Latest updates on France, French Wine, Food, Travel, Holidays and Events
FrenchDuck UK - Latest
Despite already having a well-developed high speed train (TGV) network, the French have plans to double the length of the special TGV lines by 2020 from the current 1750km. Trains a Grand Vitesse (TGVs) do run on on many major routes, but not all the line is a dedicated TGV track which permits speeds of up to 320km/hr (200mph) - e.g. the TGV Atlantique to Bordeaux is only high speed track as far as Tours.
Several major extensions of the network include:-
Tours to Bordeaux via Poitiers and Angouleme, bringing Bordeaux within 2 hours of Paris. Utlimately the high speed line will extend south to Bayonne and into Spain!
Le Mans to Rennes in Brittany - bringing Brest within 3 hours of Paris!
Bordeaux to Toulouse in South West France, reducing the travel time to 1 hour!
Marseille to Nice will complete the line to Provence and the Côte d’Azur
Montpellier to Perpignan and on to Barcelona in Spain!
It’s a great example of why domestic air travel in France becomes less and less viable with city centre to city centre times such as these in the offing - speedy and green!
You can book any train journey to and within France including Eurostar, TGV and local lines through RailEurope
Until Tuesday 26th August 2008, First class fares on French trains will be reduced, with prices starting from as little as £12 one way.To take advantage of these reduced fares, you must book before Tuesday 19th August 2008.
Travel from Paris to
You can travel on high speed TGV trains which run at speeds of up to 186 mph across France, including the new Christian Lacroix trains running East of Paris.
Alternatively take a trip on comfortable, well-equipped regional trains, which will take you into the heart of your destination.
Or to wake up in your destination by taking an overnight Corail Lunéa train. Enjoy a comfortable night’s sleep in a flat bed and take advantage of having the whole day ahead of you.
Just like old times - but none the less frustrating for the traveller.
The French Rail network (SNCG & TGV) will be experiencing strike action from 8pm Monday 9 June 2008 for 24 hours, as railway workers are unhappy about the reorganisation of freight traffic on the rails. This will involve some disruption to services both inter-city and in Paris and the regions, but there should be services on most lines, albeit at reduced frequency. Eurostar services from London to Lille, Paris and Brussels should not be affected.
French hauliers are still demostrating against the increase in the cost of diesel and look set to continue to demonstrate by disrupting deliveries from oil terminals, border crossings and rolling blockades along some autoroutes etc. Bordeaux seems particulaly prone to such demos, and a nationwide series of protests is planned for Monday 16 June 2008.
The best advice would seem to be to keep your tank filled up and listen to the radio to try to avoid trouble spots.
As a matter of interest BBC Radio 4 has been running a series called “1968 Day by Day” and on this week’s edition was the report of similar problems in 1968 - 40 years ago - plus ca change! - see BBC.
For the moment (9 June 2008) there appear to be no problems with cross-channel ferries from Dover, other than roadworks on the A20 on the approach to the ferry port which are causing delays - see Port of Dover
Petrol and Diesel Prices in France (as at 09 June 2008, exchange rate = £1 = €1.24)
unleaded = €1.449 (116.8p) per litre
super-unleaded = €1.467 (118.3p) per litre
diesel = €1.387 (111.8p) per litre
For up-to-date traffic information in France (in English) see www.bison-fute.equipement.gouv.fr
The Independent’s Simon Calder narrates an interesting and informative Podcast which you can download and take with you to the cosmopolitan city of Nice, an easy option with many budget airlines flying in from numerous UK airports - or take the TGV from London!
Beginning in the Promenade des Anglais, Simon Calder explores the Matisse Museum and admires the beautiful views of the hills of Provence. He also samples the region’s cuisine, trying traditional corn pancakes and dining at the luxurious Aphrodite restaurant, before tasting some locally produced wine.
The local wine is called Bellet AOC.The vineyards lie within the city limits in the hills above the town. Seldom seen in the UK, the whites are made from Rolle and some Chardonnay with Folle Noir for the reds with some Grenache and Cinsault. Rosé comes from Braquet and Cinsault. Yapp Brothers stock the Bellet AC wines of Domaine de la Source - the rosé 2007 being “a dry and fruity rosé with aromas of wild roses. On the palate, red berry flavours precede a clean, dry finish.”, whilst the 2007 Blanc is described as “An esoteric dry white wine with subtle hints of Provençal pine. The wine displays aromas of pear and wild flowers when young and quince and toasted almonds when it reaches maturity. The dry but fruity palate has balanced acidity and good fruit characteristics, preceding an alluring dry finish.”
