Rather than looking for a winter sun holiday destination this year, we decided to take a short break nearer to home… much nearer! And rather than worrying about the weather in the UK in October, we decided to embrace it.

For us the Isle of Wight is less than 2 hours away and that includes the short half hour ferry trip to the island from the beautiful town of Lymington.

The prices for Bed and Breakfast accommodation on the Isle of Wight at this time of the year are cheaper and I think we managed to find a real gem in the form of Rosemary Cottage located in the pretty of village of Newchurch in an area known as Langbridge. Whilst not on the beach, it is about 5min drive away, or if you like cycling or walking you can use the disused railway line that now forms part of the National Cycle Network and known as ‘Route 23 and runs right next to Rosemary Cottage.

The Cottage itself is wonderfully presented and has be restored to the highest standard. Our bedroom was everything that you would hope for and more, but the real selling point for us was the lounge that looks over a fantastic garden with it’s large pond. On our last morning a heron landed on the weeping willow and then made it’s way down to the pond, looking for breakfast.

On both of our nights, we took the short walk up the hill into the village on Newchurch and to The Pointer Inn pub, a cosy place that offers fantastic home cooked food and real ales at what I would call reasonable prices. I am not the only person who thinks this as it has won ‘Island Lifes’ Dining Pub of the Year 2 years in a row.

Overall a fantastic place to stay on the Isle of Wight and one that I cannot recommend enough.

For more details take a look at their website: www.rosemarycottagebreaks.co.uk

HotelConnect, our favourite hotel booking site are at it again, with half price hotels help you get away this summer!

Sound to good to be true, well I have personally used one of their deals before, an managed to get a hotel in Prague of £1 a night and so I can confirm that the deals are real.

So what are they offering this time?

55% off the 3 star Rydges Plaza Hotel in Dubai, located in the fashionable Al Diyafah Street allows easy and quick access to all Dubai’s major attractions and with seven internationally themed restaurants offer a mouth catering array of cuisine.
This deal runs from the 1st May to the 20 Sept 2009 and means that you can now stay there from £53 per person per night.

50% off the 3 star superior Metropolitan Deira Hotel in Dubai
This deal runs from the 16th May to the 20 Sept 2009 and means that you can now stay there from £38 per person per night.

As well as this they also have deals other hotels in Dubai, with up to 40% off and deals on hotels all around the globe, many of which are at beach holiday locations including a £9pp hotel in Athens or 48% off a 4 star boutique hotel in Barcelona. For more information check out HotelConnect

Because of the A(H1N1) outbreak in Mexico where 58 people have died, hotels on Mexico’s Caribbean coast are now offering free holidays for three years to any tourist who catches swine flue whilst on vacation in the area.

Mexico has some of the world’s most beautiful beaches and places like Tulum Beach in the Yucatan Peninsula and Cancun are popular beach holiday locations.

This is a bid to counter swine flu’s blow to the tourism industry as it has been hit hard by the flue epidemic with a huge amount of cancellations in hotel and holiday bookings in Mexico which has so far caused at least 25 hotels to close in and around Cancun alone and the flu’s impact, including on tourism, was expected to cost Mexico’s economy around 2.3 billion dollars.

Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said that several top Mexican beach resorts, including Cozumel on the east coast and Puerto Vallarta on the west coast, had not registered any A(H1N1) cases at all and that “Tourist destinations are safe in Mexico, people can return calmly, we are carrying out intensive checks,” Cordova said.

About five thousand hotel rooms have so far been involved in the promotion which is hoped would demonstrate the confidence in Mexico’s beach resorts. “The ‘flu-free guarantee’ assures three years of free holidays to tourists who present flu symptoms eight days after returning from their trip,” said Fernando Garcia, director of one of the participating hotel groups. Hotel owners in Mexico will also send letters to the US government as well as US newspapers asking to remove the alert against non-essential travel Mexico due to the flu epidemic.

On the flip side, the health minister said Monday that three foreigners including one from Scotland and two from the United States were among more than two thousand swine flu cases identified in the whole of Mexico, including two who had actually had been in the popular beach resort of Cancun.

On our to do list during the planned road trip in the South of France is to try and watch a mountain stage of this years Tour de France.

