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Archive for the ‘Family France’ Category
Summer holidays go live with Pierre & Vacances
Book early for savings of up to 35 per cent!
You can book summer holidays at over 45,000 apartments throughout France and Spain from today (December 26, 2011) with the launch of the new Pierre & Vacances 2012 brochure. Early-bird booking discounts, a new waterside residence in Brittany, as well as improved facilities plus new regional activities added to its soon-to-be re-branded Pierre & Vacances Resorts, are among the exciting developments that you will be able to experience in 2012.
Bargain breaks in France and Spain should be snapped up early with 35 per cent savings possible by combining long-stay and early booking discounts.
Early booking and long stay offers
The early bookings offers are available for up to 13 night stays for bookings made before 31 March 2012 for holidays from April to August and until 31 May 2012 for holidays from September to November. Long stay discounts are valid on stays of 14 to 20 consecutive nights. Discounts are as follows:
- Maeva- up to 20 per cent off for early booking/ up to 15 per cent off for long stay
- Pierre & Vacances Residences- up to 20 per cent off for early bookings/ 10 per cent off for long stay
- Pierre & Vacances Resorts- up to15 per cent off for early bookings/ 10 per cent off for long stay
- Pierre & Vacances Premium- up to 15 per cent off for early bookings/ 10 per cent off for long stay
The offers exclude peak holiday dates of 14 July- 24 August 2012.
The Pierre & Vacances summer portfolio offers exciting new additions and discounts for 2012. Full details of the summer portfolio from Pierre & Vacances can be seen here.
New residence
Le Coteau et la Mer in Douarnenez, Brittany is the latest addition to the Pierre & Vacances summer portfolio. The waterfront residence is located 50 metres from Les Sables Blancs Beach and has 64 one to two bedroom apartments, sleeping up to seven people, many of which have panoramic views of Douarnenez Bay. Guests will have access to the residence’s heated swimming pool which faces the sea and a solarium. There is also a Thalassotherapy centre just a few minutes walk from the apartments where treatments can be pre-booked.
Highest waterpark in Europe
A brand new water park, Aquariaz, is to open in the Alpine resort of Avoriaz - the birthplace of Pierre & Vacances – in May 2012. Designed by Center Parcs Europe, it will be the largest water park at high altitude in Europe.
The conservatory style aqua park will cover 2,000 metres squared with large swimming pools, flowing rivers, hot tubs, water slides, a wading pool and a climbing wall. The entire area will be decorated with plants and trees to invoke a tropical atmosphere and floor to ceiling windows will allow panoramic views of the Portes du Soleil area.
New ‘Holiday Village’ branding
From January 2012, Pierre & Vacances 13 Resorts across France and Spain will be re-branded to Holiday Villages with the aim of providing guests with further on site facilities, à la carte services and integrated regional activities.
Key new features include a five free activities pass available per booking ranging from bike hire to discovering circus skills and more free activities for the whole family including fitness sessions, sports tournaments and evening shows. Pre-bookable children’s clubs are offered and improved baby kits will be available including items such as a night light and mosquito net. Further details on the Holiday Villages can be seen at here.
October half term offers with Pierre & Vacances
This October we’re making family half term affordable for those after some last minute rays, with up to 20 per cent off self catering Pierre & Vacances accommodation in the south of France and Spain. Our family friendly accommodation along the Mediterranean coastline all have access to swimming pools and a range of activities, with prices starting from just £7 per person per night!
Pierre & Vacances Village Cap Esterel
This half term families can take advantage of the free kids clubs offered at Pierre & Vacances’ Resorts, the clubs are available for three to 18 year olds and provide a range of activities for all ages, such as sports tournaments and handicrafts. Our resorts also organise day excursions to local towns and markets, plus activities such as whale and dolphin watching boat trips in Spain.
Children at Pierre & Vacances’ Resorts kids club
Below are a number of discounted Pierre & Vacances family accommodation. All the examples are for week long stays from 22- 29 October. Enquiries and bookings can be made here or by ringing 0870 0267 145.
Pierre & Vacances Village Cap Esterel, South of France
A two bedroom sea view apartment sleeping up to seven people for a week’s holiday is reduced by 20 per cent to £695- that’s £14 per person per night.
The 210-hectare resort overlooks the Mediterranean and is perched on a red rock hillside. The resort is surrounded by a golf course and gardens and is just 30 minutes away from the white sandy beaches of Cannes. Facilities include three large swimming pools with wave machines, two children’s pools, a small farm, tennis courts and bicycle hire. Kid’s clubs are available.
And for a taste of what Cap Esterel has to offer, see a real family’s holiday diary here.
View of Ardèche
Pierre & Vacances’ Residence Bonavista de Bonmont, Catalonia
A two bedroom apartment sleeping up to seven people for a week’s holiday is reduced by 20 per cent to £346- that’s £7 per person per night.
