Great Business French Language Site

If you are planning to work while you are in France and need to brush up some of your business French then here is a great French language course from the French broadcaster RFI. Its based around the adventures of "Daniel", a foreigner who has taken a job with a French company in Pairs. There are 20 episodes covering all aspects of business.

http://www.rfi.fr/lfen/pages/001/liste_cva_anglais.asp

Go Back to Best French Campsites

Interesting French Camping Statistics from FFCC

Here are some interesting statistics from the Federation Francaise de Camping et de Caravanning (FFCC).
I may not have got my translation entirely right so if you want to check for me the original stats can be seen at http://www.ffcc.fr/53/html/campings/chiffres-cles.aspx

Camping is the No.1 type of holiday in France with the most numbers of "tourist beds"
French camping is the 2nd largest in the world after the United States.
France is the most popular place in Europe for camping.
People slept a total of 103 million nights in French campsites in 2009 (and increase of 4.2% over 2008)

There are 6 million French campers and 2 million foreign campers who come to France each year, with the majority being Dutch, Germans and British.

Camping in France employs more than 13 000 permanent employees in 10,430 campsites.

There are 83,051 mobile homes available for rental.

Campsites are currently graded in a star rating rather like hotels. Basic campsites, perhaps offered by a farm, might have for example just shower and washing facilities would have a 1 or 2 star rating, while if you stay in a four star campsite you might expect to find a restaurant, swimming pool, shop, tennis courts etc.
1 and 2 star campsites represent 40% of total emplacements but make up only 30% of nights, with their clientele being three quarters French.   3 and 4 star campsites make up 70% of nights and host 40% of tourists visiting France from elsewhere

The more basic campsites also tend to be smaller with 1 star campsites covering an average of 1.3 hectares while the 3 and 4 star campsites are larger, with the 4 star campsites covering an average of 5.5 hectares.

The number of emplacements in France has increased from 165,000 in 1960 to 900,000 sites late 1980.

Since 2005, camping has become very "trendy" or "chic" if we are to believe the media.

The FFCC believe that the popularity of camping has increased for a variety of reasons :

• Economic reasons - its a low budget holiday,

• Camping gets you closer to nature,
• The excellent facilities offered on many campsites, and,

• There are all sorts of varied new types of accommodations on campsites to satisfy the demands of consumers - so you can now find such things as kids' tree houses, gypsy caravans, log cabins and yurts on campsites.

A new system of classification of outdoor accommodation was launched on 1 July 2010 to replace the classification of 1993 which no longer reflected the quality of provision of campsites today.  Professionals have until July 22, 2012 to comply. Plans are to have a new grading of  "five stars" to keep up with some of the huge improvements seen on many campsites.

I hope you have found some of these statistics interesting !  I didn't realise camping was so popular in France !

Go Back to Best French Campsites

A Great New French Cookbook !

Well I have just indulged myself and bought another cookbook !
I love this one - I just saw it in Waterstones and had a look through it. Lovely photographs of France, great classic French recipes but modified slightly to include healthier ingredients. It also has a recipe for Macarons which I got a chance to make last year on a cooking lesson in the fantastic kitchens of the restaurant at La Garanageoire campsite in the Vendee ! Now I have the recipe there is no stopping me !
I will photograph my attempts once I get my recipe book in the post next week ! Wish me luck !



UPDATE !
Well I am pleased to report that I managed to make a batch of very tasty chocolate Macarons ! They had just the right texture - just the right amount of chewy vs crunchy. This is really a lovely cookbook. Although its also too nice to get splashs of ingredients all over as well - most of my other cookbooks have a nice "used" look about them !

Go Back to Best French Campsites

The Dordogne

If you haven't chosen where to go in France for your holidays this year, then why not consider the Dordogne département, which is found within the Aquitaine region of the southwest corner of France. The region is often referred to as Périgord, a name used for the region before the French revolution

This lovely region is based around the River Dordogne which is popular for canoeing (visit Copeyre Canoe if you want to try this). The soft limestone rocks of the area has lead to some fantastic rock formations and cliffside villages as the river has eaten away at the soft rock. Water has also led to the creation of numerous limestone caverns and caves and in these you can view prehistoric cave paintings as well as stalactites and stalagmites !