Tour de France Route
We had hoped to travel at the end of July, but because the tour starts in Monaco this year and follows an anti-clockwise route around France, it means that the mountain stages in the Pyrenees occur fairly early on, with the big mountain stages on the 7th, 8th and 9th of July. Another option the penultimate stage on the 25th of July which finishes on the famous Mont Ventoux summit, in the Provence region of southern France. Nicknamed the “Giant of Provence” because it is the largest region or “The Bald Mountain” because top of the mountain is bare limestone without vegetation or trees.

Didi, the Tour de France Devil
Dieter “Didi” Senft (born 1952 in Reichenwalde, Germany) is known as the Tour de France devil or El Diablo and since 1993, he has been seen in the Tour’s many stages wearing his red devil costume.

Tour de France Dates 2009

…go to the main Self Drive Holiday in France page.

Picture: REUTERS

Note: This post is part of a series on our Self Drive Holiday in France.

Obviously a vital part to our road trip to France is the vehicle. Most people taking the France Ferry would simply use their own vehicle, but as we will be travelling as a group of six people, all with luggage and a few tents to, a slightly larger vehicle than my Renault Megane is needed.

Having checked many car hire companies, the biggest car they offer is something like a Vauxhall Zafira and whilst it can seat 7 people, I think two seats fold out in the boot of the car, which with luggage wont work, especially as we are all adults, which is a shame as a vehicle in this class costs around £30 a day to hire from the UK.

MPV or Minivan
Next I found Europecar who offer the Renault Espace or similar vehicle which looks like it could work - It has seating for 7 with limited luggage space (see main image) - they say it can take 2 small suitcases and 2 large ones , so I reckon with 6 seats we should be able to fit all the luggage we need.

Cost of hiring a MPV or Minivan:

Rental for 10 days (in July) Price: £480.00 = £48/day (£8 per person per day)
Rental for 12 days (in July) Price: £576.00 = £48/day
Rental for 15 days (in July) Price: £720.00 = £48/day

Extra driver £7.49/day: £74.90
Overseas travel: £60.00

Total: £614.90 ( for 10 days) = £103 per person (about £10 a day per person)

…go to the main Self Drive Holiday in France page.

Note: This post is part of a series on our Self Drive Family Holiday in France.

Catch a Ferry to Spain to Get to the South of France?

The Portsmouth to Bilbao Ferry Crossing
Another option to get to southern France other than taking the ferry crossing to France is to catch the P&O ferry to Spain, which takes you from Portsmouth to Bilbao in northern Spain and then drive to France. This option could work out as whilst the ferry journey is much longer (2 nights on the way there and 1 night on the way back), it does cut out the long drive through to the South of France.

The Drive from Calais to Tarbes (a town in the Pyrenees mountains in the South of France and just happens to be the finish of the 9th stage of the Tour de France on Sunday 12 July) is about 1,115 km and will take about 10 hours 12 minutes of non stop driving. Where as the drive from Bilbao to Tarbes, is only 294 km taking about 2 hours 55 minutes, along the coastline of northern Spain and the fantastic scenery of the Pyrenees.

This option will probably works out more expensive, but I think if you look at is as part of the holiday, it could also be very enjoyable. With exhilarating sea views, restaurants, live entertainment, two on-board casinos, saunas and a gym and a good night’s sleep in your comfortable en suite cabin, it could almost be called a cruise!

Example Bookings
So how much does a ferry to Spain cost:
Based on 6 people and a car:
The cheapest price of 2 cabins with 3 births is not ideal for 3 couples, but it is the cheapest option

• Portsmouth - Bilbao Sat 04 Jul 2009 21:15 -  £515.00
• Bilbao - Portsmouth Sat 18 Jul 2009 13:15 -  £540.00

Total: 1,055.00 = £176 per person

For 3 cabins with 2 beds inside each (perfect for 3 couples):

• Portsmouth - Bilbao Sat 04 Jul 2009 21:15 - £630.00
• Bilbao - Portsmouth Sat 18 Jul 2009 13:15  - £655.00

Total: 1,285.00 = £215 per person

What about the average family:
2 Adults and 2 Children and a car (1 room x 4 Berth Inside)
Total: £765.00 = £191 per person

Or as a couple:
2 adults and a car (1 room with 2 beds) You can get a double room, but it will cost you more.

• Portsmouth - Bilbao Sat 04 Jul 2009 21:15 : £340.00
• Bilbao - Portsmouth Sat 18 Jul 2009 13:15: £365.00

Total: £705.00 = £352 per person

So whilst this is nowhere near a cheap as taking the ferry to France, this option is definitly worth considering especially if you are traveling in a larger group as it can work out fairly ecconomical especially if you take in account the fuel you save and tolls that you don’t have to pay by driving through France.

