Holidays in France 2010 – still great value!

Wait up!  The British pound is weak against the Euro, but don’t discount France as a 2010 holiday destination.  If you know where to look, French self catering holidays in gites or cottages in France still offer amazing value.  Don’t wait for another ‘BBQ summer’ in the UK, spend less and go to France!  Here’s how.

*    Take your own car across the channel and get annual motor insurance policy with  a period of European cover thrown in for free.  

*    Once in France head to where the weather is sufficiently warmer than the UK, but not so far south that your journey takes days.   The Loire Valley is ideal – especially in early Summer and Autumn with great weather.

*    Go self-catering and book a holiday cottage or French gite, as they’re known in France, direct from the owners.  Use one of the many websites that bring cottage owners and renters together – search via Google.  We found a 2 bedroom gite in the Loire Valley for £375 per week in June, compared to a comparable property in Cornwall at £485.

*    Book a holiday cottage gite with a Sunday arrival day as this will secure you a cheaper channel crossing.  Via the web, I’ve been quoted £36 return, travelling on a Sunday in mid June 2010 on the Dover Boulogne route.   Many owners will even offer a mid week arrival day.

*    Study your route carefully on the French road map. Although the French Autoroute is fast, it costs money and sometimes there is a perfectly good dual carriageway running parallel to it.  The tolls from Boulogne to Saumur in the Loire Valley would be €60 for a return journey.

*    Carefully pick the exact spot of your cottage within your chosen region.  For example, for holidays in the Loire Valley eating out and accommodation is cheaper  twenty five miles north of the River Loire, than on the river itself.  However, you’re still close to the attractions, because the roads are good and traffic light.

*    Use Aldi and the other heavy discounters when you shop in France – they are great places to stock up on the wine and cheese as these are sourced locally.

*    Bring some food staples with you from the UK.  Without a doubt, breakfast cereals, biscuits and canned staples like chopped tomatoes and baked beans  are substantially cheaper from a UK supermarket.

*    For fuel keep to the supermarkets as they are up to 20% cheaper than the filling stations.  Avoid the filling stations on the Autoroute, they are expensive!

*    The real hidden gem!  Eat out at lunchtime and make the most of the ‘Menu Ouvrier’ (workers menu) or ‘Menu du Jour’ (menu of the day).  North of the Loire for instance, a meal will cost no more than 15 Euros and include a starter, main course, cheese course, dessert, coffee and a carafe of local wine.  This is the best kept secret around and I have had some fantastic meals at unbelievable value for money.  I don’t think you could get less than £30 per head for a similar meal in England and with the wine it would be nearer £40.  

So, if you’re from the UK, can you have a self catered holiday in France in 2010 for the cost of a holiday in Cornwall?  I worked a simple example out based on a ficticous couple Jean and Graham.  Jean and Graham live in Birmingham, drive a medium sized diesel car and want a week long self-catered holiday in June 2010.  Eating out is an important part of their holiday and during the week they want to eat out at lunch three times, visit a local major tourist attraction, a museum, some formal gardens, hire a bike for a day and go horse riding.  Even with the extra travel costs I estimated that holidaying in France would be cheaper by about £100.  Generally the tourist attractions and activities are cheaper in France, the accommodation is around £100 cheaper, but the real difference is in the cost of eating out.  Here in the Loire Valley, the lunchtime menus are amazing value for money.

It’s surprising, but if you can secure a good deal on your channel crossing, then the cheaper costs of eating out and accommodation offset the extra travelling costs of getting to France.  If you really enjoy eating out then each time you eat in France at lunchtime you will be eating for more than half the cost of a comparable meal in England – bargain!  

So don’t discount France this year in the mistaken belief you’ll end up paying more.  Take my advice and enjoy a French holiday in Spring or Autumn and enjoy the better weather!