Les Gets factfile: Resort height: 1172m – 2002m Access: Easy access from Geneva via A40 to Cluses, then D902 to Les Gets. Downhill runs: Mainly blues and reds – good for families. Size of domaine: 650km including Portes du Soleil. Lifts: Too many to number! Lift Pass: around €163* per adult, and €126 child for […]
Our guide to flights from UK airports to French Ski resorts is out now… Check out our full guide here https://www.franceforfamilies.com/skiing-holidays/ski-flight-guide
Gareth Marshall at Simply Morzine has been keeping us posted on the development of the brand spanking new 10 million euro Plenéy ski lift that will be ready in mid December for Morzine’s winter season. The lift goes from central Morzine to Le Pléney and will almost double the transport capacity of the system, […]
The Channel Tunnel is taking a starring role in Sky Atlantic’s newest grisly murder mystery, ‘The Tunnel’ which starts on Wednesday 16 October, so we have delved into some of the amazing facts that make the crossing from the UK to France so special. The Tunnel is 31.4 miles long from Folkestone in Kent […]
Easyjet has announced its 2014 summer schedule, so to give you a headstart for booking the bargains, we have rounded up the best prices for flights to France for the May half term and summer school holiday dates in 2014. If you find better deals please tell us in the comments below. All of […]
Not something we normally associate with the Alps, but the variety of rivers and lakes in the mountains ensure there’s always fun to be had splashing about in water. Something to try when the rivers in the Alps are full of life between May and October is ‘Rafting’ and ‘Hydrospeed’. To do both you […]
If you are planning to visit Normandy’s Second World War attractions, staying in a gite can be better value, more fun and more authentic than a hotel room or campsite. France For Families features a wide array of gites close to World War II museums, memorials and landing beaches across Normandy, covering everything from […]
Most families tend to head to the coast for their sunshine holidays and leave the mountains for winter snow, but summer holidays in the French Alps ticks many of the boxes for a great family holiday, without the problems faced by families staying in packed resorts. We think there are three main reasons to […]
A trip to the zoo might not be top of your to-do-list on holiday in France, but for a cloudy day or as an alternative to the beach, we rate La Palmyre Zoo as a great choice for entertaining the kids. On the approach to the zoo you’ll see cars already filling the parking […]
Holidaymakers driving to France no longer need to include breathalyser test kits as part of their travel pack. The breathalyser law was only introduced in July 2012, but has already been suspended as doubts have been raised about the reliability and impact of the kits. Fines for not carrying the breathalyser kits were set […]
La Rochelle is a stunning town on the Charente Maritime coast, stylishly combining historic buildings with striking modernity; a great place for a day’s mooching, but does it come up to the mark for children? As we drove into the town and made our way into one of the well signposted car parks, the […]
Our daughter loved running across the Miroir d’Eau, the giant water feature on the iconic Garonne riverfront in Bordeaux. The Miroir is a large granite base which holds an inch or so of water for most of the time, reflecting the magnificent frontage of the Bourse (the old financial centre), and looking out onto […]
Much of the Charente Maritime coast is part of the Cote Sauvage – the savage coast – where Atlantic waves come crashing in to the great sand beaches. But we discovered much gentler waters at the mouth of the Bonne Anse estuary, at the town of La Palmyre. Here, there’s a stretch of sandy […]
In the latest of our series of Q&As with gite owners in France, we chat to Gareth Marshall of Simply Morzine – a small family company specialising in winter and summer holidays in the French Alps. Q: How long have you lived / owned your gite in France? We bought the land and had […]
In the latest in our series of Gite owners interviews, we meet Julian Rothera of Les Gites de Carlux, close to Sarlat in the Dordogne. Q: How long have you lived / owned your gite in France? I moved out to the Dordogne in 1992, this summer will be my 22nd season Q: What […]
In our 3rd and final route through France, we take a look at the Atlantic Coast and cut our way through majestically from Normandy in the north to Biarritz in the Pays Basque in the south west. Unlike the other two routes, this route has holiday destinations all along the way – the route […]
Chateau de Gurat in the Poitou Charente is a brilliant base for families – the six luxury child-friendly cottages are set in beautiful grounds and there are heated pools and a play barn. Owners David & Nicki Needham, who live on site with their two young children Jake and Pippa, say life at the […]
St Malo’s main attraction is its citadel, known as Intra Muros (within the walls), faithfully restored after destruction by bombs in 1944. Towering walls frame inviting glimpses of the elegant shopping streets and outdoor cafés within. Many of the streets are quite steep and paved with large cobbles. You can walk around the ramparts, […]
The Palace of Versailles is a monument to the Sun King, Louis XIV. More like a town than a château, Versailles was the seat of French power for more than 100 years and kept members of the royal family safely cushioned from their subjects in Paris until the invasion of the bloodthirsty revolutionary mob. […]
Meet Jean-Guillaume and Maaike Niemeijer, who came to France via the Netherlands and New Zealand and have built and run the amazing Castelwood complex of 15 wood cabins in the Dordogne. Q: How long have you lived / owned your gite in France ? We have lived in France since 1985 – almost 30 […]
The medieval Cité of Carcassone is the largest fortified town in Europe and never fails to amaze. Thanks to its elevated position, if you visit late in the day, the walls and turrets are often bathed in the soft, red glow of the setting sun. More than 3 million visitors a year pass through […]
Meet David and Nicola Warren, the owners of La Motte Parent Gites gites in Brittany: Q: How long have you lived / owned your gite in France? We signed the final parts of the contracts for La Garenne and La Pompe on the 23rd April 2010 on the assumption that, if the date was […]
