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Getting there
From the UK, no country is better served than France by the full spectrum of travel methods: air, sea, rail and road. Reaching your villa could scarcely be easier.
By train
By air
Flying is of course the fastest way to your villa: almost every part of France can be reached direct from the UK. The proliferation of air routes and carriers means that six or seven airlines fly from either London Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton or Stansted - or from one or more of a large number of regional airports, to more than a dozen different French towns and cities. Once the convenience of particular departure times is taken into consideration, no single airline offers significantly better value for money than its rivals on flights to France. Competition on the most popular routes tends to keep prices down but the only way to be sure of cheap tickets is to book early. Almost every carrier offers a very limited number of seats at attractive rates as part of its marketing strategy but in practice many passengers delay taking a decision and fail to take advantage of these offers. The closer your departure date when you book, the more you must expect to pay for your ticket. Reserving your villa and buying your flights many months in advance may save hundreds and sometimes even thousands of pounds. French airports have a wide range of car rental facilities and excellent motorway links, leaving you within easy reach of your final destination. The opening of St Pancras International and the completion of the high speed line from London to the Channel Tunnel makes it possible to reach Lille in 1 hour 20 minutes from where, by means of an easy interchange, many destinations far into France are readily accessible. And from Paris, now just 2 hours 15 minutes from London, the TGV runs to Bordeaux and Toulouse down one dedicated track, and to Lyon, Avignon and Marseille on another. On Saturdays in summer a direct service operates from London to Avignon centre in a little over 5 hours. All the leading car rental firms have outlets at French stations and Carbookers uses its bulk buying power to secure special discounts on tariff prices. French Motorail offers two routes three times per week in the peak season. One service operates to Avignon and Nice, the other to Brive, Toulouse and Narbonne. Passengers put their car onto a two-tiered wagon that runs behind the coaches with couchettes (but not sleepers). Trains leave Calais early evening, run overnight and arrive at your chosen destination the following day. Breakfast is included. The saving in hotel rooms, restaurant meals, motorway tolls, petrol, and wear and tear on driver and vehicle alike, means that Motorail represents good value for money and ensures a painless start and finish to the holiday. Ask Dominique about all French rail routes, fares, timetables and car rental. We are able to offer car hire at all French airports and some train stations via Transhire. They seek out the most reputable local car hire companies and negotiate the best rates on our behalf allowing competitive prices and a quality service in destinations all over France. By booking through Dominique's Villas you are safe in the knowledge that your car will be ready for you when you arrive at your destination. You will also save 10% on all public rates.
By car
motorway dual-carriageway Airports Motorail
The map shows the French airports served by the airlines listed below. This information was correct at the time of going to press and may change during 2008. Please note that we cannot book flights on your behalf. We will however give you any up-to-date information you may need to link your flights to your villa.
Aerarann RE Aerlingus AER Air France AF British Airways BA British European BE British Midland BD Bmibaby BM Easyjet EA Euroexec.com ETV GBAirways GB Globespan Airways Ltd GMS Jet2.com LS Lyddair LYD Ryanair RY Skysouth SDL Thomson TOM 0870 876 7676 0870 876 5000 0845 359 1000 0870 850 4850 0870 567 6676 0870 607 0555 0870 264 2229 0871 244 2366 01273 446 447 0870 850 9850 0870 556 1522 0871 226 1737 01797 322 207 0871 246 0000 01273 463 673 0870 190 0737 www.aerarann.ie www.aerlingus.com www.airfrance.co.uk www.ba.com www.flybe.com www.flybmi.com www.bmibaby.com www.easyjet.com www.euroexec.com www.gbairways.com www.flyglobespan.com www.jet2.com www.lyddair.com www.ryanair.com www.skysouth.co.uk www.thomsonfly.com
The traditional, and cheapest, means of visiting France remains to drive your car from your home in the UK to your holiday villa. Eurotunnel runs a shuttle service from just short of Folkestone through the Channel Tunnel, on special trains where you drive your own car into special two-tiered wagons, and remain in your vehicle. The Shuttle takes 35 minutes, arriving in France midway between Boulogne and Calais, but does not have catering facilities. Some visitors to France find the modern ferries more relaxing and an opportunity to have a meal or go shopping at advantageous prices. On ferries passengers are required to leave their vehicles on designated decks in the bowels of the ship. The Shuttle and most French ports accommodating Channel ferries are now directly linked into the French autoroute system, significantly reducing journey times. Motorists unfamiliar with the Continental practice of driving on the right have an opportunity to acclimatize themselves gently on the motorway network. Apart from weekends in July and August, congestion is rare. Most French autoroutes are run by private contractors who collect tolls at regular intervals along the way. The motorways have frequent rest areas for intermediate stops and provide a fast means of reaching your villa with at most one overnight stay in each direction, if you are travelling to the southeast or southwest of France.
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