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Archive for the ‘France for Kids’ Category
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.
The Three Musketeers: All for one, and one for all!
From Oliver Reed and Charlie Sheen, to Mickey Mouse and Dogtanian, our love affair with the Three Musketeers shows no signs of waning. With the imminent release of the new movie version (starring Orlando Bloom and Matthew Macfadyen) we thought the time was ripe to zone in on some of the locations associated with the original fab four (not forgetting D’Artagnan!) from Alexandre Dumas’ novel.
So here’s our guide to enjoying some swashbuckling adventures around France.
Head to Aquitaine and Midi-Pyrénées for: The real McCoy
Inspired by a 17th century work Memoires de d’Artagnan by Gatien de Cortilz de Sandras, The Three Musketeers is believed to be based on various historical characters who really existed
The real Porthos, Aramis and Athos as well as D’Artagnan all hailed from the Béarn region of Gascony. Criss-crossing the borders of Aquitaine and Midi-Pyrénées will transport you to the home-land of these French Guard elite.
Issac de Porteau, Dumas’ Porthos, was born in 1617 in Pau and his manor is still standing, in the village of Lanne. The Chateau de Porothos – where he retired from service – was damaged in an earthquake but restored in 2005.
Henry d’Aramitz, the inspiration for Aramis, was an abbot in the valley of Barétous, whilst Athos was based on Armand de Sillègue, who was born in the village of Athos-Aspis. His cousin, Arnaud-Jean du Peyrer, Comte de Treville, Captain of the King’s Musketeers, lived at le Chateau de Trois-Villes in Tardets. A private residence, the castle is open year-round bar June.
Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore, Comte d’Artagnan – who Dumas’ character is believed to be based on – was born in Lupiac in Gers. Today the village is home to the D’Artagnan Museum, where visitors can learn the legend behind the hero. And you can also pay a visit to the Chateau of Castelmore, where Batz was born.
Also worth a visit is nearby Auch, the ancient capital of Gascony, to snap the statue of D’Artagnan.
Statue of D’Artagnan
And in Condom you can see the recently commissioned sculpture of the three musketeers by Russian artist, Zurab Tsereteli.
Sculpture of the three musketeers by Zurab Tsereteli
The Château d’Arricau-Bordes in Madiran, known locally as the ”ancienne résidence de d’Artagnan, le fameux mousquetaire’’, may not hold many musketeer relics but is worth a visit for the vineyards – as one of the oldest wine estates in France. It was the 18th-century home of the Comte Jean-Paul Montesquiou d’Artagnan, uncle of the illustrious musketeer and D’Artagnan is said to have stayed in the property on numerous occasions.
The Château d’Arricau-Bordes in Madiran
And if you want to explore the region famous for the real musketeers, the Pierre & Vacances’ Residence Le Hameau du Lac, Marciac, offers self catering accommodation for all the family.
Head to Rhône-Alpes for: Following in the Footsteps of Celebrity
If, like us, you’re a little bit in love with the 1973 film version starring Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlain and Michael York, then you’ll want to make a beeline for Perouges at the foot of the Alps. Whilst much of the film was shot on location in Spain (quelle horreur!), Perouges’s charming cobbled streets and old stone buildings appeared as a backdrop for certain scenes.
For comfortable self catering accommodation, the Aparthotel Annecy Centre is ideal for those wanting to wander in the footsteps of film stars.
Head to Paris for: A Piece of the Action
A Three Musketeers pilgrimage wouldn’t be complete without retracing their steps in the capital, where the main protagonists lived.
Val-de-Grâce church on rue St Jacques in the 5th was commissioned by Anne of Austria, wife to Louis XIII and the French Queen in The Three Musketeers. Legend tells that she originally built just the cloister, but when she had a son after 23 childless years of marriage, she had the church built in celebration. Louis XIV himself is said to have laid the cornerstone for the Val-de-Grâce in a ceremony that took place April 1, 1645, when he was seven years old.
The real Cardinal Richelieu lived at number 21 Place de Vosges, the oldest square in Paris, from 1615 to 1627.
Place de Vosges
The musketeers of the novel lived very close to each other:
- Athos in Rue Férou – between St. Sulpice and the Luxembourg garden, a narrow street lined with high-walled courtyards and 17th century buildings. Athos lived here, “two steps away from the Luxembourg Garden”, and it is here that he was wounded in a duel at the beginning of the story
- Aramis in Rue Servandoni
- Porthos in Rue du Vieux Colombier
When D’Artagnan arrives in Paris he finds lodgings on the Rue des Fossoyeurs. Monsieur de Treville’s residence, is on the Rue du Vieux Colombier, which we later learn is where Porthos lives and which runs along the north side of the present place Saint-Sulpice, joined on the south side by Rue Férou, where Athos lives.
