Biarritz or Dijon?

Here there is no contest. Biarritz has a string of real beaches: the Grande Plage below the casino, the Côte des Basques under the cliffs, the sheltered Port Vieux cove and the long sands running north into Anglet. The Atlantic is cool and often rough, so you swim between the lifeguard flags, but this is a true beach town.

Dijon is several hours from any coast. In summer Lac Kir, on the western edge of town, has a supervised lawn-and-sand bathing area that is fine for a hot afternoon. Otherwise, swimming means a pool.

Both cities have a covered market called Les Halles at the centre of their food life, but Dijon has more to offer at the table. Its cooking is classic Burgundian: boeuf bourguignon, jambon persillé, Époisses cheese and Bresse poultry. Add mustard, cassis, village Burgundies poured by the glass and a serious fine-dining tier.

Biarritz answers with Basque food. There are pintxos at the market bars from mid-morning, Bayonne ham, chipirons, grilled fish from the Bay of Biscay and gâteau basque, with Txakoli and Irouléguy to drink. It is lively, informal eating, but the range is that of a small resort, and the seafront has its share of tourist places.

Dijon was the capital of the Dukes of Burgundy, and it shows. There is the ducal palace with its fine arts museum and the tombs of the Valois dukes, the gargoyles of Notre-Dame, Saint-Bénigne's Romanesque crypt and Sluter's Well of Moses. Around them is a whole old centre of half-timbered houses and Renaissance mansions.

In Biarritz the heritage is the resort itself: the former imperial villa, the Art Deco casino, the Belle Époque villas and the Russian Orthodox church. The Rocher de la Vierge and the aquarium fill an afternoon, but for serious museums you need a day trip.

Neither city offers a big night out, and in both the evenings depend on the calendar. Biarritz comes alive in summer, with pintxos and wine around Les Halles, sundowners above the Côte des Basques and the casino and a few clubs. Out of season it goes quiet, though San Sebastián's bar streets are a short drive away.

Dijon's rhythm follows the university year. Students fill the small bars and pubs of Rue Berbisey and the wine bars around the market, but outside term time the streets empty by about midnight.

Biarritz is the stronger choice for the outdoors, and the ocean makes the difference. It is one of Europe's original surf towns, with beginner breaks and surf schools on the doorstep. The coastal path along the Basque Corniche and the Pyrenean foothills around La Rhune are within half an hour.

Dijon's countryside is gentler. Just west of town, wooded combes have walking trails and cliffs for climbing, and there is a flat canal towpath and the vineyard cycle route towards Beaune. The Morvan adds wilder hills further away, but there are no mountains and no sea.

Both cities make excellent bases, and the difference is the kind of day out. From Biarritz the trips cross a border: San Sebastián's old town and bay are under an hour away, Bayonne is next door and Saint-Jean-de-Luz is down the coast. Inland lie Espelette and Ainhoa, and Bilbao's Guggenheim makes a long day.

Dijon's days out are about wine and abbeys. The Route des Grands Crus runs south to Beaune and its Hospices, and Fontenay Abbey, Semur-en-Auxois and Vézelay lie to the north-west. From either city, a car opens up far more than the train does.

Biarritz works better with children, at least in summer. Surf schools, the seals and sharks at the aquarium and the ocean science centre for wet days all keep them busy, and the calm Port Vieux cove suits the youngest. The big waves and steep streets do call for care.

Dijon is safe and largely pedestrian. It has a planetarium in the Jardin de l'Arquebuse, play areas in the Parc de la Colombière and paddling at Lac Kir, but its vineyard and art itineraries are made for parents.

Dijon is the easier city to get around. Its centre is compact and mostly pedestrian, and two tram lines reach the outskirts. Trains run to Beaune and the TGV reaches Paris in under two hours, so you only need a car for the wine villages away from the railway.

Biarritz is walkable too, but hilly, with steps and steep streets between the cliffs and the seafront. Buses and coastal trains cover Bayonne, Saint-Jean-de-Luz and the border, and most visitors hire a car for the inland villages and the mountains.

Neither city is a shopping destination, but you fill your bag with different things. Biarritz has fashion boutiques and surf shops, striped Basque linen, handmade espadrilles and chocolates. Dijon's best buys are things to eat and drink: mustard in dozens of flavours, pain d'épices, cassis and Burgundy from wine merchants, plus a department store and antiques shops on and around Rue de la Liberté.

Dijon is easier on the wallet. Hotels are moderate, bistro set lunches are fairly priced and wine by the glass costs less than in most of France. The main strain on the budget comes from the tastings and bottles that bring people here in the first place.

Biarritz charges resort prices, especially in July and August, when rooms book up early. Eating pintxos at the market bars, coming outside summer or staying in Anglet or Bayonne all help, but it remains the more expensive place to stay.

Dijon has the fuller season. The Opéra de Dijon stages opera, concerts and dance in the old Grand Théâtre and in the Auditorium, which is known for its acoustics. There is also a national drama centre and a venue for touring bands, though the programme thins out in summer.

Biarritz has no opera house, but dance is its real speciality. A national choreographic centre has its own ballet company, which performs at the Gare du Midi, and the town holds a dance festival every autumn. Beyond that, it relies on touring shows and summer events on the seafront.

Biarritz is a classic French thalassotherapy town. Its large seafront spas offer heated seawater pools, hydrotherapy and cures lasting several days, and people plan whole stays around them. Outside July and August, walks on the headlands and the slow resort pace add to the calm.

Dijon has no bathing culture and only a few hotel spas, some with grape-based treatments. It is restful in a provincial way, with long lunches, quiet squares and afternoons among the vines.