• Travel By Spirit of France or Spirit Or Spirit of Britain
• Book Journey Before 14th February 2012
• Travel date valid up to 13th February 2012
• Cost £30 / 39 euros any duration web far
• Terms and Conditions Apply

This means all you need to do is book a trip with P&O Ferries on or before 14th February, making sure you travel by either the Spirit of France or Britain, and ensure your travel date is on or before December 13th, and you can take advantage of these fabulous fares.

Hurry though, this deal expires on the 14th February

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Gites tend to be located in more rural areas, and it is expected that the accommodation will be either a self catering cottage or villa. The word Gite historically refers to very simple accommodation used by shepherds and laborers, who used them to stay dry when it rained whilst they were working. Today these accommodations have been converted as popular tourist holiday homes.

Gites tend to be converted buildings on old farms, and this is the reason why they tend to display a wonderful French architectural style. These days, many of the buildings contain all the facilities that tourists expect from their holiday accommodations, and also tend to be located in very desirable locations for those travelers seeking a relaxing holiday. In most cases Gites are privately rented, and making use of the internet is the best way to find information regarding which would be most suitable for you.

The cost of renting a gite differs substantially from location to location. If you have a tight budget, finding simple accommodation with the most basic facilities is easy. If however luxury is more your style, finding a luxury villa with everything from high tech facilities to swimming pools is just as possible.
If you want your next holiday to France to have a bit more charm than it does when you stay at a regular holiday home, you should thing about renting a gite next time.

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• Book before 23rd January
• Paris Brussels or Lille
• Costs as little as £59.00
• Valid for travel between 19th Jan to 29th March

Hurry, this deal ends on January 23rd, so if you want to beat those post holidays by booking a short trip away, do it now

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Whilst the kids might not exactly be jumping with joy at the thought of a nice summer vacation spent at a French countryside cottage, you can let them know there is lots of stuff to do. Southern France has a number of fabulous destinations including Cannes, St Tropez and Nice, all of which offer a great variety of both history and culture, whilst simultaneously being surrounded by gorgeous landscape that is begging for exploration.

Another option for families is to check out the great Southern French outdoors, you could rent bicycles for the entire family, which is a great way of reaching further into the countryside and seeing the beauty that France has to offer.

If you do decide that a biking holiday is a good idea, you could think about visiting Alpilles, which has lots of public bike paths nestled in the mountainous region. You could reduce the cost of the holiday by buying a mountain bike rather than renting.
The Southern French region is far more than simply beautiful countryside, you get to experience the relaxed way of life of the locals, and a culture that is easily delved into.

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• France – Save 15% on the inclusive price of all self-catering holidays booked by the 6th February (for travel any time in 2012).

• Spain – Save 10% on the inclusive price of all self-catering holiday, plus children go free. (for travel any time in 2012).

Make sure you book your travel on or before 6th February, to take advantage of this fabulous discount, and remember, you can book your travel for any time in 2012 and you can still take advantage of these whopper discounts.

Click here to book with Brittany Ferries

The company expects the interest in France to only increase as a result of the economic problems that have struck other popular European destinations including Italy, Portugal, Spain and Greece.

France continues to remain one of the most robust economies in Europe, with the country exceeding economic growth forecasts during the third quarter of the year, leading many from Britain to start taking a serious look at investing in the country by means of a holiday home.

The editor of the guide has said, “President Sarkozy has recently announced that there will be a relief on tax for the wealthy in France and this will encourage wealthy people from the UK to move to the region.”

France’s wealth tax is now only extended to individuals whose net worth exceeds €1.3 million, and for those individuals whose wealth exceeds €3 million, the highest tax bracket now only stands at 0.5%, which implies that most individuals as a rule will now be better off. In contrast the opposite has happened in Spain, making it a far less attractive option for people to move to if they are wealthy.

It is also widely expected that France will change its capital gains tax rule, which will also benefit individuals who have made previous property investments in the country and sell their property within the next half decade, because the tax payable will now be reduced. For those that opt not to sell within the time frame, they are likely to pay more, but will be able to claim inflation as an offset against the tax payable

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One thing people are probably not so aware of, is that Lyon is also known as the silk capital of the world. Lyon is well known for its gastronomic delights, and also serves as the home of many global institutions, such as Interpol.

Lyon plays host to a number of industries, and also offers some of the most famous tourist attractions in all of France, including a variety of monuments, buildings, churches, museums, gardens, parks and historic ruins. Lyon’s churches feature stunning architectural designs that make them very attractive to visit, and incorporate a mixture of both ancient and modern tastes.

If you are looking for something more atypical, there are a number of alternative spots that are worth visiting such as some of the many opera houses that dot the city. Lyon’s most recognizable monument is the Cathedral St-jean, which can viewed during a day out in the quaint and charming parks, that serve as beautiful areas to while away the time.

Every year on the 8th of December, Lyon celebrates the Festival of Light, which is a tourist and local favourite, and serves as a celebration of the city’s liberation from the plague by the Virgin Mary.

