Traffic Jams expected this weekend

Orange alert at end of school holidays for traffic, particularly in South West of France and in Ile-de-France around Paris.
http://www.connexionfrance.com/weekend-travel-motorway-delays-traffic-jams-france-spring-school-holidays-view-article.html

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Stopover Hotels, B+Bs and Chateaux !

If you fancy staying in somewhere a stopover hotel that is just a little bit different while en route to your holiday in France then have a look at the great selection on this website :
http://www.stopoverconnections.com/mod_16/pages/index.php?keyword=chateau
Now is your chance to stay in a chateau !

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Counting Down to summer !

Are you counting down to your summer holiday already ? Have you counted the number of days and hours ? What are you looking forward to doing ? I'm looking forward to that moment when you can sit back in the evening with a glass of wine and listen to the quiet campsite around you with sounds of birds and the sun setting. I'm also looking forward to reading some of the books I havent had time to read so far this year. And I'm looking forward to a bit of sightseeing and making plans for where to visit this year.

What about you ? Have you managed to get your holiday booked up and what are you looking forward to ?

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Excellent Motorway Travel and Traffic Sites

There are some excellent sites for travel information in France. They allow you to print route itineraries and also some let you plan which service stations to stop at en-route.

The Society of Autoroutes http://www.autoroutes.fr/accueil.html

From "Autoroutes du Sud de la France" ASF there is a website for routes to and within the South of France: http://www.asf.fr/control/index.aspx?alias=Internet2007Anglais.home

The North and East of France has the organisation "sanef" which has this website : http://www.sanef.com/fr/index.jsp

For Paris and Normandy Routes http://www.sapn.fr/index.php

Has anyone else found any better sites, particularly covering the West of France ?

Blogging with information to help us enjoy our camping holidays from Best French Campsites

Update on Situation in Southern Vendee after the Xynthia Storm flooding

If you are worried about whether the area you are planning to holiday in the Vendee is still being affected after the Xynthia Storm and flooding earlier this year, then please have a look at this website :
http://www.holidays-in-vendee.com/Articles/Floods_in_Vendee.htm

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Taxis Cash in !

Taxi firms across Europe are cashing in on the volcanic ash cloud stopping air flights in northern Europe. Someone took a taxi between Oslo and Paris. A Stockholm company is quoting 750E Stockholm to Oslo and 950E Stockholm to Copenhagen. And John Cleese who was filming in Oslo has allegedly taken a taxi from Oslo to Brussels at a cost of 3,800E !! If it means you get home for the weekend then its probably worth it !

For more information about affects of the volcanic ash cloud in France http://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2010/04/16/le-trafic-aerien-sera-perturbe-pendant-plusieurs-jours_1335064_3244.html#ens_id=1334028

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Continuing Travel Problems Hit Travellers To and Within France

Well I am sure we have all heard about the volcanic ash cloud by now. This is now grounding flights within Europe and in England and Wales and looks to continue to do so until well into the weekend and possibly beyond. Scottish Airspace is open and I think Irish airspace but at the moment I think this will just be to receive some North American package holiday flights returning from the Easter Break. Apparently Eurostar has had its busiest day ever today as people look for alternative methods of travel within Europe.

And also today the SNCF drivers and signalmen are voting whether to continue their strike which began on the 6th April. Each region is voting and some early returns indicate that some regions will continue with the strike.
For more information http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2010/04/16/sncf-la-greve-reconduite-dans-plusieurs-regions_1334944_3224.html

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No flights leaving UK and some of Europe due to volcanic ash !

Well its not a strike this time but volcanic ash of all things, which is being carried in the atmosphere from an erupting volcano in Iceland ! This has stopped flights today from the UK and some of Europe until 7 tomorrow morning. However it looks like the delay might continue. So if you are flying in the next few days you will need to find out more from your airline.

BBC News item:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8621407.stm

The ash cloud photographed by Dundee University :
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/uk_enl_1271347287/html/1.stm

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Further problems with Continuing SNCF strike

If you are planning to travel by train this week in France then watch out for the continuing SNCF strike. Some TGV sales from Paris to the South West are now being affected.
http://www.francesoir.fr/social-transports/sncf-la-greve-seternise-des-ventes-de-billets-suspendues
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Further Train Strikes in France

The management of SNCF announced for tomorrow, Monday, an average of 83% of the TGV in circulation, 90% of Transilien (Ile de France) in peak hour, 78% of regional express trains (TER), and more a second train for the Coral or equivalent traffic forecasts last Friday.
However, no night trains will travel in France, but the routes to be insured abroad, says management. The strike extendable to the call by the CGT and Sud-Rail has been going on since April 6.

On international trains on Monday, it will be "normal "on Eurostar, Thalys, Artesia (to Italy) and the high-speed trains bound for Germany. For trains Lyria (France-Switzerland), 90% of trains will be provided.

Transilien:
All RER: normal service
except line B: 2 sets of 3
except line D: 2 sets of 3

Other links Transilien: normal service
except Paris-Nord: 3 trains 4
except Paris Montparnasse: 3 trains 4

Regional express trains (TER): 78% nationally

TGV

TGV Est Européen: normal service
TGV Nord: normal service
TGV Atlantique: normal service
TGV Sud Est 3 sets of 4 (normal Paris-Lyon 2 and 3 trains on the Paris-Marseille)
TGV province-province: 1 set of 2
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Great Restaurant Review Site for Restaurants in France

This is an excellent site which has reviews and ratings as well as price range for restaurants in each area of France. So get planning for your holidays !
The word "avis" is French for an opinion and you can see restaurants which have been rated by a lot of customers so the reviews should be pretty genuine. Certainly the reviews for the restaurants we have tried seemed pretty accurate.
Bon Appétit !
http://www.linternaute.com/restaurant/

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100 sites from 100 Departements

100 sites or views that are emblematic of the 100 different "Departements" or Regions in France. Can you guess the one for the "Departement" where you are going on holiday ?

http://www.linternaute.com/sortir/magazine/100-departements/

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Further Strikes !

I was really hoping to bring you some good news about holidays but instead I have spotted on the French France Soir site that there is another travel strike about to start ! So if you are travelling to France this week and planning to use the SNCF trains then you better read this article. If you have a Google toolbar you will find that you can easily translate French articles if your French isnt quite up to translating this.
However it looks like there is to be at least a 24hr strike beginning this Tuesday 6th Arpil 2010 at 2000 hrs.

http://www.francesoir.fr/social-transports/sncf-les-syndicats-divorcent-sur-fond-de-greve
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Ferry Strike Continues

SeaFrance Ferry Strike Continues !
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8602521.stm

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SeaFrance Strike

The SeaFrance Strike is entering its second day today and is affecting passengers wishing to cross the Channel to France.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8601379.stm
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