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Archive for the ‘Special Offers’ Category
Spa and ski holidays to France
Ski breaks are hard work! A full day whizzing up and down the French pistes can result in tired and aching limbs… So what better way to prepare yourself for some après-ski drinks and delicious alpine ski cuisine than with a relaxing swim and sauna, a light warm-down in a state of the art fitness suite, or a soothing massage for those weary muscles.
‘Deep Nature Spas’ by French marine brand Algotherm are offered at seven of the Pierre & Vacances’ Premium residences in French ski resorts including Aime la Plagne, Arc 1800, Chamonix, Les Carroz D’Arâches, Les Menuires, Méribel Village and there is also a brand new spa for this winter in Arc 1950 alongside Le Village district.
Facilities offered include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, saunas, steam rooms, cardio fitness suites and relaxation studios. And spa packages are pre-bookable, so you can plan your post-piste pampering before you leave home.
Here are some examples of the facilities on offer at the Pierre & Vacances Premium ski and spa residences, whether it’s a short weekend break or a two week holiday:
Les Arcs 1950, Pierre & Vacances Premium Residence Le Village
Le Village is a Savoyard-style district offering eight Premium residences. The spacious, comfortable apartments all have a balcony or terrace overlooking the Arc 1950 village or the mountain. The newly launched ‘Deep Nature Spa’ is located in the lower part of the resort and is designed in the style of a cave with walls made up of rock and timber. There are seven treatment rooms, heated indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi, fitness suite, sensory shower and nail bar.
Aime-La-Plagne, Pierre & Vacances Premium Residence Les Hauts Bois
The ski in ski out residence lies in the heart of the vast Paradiski area and is just a stone’s throw away from the resort’s shopping centre. The apartments are decorated in the traditional Savoyard style and all guests have access to WiFi and the underground car park. The residences’ ‘Deep Nature Spa’ has a cardio-training room, indoor heated swimming pool, saunas, steam rooms and treatment rooms.
Enjoy the Paradiski area with a stay at Les Hauts Bois starting from £23 per person per night.
Méribel, Pierre & Vacances Premium Residence Les Fermes de Méribel
The recently renovated Les Fermes de Méribel is set in the heart of Méribel Village, just 50 metres from the shops. Its six chalets made of wood and stone have ski in ski out facilities, a balcony or terrace, a bakery ordering service and a covered car park. The Algotherm Spa has a well being area with a steam room and sauna, a heated indoor pool, fitness room and lounge with fireplace.
For more details and to book a spa and ski break to France visit the Pierre & Vacances website or ring 0870 0267 145.
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.
Drive to France and exchange l’ash for cash!
For the second year in a row the Icelandic ash cloud is threatening to majorly disrupt holiday makers in the UK and Ireland. And even if the impending thick ash doesn’t cause the same closure of UK and Irish air space as it did last year, surely the only thing you should be worrying about while you pack your suitcase should be if you’ve bought enough sun block…
So forget nervously checking your flight status and hit the open road to France – easily reached by ferry and Eurotunnel anytime of year, closed skies or not! Just imagine: the wind in your hair, the smell of fresh sea air… and no airport stress!
And this month there’s the added bonus of €100 off selected Pierre & Vacances Resorts, so you’ll be exchanging the worry of l’ash for some bonus cash!
Simply use the voucher code 8666 during your booking process – for full details of resorts and terms and conditions click here!
Pierre & Vacances has a wide range of accommodation in Brittany, Picardy and Normandy for a wide range of holidays, from poolside, to beachside, to those wanting to exercise their active side! So here’s our quick guide to reaching France the scenic way!
Traveling to France by Eurotunnel:
The Eurotunnel’s drive on, drive off service between Folkestone and Calais runs up to four times an hour and takes just 35 minutes.
The departure terminals are easily reached via the M25 and M20 on the English side, and just outside Calais on the A16 motorway on the French side.
For a full timetable and travel details click here.
Traveling to France by ferry:
There’s something romantic and traditional about going on holiday by sea. And whilst onboard you can avail yourself of the facilities, from swimming pools to cinemas and wine bars, not forgetting lashings of fresh air up on deck (just don’t be tempted to play Kate and Leo a la Titanic). With an overnight ferry you’ll find there’s not much time left to play Eye Spy and Are We There Yet.
Between the south of the UK and the north coast of France there are five routes across the English Channel with six ferry companies to choose from:
• P&O Ferries and Seafrance both sail between Dover and Calais, with the crossing taking around 90 minutes.
• Norfolk Line and DFDS Seaways both connect Dover and Dunkirk by sea, with the crossings taking an average of two hours.
• Condor Ferries has routes via the Channel Islands to St Malo but its direct service between Portsmouth and Cherbourg takes around five hours.
