As we learn to live with Covid the travel restrictions that have made European and World travel very difficult for the last two years are being relaxed, and families are once again looking to venture abroad.
With interest in gite and villa holidays in France rising rapidly, availability is reducing daily, especially in the late July and August peak weeks, but there are still some great family properties available.
Have you thought about an autumn or half term getaway to the gentler climate and beautiful autumn scenery – And at much reduced prices!
Travel to France Summer 2022
Airlines have announced their summer schedules to all airports, and for many flying to France smaller regional airports such as Brive, Rodez and Bergerac offer an excellent gateway to the beautiful French countryside with its warm sunny climate as well as an easier introduction to French roads than the Paris or Toulouse Péripheriques
P&O Ferries have also been in the news recently, but after fears that their services may be lost completely it is looking likely that the schedules will run as normal, although the crews may sadly be somewhat different than before.
Who to book your French self catering property with?
The leviathans of the self catering industry are finally meeting a backlash against their fees and charges: The consumer is finally becoming wise to steep booking charges to customers AND stiff commissions charged to Owners for booking French cottages and gites.
Small direct to owner sites such as France for Families offer a much more personal approach to book your family holiday to France, so you can travel to your gite or villa with confidence that you have had open contact with the Owner or manager of your chosen property.
Never booked a gite or villa before? Don’t know what to do with a pool?
There’s a lot of advice for novice self caterers on our sister site www.divona.co.uk which has a wealth of information about what to expect…. And what not to expect at your family holiday destination in France. It’s a very searchable knowledge base of how life in France can differ, and a few things to be aware of.
A lot of common questions about pools are dealt with – What is the difference between a salt water and chlorine water pool? Is pool heating necessary and what does it cost?
These are mainly aimed at Guests who are at properties where there is no one else on site to help them, or to carry out the simple day to day maintenance necessary to keep the pool clean and pleasant to use, but equally apply to any who are not used to smaller private pools.
Driving in France
There have been a few changes in recent years – speed limits, safety requirements etc, and Brexit has added a few more – Does your car or numberplate have the correct GB or UK information for example?
There is great up to date advice on Drive France with regularly updated information for novice and regular drivers in France.