The most famous of these - the Lascaux caves have now been closed to the public as damp was affecting the paintings. However a fantastic replica of the cave has been built as Lascaux II which is well worth a visit. And you can still visit original cave paintings in other caves, for example at  Grotte de Pech-Merle

If you want to see some animals which are similar to those featured in the paintings then you can visit at  Le Thot - Espace Cro Magnon near Montignac.

The buildings of the Dordogne are famed for being built in yellow limestone and grey roofs. 

The Dordogne also has chateau to visit :
Château de Marqueyssac - with its famous hanging gardens which  are some of the best kept gardens in France. There is a candlelit walk which takes place in July and August on Thursday evenings.
Château de Milandes - between Castelnaud & Berbiguiéres, which has Falconry displays several times per day and if you are brave there are night flights to observe the chateau from the house's own captive hot air balloon ! 
Château de Hautefort -one of the most prestigious châteaux in southwest france, classified as a historical monument.
Château de Monbazillac - with its vineyard and its fantastic views over the Dordogne Valley

There are also some lovely towns such as Sarlat, which is famous for its Saturday market, and Bergerac, famous for the character Cyrano de Bergerac. There is a culinary festival every July in Bergerac.

If you think the Dordogne sounds worth a visit then you will find some fabulous campsites with Keycamp and Eurocamp by clicking here :
Dordogne Campsites with Keycamp

Dordogne Campsites with Eurocamp

Or read our reviews of St Avit Loisirs and Les Peneyrals campsites in the Dordogne on http://www.bestfrenchcampsites.com/

Go Back to Best French Campsites

Guide to the Eateries of France

Ever wondered about the differences between all the different types of restaurants, cafes and bars in France ?

Here's a nice little guide from Lonely Planet :

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/travel-tips-and-articles/76092

 

Go Back to Best French Campsites

Motorhoming with France Passion !

Excellent free one night stopovers with France Passion for self contained motorhomes and campervans. The location map shows stopovers in almost every part of France ! : http://www.france-passion.co.uk/

Go Back to Best French Campsites

When is the best time to Book your Summer Camping holiday ?

If you are planning to go on a Eurocamp or Keycamp holiday then you might wonder "When is the best time to book your holiday ?"

There are usually early booking offers and late booking offers, but the particular campsite you have chosen may get booked up quickly. So the question is when is the best time to book ? 

If you are going in High Season of July and August you will really need to plan ahead if you want to go a particular site.

I have just scanned the holidays which are still available at the start of March 2011 for this summer 2011. I have found pretty good availability even for the peak of the High Season at the start of August. Only the most popular sites have limited availability.

If you are going to a very popular site you may need to book early. For example La Garangeoire in the Southern Vendee and Les Deux Fontaines in Southern Brittany at the beginning of March already nearly booked up for certain weeks of July.
The good news though is that you can reserve holidays with Eurocamp and Keycamp for as little at £100. So if you have a fairly good idea of where you want to go on holiday why not reserve it early on and then as it gets nearer the time to pay in full, you can see if you can afford to go ahead with the holiday. In these Credit Crunch times with lack of job security this is a good idea.

Two years ago we holidayed at Les Deux Fontaines in Brittany and we get to the site in late June/early July and wondered how was it so difficult to book two weeks holiday when many of the mobile homes seemed to be empty. We discovered that this is because they were maybe booked out for a holiday that started towards the end of our stay. So a holidaymaker only overlapped with us by 2 days but that meant that that particular mobile home was unavailalbe for the particular 13 night stretch that we were looking for.  However, if you are willing to move mobile home half way through your holiday or even to change site then you may find there are still options available to let you holiday in the sites or area that you have chosen.

If you are feeling adventurous and want to try "real camping" then the good news is that the Eurocamp or Keycamp tents are often the last things to book up on a site. Mobile homes seem to be more popular.

If you would like some more information to help you plan your holiday, we now have 20 different campsites in France which you can read about on our website http://www.bestfrenchcampsites.com/.


Go Back to Best French Campsites

Easy French News

We used this website in our French class today. Our teacher had decided we should listen to the news on "France Facile" ! ie "Easy French" !!