• LD Lines has two routes to choose from: Newhaven to Dieppe or Portsmouth to Le Havre, the crossings take an average of four hours and three hours 15 minutes respectively.
For Irish travellers, Brittany Ferries and Irish Ferries operate direct services to France from Ireland:
• Brittany Ferries sails from Cork to Roscoff – the fastest direct route at 14 hours.
• Irish Ferries sails from Rosslare to Roscoff or Cherbourg, and the crossing takes around 17 hours.
Driving in France
Once you’ve arrived, France has over 8,000 kilometres of motorways, of which most are toll roads. If you’re pinching pennies and not in a hurry, there’s an excellent network of trunk roads, the N-denoted Routes Nationals.
There are a number of useful sights for route planning, including:
France4Families – Route planning in France
Bison Futé – Traffic blackspots and roadwork updates
And a perennial favourite, check what the world et sa mère recommends on TripAdvisor
How to celebrate Christmas like the French!
Speak to any of our Gallic cousins and you’ll be told that Christmas is a very different affair in France. It’s all about the family and food. Sound a little too much like Christmas à l’Anglaise? Well there’s plenty more to drive home la difference. Here’s our guide to how to celebrate Christmas like the French.
And if you need further convincing, book yourself a trip across the Channel for a truly Joyeux Noël.
- Write To Santa
In France, Father Christmas is known as Père Noël or Papa Noël. He isn’t big and plump and ruddy but a tall, slim chap. In the east of the country he’s likely to be accompanied by Père Fouettard who keeps a tally of just who’s been naughty or nice, dolling out a spanking to those not deserving of gifts.
The French take Santa very seriously – a law was passed in 1962 decreeing that anyone writing to Père Noël must receive a reply.
The question of when to give presents is a potential hurdle to the uninitiated. Most provinces in France celebrate Christmas day on 25th December, but in Eastern and Northern France the season begins on 6th December on La Fête de Saint Nicolas, when children receive small gifts and sweets. There are other regional variations, such as the Fête de Lumières in Lyons on 8th December. Many adults don’t exchange gifts until New Year’s Eve or even New Year’s Day.
And rather than stockings hung by the fire, French children leave their sabots or shoes out on Christmas Eve (you’ve got to hope you’re a size 9 rather than 6!).
- Deck The Halls
Despite laying claim to the invention of the Christmas tree – originating in Strasbourg in 1605 – the French don’t invest as much significance in the festively decorated fir as the Brits. (If you do opt for a tree, don’t forget your tasteful red ribbons.) And whilst mistletoe is often hung above the door for good luck, the main decorative focus is the crèche or the equivalent of our nativity scene. Filled with wooden or clay figurines of santos or saints, the crèche features in many French homes and churches. Living crèches are common, in the form of plays and puppet shows, and a tradition has grown up in the south of France for craftsmen to make the figures year round – legend tells that the moulds have been passed from generation to generation since the seventeenth century. Don’t be surprised to see random characters such as local dignitaries, butchers, bakers and policemen.
- Fatten Up The Turkey
Unlike in the UK where Christmas day dinner is the main event, in France the tradition is to celebrate le Réveillon (traditionally after midnight mass) on Christmas Eve. Confusingly many French also mark le Réveillon on New Year’s Eve, often going out with friends or enjoying a variant of the Christmas menu at home. If you’re planning on spending New Year in France it pays to book your preferred restaurant early if you want to usher in the New Year with a meal out.
The menu various from region to region, but common attributes will be special-occasion foods served over multiple courses. Typical dishes include:
- Goose in Alsace
- Turkey in Burgandy
- Oysters and foie gras in Paris
To truly follow form the meal should include an aperitif such as Kir Royale, canapés, entree, a plat principal or main course (preferably stuffed with chestnuts), and dessert. The is one course the French all agree on, the chocolate Yule log, or Buche de Noel (not to be confused with the actual Yule log which is made out of cherry wood and sprinkled with red wine to make it smell nice when burning).
Other festive culinary – or quaffing – highlights include Beaujolias Nouveau. The new wine is re-released on the third Thursday of November and, never a wine to hang around, tradition holds that the entire stock has to be consumed by New Year.
It’s not all about the meal on Christmas Eve – La Galette des Rois is an almond cake baked to celebrate the Fête des Rois on January 6th, the twelfth day of Christmas. The cake has a charm or toy crown inside and whoever finds it is dubbed King or Queen for the day.
- Silent Night
Aaand relax. Christmas Day in France is typically a quiet affair, time for the family to come together and relax. Without the emphasis being all on the one day, December 25th is just one chapter in the yuletide celebrations. Time to recharge before the big New Year event!
- A French Carol – Un Chant de Noël Français
‘Vive le Vent’( Jingle Bells)
Vive le vent, vive le vent, vive le vent d’hiver
Qui s’en va, sifflant, soufflant
Dans les grands sapins verts, Oh !
