France

20 March 2008

Travelling to France with children can be a great adventure and because France is so close to the UK it opens up so many opportunities. You can get there either by plane, boat or train; it is entirely up to you. You can also chose what type of accommodation suits you best. The options are endless; do you hire a tent, a mobile home, a cottage or stay in a bed and breakfast or hotel. You could even take your own tent, camper or caravan and travel around to your hearts content. We could be here forever discussing every permeation available to you, so we have chosen a few options to look at and offer you guidance on where to find out more.

Some basics no matter where you are in France.

Currency- Euro. Check latest exchange rates.

Visa requirements - None.

Language - French

Deciding on which region to visit may depend on the age of your children as will deciding how to get there. The joy of going by ferry or Eurostar is that you will have your own car to be able to get around and see more of the country, but you may wish the speed of flying.

with Rail Europe.
For try Cheap 4 ferries.
As we have said, the choices are there to be made depending on you and your family. If you commute to work on a daily basis or have children who suffer from motion sickness then you’ll probably not want to be driving for hours on end and may choose to fly.

Once you know how you’d like to get there, you can then look at the accommodation that is most suitable for you. Choosing accommodation depends on what you want to do when you get there, the ages of your children. Look at our general tips to help you choose, but basically your options include:

Bed and breakfast - check that children are welcome and catered for. Bed and breakfast accommodation is usually relaxed and informal, but you are effectively a guest in somebody else’s home. Make sure you find somewhere that you will feel comfortable.

Hotel - as with hotels anywhere you can go for the style and type of hotel to suit your needs.

, for example, have a wide choice of hotels to suit every budget.

Tent - many companies offer campsites with tents already erected and available for use. The tents are slightly more luxurious than your basic two man tent and have small fridges, cookers and camp beds. You can of course take your own tent and find your own campsite.

KeyCamp Holidays,for example have a choice of ‘Supertents’ as well as mobile homes and chalets for you to stay in.

Mobile home - sites offer static caravans or lodges for you to hire. The size of the caravan or lodge depends on your needs, so younger children can have their own room and bed if you so wish. Again, you can take your own caravan and really have a home from home on yur holiday.

Cottage or villa - there are numerous companies offering cottages or villas all over France. Most will allow children, but it is wise to check what facilities are available, such as cots or high chairs.

have cottages throughout many countries, including France, available for you and your family .

Finally what trip to France with children could be complete with out a visit to