Rue de Fossoyeurs, where D’Artagnan used to live, is present-day Rue Servandoni, running parallel to Rue Ferou, between the church and the park.
Rue de Fossoyeurs
The dueling site where they all showed up to fight D’Artagnan was at the Carmes-Deschaux, Rue des Carmes.
The Louvre was the setting for various scenes in the novel as was the Luxembourg Palace.
And as a last homage, visit the crypt of the Pantheon where a number of French heroes are buried and where Dumas himself keeps company with the likes of Marie Curie, Victor Hugo and Louis Braille, the inventor of the script for the blind.
Alexandre Duma
And for those wanting to retrace the steps of the Musketeers’ Parisian adventures, Pierre & Vacances has a wide range of self-catering accommodation in the heart of Paris.
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.
A family holiday to Cap Esterel
Cap Esterel, the flagship Pierre & Vacances Holiday Resort, has recently celebrated its 20th birthday. So Marketing Manager Nick thought it was about time for a visit, here’s the diary of his family holiday in the French Riveria:
The Pierre & Vacances Cap Esterel Holiday Resort is located in the beautiful Massif de L’Esterel National Park between Saint Raphael and Cannes.
Though the resort is under an hour from Nice airport, as our two kids are now both at paying age for flights, we elected to save money and drive and the low diesel costs in France also make this cheaper. But we didn’t need the car much as there’s loads to do on the resort, and the supermarket is more than adequate, the beaches are walkable and there is a train station nearby – what more do you need?!
So driving it was, and we had a great journey across the Channel with Seafrance – friendly staff, great kids play area and loads of room on the ferry! We took an overnight stop in Formule 1 in Chalons en Champagne, then 10 hours later we were at Cap Esterel!
Happy family in our holiday apartment
We were delighted with our apartment: newly refurbished with a bedroom for Granny, bunk beds for the kids (sharing for the first time!) and a sofa bed in the lounge for Mum and Dad. It was nicely decorated with pictures of the L’Esterel National Park and all the usual mod cons including dishwasher, kettle and even a teapot…….Granny was happy!
Cap Esterel teapot
We had amazing views of the med, and the supermarket, shops and bars were only a minute away. Plus we were so close to the swimming pool that when we heard the hourly announcement for the wave machine we could get our trunks on and get down there in time!
View from Cap Esterel apartment
The kids loved the main swimming pool’s wave machine and water slide, and when we wanted a longer swim we went to the upper infinity pool which was slightly warmer and with amazing sea views. We also took the train to the quieter Hameau area which has its own swimming pools and supermarket. There is a main pool (good for lengths) and a children’s pool on a large roof terrace area, also with, you guessed it, amazing views.
The Cap Esterel Train
Apart from the swimming pools the main attractions for the family were the train and local beaches. The train handily stops near the main children’s playground and is so popular that every time it arrives there is a mass-exodus from the playground! If you’re like our family you take the train just for the fun of it [up to 3 times a day!], but it’s also quite handy for getting around the Resort and travelling to the local beach at Dramonts. On Wednesdays the train also takes you to the lovely market at Agay.
Beautiful Agay Beach
We alternated between the beaches at Dramonts and Agay, both with their own advantages. Dramonts is a small and quiet pebble beach with beautiful clear water, while Agay is a larger sandier beach with a choice of restaurants, bars and shops nearby. There is a short cut from the train bridge at the bottom of Cap Esterel over the hills to join the Agay road. It’s probably a 30 minute walk and a bit difficult with buggies but worth the time saving if you like a bit of exercise. There is also a little beach on the main road opposite the entrance to Cap Esterel.
Fred playing on Agay beach
In the Resort itself there is more than enough to keep the kids occupied all holiday. The 9 hole golf course is well looked after, the lake is stunning and there are loads of water sports available. There is also tennis, football, and crazy golf – basically you name it they have it! My wife made good use of the fitness classes and the children’s clubs looked like lots of fun!
Live music at Cap Esterel
On Friday night there was live music in the main resort village area. This is an area above the main pool with the feel of a little tourist town and of course amazing views! There are about 10 restaurants, a lovely cafe with shop, bar and ice creams, plus take way pizza and rotisserie. All were good value with family offers and menu du jours. The ice creams became a favourite with the kids who worked their way through all the different flavours! And at the far side of this area is the L’Esterel hotel with its own swish restaurant.
As for ‘eating-in’, the on-site supermarket was fantastic with its own bakery, a selection of toys, a wide range of food at reasonable prices and even a special section for English customers missing their favourite ale or sauce! We didn’t bother going anywhere else.
All in all we had fantastic family holiday in Cap Esterel and can’t wait to return!