Vive le temps, vive le temps, vive le temps d’hiver
Qui rappelle aux vieux enfants
Leurs souvenirs d’hier !
Sur le long chemin
Tout blanc de neige blanche
Un vieux monsieur s’avance
Avec sa canne dans la main
Et tout là-haut le vent
Qui siffle dans les branches
Lui souffle la romance qu’il chantait petit enfant
Christmas Holidays in France – Do it Style!
- Christmas in The Alps
5* Premium Les Crets in Meribel stands above the resort and enjoys uninterrupted views over the Tueda lake and the ski area. The building, in typical Savoie style, has undergone major renovation: apartments have been enlarged and redecorated in warm colours, and top-of-the-range furnishings and equipment installed.
Accommodation for 4 people sharing for one week starts at €1490 during the Christmas period.
- Christmas accommodation in the Cote d’Azur
4* Pont Royal Holiday Resort offers small residences no taller than 2 floors with views of the lake, golf course or surrounding hills. The apartments are near shops and activities. The houses are on the edge of the village. Most of the Provencal farmhouses are on the edge of the golf course.
Accommodation for 4 people sharing for one week starts at €2373 during the Christmas period.
- Christmas in Paris
Adagio Paris La Defense Le Parc, located in the Faubourg de l’Arche district, this new 12-storey architecturally modern residence with rounded lines offers conformable air-conditioned apartments, most of which open onto terraces or balconies. Facing a 1-hectare landscaped park, it is also close the shopping and business centre of La Défense.
Accommodation for 4 people sharing for one week starts at €1211 during the Christmas period.
Check the Pierre & Vacances website for it’s amazing two nights for free Christmas ski offer!
Fall in love with Europe this autumn with 35 per cent savings from Pierre & Vacances
European self-catering accommodation specialist Pierre & Vacances is offering UK customers specially discounted rates on properties across Europe this autumn, with savings of up to 35 per cent on bookings across a range of resorts.
Be it relaxing back amongst the uninterrupted views of the Picardy coast, riding horseback through the Ardeche or re-stocking the winter wine cellar in the Loire Valley, Pierre & Vacances is offering a range of affordable ways to fall back into holiday mode this autumn.
From €8 per person, per night, these autumnal specials can be had across selected Pierre & Vacances self-catering properties on the Atlantic coast of France, along the Cote D’Azur and Mediterranean, in the French Pyrenees, Brittany and Normandy. Pierre & Vacances properties in Spain, including on the Costa del Sol are also available. Below we have listed a selection of the deals on offer, to view all of the deals, please visit: http://www.pv-holidays.com/september-holidays_os.
Résidence Pierre & Vacances Loches – Loches
A one bedroom apartment sleeping up to five people from October 02 – 09 costs €280 (£233) per week – or just €8 per person, per night. This is a saving of 20 per cent off the advertised price of €350 (£292) per week.
Ideally located on the banks of the Indre and opposite the “Logis Royal”, the Pierre & Vacances resort at Loches is based around a redeveloped flour mill, to which small modern buildings, respectful of the surrounding heritage, have been added. It offers very comfortable apartments, most with a loggia or small garden.
Pierre & Vacances Estepona apartments – Estepona
A one bedroom apartment sleeping up to four people from September 25 – October 2 costs €292.50 (£243) per week – or just €9 per person, per night. This is a saving of 35 per cent off the advertised price of €450 (£374) per week.
New to Pierre & Vacances in summer 2009, Estepona holiday resort is just 25km from Marbella on the Costa del Sol. Tastefully decorated with spacious, comfortable and well equipped apartments with air-conditioning as standard, the resort offers a range of activities including restaurants, bars and a large swimming pool.
Pierre & Vacances Le Rouret Resort – Le Rouret
A one bedroom hillside apartment sleeping up to four people from October 18 – 25 costs €328 (£273) per week – or just €12 per person per night. This is a saving of 20 per cent off the advertised price of €410 (£342) per week.
Opened in the summer of 2006, the Rouret Holiday village is a 100-acre multi-activity resort that is ideal for all members of the family. Set in an enchanting area of the Ardeche region, the resort offers facilities for all ages, including five swimming pools, a small farm and mini golf.. For those who enjoy exploring, walks, mountain bike trails, canoeing, horseback riding or 4×4 excursions are available.
Pierre & Vacances Premium Le Crotoy la Plage – Le Crotoy
A sea-view studio apartment sleeping up to five people from October 10 – 17 costs €336 (£280) per week – or just €10 per person, per night. This is a saving of 30 per cent off the advertised price of €480 (£400) per week.
With uninterrupted views over the sea and direct access to the beach, La Crotoy la Plage residence on the Picardy coast has been styled with heritage in mind. The only beach in the North of France that faces due south, the resort is secluded and full of charm. The property boasts an indoor and an outdoor swimming pool.
