Why: Holiday villas become available at keen rates and the sun continues to shine through September

Plus: The grape harvest takes place in September

The Dordogne strikes a chord with so many Brits because it presents the quintessential image of a rural France idyll with its bucolic, patchwork farmland, dreamily green valleys, hilltop medieval villages and fairytale castles. In France it is better known as Pйrigord, and is divided up according to a colour- code system. To the north is Pйrigord Vert, with its verdant valleys and picture-book villages; Pйrigord Blanc, in the centre, has limestone hills, plus the wonderful chвteaux of Hautefort and Montrйal; in the east, the dense oakforests characterise Pйrigord Noir, also home to the Lascaux prehistoric caves and the enchanting 13th- century town of Sarlat; to the south, Pйrigord Pourpre (purple) gets its name from the Bergerac vineyards. Go in mid-September and you"ll find it pleasantly sunny and peaceful: most summer guests have departed and a wide choice of villas with pools (still very desirable) becomes available at mid- to low-season prices.

At the time of going to press, French Affair (www.frenchaffair.com) and Simply Perigord (www.simply-perigord.com) were among companies with a range of good accommodation.

THE AMALFI COAST, ITALY

Why: From mid-September the crowds disperse, the traffic thins, and rooms in sought-after hotels become available

Plus: Hotel room rates fall in October

The rocky beauty of this stretch of coast, about 40km from Naples airport, is breathtaking. Craggy cliffs drop straight down to an azure sea; villages in tones of ochre and pink cling improbably to the slopes; the amazing corniche, a road of a thousand bends, twists past pines and palms offering sparkling, heart-stopping views. Mid-September to mid-October is a window of opportunity after the frenetic bustle of Italy"s summer-holiday period and before much of the infrastructure shuts down for the season: the hotels have vacancies, and room rates fall. At the famous Le Sirenuse) in picturesque Positano, for example, doubles cost from €500 in September and from €380 after 1 October. Other options are the glamorous Hotel Il San Pietro (doubles from €550 Sept, €420 Oct), also in Positano, with its wonderful terraces on the cliffside, and Hotel Santa Caterina (www.hotelsantacaterina.it; doubles from €405 Sept, €335 Oct), a gracious mansion outside the town of Amalfi with lifts running down to a bathing area and salt-water swimming pool.

SANTORINI, GREECE

Why: Tourists depart at the end of summer but beach-holiday weather endures, and direct flights from the UK continue

Plus: Island ferries operate until late October

This most famous and striking Greek island curves like a crescent moon around a blue lagoon that was once the crater of an enormously violent volcano. The crater wall, or "caldera", is a dramatic cliff, now topped with sugar-cube houses and blue-domed churches. For spectacular impact, arrive here by boat: there are daily ferry services from Athens to Santorini and around the other Cyclades islands until the end of October (www.gtp.gr). Direct access from the UK - on flights with EasyJet, Thomas Cook and Thomson - is also possible, until the beginning of the month. The south and east of Santorini have black-sand beaches; and the remains of ancient Thira stand on a rocky, east-coast promontory. But the caldera is the big attraction, and the best hotels are clustered around the picturesque village of Oia, on its northern tip, which is an excellent place for watching sunsets.

Among the most celebrated hotels are Santorini Grace and three-suite 1864 The Sea Captain"s House.

CORNWALL, UK

Why: With the end of school holidays accommodation rates fall, but temperatures hold up in September

Plus: The big visitor attractions are quiet

When the school terms begin, Cornwall"s beaches become peaceful; the sea is warmer than it was in June and July; and the decline in traffic makes the county"s notoriously narrow lanes passable once more. Even a trip to the Eden Project or the Lost Gardens of Heligan is now stress-free; and the crowds are manageable at Rick Stein"s gastronomic empire in Padstow. From 1 September, many hotels have lower rates, too. The contemporary- chic St Moritz Hotel in north-coast Trebetherick, for example, has doubles from Ј204 compared with Ј220 in August. At St Mawes in the south, Cornwall"s benchmark of boutique elegance, Hotel Tresanton, charges lower room rates but still offers summer activities such as private sailing trips throughout September. Over in the west, try Primrose Valley Hotel (www.primroseonline.co.uk) for a bed in St Ives or make for buzzy Penzance, where accommodation options include the old-school Abbey Hotel (www.theabbeyonline.co.uk) and comfy restaurant-with-rooms The Summer House (www.summerhouse-cornwall.com).

More late summer holidays