Welcome to the third edition of the France For Families Newsletter!  France For Families is an online travel guide providing free and independent advice on family holidays in France, with information on booking your holidays in France and guidance on the best places to visit.

Vive La France Exhibition

For all things French, why not consider spending a day at the Vive La France exhibition at Olympia in London next January. The exhibition is spread over 3 days, running from Friday 21st - Sunday 23rd January 2005. We can recommend it as a great day out with enough to see to easily keep you busy for a whole day. There are regional tourist board stands, wine tasting, a large food market, fashion shows, celebrity and French chefs, pétanque, travel companies and lots more - and this is just the ground floor! Upstairs is dedicated to buying property with several hundred estate agencies represented.
Booking in advance can save you up to 25% on the entrance fees - prices start at £9.00.This year it is possible to buy a family ticket for use on either Saturday or Sunday (must be purchased in advance) for 2 adults and 2 children.  Book either on-line or by phoning 0870 902 0444. 

Money Saving Travel News and Tips

Speed Ferries - it's still worth checking out their new service from Dover to Boulogne.  We've just booked our travel for next summer with them - you can travel at the incredibly low price of £50 return, even on a peak summer weekend crossing!
P&O Ferries have recently announced that they are stopping their southern channel services between Portsmouth and the Normandy/Brittany coast.  However, they have a particularly attractive offer at the moment on their Dover to Calais route - a return trip costs just £48 for travel out after 1PM, returning before 1PM.
Eurotunnel - book before the 3rd November to take advantage of their early booking offer for 2005 travel.  Please note - they are withdrawing their Points Plus programme - refer to their website for details.

The Viaduc de Millau - From December travel to the south of France via A75 motorway will be considerably eased with the opening of the long awaited Viaduc du Millau. This amazing feat of engineering has created the longest and highest cable-stayed bridge in the world, which effectively removes the traffic log-jam that centred on Millau during the busy summer months. Delays of anything up to 3 hours should now be a thing of the past and journeys to Western Provence and Languedoc-Rousillon will be much quicker.

Hotel chains - BB Hotels are a further addition to our website.  They have a really convenient system for late arrivals where you can still get access to your room even when the reception is not manned.   Excellent for those of us that like to drive part way through the night to avoid heavy traffic on peak days.

Further details on all these travel items are available on our website where you can link through to the relevant company.

Regional News

In our last newsletter we announced brand new regional sections covering Paris and the Côte d'Azur with no fewer than 30 new web pages covering the best attractions, beaches, museums, monuments and towns.  In this newsletter we're pleased to be able to announce new sections on Languedoc-Rousillon and the Pyrénées, as well as a new section with advice on skiing - another 50 pages of usual advice on the best holiday destinations in France.

Christmas markets in France (Marché de Noël)

Imagine yourself wrapped up in your warm winter coats, scarves and gloves, sipping a glass of mulled wine to keep out the cold, and surrounded by lots of little wooden chalets selling everything from gifts, crafts, and decorations to seasonal foods - this is the scene at one of the many Christmas markets that can be found throughout France. Some may run for only one or two days while the bigger ones are open from late November right up to Christmas. Wherever you may be, you are sure to find something very unique and to return home laden with lots of original goodies.
In addition, some of the markets have special sections for children as well as the chance to see Père Noël and even to watch a nativity play with a difference - real cows, donkeys and sheep alongside the other characters in the retelling of the Christmas story.

Below you will find a list of some of the larger markets within France. Some are possible to visit as part of a day trip across the Channel, while others will require a bit more planning. Many tour companies offer organized trips to the larger markets, either by coach or air or alternatively why not take the car for a long weekend.

Nord Pas de Calais

Lille - Dates - 24/11/04 - 29/12/04
Location - Place Rihour

Boulogne - Dates - Saturday and Sunday 11th and 12th December
Location - The old town of Boulogne
Description - There will be fireworks to round off the weekend on Sunday night.

Béthune - Dates - 27/11/04 - 24/12/04
Times - On Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays
Location - La Grand Place
Description - Christmas stalls, and Caleche rides (horse drawn rides). There will be a living crib scene at l'Hôtel de Beaulaincourt.

