On an early morning train, surrounded by locals clutching bags stuffed with towels, we hurtled towards the southern coast of France for a day at Narbonne Plage. Here, sprawling sandy shores fill with families from across the region, with enough space to settle in for the day.
Framed by the hazy outline of the Pyrenees, the train journey from Toulouse takes just an hour and a half and costs less than a café au lait.
