PLANNING YOUR JOURNEY

 

 

There are many ways to reach Provence  – by road, air or rail !  Each has its own merits as well as time and cost implications.

 

ROAD       If you are coming by car, there are of course many routes you can take but, naturally,  the ‘motorway’ is the quickest but includes the added cost of the Peage (tolls). 

 

For rest breaks en-route, the motorways have service areas  called ‘aires’.  They range from picnic areas to larger, fully serviced service stations.

 

Many people traveling to the Provence area include an overnight stop within their  journey.  Dependent on which Port you travel through, Dijon, is approximately half-way.  Again, the choice of accommodation is vast.  Motels and hotels within the Accor group provide a range of accommodation at different prices and can be booked easily from the UK.

 

AIR   Many regional as well as the International UK airports have flights to the South of France.  Marseille is the nearest Airport served by the most Airlines including some of the ‘budget’ airlines.  Carcasonne Airport is almost equal in distance but we are not aware that so many airlines fly here.  Traveling time from Marseille  or Carcasoone Airports to St Martin De Castillon  (by car) is approximately one and a half hours.

 

Nice also has an international Airport and is approximately two and a half hours away by car and the scenery on route can serve as a nice introduction to the holiday!

 

Car hire is readily available and can be booked from the UK.

 

RAIL            The TVG (train)  leaves from Waterloo (London) or Ashford (Kent) stations.  The nearest destination stations  are  Avignon  or Aix-en-Provence either are approximately an hour and a quarter away.

 

The Eurostar also goes to Avignon.  There is a service to Aix-en-Provence but this includes a change en-route.

 

Car hire again is available, but not so much choice and can be booked from the UK.

 

 

 

Websites addresses that may prove useful when planning your journey are as follows :

 

FERRIES & TUNNEL  :

 

Brittany Ferries :         Plymouth, Poole and

                                                     Portsmouth to France                http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/

Condor Ferries :         Poole & Weymouth

                                                                          to France                       http://www.condorferries.com/

Norfolk Line :                  Dover to France                           http://www.norfolklines.com/

P and O :                              Dover to Calais                            http://www.poferries.com/

Sea France :                     Dover  to Calais                           http://www.seafrance.com/

Speed Ferries :              Dover to Boulogne                   http://www.speedferries.com/

Transmanche  Ferries : Newhaven to Dieppe           http://www.transmanche.ferries.org/

 

Euro Tunnel                    Folkestone to Calais                 http://www.eurotunnel.com/  

 

Comparative Price Companies                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        http://www.aferry.co.uk/

                                                                                                                     www.ferryoffers.co.uk

AIR

 

Air France                                                                      http://www.airfrance.fr/

BMI (British Midland)                                              http://www.flybmi.com/

British Airways                                                              http://www.ba.com/

Easy Jet                                                                         http://www.easyjet.com/

Ryan Air                                                                         www.ryanair.com

 

Comparative Price Companies                                 http://www.expedia.co.uk/

                                                                                                                       www.ebookers.com

 

RAIL

 

TGV                                                                                 http://www.tgv.com/

Eurostar                                                                          http://www.eurostar.com/

 

 

OVER-NIGHT ACCOMMODATION

 

Accor Group                                                                  http://www.accorhotelcom/

 

Includes :                         Etap                                          http://www.etaphotel.com/

                                                      Forumale1                                http://www.formule1.com/

                                        Ibis Hotels                               http://www.ibishotelcom/

                                        Mercure                                     www.mercure.com

                                        Novotel                                     www.novotel.com

 

CAR HIRE

 

Alomo                                                                                http://www.alomo.com/

Europcar                                                                           www.europcar.com

Hertz                                                                                  www.hertz.co.uk

 

Comparative Price Companies                                   http://www.carhire.airline.co.uk/

 

ROUTE PLANNERS

 

AA                                                                                     www.theaa.com

BP                                                                                      www.bpplus.com

RAC                                                                                 http://www.rac.co.uk/