Some Links:
Hi Hotel
Musée Matisse in Nice
Aphrodite Restaurant
Nice Official Tourist Office
In this environmentally-aware age, there are new considerations when planning your trip to France - the Eurostar probably is the winner London-Paris in terms of both time (city centre to city centre) and lack of hassle. Even on overall cost it probably wins especially if you can book ahead.
But, on a longer journey to the Mediterranean coast and the Cote d’Azur? The dash between rail terminals in Paris (e.g. Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon) can be a significant disincentive for the train and adds time on an already long journey.
Sheila took the journey from London to Antibes (06 Alpes-Maritimes, Provence) by Eurostar and TGV, and here are some of her observations:
We were advised to go 1st class as it was a long journey…. St. Pancras to Antibes, changing at Lille - definitely worth the extra for the wide comfortable seats. Toilets on both the Eurostar and the following TGV were disgusting - but fine on the return journey. Food on Eurostar was good and pleasantly served. The staff were very obliging and efficient. Food on the Lille/Antibes train was just from the buffet car and not at all interesting - just sandwiches and snacks.It seemed that most people brought their own and ate on the journey but, being French, they did this at lunch time - not grazing constantly as the British seem to do.
Even in 1st class the TGV was full, and people tend to anticipate their station and prepare (with huge cases and luggage) several minutes before arrival at the station. The train does not stop for very long.
The train is very fast, but very smooth - it is a long journey so very necessary to have reading matter, ipod, or whatever to pass the time - scenery in the North rather flat, but becoming more interesting as it progresses through to the South.
We were on the top deck on the way out and it was a single decker on the return journey, but not really any noticeable difference except when coming in to a station and people’s heads were below eye level, only the stairs made it more difficult to get the luggage ready by the door when preparing to leave the train.
Despite the horribly early start, I think I’d do the same again rather than the alternative flight from Heathrow.
For example mid-week in late May 2008 you can leave London St Pancras at 07.00 and arrive in Antibes at 17.27 (local time) - a journey time of 9h27m with a 1 hour wait in Lille (59 Nord Nord-Pas-de-Calais) (but no dash across town just a saunter across the platform!). Return fare is £189.00 (£349 First Class).
Marseille features in the Independent (22 Mar 08) as being one of the top 10 travel terminals in the World for its new airport terminal, but a brickbat for the Marseille Ferry Port as one of the grimmest.
A new-look terminal, named MP2, opened at Marseille/Provence airport at Merignane especially for low-cost flying. Uniquely the terminal is designed to eliminate many services (and the associated costs) normally provided at airports. So passangers will take bags to the scanners themselves to reduce reliance on check-in staff and people will walk across the tarmac before boarding - no buses or walkways. All very much in the “no frills” mode, but at least the airport tax will be halved for domestic flights and reduced by up to 85% on European flights. The décor inside the terminal is also be “cheap and cheerful” with a combination of pink and green, purportedly symbolising a new dawn and a new way of travelling.
I suspect that if the terminal works efficiently and processes you and your baggage quickly and easily then who can bemoan the lack of other facilities. On the other hand it could be a little more trying if there are significant delays.
Terminal One remains and will continue to be more traditional, albeit hopefully less crowded than before for those travelling with the major airlines and paying more (usually).
At the other end of the scale, the Marseille Ferry Port is far from welcoming - delapidated industrial infrastructure which is reminiscent of Marseille’s rather dubious and dangerous reputation. But it is a gateway for reaching many other parts of the western Mediterranean including Corsica, Sardinia and north Africa.
The other alternative connection for Marseille is of course with the train, with Eurostar from another of the featured top 10 terminals i.e. the new St Pancras Internation station in London. The TGV line down through France to Marseille is very fast and goes through some glorious scenery as it tracks the Rhone Valley into Provence.
