A last blast of summer sun: seaside holidays in France, Spain, Italy and Croatia

With the kids back at school, the crowds have gone, prices are lower and there’s still plenty of sun for late-season breaks in southern Europe

With its 300 days of sunshine a year, Nice has traditionally been the go-to destination for northern Europeans looking to eke out summer. But at the western end of the Cote d’Azur, Marseille and its surrounding beaches enjoy a similarly appealing climate, minus the sky-high price tags.