Bonmont lies on Catalonia’s coastline and backs onto the prestigious Bonmont golf course and the famous vineyards of Priorat. Guests can enjoy the aquatic centre which has a heated swimming pool, relaxing jets, a hydro-massage mattress and Jacuzzi. There are special rates for all guests at the nearby golf course and those with adventure in mind can go quad biking or go carting. And for a cultural day drip, Barcelona is an hour and a half away.
Or for a holiday in the countryside …
Pierre & Vacances Village Le Rouret, Ardèche
A one bedroom apartment sleeping up to four people for a week’s holiday is reduced by 20 per cent to £364- that’s £13 per person per night.
Village Le Rouret is a 100-acre multi-activity resort, ideal for family holidays. Set in the Ardèche region with views over the valleys, the village has an aqua area with fountains, water rapids, a rubber ring river and a swimming pool, tennis courts, multi-sports courts, a mountain bike path, sauna and Jacuzzi. Offered nearby is canoeing, canyonning, paragliding, quad biking and go karting. Kid’s clubs are available.
Find out more about family activities to try in the Ardèche region here.
A Cap Esterel family holiday
The Cap Esterel self-catering resort in the South of France is perfect for families, but don’t just take our word for it – here’s a lovely letter we received from the English family who visited this summer:
Dear Pierre & Vacances,
Just a quick email to say what a fantastic time we had at Cap Esterel.
Everything was a joy and for the first time in years, we didn’t feel any need to get in the car and visit somewhere.
Overall, the biggest compliment I can pay is that everything was so easy, exactly what you want sometimes when you are on holiday, particularly with young children. Checking in was easy, navigating around the centre was easy, shopping was easy, the kids club was easy, keeping the kids entertained was easy and last but not least, eating out (every night!) was easy.
Your staff team are fabulous, most of whom either speak very good English or enough to deal with a question. The ladies on reception always had a smile, the guys in the kids club were superb and everyone else was enthusiastic and friendly.
The apartment was clean, with everything we needed, in a great location and with the most amazing view of the Mediterranean. We spent many a lunchtime watching the rich and famous no doubt, bobbing around on their gin palaces, which all added to the experience.
As a family of four with two young boys (7 and 5), we needed plenty to keep the children entertained, but this was not a problem. The swimming pools were great (the lifeguards were always attentive which is important with so much water around), the evening entertainment was fantastic and they even went to kids club 3 mornings.
Neither did we struggle to feed them in the restaurants and we felt perfectly comfortable about letting them wander round the main plaza once they’d finished, whilst my wife and I finished our meals.
Finally, how would I sum it up for other English families – a bit like multi-national Center Parcs, but outside because the weather is so much better.
I think it’s pretty certain we will be returning next year!
Regards,
Nigel English
Tell us about your family holidays with Pierre & Vacances over on our Facebook page.
Family holidays at the Belle Dune resort, Picardy
Back in July, Kent radio station KMFM organised an outside broadcast at our Pierre & Vacances Belle Dune Resort in Picardy. We took along KMFM prize winner Ann and her family with us coutesy of Seafrance Ferries.
Watch the video to see how Ann and her family got on. There is also an interview with Belle Dune Resort Director Bruno Guth and a quick look at all Belle Dune has to offer for a family holiday to France.
The Pierre & Vacances Belle Dune Eco Resort is one of Pierre & Vacances’ most popular holiday villages in France. Built in beautiful protected natural surroundings Belle Dune offers one of the best golf courses in France, an aquaclub with wave machine and slides and a host of wildlife on your doorstop. Find out more about Belle Dune on the Pierre & Vacances website.
The Best French Flea and Produce Markets
Everyone loves a bargain. No-one more so than the French, from whom shopping at markets is a way of life. What better way to while away a Saturday or Sunday morning than browsing around stalls laden with pans and pots and fishing rods or heaving with delicious cheeses, locally grown asparagus and fragrant flowers.
Wherever you’re heading in France, here’s a guide to some of the best brocante, braderie and marché au puces.
This small city at the tip of the thin Breton peninsula comes alive each Saturday morning (and Wednesdays in Port Haliguen to the east of Quiberon, during the summer months) with a lively produce market. Expect to find delicious regional foodstuffs as well as fresh fish. The perfect spot to shop for a picnic or gorge on freshly shucked oysters!
Accomodation: stay at the Residence Ker Avel
Nord-Pas de Calais – Braderie, Lille
For one weekend a year Lille becomes the bargain hunting capital of Europe as the Braderie fair takes over town. Held each September, Braderie is renowned as one of the largest flea markets on the continent with over two million visitors flocking to steal a deal.
Over 200 km of pavements throughout old Lille are taken up with stalls selling paintings, antiques, ornaments, furniture and junk of every description over a full 48 hour period.
