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Terminal D now open at Toulouse’s Blagnac Airport

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:41:37 +0000

The new Terminal D at Toulouse Blagnac Airport opened today with an Air Austral flight departing to Saint–Denis in The Reunion Island.

The new terminal has almost doubled the airport’s surface area and brought its passenger capacity level to 8.5 million passengers, with the new terminal handling both European and Long-Haul destinations.

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Eurostar increases passenger volumes in 2009 despite December’s disruption

admin — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:57:37 +0000

Eurostar managed to increase both the value of its ticket sales and passenger volumes in 2009 despite the severe disruption experiences during December owing to the wintry weather.

2009 ticket sales for 2009 totalled a record £675.5 million, up 1.7% on 2008. Passenger numbers were up 1.2% at 9.2 million.

The highest rate of growth was on the London to Brussels route, with annual growth of 6% compared to 1% on the London to Paris route.

Growth was primarily focussed on leisure travel, with leisure ticket sales up by more than 15%. The company reported that business travel still remained a difficult sector due to the economic situation.

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Air France and Fat Passengers – Clarification

admin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:36:59 +0000

There have been recent erroneous reports in the British tabloid media stating that that French flag carrier, Air France, will force overweight flyers to pay for two seats, or they will be prevented from boarding for ’safety reasons’.

Air France has officially denied the accusation, stating on their website that ‘Air France has no intention of making heavier passengers pay for a second seat’. In fact, since 2005, Air France has had a polcy of offering heavier passengers the possibility of purchasing a second seat at a 25% discount, to enhance their own comfort and safety.

The only recent change to Air France’s policy on overweight passengers is to refund passengers the cost of the second seat, if the cabin is not fully booked.

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The French Climate

admin — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:03:11 +0000

While everyone knows that Paris is lovely in springtime, the truth is that Paris is lovely all the year long. While spring is pleasant due to the smaller crowds, blooming flowers, and temperate weather, so is autumn. The hottest months, July and August, are the least comfortable; winters are mostly chilly, but Paris is relatively dry and rarely sees snow. May receives the least rainfall.

Throughout the rest of France, climate and temperatures vary by region and altitude. In Lyon, for example, with an elevation of 200 metres, average July temperatures are 21 degrees. Bordeaux, at an elevation of 47 metres, averages 19 degrees in July. The coastal areas are the most moderate, due to the sea breezes. The rainiest area is in Brittany, which receives a lot of rain from October to December.

In the south, along the Mediterranean coast and encompassing the cities of Nice, Marseille, and Cannes, rain falls more in the spring and autumn than it does in the rest of the year. In the summer, it is generally hot and dry. Strong winds, each with their own characteristics, are particular to many areas. In Provence, the strong winds are known as Le Mistral, which blow in from the north and bring with them dry and often clear weather. The wind can be felt throughout the Rhone Valley and along the Cote d’Azur; it also affects parts of Italy. Other strong winds in the area include the Sirocco, which is a violent wind that comes from the Sahara and brings dusty, dry weather with it.

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French Hotels and Accommodation

admin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:57:09 +0000

If you have always wanted to live in a French château near Lyon, in a seaside flat in Nice or in Paris’s Latin Quarter, you can: book accommodation for these and other unique French stays the next time you go on holiday.

To find apartments, villas, chateaux, and condominiums in France, look online or speak with a travel agent. Many specialise in unique holiday stays, and they will be able to advise you. Much of the accommodation is great for families as they offer more room and a good kitchen for cooking meals. And if you have been thinking about moving to France, staying in an apartment may well give you a sense of what living in France would be like.

Most people who visit France, however, choose to stay in a hotel. The French government rates hotels according to one to four stars. Hotels with one star are quite basic. Very often rooms will not include an en-suite toilet; toilets and showers will be located down the hall and shared with other guests. It’s a good idea to enquire when you make the booking, as some hotels offer both rooms with a private bath, and those without private bathroom facilities. Two-star hotels are budget hotels that have more amenities than the one-star hotels and three-star hotels are considered first-class hotels. Hotels with four stars are at the top of the list and are regarded as luxurious.

There are a number of hotel chains that offer comfortable accommodation at good value. Mercure and Formule 1 are two that have good reputations for providing basic, moderately priced accommodation.

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Flights to France

admin — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:21:49 +0000

With the great number of international airports in France, no matter where you are flying from, you can get to France easily. Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport is the eighth busiest airport in the world and the area’s main airport; Orly, also in Paris, is favoured by the smaller airlines. Charles de Gaulle airport is served by many airlines, both large and small. These include Air Moldova, Bmibaby, Cyprus Airways, Flybe, Gabon Airlines, United Airlines, Cathay Pacific and British Airways to name just a few. This airport serves as a main hub for Air France. With convenient train service to points throughout France and the rest of Europe, holidaymakers often choose to fly into Charles de Gaulle and the continue on to their final destination by train.

Another busy airport is the Cote d’Azur Airport in the South of France at Nice. Tourists flying to the that serve the area, making the French Riviera find a large selection of airlines flight to a Mediterranean holiday especially easy to arrange. A large number of Mediterranean cruise passengers also utilise this airport. Air Transat, Alpieagles, Blue Air, City Airline, InterSky and Flybe are just a few airlines that fly into Nice.

Marseille Provence Airport is the nation’s fifth busiest in terms of passenger traffic and is a popular tourist destination with frequent flights from around the world. Smaller French airports include the Bordeaux – Merignac Airport, which has nearly hourly flights to Paris and daily flights to airports throughout France. Flights to and from Europe are less frequent. To find the best flights to France, look online at a booking site or speak with your travel agent.

Terminal D now open at Toulouse’s Blagnac Airport The new Terminal D at Toulouse Blagnac Airport opened today...