Portsmouth to Santander Ferry
Another ferry to Spain is operated by Brittany Ferries and only opened in March 2009, it also leaves from Portsmouth but takes you to Santander.

Santander is about 100km west of Bilbao and whilst fantastic if you are wishing to explore Spain or Portugal, it does add an hour to the journey if you are wishing to travel east to the South of France. Having said that this new ferry, the very impressive mv Pont-Aven is said to offer the fastest journey to Spain and takes only 24 hours. The Pont-Aven is also probably the most luxurious ferry to Spain with some great features including a swimming pool and leisure area, 2 cinemas, video games room and slot machines, wrap around promenade perfect for a stroll on the deck, a dramatic five deck high atrium with panoramic views from the lifts. To eat there is the main restaurant, a self service restaurant, a coffee shop and 3 bars including the pool bar.

Price
I checked the prices and it works out pretty similar to the Portsmouth to Bilbao Ferry Crossing run by P&O ferries, and will cost £1218.00 for six people (3 double rooms) and a car travelling on Sunday 5 July 2009 at 4pm, returning on Monday 13 July 2009 at 3pm.

For more information on the UK to Spain ferry crossing check out the Beach holiday guide on Ferries to Spain.

…go back to the main Self Drive Family Holiday in France page.

Note: This post is part of a series on our Self Drive Family Holiday in France.

Ferry crossings to France

There are two reasons why we decided on the ferry crossing to France rather than flying, the first is the cost, if we were to fly, there would be 6 air tickets to purchase and then we would still have to hire a car in France. The other is just to try something different, I haven’t been on a car ferry to France before and so it sounds like it could be a fun part of the journey rather than something you just want to get over with. With the cost of cheap flights becoming more expensive, and increased competition amongst Ferry companies mean that cheap ferries to France are a real alternative to the no-frills airlines especially as they offer you the added advantage of door-to-door access, greater independence and flexibility giving you the freedom to explore France as well as the rest of Europe.

Dover to Calais

There are plenty of ferry crossing to France from the UK, the most used route is the 90 minute journey from Dover to Calais with a large choice of companies and crossings throughout the day. Probably the best known France ferry companis is P&O ferries, below is an example of what you can expect to pay:

Example Booking

• The prices range between £25 and £55 depending on time of travel in either direction.
• The cost is also the same for any amount of passengers up to 9 passengers.

Depart 6am: £25 (up to 9 people and a car)
Depart 8:30am: £55 (up to 9 people and a car)

So on average you are looking at about £80 to £100 for the return journey = approx £20 per person (based on 6 people)

Dover to Dunkirk

Another common route is from Dover to Dunkirk. Dunkirk is just north of Calais and is more convenient than Calais for many destinations in France as well as Belgium and Holland as well as providing shorter drive times to Germany, Switzerland. It also has the benefit of being a much quieter port meaning that you are on your way from the ferry port more quickly and the roads are a lot quieter although I think the crossing time is a little longer at about 2 hours.

Norfolkline is the only ferry company sailing to Dunkerque, France and an example of what you can expect to pay is below:

Example Booking
Outward journey - The Dover to Dunkirk Ferry

Friday 3 July 2009
6am depart: £24
8am: £45
6pm: £29
11:59pm: £17.99

Saturday 4 July 2009
6am depart: £39
8am: £45
6pm: £37

Return Journey - The Dunkirk to Dover Ferry

Sunday 19 July 2009
6am: £32
8am: £42
10am: £35
2pm: £47
8pm: £47
10pm: £39

Monday 20 July 2009
6am: £25
8am: £29
10am: £32
2pm: £42
8pm: £37
10pm: £25

Prices above are for up to 4 passengers and a vehicle any extra passengers are £15 each for return tickets (add £30 to the total for 6 people)

So it will cost around £80 to £100 for the return journey (about £20 per person based on 6 people)

What if you live in the North?
From the North of Britain you don’t have to drive all the way down south to get on a ferry at Dover. Ferries from Newcastle to Holland, may be a better option even if you are travelling to France as it can not only save you many miles of driving put a few pounds as well. From Newcastle to Dover is 347 miles, take the ferry from Newcastle to Holland and it is only 175 miles before you reach the French border.
Ferries from Newcastle to Holland cost from £129 (one-way) based on 2 people and a car. For more details take a look at the DFDS Seaways Website

Ferry to Spain

Another option worth looking at if you are travelling to Southern France, is to catch the Ferry to Spain (Portsmouth to Bilbao) and then drive into France.

