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Last Minute Ski Deals from UK Companies 

The snow has been falling and the slopes on the French ski resorts are top quality. But a slow start to the season meant that many people held off booking or went elsewhere. So there are plenty of bargains out there, even over the half-term holidays. Here are a few suggestions from some small specialised companies in the U.K. Even if you don't use them this time, it's worth keeping their details for future ski holidays:

If calling from the U.S.A. please add 00 44 before the telephone number and omit the first 0 (so VIP chalets above will be 00 44 844 557 3119.

Image: Kids skiing at Courchevel 1850 © Courchevel Tourisme/Jerome Kelagopian

More on Skiing in the French Alps

Last Minute Ski Deals from UK Companies originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Sunday, February 5th, 2012 at 11:01:58.

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Little Dunkerque's Mighty Carnival 

For many of us, carnivals are usually associated with the south of France, and Christmas markets with the north. But both Christmas markets and carnivals are celebrated throughout France with equal gusto so wherever you are, you'll find one.

January is a cold, sometimes bleak month in Pas de Calais on the English Channel, but there was a particularly reason for little Dunkerque to cheer itself up.

Dunkerque's prosperity lay with the visscherbende (groups of local fishermen), who sailed to Iceland to catch cod. Before they set sail on what was a very dangerous journey, there was, of course, a great feast. It started in the 18^th century and has continued to this day, along with all sorts of local customs and songs added in for good measure.

It's the biggest carnival in this part of France, and one of the oldest. It may not be not the most comfortable carnival for spectators, but it's fascinating and an event well worth seeing and it lasts at weekends and on certain weekdays, until March 11th.

Little Dunkerque's Mighty Carnival originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 at 09:39:40.

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Strasbourg's February Fleamarket 

Shopping in French fleamarkets is a particular pleasure. Some cities specialize in gathering dealers together at fixed dates. Strasbourg has four brocantes or fleamarkets a year and the next two in February and April (7th and 8th) give you the chance to seek out all sorts of old items, some valuable, some possibly less so except in terms of the pleasure that an old set of cutlery, grape scissors or a vintage frock might give you .

Strasbourg, placed at the eastern border where France and Germany meet, is a particular good place for such an event. On  February 4^th and 5^th, you can browse through the stalls for old European jewelery, ceramics, glassware, clothes and general antiques, giving a far greater range than in many French cities.

Practical Information

Parc des Expositions du Wacken.
Place de la Foire-Expositions
Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 88 37 67 67
Website

Image: Streets of Strasbourg © AIRDIASOL - ROTHAN

Strasbourg's February Fleamarket originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Sunday, January 29th, 2012 at 08:12:27.

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P&O Ferries Massive New Ferry 

When P&O commissioned its two massive new ferries, the company had no idea that its main rival, SeaFrance, would go into liquidation. But what timing for P&O. Until a new ferry company takes over SeaFrance or sets up a rival, the considerable freight and passenger traffic is using P&O and its expanding fleet.

It was a bold step to invest in two new ships. Spirit of Britain entered the fleet last year; now P&O Ferries has taken delivery of its second new 180 million euro ship, Spirit of France. It was built at the STX Europe shipyard in Rauma, Finland to high specifications and began its 1,400 mile journey to Dover early in January. Spirit of France will arrive in Dover at 11am this Saturday January 28^th. Then there are last minute preparations to make before the new ship joins the Dover-Calais route by mid-February.

The two new ships are the largest ferries ever built for the crossing in the Dover Strait. Each is more than 47,000 gross tons and 213 metres (700 feet) in length, with 12 decks and a capacity of 170 trucks at 15 meters long plus 195 cars, or 1,000 cars and 2,000 passengers. No wonder together the ships cost 360 million euros ($472.5million or £301 million ).

The ships are, as you can imagine, extremely smart, with plenty of lounges and seating areas, good restaurants and shops more like an airport than a ferry.

So if you get the chance, book on one of the new ships.

Check out the Guide to Ferries from the UK

P&O Ferries Massive New Ferry originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Thursday, January 26th, 2012 at 14:52:56.

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Sooo British in Strasbourg 

From November 2011 to May 2012, during the period of the UK Presidency of the Council of Europe, Strasbourg is celebrating all things British. So if you want British style, and art, and architecture, film, food, dance and, well, British culture generally, then the Alsatian capital is the place to visit.

The relationship between Strasbourg and Britain goes back to 1949, when the Treaty of London created the Council of Europe with its 10 founding member states. On August 12^th, 1949, Sir Winston Churchill recognized the symbolic importance of choosing Strasbourg . This was the city of Franco-German reconciliation.

From today until the end of April, you can't miss the connection: Tram E in the city will be decorated in red, white and blue. In February look out for a retrospective of the films of Stephen Frears at the Cinema L'Odyssee, while major works by modern British artists are on display at the Modern Art Museum. Lewis Carroll is celebrated in April.

There's an ongoing calender of events. So check out the Sooo British program

More information
Strasbourg Tourist Information
17 place de la Cathedrale
Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 88 52 28 28
Website

More about Strasbourg

General View of Strasbourg © Geneviève Engel

Sooo British in Strasbourg originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Monday, January 23rd, 2012 at 08:57:47.

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Snow Sculpture in Valloire, Jan 24th to 27th 

You expect all sorts of exciting events in ski resorts, but this one is a bit out of the ordinary. This is the 28^th year that Valloire, at the foot of the famous Col du Galibier in Savoie in the French Alps, has organized their fabulous snow sculpture contest.

From January 24th to 27th, you can meet the artists from all around the world (Canada is particularly strong on this art). You find out how they do their extraordinary art and extraordinary it is. Sculptures beautifully made of cars, polar bears, fanciful creatures and more are created by international artists. It's a fleeting moment; they will not last.