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Cruise Travel in France

admin — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:28:15 +0000

France is one of the world’s best destinations for cruise travellers. The country offers cruise travellers the chance to explore exciting destinations that are known around the world for their culture. Travellers can have a sip of French wine and a taste of delicious French cuisine while on the cruise ship but it is better of course to get ashore and sample the local restaurants. Southern France’s pleasant weather is just an additional bonus. Cruise travellers are sure to enjoy France’s natural beauty, as well as its vibrant and exciting city life.

There is a wide choice of cruising holidays to French ports provided by companies all over the world. These take travellers to the many exciting destinations that France has to offer. One of the most popular places is Burgundy. Here, cruise travellers can enjoy exploring the ancient wonders of Auxerre, as well as the lively markets of Clamecy.

Cruise travellers can also choose to go to Provence where they can explore France’s most interesting and productive vineyards. They can also visit St. Etienne’s Cathedral and the Vezelay Basilica, which are both located in Provence. The Camargue, another of France’s most popular destinations, offers cruise holidaymakers an abundance of nature’s untouched beauty. There are also some spectacular castles located in the area.

France will surely be an unforgettable trip for cruise travellers. If required a French tour guide can help explore these exciting destinations. These guides help the holidaymaker to see France from a local’s perspective.

If you are going on a cruise in France, you might need a short stay Schengen visas if you are from outside the EU. With a Schengen visa, you can travel across member countries freely, including France. The Schengen visa will allow you stay in any member country for 90 days. These visas are issued for vacations, business travel, and for visiting family.

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Eurostar Latest in UK / France Snow Event

admin — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:10:13 +0000

Eurostar have issued an update for on Monday 2 February 2009 and thereafter.

Monday 2 February:

Eurostar is currently operating but subject to possible delays.

Due to heavy snow in the U.K. and consequent disruption to our services on Monday 2 February, the following four services will be cancelled on Tuesday 3 February:

London – Paris:

* Train 9004 (06:55 departure from London / 07:12 from Ebbsfleet International)
* Train 9044 (17:35 departure from London)

Paris – London

* Train 9015 (09:07 departure from Paris)
* Train 9049 (17:43 departure from Paris)

Travellers with reservations for these affected trains will be allocated seats on the next available departure and are therefore asked to arrive in good time for the subsequent service. Our current timetable is available at www.eurostar.com

Onward travel connections within London and the U.K. are likely to remain severely disrupted.

Travellers who choose not to travel tomorrow (Tuesday 3 February) will be able to exchange their tickets within the next 60 days and travel within 120 days.

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Villa Holidays with a touch of luxury

admin — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:06:47 +0000

Interviewed in a recent article in the Financial Times, Viva the Villa, Villa Book director, Edward Marquis, confirmed that in these difficult economic times, there are plenty of signs already that holidaymakers are opting for a villa holiday over a hotel holiday. In fact, over the last few months, The Villa Book has seen a marked increase in enquiries for summer 2009. There is no doubt that for a family or group of friends, or often even for a couple, the price of a villa is considerably less than a hotel holiday, and also offers the advantages of more spacious accommodation inside and outside, a private location, swimming pool, flexibility with meals, to name but a few. Villa holidays have become so much more service orientated over the years, and The Villa Book can provide supplementary services on request at most of their properties, ranging from maid and chef service to chauffeur services, cooking lessons and on-site security guards, meaning that it some cases a stay in a villa can almost be the equivalent of staying in your own private hotel.

With over 1000 properties, most of which have been viewed personally by one of The Villa Book team, the company was aware that the less expensive villas were not immediately apparent to the web browser, particularly for their larger destinations, such as Provence and Tuscany. Anticipating an increase in demand for those properties, and wanting to show that, in spite of having a wide selection of villas at the luxury end, they do also feature a large number of beautiful properties which are much more affordable, The Villa Book has just launched The Credit Crunch Villa Book. This part of the website encompasses all their European villas which rent for under €80 per person per night during high season. The selection has been made on the basis of full occupancy of the villa, and these villas can also still be found under their various country destinations on the website.

The portfolio includes Hermitage, a fabulous six bedroom manor house in the Dordogne (€6475 per week, €539.58 per person).

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Eurostar Direct Services to Avignon during Summer 2009

admin — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:56:27 +0000

Eurostar, the high speed passenger train service linking UK with the continent, has announced that tickets for its direct weekly summer services to Avignon – located in the heart of Provence - will go on sale on Tuesday 23 December 2008.

The direct service will run every Saturday from London St Pancras International and Ashford International from 11 July to 5 September 2009. It takes less than 6 hours from London, arriving within walking distance of the historic walls of Avignon.

Situated on the banks of the Rhône river, Avignon is the perfect destination for a rural hideaway and provides a chance to escape to the chateaux, lavenders fields, mountains of Provence, and vineyards. Visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy the Festival d’Avignon (Avignon’s world renowned Theatre Festival) – the oldest and largest in France- which attracts thousands of visitors every year to see its many performances. The city is also steeped in medieval architecture, boasting amongst other things the stunning 14^th century Palais des Papes (Popes Palace) and the famous Pont d’Avignon (Avignon Bridge).

If delectable food and drink is your thing, Provence is definitely for you, as both hold a place of honour in the heart of the locals! From gastronomic restaurants to the various brasseries and bars clustered around Place de l’Horloge, the city offers a wide range of options catering for all tastes and budgets.

Tickets are available from £99 return in standard and £249 in Leisure Select, the same prices as in summer 2008. See www.eurostar.com for more details.

Tickets for the Avignon direct summer service and for connecting services all year round are available from www.eurostar.com, by calling 08705 186 186, at Eurostar stations or from travel agents.

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