Arranging the perfect break in France for you and your family.

When couples think of romantic breaks then they usually think of going to France. Something about France just lends itself nicely to the idea of romance. Perhaps because France is the home of fine wine and champagne or maybe the high quality French cuisine in the primary reason.

So what break is perfect for your family? Here are a few suggestions that should help you to decide where to book your break.To fully enjoy your break it is strongly suggested that you plan it in advance and sort out your itinerary. A good tour operator will be able to help you choose suitable venues and attractions and provide a hotel as a nearby base.

Categories of breaks. First off you must think carefully about what your family members want will do during your holiday. For some relaxing by the sea is all they want to do. Other prefer to go and do things and want to do sport of some type, and others will want to explore.
Paris is obviously the home of the romantic break with attractions featured in many romantic films over the years. Most people planning a trip to Paris will want to see the Eiffel tower and enjoy a meal at the top in the restaurant.

France is the home of culinary delights and service is of a very high standard. Because the French do not tolerate poor quality food you are assured a great meal in pretty much every French resuarant/bar and cafe. If you go to France for a romantic break then we would suggest a visit around a vineyard. It will give a good introduction to wine and there are usually opportunities to taste the locally produced wines on offer.
In terms of places to stay you really want somewhere that is luxurious and opulant. Thankfully there are lots of great value hotels to suit every budget. Even 4 star hotels in France offer good levels of luxury. For the ultimate romantic break one should consider a 5 star hotel or one of the many Chateux hotels around.

Many people are looking around the web for alternatives to flights. The cost of flights can be prohibitively expensive. So what are the cheapest ways to travel to France from the UK.
Travelling to France by Eurotunnel or Eurostar is a trouble freequick and easy{means of transport from the UK|way to travel to France from the UK}. We recommend{booking in advance at least 2 weeks before you travel|making your travel reservations 14 days ahead of travel}allowing you to obtain preferential rates. Additional discounts are offered when booking off peak journeys so try to avoid weekends and Fridays a good tour operator can offer advice on which are the cheapest fare options to go for.

As well as the expense{some people| as many} are frustrated you have to arrive upto 2 hours or so before the flight is due to leave. On long haul flights this is not too much of an addition to the journey time but on a short haul flight of up to 4 hours it can be very irritating spending such a large proportion of your time in airports.

For this reason many people are taking their own car to France and looking to get a cross channel crossing. There are a surprising number of transport options to France and we shall look at the most popular ones and ways to save on the cost.

Most people head straight for Paris and the Eiffel tower, probably the most iconic and photographed landmarks in the world. By doing this they will miss much of what this magical city has to offer and you should really visit this towards the end of the day before it is lit up. At night the City really comes to life and there are plenty of night clubs and bars to choose from. The most popular clubs are the Andy Whaloo, Bateau Concorde Atlantic and the Baxo.Ferries, are generally the cheapest option and there are a number of popular ferry services Most UK ports on the South and south East. Carriers such as P&O, Seafrance, Condor and Norfolk line. There are 2 main classes of ferry, a traditional ferry which has many onboard facilities and a capacity for 100's of cars and passengers and a relatively sedate speed or the smaller catamaran ferry which has a smaller capacity for vehicles and passengers and doesn't have as wide a choice of on board facilities as the Ferry but will typically make the cross channel crossing in a relatively quick time.

Rail travel is another popular option since the channel tunnel opened. The two carriers from the UK include Eurotunnel and Eurostar and it is worth noting that the two offer very different services.

Eurotunnel is only for vehicles (cars and HGV's), people stay inside their vehicles for the journey (or can get out and wonder the compartment they are in). Travel departs from Folkestone to Calais only with no stops on the way or beyond these destinations. Travel is quick and hassle free with trains running at least every 30 minutes running 24/7.

Some people resent the fact that when you fly you have to arrive upto 2 hours or so before the flight is due to leave. On long haul flights this is not too much of an addition to the journey time but on a short haul flight of up to 4 hours it can be very irritating spending such a large proportion of your time in airports.

For this reason many people are taking their own car to France and looking to get a cross channel crossing. There are a surprising number of travel options across the channel and we shall look at the most popular of them.

Eurostar is more akin to a flight, where foot passengers only are taken. Journeys can start from Ashford in Kent and London and go directly to Paris and other popular European cities in very short journey times. For those wanting to use the excellent continental passenger services around cities this is an ideal option and gives one the freedom and a hassle free way to explore northern France. Once in a main destination you can easily get connecting trains to other French destinations. Even if your hotel is a distance away from the station there are many friendly local Taxis. Eurostar runs daytime/early evening only and times vary from hourly to 3 or 4 trains per day, depending on the destination selected and the season you travel in.

Eurostar cater well for business travellers with plenty of facilities and a comfortable first class upgrade service. Booking direct is not as you might thinkalways the best option, a good travel agent is able to offer a competitive package deal on hotel and travel and through their bulk booking are able to offer generous discounts. Plus if a single element of your travel plans were to fail the tour operator can re arrange this seamlessly giving you just one point of contact.

When it comes to getting the cheapest price we suggest that you get quotes for different times of the day and different days of the week. An off peak travel rate can be much lower priced than an on peak rate. A good travel advisor or tour operator is able to provide advice on the most cost effective times to travel in. With so many travel options it also proves to be much cheaper the further in advance you wish to travel. Book at least a couple of weeks in advance for the biggest savings.

We also strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance which covers you in the event that due to health issues (your party or even close family members) you are unable to travel.
Your hotel selection is another major part of the price of your holiday and most will offer off peak offers with free nights or packages including meals so it pays to shop around and we would suggest visit sites like Train Hols to get the best offers and deals and find out what the latest offers are. It always pays to ask your preferred travel providers for details on offers and deals.

About the Author

Andy Holiday is a travel writer and researcher providing coverage and exposure to sites like Paris Breaks and Paris hotel packages.

Author (Entrypointarticles). Submitted on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 Time: 12:05 PM

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