Your destination is then the Gare St Charles (see picture above) with its spectacular staircase (escalier) outside - a very traditional and ornate 19th Century railway terminus in the centre of the city. In the summer you can get from London to Marseille with a change of platforms in Lille, rather than a change of stations in Paris (Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon).
You can book train tickets direct from the UK to any destination in France (via Eurostar, TGV and SNCF) through RailEurope
Book Ferry tickets from Marseille with aferry.to to destinations including Corsica, Sardinia, Ajaccio, Algiers, Bastia, Calvi, Oran, Tangier and Tunis
| ferries powered by AFerry.to |
Commission Free Euros
from the Post Office Exchange Rate as at 22 march 2008: €1.2349 = £1.00
Angouleme (16 Charentes, Poitou-Charentes) joins an ever growing list of budget airline destinations when Ryanair starts flying to Angouleme’s Brie-Champniers airport from 1 April 2008. This small airport is just about 6km north of the city.
I like Angouleme - it is one of those very French market towns largely without pretension. Its main claim to fame is the annual Bande-Dessine (adult comic story books) Festival, very popular in France.
However to explore its attractions I recommend that you look at the www.viamichelin.co.uk website.I find the site very helpful in planning car trips in France (and the UK) offering a variety of route choices, timings, distances and costs including autoroute tolls. So you can discover that Angouleme is 733km from Calais, a journey taking 6 hours 49 minutes and costing €40.70 in autoroute tolls. By comparison, the journey from Caen (Ouistreham) is 485km, takes 4 hours 56 minutes and costs €21.40.
Ryanair is currently offering midweek flights in June from Stansted to Angouleme for under £44.00 return in June (including taxes and charges).
Alternatively you can reach Angouleme by train (Eurostar to Paris) and TGV to Angouleme which is on the GV Atlantique line to Bordeaux. The cheapest midweek price from London in March is £49.50 one-way, the journey time being about 6 hours.
If you explore the www.viamichelin.co.uk website further and search on the Tourism tab for Angouleme you;ll discover information on the town’s attractions and download some audio tours of some of the main sights!
One of the joys of renting a property in some parts of rural France was always the prospect of a little welcoming glass of the patron’s home brew - often something so unfamiliar and powerful if was bound to encourage good Franco-Brittanique entente cordiale. For me it was a homemade Pineau des Charentes near Saintes (Charente, Poitou-Charentes) - a blend of unfermented grape juice and neat Cognac made in the Cognac region, The first glass of this totally unknown beverage was drunk with a mixture of trepidation and politeness - served from an unlabelled bottle straight out of the fridge. The second glass was miraculously welcomed as an old friend, and the third was drunk merely to prove to the host that we were not merely being polite. Unfortunately we then discovered that the property we were staying in was still a few kilometres drive away along what roads that seemed anything but straight at the time - although the following morning the curves seemed to have been an illusion,
Hence a certain dismay at another piece of French life under threat as the Guardian (10 Dec 07) reports that this tradition is under threat.
Eau-de-vie, the fiery homemade fruit brandy which has been a staple of French rural hospitality for centuries, could be under threat by a new law to be enforced on January 1.
In France, making homemade alcohol is a tightly regulated - and taxed - process. But nearly 300,000 fruit growers and their offspring, thanks to a law dating back to the 1920s, can make up to 10 litres of pure eau-de-vie, or 20 litres of 50% alcohol, tax-free.
I do somehow have my doubts that this ruling will be strictly adhered to in the backwaters of rural France, although you should never underestimate the French customs authorities (les douaniers) who are regarded with grudging respect in France - so the bottle may stay in the fridge in future!
Charles Bremner in the Times (10 Dec 07) reports that another romantic icon of France with echoes of the 1930s is also disappearing - the Wagon-Lits sleeping cars which ran overnight from Paris to the Riviera are no more! The advent of the TGV and the ticket prices have rendered this serene and elegant mode of travel obsolete - Le Train Bleu as it was known was gleaming, polished and luxurious - a far cry from today’s preference for speed and utility. It does seem to me that modern travel termini such as all airports and many railway stations (with the exception of the new St Pancras International in London) are designed to rob travellers of any sense of anticipation or excitement for the thrill of the journey and turn it into an ordeal to be endured.