Route Two. Languedoc, Midi-Pyrenees, Northern Spain and Catalonia. The second of our two-day routes through to the south of France, may be new to you, mainly because it takes you close to Paris, and if you are not heading for the French capital, you will want to give the whole area a wide berth, except […]
In the latest in our series of interviews with Gite owners, we meet Isabel Lootens, a Belgian who has made a corner of the Lot-et-Garonne her own with La Moulinal gites. Q: How long have you lived / owned your gite in France? We have bought the gites in 2006. We had been traveling […]
As we reported last year, the French Goverment passed new legislation requiring all cars travelling on French roads to carry a breathalyser kit. The law came into force on July 1st 2012, but a continuous shortage of kits made available to buy, meant this requirement was not enforced until March 1st 2013. They are […]
Visit the house of French heroine Joan of Arc and see her story told in the cathedral’s stained glass. Joan of Arc recaptured Orléans from the English in 1429 after an eight-month siege, and the city is now strongly associated with her name. But even before this, Orléans was the site of decisive battles. […]
Jill Kirby, owner of a fantastic chambre d’hôte in the Pyrenees, tells us about life in France, the Pyrenees, and buying meat from her neighbours. Q: How long have you lived / owned your gite in France? This is our second year here. I have lived and worked in France for over four years […]
Carolyn Curr is the owner of Le Maison Bleue – an 18th century holiday cottage and bed and breakfast in the south of France. Q: How long have you lived / owned your gite in France? We have owned our French country home for almost 7 years, this is our 2nd season running our […]
Brittany Ferries has launched a new cross-Channel route from Portsmouth to Le Havre in Normandy. The new fastcraft service will run four days a week, from Thursday to Sunday, and takes just 3 hours 45 minutes to make the crossing. With a 7.00am departure from Portsmouth and arrival in Le Havre at 11.45am, we […]
More than 2,000 public and private gardens unlock their gates to the public for one weekend as part of “Rendez-vous aux jardins”, a nationwide event celebrating the majesty and heritage of green spaces across France. The annual celebration of “Gardens and their Creators”, which runs from Friday 31 May to Sunday 2nd June, sees […]
Brittany’s cosmopolitan capital city is a modern metropolis with a lively medieval heart. In previous centuries, the city played an important role in the region’s political struggles. seeing Rennes is often compared negatively with some of the more picturesque destinations in Brittany, but a day spent here can be rewarding. Inside the modern, industrial […]
In the first of a new series we talk to Tony Conlan, the owner of La Cour Cottages, two cottages and two converted barns on the border of southern Brittany and Loire Atlantique. Q: How long have you lived / owned your gite in France? We have owned La Cour since 2005. Q: What do […]
Lascaux is referred to as the ‘The Sistine Chapel of Prehistory’. Visit Lascaux to venture back to pre-historic times and see replicas of cave paintings around 17,000 years old. The original Lascaux cave system was discovered in 1940 by local schoolboys after their dog disappeared down a pothole. What they encountered underground was one of […]
Normandy’s capital is a city of cobbled streets, tall timbered houses and Gothic churches, captured by the painter Monet in his Rouen Cathedral series
Futuroscope is giving visitors the chance to the hit the heights by opening Aerobar – a snack bar that is 115 feet up in the air. Up to 12 people can share the experience, catching the bar at ground level before being lifted to the clouds with their feet dangling free. The ultra-modern, 23-ft airship […]
A holiday in France has much to recommend it but nothing more so than the huge range of accommodation options. If you want total luxury and convenience (and don’t mind paying for it) then a hotel is probably for you. If, on the other hand, you want maximum entertainment at minimum cost, then a tent […]
Since 1967, starting with the key development of the Avoriaz ski resort in the French Alps, Pierre et Vacances has not stopped playing a significant role in European tourism. Today, the travel company offers various types of accommodation in France from Residences and Holiday Villages to Aparthotels. The range of facilities and activities on offer […]
Welcome to the new look FranceForFamilies.com. We’ve had a bit of a revamp since the last time you saw us, but our changes were long overdue and will help to make our site even more helpful and easier to use. Here’s why: Search Function: at last, we’ve included one, so you can quickly search for […]
With its scented lavender fields and ancient villages, chic seaside resorts and spectacular Alpine scenery, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur is one of the most diverse regions of France, with an attractive climate all year round. Whatever your family enjoy doing, you’ll find it here. There is delightful scenery in the Luberon and many other dramatic features such […]
This famous feature of French driving etiquette still causes confusion today despite it being less common than in days gone by. The problem is this: If you are driving along a road, anyone joining that road from your right hand side has priority over you. They don’t have to stop, you do…..even if you are […]
The Dordogne region is one of the most popular holiday destinations in France. Although the Dordogne has no coastline for ‘bucket and spade’ holidays, there are wonderful rivers for canoeing and swimming, as well as sandy river beaches. The scenery is dramatic and interspersed with pretty towns and villages, both in the hinterland and along […]
Ferries have always been the traditional way to get to France although now there is Eurotunnel, and of course budget airlines. But the ferry still makes a great way to cross the English Channel. Onboard most ferries there are great opportunities to shop, relax or have a meal to avoid having to stop in France. […]
Checking that your car is ready for a long journey is always a good idea. However, if you are planning to take your car across to France this year, there are a number of standard and special requirements you need adhere to. Firstly, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for tyre tread (don’t forget the spare!), tyre […]