Deals of the Week: Training to the south of France; Planing to Turkey; best places in the world

As soon as you take a car across the Channel, you are twice as likely to come to grief in a road accident as in Britain. To reduce the risk, you may want to consider the new Motorail opportunities from Calais for the school summer holidays next year.

A TRAIN

As soon as you take a car across the Channel, you are twice as likely to come to grief in a road accident as in Britain. To reduce the risk, you may want to consider the new Motorail opportunities from Calais for the school summer holidays next year.

A new route to Bordeaux and Biarritz has been launched, which opens up the Atlantic coast of France and Spain, the Basque Country and the Pyrenees. It runs weekly from 17 July to 5 September, leaving Calais every Thursday evening and returning overnight on Friday.

The one-way fare to Bordeaux starts at £265 for a car and two-berth sleeper, and £319 for a car and up to six people in couchettes. Fares to Biarritz are around £70 higher.

The season for the existing Calais-Avignon-Nice train has been extended; it will now run 11 April-11 October. Book on 08702 415 415 or visit www.raileurope.co.uk (though the new service to Biarritz and Bordeaux is not yet available online).

A BOAT

Harwich to Antwerp – a ferry route that, sadly, is no longer in existence – was the first overseas venture of Thomas Cook, in 1855. A century later, the company he started had lost its corporate way. Thomas Cook and Me, on BBC2 tonight at 9pm, tells the tangled tale of the post-war history of the firm founded by the father of modern tourism.

A PLANE

Turkey has, so far, been off the no-frills agenda, but on 3 December the new low-cost airline, Germanwings, starts flying from its base at Cologne to Istanbul. You can connect from the company's flight from Stansted. A test booking made for the second week in December gives a fare of £150 return; looking further ahead, you can travel for fares as low as £115 return. Book on 020-8321 7255 (with an extra charge) or through www.germanwings.com.

LAST CHANCE

... to nominate the five places around the world to visit before you die. The Independent Traveller on Saturday will contain the readers' verdict. There is still time to vote; e-mail bestplaces@independent.co.uk, or call 020-7005 2362 by 10am tomorrow.