Now you’ll have to eat at the Train Bleu Restaurant in Paris to get an impression of the stylish decor and style (see image above) or really blow the budget with a trip on the Orient Express from Paris to Venice!
If you are planning to visit France in the next week or so, be prepared for some disruption, especially if using public transport and visiting Paris. As reported in the Independent (12 Nov 2007):-
France faces eight days of social convulsion starting tomorrow with strikes by railway and Metro workers, students, teachers, power workers, civil servants, opera and theatre staff and even magistrates. The protests - especially an indefinite strike by railway workers from tomorrow night - will provide the greatest test so far of the reforming nerve and zeal of President Nicolas Sarkozy.
This is the showdown between the new President and the trade unions which has been inevitable, and which may prove crucial for determining how strike-prone the country may be this winter.
This all seeems rather perverse in the week that the new St Pancras Eurostar connection opens with faster journey times to Lille, Paris and Brussels.
Eurostar launches services from St Pancras International from 14 November 2007 - and all services will start and terminate at St Pancras rather than Waterloo, which has been the terminal since the service was launched in 1994.
Close to Kings Cross and Euston mainline stations, this will make life much easier for travellers from the Midlands and the North who will no longer need to cross from one side of London to the other. Furthermore you will be able to buy through tickets from many stations in the UK.
The new St Pancras International station looks stunning, retaining key characteristics of the original Victorian edifice whilst bringing some modern touches. There is an excellent series of photos on the Guardian website.
There is also a website about the station at www.stpancras.com - but this tends to emphasise the function of the station as somewhere to visit, to shop and eat/drink!
The new intermediate station at Ebbsfleet in Kent, just off the M25 orbital motorway near Dartford opens on 19th November 2007 and will be ideal for car drivers to connect with the high speed links to Paris, Lille and Brussels - the new line will cut 20 minutes off the travel time. - London to Paris - 2 hours 15 mins; London to Brussels - 1hr 51 mins; London to Lille - 1hr 20 mins
Passengers should be aware that there may be some restriction in the timetable over this switchover period.
A new record-breaking trip this week as a fully-loaded test run was made using the new but uncompleted Eurostar terminal at London St Pancras and the new line under the East of London to the Channel Tunnel and down to Paris - just 2hours and 4 minutes. (actually it ran from Paris to London, but I assume similar speeds are possible heading south). The current run from Waterloo is two hours and 35 minutes - and scheduled services from St Pancras should be 2 hours 15 minutes city centre to city centre, with similar time improvements to Lille and Brussels.
The new route is due to open on November 14th 2007 with a new station just off the M25 at Ebbsfleet near Dartford opening on 19 November 2007. Eventually there will also be a new International Station at Stratford in East London.
The new service and timings will make rail travel to Paris and much of France a more attractive option - and the move to St Pancras will make life much easier for rail connections from the north and midlands - St Pancras being within 5 minutes walk of both Kings Cross and Euston, and not much further from Marylebone.
Ebbsfleet will also suit car travellers from the North and East in particular.
There is a lot of background and useful information on the Eurostar website.with maps of the route etc.
There is a well-established network of local and highspeed intercity trains in France, and of course France is justly proud of its impressive high speed train services - TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse).
However there are a number of preserved “tourist” railway lines, which whilst they may at first seem to be for the railway enthusiast, do really offer some great opportunities to view parts of the French landscape from quite a unique (and usually leisurely) perspective.
Some of the best include:-
le Chemin de Fer de la Baie de la Somme in Picardie, running around the bay of the Somme near Abbeville on the Channel coast (steam and diesel)
Chemin de Fer de Provence route which runs from Nice up to DIgne (04 Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur) in Provence through stunning scenery back from the Mediterranean coast - the full journey takes 3½hours each way but you can get off at numerous intermediate stations - at weekends some journeys may be with a steam engine (Train à Vapeur).
Chemin de Fer de Vallée de l’Ouche in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or, northwest of Beaune (31 Côte d’Or, Burgundy)
Chemin de Fer de la Mure south of Grenoble, runs from St-Georges-de-Commiers (38 Isèe, Rhône-Alpes) to la Mure using vintage electric engines through some dramatic scenery.
Chemin de Fer du Vivarais in the Ardeche, running from Lamastre (07 Ardeche, Rhône-Alpes) to Tournon along the valley of the River Doux - mainly steam with some vintage diesels.
