First holiday memory? We used to go to Ireland for a month almost every year when I was a boy because I was born there My parents used to call it "going home". We would stay with relatives in County Clare on the west coast and I had wonderful adventures with my cousins, going to the beach and playing sports. Best holiday?Thailand. I first went for BBC Holiday in the 1980s and fell in love with it. From €900 (£643) a week.SancerreFor those who don't feel they're in Paris unless they can see the Eiffel Tower through the window, this large, smart apartment features 180-degree views from its wraparound balcony.
With two bedrooms and bathrooms, it sleeps four, with space for two more on a sofa-bed. And its location is as classy as its decor: a three-minute stroll to the river, 10 to the boutiques and restaurants of Avenue George V, and just a block from the tower.Sancerre, rue St-Dominique, Paris 7e (020-7938 2939; www.parisperfect ) Rental from $2,723 (£1,512) per week.. The kitchen is small and no-frills, but being in Paris, you're unlikely to starve. It's close to the Op? Garnier, in the arty ninth arrondissement, and just knowing that Delacroix, George Sand and Renoir once lived nearby adds to the romance.Garnier, 43 rue St-Georges, Paris 9e (00 33 62 304 0916; www.pad-a-terre ).
And being on the sixth floor, there are great rooftop views across the city The catch? That lofty setting. With no lift, it's suitable only for the very fittest of visitors.Pigalle 2, 6 rue Houdon, Paris 18e (00 33 6 30 65 46 23; www.parissweethome ). Rental from €480 (£343) a week.GarnierEntering this sunny one-bedroom apartment (it sleeps four if the dining-room is turned into a second bedroom) is like stepping into a Parisian salon. Managed by Pad-a-Terre, it's a nice mix of period style (parquet floors, grand fireplaces) and contemporary comfort (natty bathroom, neutral bedlinen). While it is quite a trek from the banks of the Seine, it is gloriously close to the Sacr?oeur and Montmartre.