Another thing worth checking out is the Bouchons restaurants that offer some of the best food in all of France, alongside wine.

The city’s climate is a temperate on, which means that on any given day throughout the year, it can rain. This also means the temperature is generally pleasant year round, with the hottest months of the year occurring in the summer, which takes place between June and September. It almost never snows in Lyon, however it is much more likely to rain during the autumn months.

Transportation is pretty good, the city has a couple of railway stations, and a metro system, which makes use of trams, trains and buses. Bicycling is also an extremely popular way to get round the city.

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The vast majority of beaches in France are both soft and clean and provide excellent conditions for recreation such as sunbathing. French beaches are well known for offering a wide variety of thrilling water sports, with the vast majority having been developed with lots of amenities.

Despite all of that, there are some hazards that you should be careful to avoid. The Mediterranean Sea, particularly on the south coast offers some of the best beaches in France. The French Riviera or along the Cote d’Azur are the highest class beaches in France, which is really another way of saying they are extremely expensive, with St Tropez and Cannes being the most popular destinations for celebrities. If you want more affordable options, then you could try the beaches at Nice.

The Northern and Western French coast also has a number of long and secluded beaches, however they tend to be both colder and rougher, neither is the water as clear or as warm as it is on the cost of the Med. The Atlantic coast beaches tend to be far less crowded than the beaches on the Mediterranean coast, and they also provide ideal conditions for surfing. Beaches on the coast of Brittany and Corsica are well known for their stunning beaches. If nude beaches are your cup of tea, then you could try Cap d’Agde which adjoins Montpellier.

Some of the best beaches in France include La Rochelle, which is arguably the most beautiful seaside resort in all of France due to its miles of sandy beaches. La Baules is best describes as being a crescent shaped beach which is eight miles long, which is the longest sand stretch in Europe.

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It turns out that a number of Northern French regions have decided to compete with Britain to attract tourists who are seeking accommodation when visiting the UK for next year’s Olympics, since the majority of accommodation in London is already fully booked for the sports extravaganza.

As a result various regions in France are looking to take advantage with the Core d’Opale already looking to cash in on its close proximity to the UK.

The Core d’Opale has over 70,000 beds available across all its properties with some priced as cheap as €62, which is almost half the €110 a night that is being charged in London.

Olympic visitors who decide to stay in the region are close to Calais, meaning after a SeaFrance Ferry journey, they are not very far away from London. The region has also arranged for a network of greeters who will guide visitors upon their arrival at seaports, train stations and airports.

If you decide this could be an option for you, then there are number of tourist attractions in the The Core d’Opale including the Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Saint Omer, which is over 800 years old. Not to be missed either is the Battle of Dunkerque Museum; and more than 100 miles of beaches.

The region also features 17 shopping centers, five casinos, six golf courses, and over 30 sporting centres that include facilities for a number of sports such as basketball, football, horse riding and gymnastics.

Cote d’Opale Developpement was founded in 2005 in conjunction with four different economic development agencies, covering the areas of Calais, Boulogne sur Mer, Saint Omer , Dunkerque.

The main aim of the organization is to publicise the investment opportunities available in the region. The organization offers free assistance to companies and investors looking to establish their operations or expand in the region.

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It goes without saying that like wine, cheese to is synonymous with France, largely because there are over 400 different types to choose from, making French cheese the largest selection of chesses in the world.

There are a number of ways one can classify cheese that comes from France, one could do so by region, type of milk used, origin, or fat content.
France though chooses to use its own technique for classification which we thought we would explain here.

Fresh Cheeses
This type of cheese contains a lot of water and is made from cow, sheep or goats milk, and is white in colour and generally not aged cheese. Instead the curd is made by adding a lactic starter to the milk that is used in its making, and the cheese is more often than not either eaten separately or used as part of a recipe.

Soft Cheeses with Natural Rind
This cheese is made from cow’s milk, and are very soft with a white velvety surface. This type of cheese is typically aged for one month, and include some of the best known cheese from France, including Camembert and Brie.

Pressed and Cooked Cheeses
This type of cheese is made under pressure during processing, but before going through the pressure process, the curd is first heated for an hour. The cheese is then matured over a very long period of time. This type of cheese is generally made in France’s mountain regions, and the two most popular kinds are Gruyere and Emmental.

Goat Cheeses
Whilst a few type of goat’s cheese are to be found in other categories, this type of cheese is worthy of possessing its own category, since there are over 100 varieties of goat’s cheese. Goat’s cheese comes in a large variety of shapes and sizes, with the two most famous being Pouligny-Saint-Pierre and Crottin de Chavignol

Blue Cheeses
This type of cheese is easily recognizable because of its blue greenish colour that runs through them, and are typically made using cow’s milk. They are matured for long periods of time, and have an extremely strong flavor very popular the world over. Blue de Bresse and Roquefort are both easily available and are very tasty.

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