8pm you need to walk the eight minutes or so down to the Pont des Belges, which links the two towns.

MUST BUY

The market beside Place Morny is the best place to pick up delicious Normandy cheeses, including Pont l'Éveque, Camembert and Livarot, as well as bottles of Calvados and cider. For those with less rustic desires, the streets surrounding the casino are a designer haven. Here you can browse in Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Hermes, Sonia Rykiel and Louis Vuitton in a less pressured atmosphere than you would find in London.

MUST EAT

Il Parasole (00 33 2 31 81 64 64; 6, rue Hoche) is a lively, very popular and superior Italian restaurant. You'll find as many people queuing to get into Le Drakkar (77, rue Eugène Colas; 00 33 2 31 88 71 24) although the food can be on the indifferent side. For an old-fashioned French ambience and delicious food to match, try Chez Jo et Philippe (129, avenue de la République; 00 33 231 98 18 01) around the corner from Hotel l'Augeval.

INTO THE NIGHT

Not being big drinkers, you're more likely to find young French people hanging out at the ice-cream café off Place Morny than anywhere else. Those more interested in posing go to Le Zoo (53, rue Désiré Le Hoc), while a more glamorous (and expensive) time can be had at the casino's nightclub, Régine's. Serious clubbers use a shuttle service to go to Les Planches in the neighbouring resort of Blonville, which attracts the country's top DJs. Entry is €25 (£17). In Deauville's town centre is Y Club (14 bis, rue Désiré Le Hoc), which has themed party nights all week during high season and is open 11pm-5am. Admission is free until 12.30am; after that it's €15 (£10).

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