Its an excellent site with loads of current affairs information.
http://www.rfi.fr/lfen/statiques/accueil.asp

And if you cant follow all of the French first time then you can look at the script that goes along with the day's news on "Franch Facile".
I found out loads about World affairs as well as picking up some new French words.

I also like the listening exercises where you can test yourself on your understanding.

Have a go and let me know how you get on - did you find this useful ?

Go Back to Best French Campsites

How to Change Stations in Paris

France has an excellent, fast train service, with the TGV "Trains a Grand Vitesse" (literally very fast trains !) which can take you from the North to the South of France in 3 hours in comfort. A definite alternative to air travel or taking your own car to your campsite for your camping holiday !

If you need to change trains in Paris then this website has some excellent information :
http://www.greentraveller.co.uk/blog/french-connections-how-change-stations-paris

Go Back to Best French Campsites

Pet Travel Scheme - Taking Your Dog to France

You can now take your dog or cat to France thanks to the "Pet Travel Scheme"(PETS) which involves your dog having its own "Pet Passport" !  The scheme applies in the following countries only: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the Vatican.

This Pet Travel Scheme allows people to take their pet dogs and cats on holiday to France and then to enter back into the UK without them having to go into quarantine - however, you and your vet must follow the rules carefully - otherwise your dog or cat could end up going into quarantine or having a return journey to the UK delayed.
(I have updated these rules as of 1st January 2012 - to ensure you are also completely up to date you can refer to the DEFRA website)

The basic requirements for taking your dog to France are outlined below. If you are going to a different EU country, please check with the websites I suggest to see if there are different requirements and regulations.

To obtain a Pet Passport you have to do the following things in this order, in association with your vet  :

• Firstly have your pet microchipped.
• Secondly have your pet vaccinated against rabies (even if your pet has already had a rabies vaccination).
• Previously you needed to have a blood test to make sure the rabies vaccination had worked. However this requirement appears to have been replaced with a waiting period of 21 days
• This should all be recorded on the PETS (Pet Travel Scheme) documentation by your vet and you will be issued with your PETS Pet Passport so your pet can re-enter the UK. You can even add their photograph to aid identification ! Further detailed information about all of this is available at the DEFRA site - I  have put a link further down this article.
• The dog will require a booster Rabies Vaccination every 3 years - make sure you get this done on time or you will be back to square one in the whole process !

Then when you are ready for your journey to France:

• Before you set off the dog may need to be checked by a vet to approve that the dog is fit for travel. And although not necessary under the scheme, its advisable to get a tick treatment before you go as the Babesia tick is present in France but not in the UK. Some of these more dangerous ticks etc. are more prevalent in the hotter zones of the south of France.
• When travelling remember to take all your documentation with you including the Pet Passport !
• Check if your pet insurance covers you while abroad.
• Take a dog ID tag which has your details of where you are staying on holiday in case your pet gets lost on holiday.
• If travelling on a ferry, on most shorter ferry crossings your dog must stay in your car so please make sure you leave the windows ajar and make sure they have a water bowl. Preferably travel on as short a crossing as possible and make sure your dog is in a safe area eg have a dog guard across the back of your car or a secure crate. You can arrange with some ferries to check the dog during the journey, as long as sea conditions allow this to be done safely.
• Or, if travelling on a longer ferry crossing, for example on the Brittany Ferries ships Pont-Aven, Bretagne and Cap Finistère there are kennels available on board the ship and there are also 14 dog friendly 4 berth cabins on the new Brittany Ferries Cap Finistère which can be used on longer crossings to Spain.
• Eurostar crossings allow to you cross with your pet in the car with you which is probably the easiest way to travel.

Before your return journey to the UK :

• Your pet must be treated by a vet in France against tapeworm using an approved treatment (not less than 24 hours and not more than 5 days before you leave). The product used for the tapeworm treatment must contain praziquantel. Ensure all your documentation is correctly completed by the vet or you may not be able to travel. (Be careful as many vets are closed on Sunday and Monday). The vet will probably also check the microchip to identify the dog.
• Remember to check if it is a Bank Holiday when you want to return, as this will affect the opening times of vets. Also book your vet appointment as soon as you can for the return journey treatment as they can get quite full and you don't want to be refused a sailing because your pet has not got the correct paperwork.
• Brittany Ferries website states that you should be aware that at all French ports you need to get out of the car and check the pet in, in the terminal - this can take time and be an upheaval if you are travelling alone and also have small children. Although we were able to have our dog checked in the car this year when travelling through Caen.