You can place a vote for the final result which is announced at 5pm on Friday January 27^th. Then there's a torch-lit descent by the professional ski instructors in the resort, stunning fire works that soar into the black night sky, and dancing lights on all the sculptures.

More information

Office de Tourisme de Valloire
rue des Grandes Alpes - 73450 Valloire
Tel: 04 79 59 03 96
Website

More on the Region

© Pascal Delannoy / Ot Valloire

Snow Sculpture in Valloire, Jan 24th to 27th originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Friday, January 20th, 2012 at 06:05:24.

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Limoux Carnaval Jan 15 to March 25 

It's that time of year again, when the Carnival season gets going and people traditionally throw off winter blues to celebrate the coming of Spring. Limoux, one of the first of the year, is a remarkable festival and the longest in the world. There are exhibitions and events all through the carnaval, but the main processions take place on Saturdays and Sundays at 11am, 4.30pm and 10pm, when masked characters parade through the town.  These are the 'guilds' who play music and sing songs, but it's not as carefree as that sounds. The reason is satire, making fun of society and its rules, all conducted in the ancient Occitan language. The most impressive of these processions is the torchlit one at night, where you really do feel that the ghosts of the past are gathering.

While the bandes who lead the procession are locals, you can join in (provided you dress up and the more obscure or strange the better). You can become one of the 'goudils', followers of the bandes who go through the streets, stopping at cafes for a quick glass of wine before the final stop in the main square, la place de la Republique.

The carnaval ends after ten weeks on March 25^th, the second Sunday before Easter. This is La Nuit de la Blanquette, the night when His Majesty King Carnaval is burnt at the stake in the main square, la place de la Republique. A straw effigy, he is the scapegoat who takes the blame for the 'sins' people have committed during the festival.

It's a great event, so if you can visit Limoux then this is a good time.

Check out hotels in Limoux

More on Limoux and the Region

Limoux Tourist Office (in French)

Limoux Carnaval Jan 15 to March 25 originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Sunday, January 15th, 2012 at 13:13:58.

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Get a glamorous photo in a Paris photo booth 

If you want a good photograph of yourself, wait until you are in Paris. There are now two photo booths developed by the legendary Studio Harcourt which has been photographing the stars since the 1930s.

The famous studio researched the various ways that it could reproduce something of its glamorous style in a photo booth. It unveiled the results at a special booth at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2011, which resulted in long queues outside the new booth as everybody lined up to get 'the Harcourt look' for a mere 10 euros.  Okay, so you won't look quite as glam as Marlene Dietrich, Brigitte Bardot, Alain Delon or Sophie Harcourt, but the photo will be something to keep. The booth doesn't use flash but continuous light. So the effect is not one of a mad looking rabbit caught in a car's headlights (well, mine always turn out like that), but what could be a real studio portrait.

The two booths are at MK2 Bibliotheque (128/162 Ave de France, Paris 13), and Franck et Fils (80 rue de Passy, Paris 16).

More details about the Studio Harcourt photo booths

Image: Being photographed at Studio Harcourt, Paris © Mary Anne Evans

Get a glamorous photo in a Paris photo booth originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Thursday, January 12th, 2012 at 12:34:40.

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Joan of Arc is 600 Years Old 

Joan of Arc, nicknamed the 'Maid of Orleans', was born 600 years ago in 1412. Her birth in Domremy-la-Pucelle in the Vosges, eastern France, was according to the villagers, on January 6th.

Her death by burning at the stake on May 1st, 1431, is celebrated more widely every year throughout France, but that didn't stop President Nicolas Sarkozy from making a pilgrimage this year. He didn't go to Domremy, but to Vaucouleurs a little to the north, in the same region. It was from here that Joan began her campaign to push the English out of France during the Hundred Years War between the two countries, and put Charles VII on the throne.

But Sarkozy's mind was as much on politics as it was on honoring the great French heroine and Roman Catholic saint. Joan of Arc has been adopted by the Far Right as a nationalist heroine who got rid of unwanted foreigners. Sarkozy tried to dispel their claim to her. "Joan is the incarnation of patriotism, which is the love of one's country without the hatred of others" he said in a public speech on Friday January 6th.

Forget the politics; this year there are likely to be many celebrations of Joan all over France. But the main ones will be centered around the places most closely associated with her: at Domremy, at Orleans where she lifted the English siege on the city, and in Rouen, where she was burned at the stake.

Joan of Arc was canonized in 1920, and along with St. Denis, St. Martin of Tours, St. Louis IX and St. Theresa of Lisieux, is one of the patron saints of France.

Joan of Arc is 600 Years Old originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Sunday, January 8th, 2012 at 13:23:35.

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Winter Sales in France 

In most French regions, the winter sales will start in 2012 on January 11^th and finish on February 14th. But there are exceptions to this in six departments near the French border: Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, Vosges, Landes and Pyrenees-Atlantiques.

Sales in France are government regulated, although with tough economic conditions you'll see plenty of signs saying Promotion (deal) or Soldes exceptionnels (exceptional sales).

Sales are genuine with shops selling off out-of-season stock and as all good French women know, if you're out of season then you might as well drop out. Which makes good bargains for foreign visitors who don't care a toss about the season but want good clothes at good  prices.

If you miss the sales, don't worry.  There are bargains to be had in France throughout the year, particularly in the discount malls and shopping centres around the country. Check out my  Bargain shopping guide.

If you're near Troyes in Champagne, don't miss the Malls just outside Troyes. Find out more.

Winter Sales in France originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Thursday, January 5th, 2012 at 12:07:22.

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