Welcome to the

South France Villas Blog

Showing posts with label travel to south of france. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel to south of france. Show all posts

Thursday, 26 May 2016

Summer is coming and the South of France is getting ready for you!

South of France holiday

Summer holidays in France

Here in the South of France, we know when summer is nearly here, the locals have stopped wearing their winter boots, coats and scarves!  (The temperature needs to be at least 25 degrees for this to happen), ex-pats and holidaymakers have been wearing t-shirts, shorts and general summer gear for a couple of months!
Dining alfresco is back in the norm, and Rosé sales have increased!

Holidays in France
                                                             
The village fetes have started, local orchestras touring from village to village along with many local groupies, we are still overwhelmed by the quality of these talented musicians.
The Vigneronnes are out nurturing their vines, and praying for some light rain in the evenings to help the vines through the hot summer (they call it raining money!) Our villa owners are sprucing up their holiday houses, cleaning the pools, gardens being tidied, wine cellars being stocked..


Beach chalet South of France
                                 
The beaches have been cleared of any winter debris, the wonderful private beach bars and restaurants have popped up again! (unbelievable how they pack them away each year). Sunloungers are laid out on the beaches, the sun is warming the Mediterranean sea….

The only thing missing is you!

So are you ready for your South of France villa holiday? 


Pezenas Luxury villa
If travelling by car, try not to bring too much! You can buy almost everything here in the South of France, if you are a little particular about your morning cup of tea, then maybe pack a packet of your favourite tea! You of course need a little room in the boot for French wine on your return journey! Do make sure you have plenty of water in the car and maybe a snack just in case you get stuck in any holiday traffic.


A great game to play for children and adults is to try and spot a car from each department in France, They are identified by a 2 digit number, for example the towns of Pezenas and Beziers are in Herault, Languedoc which is 34,  Aix-en –Provence, and Arles are in Bouche-du-Rhone which is 13, Nice and Cannes are in the Alpes-Maritimes 06 and Paris is 75 (so watch out for their driving!).  You can see the full list of France’s departments here.


Flights to South of FranceIf flying to the South of France, again try not to bring too much! Most of our villas have a washing machine, should you run out of clean clothes. It is a good idea to bring some Sun-cream with you, especially for the first day. You can order on-line from Boots and collect your delivery at the airport airside, this means you don’t have to worry about liquids going through security. This service is also great for families with young children or babies who need baby food or baby milk. 

Fortunately the flight to the South of France is only around 2 hours, as most of the flights are with budget airlines, do make sure you check-in early to ensure that you are all sat together, or pay the extra to book your seats. If travelling with the elderly or young children the back of the plane is much easier to access and baby-changing facilities are normally situated here. If you have hired a car and it is feasible, the driver should make a sharp exit from the plane and try to get to the car hire queue first!

HOneymoon south of FRance
Don’t forget the directions to your holiday Villa along with the keyholder's contact details. Of course make sure you have the all the Travel Essentials; Tickets, Passport, Driving Licence, Travel Insurance and EU health card, Cash, Bank/Credit card, Medication (good idea to have a copy of your prescription too), 

Travelling can be stressful especially with excited children, so try and keep calm if you get lost, have to queue at the airport, or forget your school French!

Holidays in the South of France are all about making happy memories, so make the most of your time away and enjoy!

If you have not yet booked your Summer holiday, then contact us and we can plan your holiday as you would plan your own.
We have some wonderful villas that have summer availability and check out our last minute special offers.

Wednesday, 11 March 2015

South of France Villa Holiday, Eurostar or Budget airline?

Are you thinking of having a villa holiday in the South of France and wondering how to get there?

When booking a holiday to France, one wonders how should we travel. Train, Plane, or take the car?
South France train holidayEurostar have announced a direct service from St Pancras to Avignon and Marseille in the South of France. The all year service starts on the 1st of May 2015, my initial thoughts are fantastic one no longer the needs to cross Paris with suitcases, or change platforms and hope the train is on time at Lyon or Lille...
Unfortunately this only works on the UK to France journey, immigration rules that on the France to UK leg one must leave the train at Lille (along with all your luggage!) pass through customs and then get back on the train. Not an ideal way to end your South of France holiday.

Prices for a one week holiday travelling on the 30th May are from £119 return, this price includes unlimited luggage and an allocated seat. Travelling for 2 weeks from the 25th of July and the price creeps up to £274 return.



Travel South of France
Ryanair fly from Luton to Nimes and various other local airports in the South of France. Queue to check in, queue to pass through security and then queue to board the plane, however it is only a 90 minute flight.... Prices for a one week holiday travelling on the 30th May are from £87 return, this price includes 10 kg hand luggage and an allocated seat upon check in. The Business Plus option which includes a 20 kg
checked in bag, priority seat and boarding is from £172 return. Travelling for 2 weeks from the 25th of July the price creeps up to £260 for the basic option and £367 for the Business Plus.

So which one would I choose for a holiday to the South of France?


The train offers good value for money and a comfortable scenic journey, however depending upon where you live in the UK the flight can be the quickest and the cheapest option if you travel lightly.

After comparing the scenarios for my elderly parents, I have decided that I would use both services. The train for the journey down to the South of France, as they don't like all the hassle at the large UK airports and they would also enjoy admiring the French countryside. For the return journey I would choose the flight, the small local airports like Nimes and Beziers are so quaint that I can actually watch them board the plane and with no duty free shops at these airports any leftover Euros can be saved for the next trip to the South of France!

Villa in south of france
South France Holiday Villa

For more information on getting to the South of France, or for a villa holiday in the South of France check out the South France Villas guide