Chemin de fer Touristique du Haut-Quercy “Le Truffadou” - steam and diesel on a strecth of track in and near Martel (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees)
Train Touristique de l’Albret runs on an old SNCF line from Nerac (47 Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine) to Mezin on a tourist train - about 90 minutes running from April to October.
On a different level altogether, SNCF (French National Railways) is rightly proud of its recent world record for a train at 574.8 kilometres per hour (about 360 mph) - so much so that you can see video footage of the record run at www.record2007.com/site/index_en.php - dramatically produced. However, the new trains which are now running on the TGVEst Europeen to Strasbourg, Luxembourg and all points east will work at a mere 200mph!
France prides itself on its seafood - and a Plateau des Fruits de Mer is a visual as well as a gastronomic tour-de-force. Moules Frites - or mussels and chips - is a more common feature on many menus - there is even a fast food chain “Leon de Bruxelles” which majors on Mussels!
A recent trip to the Baie de la Somme just west of Abbeville (80 Somme, Picardie) seems to offer the most extraordinary range of choice for your mussels - beyond the usual Moules Marinieres and Moules a la Creme.
The Hotel Les Pilotes at St Valery-sur-Somme offers an extraordinary selection of more than 40 different recipes - from Moules Anadalousie (from Andalucia); Moules au Champagne (in Champagne);Mussels in Ginger and Moules Lucifer to name but a few.
Personally I go for the Mariniere - poached in a light broth, which you eat messily with the fingers, dunking the french bread in the juices and served with a crisp dry white such as a Picpoul de Pinet from the Languedoc.
St Valery-sur-Somme is a pretty little port on the southern side of the Bay, more tidal riverside than seaside. On first acquaintance the view can seem just a muddy expanse when the tide is out, but it is a haven for birds and can afford some wonderful vistas and sunsets. There is a long broad boardwalk along the riverside for some gentle excercise, people- and bird- watching.
For the seaside you need to head a little further east to Cayeux-sur-Mer on the Opal coast - but whilst it has a spectacular shingle beach, the town lacks the charm of St Valery-sur-Somme. One option is to take the le Chemin de Fer de la Baie de la Somme steam train which runs round the Bay,from Cayeux to Le Crotoy on the northern banks of the Bay via St Valery-sur-Somme.
The Hotel Les Pilotes offers great views from some bedrooms and from the Restaurant where you can sample from the 40+ mussel dishes (and other seafood). It is a Logis de France, and is comfortable enough for a short stay,but neither the hotel nor restaurant could be regarded as “special” except for those views.
For more on St Valery-sur-Somme and the Baie de la Somme see www.saint-valery-sur-somme.fr” and www.somme-tourisme.com
In the Telegraph’s Money Section (10 April 07) there is a useful article by Teresa Hunter looking at the economics of taking your car to France compard to taking a budget airline flight.
The cost of driving to your destination will be affected by local petrol prices and tolls. According to the AA, unleaded petrol is slightly cheaper than Britain’s 90p per litre in France (85.5p), Italy (87.5p) and Spain (71p) but more expensive in Germany (92p), although these prices will fluctuate. Diesel, at 74p in France, 79p in Germany, 82p in Italy and 65.5p in Spain, is considerably cheaper than the 92.7p you will typically pay in Britain.
The AA estimates the mileage from London to Bordeaux at 620, so using local petrol prices and average petrol consumption the trip would cost £151.71 in petrol or £105.33 in diesel. However, motorway tolls would amount to £45.43 each way, pushing up the cost by a further £90.86. The return journey would therefore set you back £242.57 in a petrol vehicle and £196.19 in a diesel.
As the article points out, the calculations are not straightforward when you take into account costs of the ferry or tunnel, fuel, motorway tolls, breakdown insurance, depreciation and possibly overnight hotel costs en route. But then airline prices are not exactly what they seem - the headline price can be doubled or more with the addition of various “admin charges” and taxes, including the infamous Air Passenger Tax which the puritanical Mr Brown has levied on every journey. Then there is the cost of getting to/from the airport, parking and transport at the other end, be it car hire, taxi or public transport.