One particular highlight is the competition to see which restaurant can create the tallest pile of mussel shells from the signature dish of moules et frites.
If you can’t make the Braderie at Lille, Calais is an easy pit stop for day-trippers and ferry-philes, with two good produce and flower markets. The market at Place d’Armes takes place on Wednesday and Saturday mornings at the centre of the old town. Shop for flowers, flower bulbs and local food specialities including ostrich pâté, the savoury tart, flamiche, locally grown chicory, home-made honey, farm-produced jams, northern France’s famed fish soup, foie gras and speciality saucissons.
Another takes place at Place Crèvecoeur to the south of town on Thursday and Saturday mornings, great for fruit and vegetables.
Accommodation: Stay at the Village Belle Dune
Franche-Comté – Vieux Quartier, Belfort
The first Sunday of each month (except during January and February) sees the most famous flea market in the East of France set up shop with over 200 stalls in the old town.
Here you can snap up Alsatian bowls and milk pitchers, grey stoneware jugs, clocks from nearby Besançon, enamel plaques from Alsace, linens, books, toys, glassware, copperware and furniture.
Rhone Alps – Vieux Quartier, Annecy
The market in the old town at Annecy is renowned as much for its stunning setting on the edge of Lac d’Annecy, surrounded by mountains, as for its rustic regional wares. As you’d expect, there are Alpine goods a plenty including cow bells, skis and paintings of mountain scenes.
The market runs throughout the day on the last Saturday of each month.
Accommodation: Stay at the Aparthotel Annecy Centre
Villeurbanne, Lyon (also known as ‘Puces’)
This legendary flea market takes place in Villeurbanne, on the outskirts of Lyon, every Sunday morning, with dedicated bargain hunters arriving at the crack of dawn. There are more than 400 stalls of antiques, bric-a-brac, used goods and 18th and 19th century furniture. A smaller version also takes place at the same site on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Paris – Marché aux Puces St-Ouen de Clignancourt
Ask any Frenchman to name a Parisian flea market and St-Ouen or ‘Clignancourt’ will be top of the list, acknowledged as the largest antiques market in Europe and the oldest in Paris. There are more than 2,000 shops spread out over a nine mile radius selling cheap clothing, military surplus, shoes, sunglasses and leather goods.
The other main contender would be Porte de Vanves on Saturdays and Sundays for its eclectic mix of goods. The Marché aux Puces de la Porte de Vanves is more compact than Clignancourt with 300-plus stalls.
Also worth checking out is Richard Lenoir for all manner of foods, from the freshest meats, cheeses and produce to international foods and flavours.
Accomodation: Stay at the Aparthotel Paris Opera
The Loire – Boulevard Alexandre Martin, Orléans
Held every Saturday morning in a car park on the Boulevard Alexandre Martin in the charming town of Orléans, this bustling market attracts around 100 vendors. Bargain hunters will love this treasure trove of rustic items, ranging from tools and buckets to fishing rods, kitchenware and quality linen.
If it’s food you’re after, then head to the weekly Saturday morning market in Saumur, showcasing the best of the ‘garden of France’.
Take a look at Le Chant blog for lots more wonderful pictures: http://lechant.wordpress.com/2009/06/06/saumur-market/)
Provence and South of France
There are more markets than you can shake a stick at in the South of France. Here are just a couple of favourites.
Cours Saleya, Nice
The flower and produce market at Cours Saleya operates every day bar Monday (when the square is taken over by the antiques and flea market). There are hundreds of varieties of flowers grown locally in the fields of Provence including carnations, roses, camellias, lilies, irises, freesias, daffodils, cyclamen, chrysanthemums, azaleas, marigolds, daisies and gardenias.
Sunday is the best day for produce, fish, meats, cheeses, fruit and veg.
Accommodation: Stay at the Residence Heliotel Marine
Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, Avignon
On Saturday mornings 100 or so stalls set up just across the Rhone from Avignon at the Place du Marche along the Ave de Verdun, selling Provençal pots, pottery and bedspreads. This market gets fewer tourists than the main Avignon flea market on Sundays, and as a result good deals can be found.
Accommodation: Stay at the Village Point Royal en Provence
Midi-Pyrénées – Allées Jules Guesde, Toulouse
Discerning shoppers will enjoy scouring this quality flea market for ‘decorative’ rather than rustic wares. Held on the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the month throughout the day along the allées Jules Guesde in central Toulouse.
Accommodation: Stay at the Aparthotel Toulouse Aèroport
Aquitaine – Perigueux
Wednesdays and Sundays are market day in Perigueux, the capital of the Dordogne River Valley. Stalls are set up near the cathedral in Place de la Clautre selling fresh produce and cheeses. There is also a market specialising in fois gras and truffles on place St-Louis in Puy St-Front from November to March.