Gravelines - Dates - 17/12/04 - 24/12/04
Location - Place Charles Valentin

Deulemont/Quesnoy-sur-Deule/Wambrechies - (These towns are on the River Deule just to the north of Lille and not along the Channel as you might imagine!!)
Dates - Saturday 18th December
Description - Arrival of Father Christmas by boat!

Alsace

Colmar - Dates 26/11/04 - 24/12/04 and 26/12/04 - 31/12/04
Times - 10.00 - 19.00 daily and until 20.00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Location - Place de Dominicians
Description About 50 stalls, although there are 5 separate markets in the town, with one next to the Little Venice area completely devoted to children. www.noel-colmar.com

Sélestat  - Dates 27/11/04 - 24/12/04
Times - 10.00-19.00 on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays
Location - Place Albert Schweitzer
Description - 30 stalls of decorations, crafts and gifts, including local delicacies and Christmas specialities of the region.

Strasbourg - Dates 27/11/04 - 31/12/04
Times - 10.00 - 20.00
Location - Place de la Cathèdrale and Place Broglie
Description - There has been a Christmas market in Strasbourg since 1570. The main market is known as Christkindelsmarik where all manner of goods are for sale.

Kaysersberg - Dates 26, 27, 28 November 3,4,5,10,11,12, 17,18,19, 22,23 December
Times - 11.00 - 20.00
Description - Christmas market and free Christmas concerts in the Church of Ste Croix de Kaysersberg on 28th November, 5 & 12 December at 16.00.

Ile-de France

Bois-Colombes (Hauts-de-Seine) - Dates - 17th -19th December
Times - 10.00 - 19.00
Description - 45 stalls including craft and food, mulled wine and croustillons.

Chevilly-Larue (Val-de-Marne) - Dates - 10th -12th December
Description - as above with carol singing.

Pontoise - Dates - 3rd-5th December
Times - 10.00 - 19.00
Description - 40 stalls, selling craft, food, mulled wine, croustillons, and Christmas decorations. There will also be folk dansing and pony rides.

Poissy - Dates -27/11/04 - 12/12/04
Times - 10.00-19.00

Provins - Dates - 4th-5th December and 11th-12th December (Place saint-Quiriace)
Description - there will be a living Nativity Play with cows, donkeys and sheep on 11/12/04 at 14.30, 16.00, 17.30 and 20.30 and on 12/12/04 at 14.30, 15.30 and 16.30.

Franche-Comte

Montbéliard - Les Lumières de Noël
Dates - 27/11/04 - 24/12/04
Description - This large Christmas market is renowned throughout France for its amazing displays of lights. Over 130 stalls from all over France are represented at the market, with everything from toys, and  crafts through to spicy bread and even foie-gras www.lumieresdenoel.fr.

Moirans-en-Montagne - Dates and Times - 18th December from 10.00 - 21.00 and 19th December from 10.00 - 19.00.
Location - La Grenette de Moirans (covered area by the Town Hall)
 
Christmas in Provence

While festive markets tend to be the general trend in the north of France, the southern regions are better known for their crib scenes of Santons over the Christmas period. Santon fairs with stalls selling the ceramic figures of the Christmas story take place in many towns from mid-November onwards. These include Aix-en-Provence, Aubagne, Marseille (in la Canebière) and Fontvieille.
Crib scenes are an integral part of many villages, where the birth of Jesus is celebrated with nativity plays or pastoral pageants. This then leads up to the big family feast on Christmas Eve - le gros souper  which ends with the famous 13 desserts. 
Also near Fontvieille, just to the NE of the town (west of St. Remy de Provence) at the Chateau d'Estoublon, Route de Maussane, 13990, Fontvieille the Christmas market in the 'Epicerie du Chateau' has become an Alpille tradition. It takes place this year from Friday 10th - Monday 13th December, with a wide selection of food stuff available.

Finally all that remains is to wish you a very happy Autumn and Bon Noel!
From all of us at France For Families.