I is for this year's In destinations

Thinking of holidaying in the Hamptons? Get over it. The Hudson Valley and the Catskills are where it's at now, as Uma Thurman, Robert De Niro, Liam Neeson and Brad 'n' Jen will tell you.

Once nicknamed 'the poor man's Hamptons', the area seems to have been invaded by Manhattan's elite while no one was looking. The appeal might have something to do with the property prices (you can still buy a five-bedroom farmhouse on 25 acres for $200,000). But the main attraction seems to be the lack of celebrity-related activity in the region. No swanky restaurants, bars or clubs - just mud tracks, insects and really bad mobile-phone reception. Perfect.

And don't go thinking that once you get back from the Hudson Valley you can take a late-summer break in Capri. So what if there are two branches of Prada on one lump of rock? It's way too crowded these days to be truly popular. No, you want to be on the Pontine Islands (between Rome and Naples). Ponza and Ventotene, the main islands of the archipelago, are much, much quieter than Capri but with the same natural beauty - and are much loved by Valentino, Anna Fendi and Princess Caroline of Monaco, all of whom dock their yachts there.

And while we're on the subject of late-summer breaks, forget about St Tropez, because Biarritz is this year's 'in' destination. The one-time favourite of the Hollywood glamour puss is becoming more popular with beautiful young Europeans. Karl Lagerfeld keeps a house there. All right, so the Art Deco Casino Municipal has been turned into a conference centre and there may still be too many blue rinses on the beach, but the Gulf Stream means it stays warm into late summer (19oC is the average temperature for September) and in August you'll be lucky to find room for so much as a toe in the seawater pool of the H?tel du Palais.

I is also for Insider guide

A-Z travel guide for 2002