If you want to travel separately from your pet there are approved transport companies which can arrange this - all the same rules about visiting vets etc. will still apply).

The main DEFRA site will explain about Pet Passports and also has a link to a site explaining the risks of taking your dog or cat abroad and some of the diseases they can be exposed to which are not present in the UK :

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/

Dogs Away is a useful organisation who, for a small fee, will help you to book in with a French vet for your visit in the 24 - 48 hour period before leaving France to get the tapeworm treatment. Well worth it even if your French language abilities aren't too bad as they are dealing with this every day so know exactly what to arrange with the vet.

Dogs Away : http://www.dogsaway.co.uk/ 

Brittany Ferries Pet Travel information :

http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/pet-friendly-holidays/pets-travel-scheme

P&O Ferries information :

http://www.poferries.com/tourist/content/pages/template/onboard_taking_your_pet_1Taking_your_pet.htm

Condor Ferries Travel Information :
http://www.condorferries.co.uk/Trip/TakingPets.html

There is good information, particularly if you read right down to the veterinary information at:

http://www.day-tripper.net/info-pets-abroad.html

This DEFRA information explains clearly about the blood tests, boosters and vaccinations ! http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/

If you would like to take your dog with you on a Eurocamp or Keycamp holiday then the good news is that many of the campsites allow pets although you may be restricted to certain mobile homes. However booking a site with your dog cannot be done online so for more information with Eurocamp have a look at this page : http://www.eurocamp.co.uk/ecuk/camping_holidays/travelling-dog-friendly-parcs.html

For some excellent information about taking your dog with Keycamp have a look at http://www.keycamp.co.uk/pdfs/KC-Dogs-on-holiday.pdf#false

For more information about ferries and taking your pet abroad please refer to : http://www.ferryonline.co.uk/travelling-with-a-pet.htm

Here is a nice downloadable guide from Eurocamp Independent which also discusses such things as taking your dog to restaurants in France or taking them to the beach etc. :
http://www.eurocampindependent.co.uk/camping/documents/ECiDogsonholiday.pdf

If you are wanting to fly your dog to France - I would suggest that you shouldn't need to do this if you are emigrating - take the ferry instead - however for a complete picture here is a website about an airline to help :
http://www.animalairlines.co.uk/faq.html?gclid=CI2g7qvE0KcCFYFB4QodyGRvBg

REMEMBER !

• Please remember to leave your pet with water within the car and leave the window slightly open to give your pet a comfortable journey.
• AND when you get to France, dogs have to be properly restrained in the car so as far as I can tell you need either a dog guard, dog crate or seat belt - does anyone have more information about this ?  We also bought a muzzle to take as there was some talk that we might need this at the vets.
• Certain breeds of dog in France need to be muzzled in public. (see below)

For information about some great campsites to take your dog please return to our main website at http://www.bestfrenchcampsites.com/

Dangerous dogs :
Dangerous dogs in France are classified in 2 categories :
Category 1 are "attack dogs" which include dogs whose appearance is of American Staffordshire terrier (pit-bulls), Mastiff (boerbulls) and Tosa types (i.e. without pedigree). It is prohibited to bring these dogs into France.
Category 2 are "defence and guard dogs" - including such breeds as American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler, and Tosa breeds (i.e. with pedigree), and dogs of a Rottweiler type (without pedigree).
Note : the American Staffordshire Terrier breed is not to be confused with a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, which is not listed as a dangerous dog.
Since 1st January 2010, as a result of legislation dated 20 June 2008, all owners of dangerous dogs (category 1 and 2) in France must hold a certificate of aptitude for keeping a dangerous animal, delivered by an approved trainer, and a licence for the animal, from the local town hall (Mairie). Until modification of the law to allow category 2 dogs to be imported into France, it is advised not to bring such animals into France, whether on a temporary (holiday) or permanent basis. Sanctions may be incurred for absence of licence.

Go Back to Best French Campsites