Cheap city breaks – flights for under £50: Béziers, France

Flights from Bristol to Béziers with Ryanair start at £48 return*, including taxes, for the weekend of 17-19 October. Flights also from Edinburgh, Luton and Manchester
*Fares correct on 30 September, according to skyscanner.net

What to do

With its 13th-century cathedral perched on a bluff above the Orb river, this ancient city is one of the oldest in France, which makes its twinning with Stockport, Greater Manchester, a tad odd. The Unesco-listed Canal du Midi runs south of town (Pierre-Paul Riquet, the 17th-century engineer who built it, is the city’s most famous son) and can be explored on foot or by boat (cruises costs from €10 with bonpasmidi.com). Hire bikes and ride along the towpath to the coast: Valras-Plage is about an hour away (10 miles) or join a guided city cycling tour with urbanbikecitytour.com (2.5 hours, €25 adults, children free).

Where to eat

L’Autrement, a restaurant and bar in the city centre with a lovely terrace, can be pricey but does a €25 three-course set lunch that is a treat: you could be tucking in to duck breast with hazelnut croquettes and roasted figs. For new twists on French fare, head for Le Petit Montmarte on peaceful Place de la Madeleine, opposite a 1,000-year-old church. Try crayfish cannelloni with grapefruit jelly, perhaps, followed by pork fillet with cumin-scented courgette flan (two courses €22).

La Charnière is a relaxed central place run by English rugby player Johnny Howard (a local hero, he played for Béziers for years). Expect French food with an English slant – burgers, pints and matches shown on the big screen in the cellar. And for those with a sweet tooth, Le Bar à Chocolat on avenue Jean-Moulin takes chocolate seriously – the fondue’s hard to resist.

Where to drink

There’s usually a lively atmosphere at Capharnarhum, a colourful Caribbean bar on a barge on the canal, where the drinks are rum-based, the nibbles Creole and the music irie (cocktails from €6, open Wednesday to Saturday). In the centre of town, Le Maria Theresa is a restaurant in a hacienda-style building, but it’s also great for a drink and a fun night out – the dance floor’s often packed and they run regular themed nights, from cabaret to jazz.

If you fancy sampling some of the region’s fine wines, head for Pas Comme Les Autres, on rue Porte Olivier. Owned by Romain Henry Niess, a sommelier and Béziers native who’s back in town after working at Michelin-starred restaurants in London, it focuses on organic and biodynamic labels. There are delicious charcuterie and cheese platters to nibble on, as well as more hearty fare. .

Where to stay

In the heart of town, Hotel Imperator (hotel-imperator.fr, doubles from €83) is a great base, with 42 rooms. Nearby, Hotel des Poètes (hoteldespoetes.net, doubles from €70) is another basic and pleasant option, in a 19th-century building overlooking the Poets Park. Château de Ribaute is a medieval house that has been divided into four cottages, sleeping two to eight and available for weekend stays (from €320).