You don’t need to travel hours and spend a fortune to find the sun this summer!
Holidaying on a budget? Looking for almost guaranteed sunshine? Have a look at my tips for France on a budget this summer.
How to get there?
Low-cost airlines fly from many regional airports to destinations all over southern France. Jet 2 has now opened a route from Glasgow down to sunny Nice, and Ryanair now flies form Liverpool to Toulon, one of France’s largest ports.
For those of you who are not so confident flying- or who simply prefer to get a good view of the countryside – try the train. Regular trains run under the channel, with Eurostar, to destinations across France including Calais, Avignon and Moûtiers directly and with connections to high-speed trains throughout the country. The start of the summer holidays saw Eurostar carry the most vehicles since its opening in 1994!
Where to stay?
Campsites are what the north of France is most famous for, but did you know that there are 10,430 campsites accross the country offering all levels of comfort. The newest trend for Glamping is also well catered for, with unusual sites and tree-houses to be found in different destinations.
French campsites (in French): http//www.ffcc.fr
You could of course go for a really authentic experience and stay in a guesthouse. The prices are much more reasonable than hotels and give you an opportunity to get a real slice of French life. Many of the hosts speak other languages so trying to remember your GCSE French won’t be a problem.
What to do?
It obviously depends on your destination. For those who like to stay in campsites they often offer a range of activities, especially for children, and are sometimes located near beaches or natural parks where you can relax, walk and picnic at your leisure.
If you choose to stay near a city you can take advantage of some of the free events that take place to keep families and holiday makers entertained during the summer months. These could include the famous “city beaches”, where an area near the river is set up as a beach and often have sports activities available, free music or arts festivals like the Radio France concerts in Paris and Dijon’s “Garçon La Note” festival which takes place amongst the city’s bars and cafés.
Paris Tourist Office: http://en.parisinfo.com/
Dijon Tourist Office: http://www.visitdijon.com/en/
Please let me know your experiences and tips for a low-cost summery France in the comment box.
Check out our website Affordable France for special offers!http://uk.franceguide.com/Special/Affordable-France/home.html?NodeID=2540
France is definitely the summer country! Good food, great sunny weather just a stone drop from the UK