Personally I hate the experience of flying, especially for short haul, when the hassle and time to get through the airport is often longer than the flight itself. I detest being treated like sheep or cattle in the terminal, especially in these days of heightened security. And once on board the plane it is invariably uncomfortable and you are literally a captive audience for the cabin crew to pester you with expensive food and drink, duty free goods or lottery tickets.
I usually choose the car, despite the costs and the longer journey times. I can still get a sense of adventure waiting to board the ferry at Dover, knowing that I have some control over my route and who I share the journey with. Besides, some of the best moments in France have been when we have diverted off the main route, followed a “Centre Ville” sign rather than the vague and circuitous “Autres Directions” and “Toutes Directions” signs - coming across a market, or a wedding or some little local festival - or finding some idyllic spot for a picnic of local produce. Besides driving in France (with the exception of Paris) is usually quite enjoyable and the autoroutes are much less congested and fraught than our motorways. But probably the main reason is the ability to bring back several cases of wine bought from the cellar of a small winemaker - and the memories which will go with every glass.
Maybe the train is a decent compromise - as long as you start from London or Ashford - it is fast, cheaper than the car (and much cheaper in France) and you get to city centres without all the hassle of airport terminals and transfers.
LINKS:-
Daily Telegraph article
Cheap4Ferries offer a best price promise on all cross-channel ferry operators
Rail Europe for train tickets and timetables for French destinations
Direct Line for European Breakdown and Travel Insurance
Last year we were asked to propose an outline for a short wine tour in the southern Rhône Valley. This is an area we know well and like - and it is a great area for a wine enthusiast, as the region offers a really good selection of wines from quite a small area, including stunning reds; some of the best rosés; dry, medium and dessert white wines. Plus there is plenty to offer besides wine - rich Provencal food (especially olives and olive oil) and markets, history, great landscapes and the source of inspiration for many artists.
We based the tour on the small town of St Remy de Provence (13 Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence), about 15 miles south of Avignon. I like Avignon, but St Remy offers a more intimate experience in a delightful small Provencal town (great market on Wednesdays), strong connections to Van Gogh and to bull-running through the streets!!
There are a number of reasonable hotels and a good selection of restaurants within walking distance. Although there are more stylish and pricey hotels around St Remy, we chose to be within walking distance of the town and the itinerary usually means that the hotel is essentially just for washing and sleeping rather than indulgence. Choose a different restaurant every night!
Two hotels in the town which are reasonable for a few nights are the Logis de France AUBERGE DE LA REINE JEANNE on boulevard Mirabeau – with courtyard restaurant – and the Hotel du Cheval Blanc in avenue Fauconnet – no restaurant and a little basic, but clean, comfortable and cheery.
St Remy is ideally positioned for this wine tour - a few miles south lies Les Baux de Provence, to the west is the Camargue and Costieres de Nimes AC, to the east lies Cavaillon (for its melons) and north of there you access the best of the southern Rhône - Côtes du Rhône, Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Lirac, Tavel, Beaumes-de-Venise to name but a few.
Getting there is easy - just about 15 minutes from the futuristic Avignon TGV station (under 150 minutes from Paris on some services) - about 50 minutes from Marseilles Airport at Marignane, 30 minutes from Nimes, about 1.5 hours from Montpellier and only 2.5 hours from Nice
CONTACT DETAILS-
Auberge de la Reinne Jeanne12, boulevard Mirabeau, 13210 Saint Remy-de-Provence; T: 04.90.92.15.33; F:04.90.92.49.65
L’Hôtel du Cheval Blanc 6 avenue Fauconnet, 13210 Saint Rémy de Provence T: 04 90 92 09 28; F: 04 90 92 69 05
More on the wine tour of the southern Rhône:-
A southern Rhone wine tour - Tour 1 - Les Baux de Provence
A southern Rhone wine tour -Tour 2 - Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Beaumes-de-Venise, Cairanne and the Côtes du Rhône
A southern Rhone wine tour - Tour 3 - Lirac, Tavel and Chateauneuf-du-Pape
For more info see St Remy Tourist Office
For TGV timetables and tickets see Rail Europe
RECOMMENDED READING:-
Rhone Renaissance
Rhone (Touring Wine Country)
Markets of Provence
Provence Green Guide (Michelin Green Guides)
