Nantucket is a county spread across three islands off Cape Cod in Massachusetts, most notably Nantucket Island itself. Most famous from the first line of several hundred obscene limericks, Nantucket is a great holiday destination if you're after more than just sunshine and sandy beaches. In fact, weatherwise, it's renowned for its foggy weather. But Nantucket is also a great centre for the arts, and the performing arts in particular, so it's a great destination for a more cultural holiday, or for exploring the great outdoors with plenty of conservation areas. The isolated character of Nantucket makes it ideal for a self-catered cottage holiday, and there are a variety of beach rental properties which will be great for kids.

If you're at all interested in fishing, Nantucket's history as a whaling town (Herman Melville was a famous resident, and Captain Ahab's ship first sets off from Nantucket in Moby Dick) means you will have a great family holiday. There's the Museum of Whaling to explore, and you can also arrange to go out for a day's deep-sea fishing. Nantucket Town is also excellent for shopping, and you can easily spend days wandering around the small antiques shops there. There's also a huge amount to see just exploring the island on foot or bicycle, from old lighthouses to nature reserves. It's a great place for any outdoor enthusiast, and the slower pace of life makes for a truly relaxing family holiday.

Prices for cottages and beach rentals in Nantucket vary, but depending on the time of year that you visit it is fairly easy to find a fully-equipped beach rental property which sleeps 6 or more people for less than £1,000 a week. Quite apart from saving money on hotel bills, you'll find that after a long day tramping around the great outdoors, coming back to your own rental cottage is a much more relaxing prospect than the formality of a hotel. And being so close to the beach is a great opportunity for the kids to let off some steam and run around to their heart's content without worrying about disturbing other hotel guests. With wonderful local seafood all around, you also won't want to be tied down to a hotel's restaurant morning, noon and night!