Go back to the main Self Drive Family Holiday in France page.

South of France Holiday - Beaches, Bicycles & Canoes

For something a little different to our traditional summer holiday (relaxing on one of the beaches in Europe) a group of us thought it might be fun to explore the south of France by driving there from the UK using a ferry crossing to get to mainland Europe.

The aim is to not only to enjoy some of the best beaches on the French Riviera, but also to time it so that we can take in a mountain stage of the world’s most famous bicycle race, the Tour de France and perhaps do a little canoeing and camping in the Ardeche region of France.

As there will be 6 of us travelling together, I thought that I would write about the planning of the trip as well as a report after we get back in the hope that some of the information may be of use to others as I feel this could also make for a fantastic family holiday in France.

So the basic plan is (click on the links for more details):

• Hire a Car to Carry 6 People
• Get to France by Ferry or Ferry to Spain and then Drive into France
• Travel to the south of France by car
• Watch a mountain Stage of the Tour de France
• Enjoy some Canoeing in the Ardeche
• Enjoy a day or two on one of the best French beaches

Our accommodation in France will consist of:

• Camping
• Bed & Breakfasts

With a flight time of around 7 hours from the UK, Dubai is not a short distance away and as such it can often be difficult finding any sort of cheap flights.

Lastminute.com currently have a Flight Sale on and one of the destinations in the sale is Dubai. As with most deals, I am often sceptical as to what is the catch. With flights, it is often that you have to fly on an exact day and possibly with some airline you have never heard of. So I have done the homework for you:

Cheap Flights Dubai
I have just done a quick search and at the moment you can get return tickets to Dubai from around £230, depending on what airline and what days you choose to fly on.

Some examples

• Royal Brunei Airlines £230 return
• Qatar Airways £244 return
• Etihad Airways £243 return

For more details, take a look at the Lastminute.com Top Flight Offers

The cheap flight prices listed above are for travel dates between 30th April and up until July - The prices start to rise in July when the cheapest price is then £321. As you can see the airlines are also some of the best, infact I would go as far to say that Qatar Airways is probably the best airline in the world and unlike some low cost airlines, the ones above won’t surprise you with hidden fees, these prices include taxes and fees!

As well as cheap flights to Dubai in their sale, lastminute.com also have some other great deals:

• Virgin Atlantic : Heathrow to New York £284 return
• Virgin Atlantic: Heathrow to Hong Kong £363 return
• Etihad Airways: Heathrow to Johannesburg £383 return
• Emirates Airways: Gatwick to Bangkok £400 return
• Etihad Airways: Heathrow to Sydney £560 return

For more details, check out the Beach Holiday Guide to:

• Dubai Cheap Holiday Packages
• Cheap Flights to Dubai

Or to Check and book the Dubai flights as well as all the other deals:

Believe it or not, but now the beach Holiday guides favourite airline to hate, Ryanair is now considering how to charge extra for “Very Large Passengers” This comes after more than 30,000 passengers voted in favour of charging excess weight fees for very large passengers.

“Over 100,000 passengers logged on to ryanair.com to take part in our competition and almost one in three (over 30,000) think that very large passengers should be asked to pay a fat tax.” this is according to Stephen McNamara of Ryanair.

Other charges voted for on the on-line poll include:

• 29% - Excess fees for very overweight passengers
• 25% - €1 for toilet paper – with O’Leary’s face on it
• 24% - €3 to smoke in a converted toilet cubicle
• 14% - Annual subscription to access Ryanair.com
• 8% - €2 “corkage” fee for passengers who bring their own food onboard.

Ryanair is now considering how to implement such a charge and is now asking it’s passengers to vote, on which format the charge should take:

• Charge per kg over 130kg/20 stone (male) and 100kg/15 stone (females)
• Charge per inch for every waist inch over 45 inch (male) and 40 inch (female)
• Charge for every point in excess of 40 points on the Body Mass Index (+30 points is obese)
• Charge for a second seat if passengers’ waist touches both armrests simultaneously.

Again according to Stephen McNamara of Ryanair:

“The above four points seem to us to be the simplest, fairest and administratively easiest to apply.

“In all cases we have set limits at very high levels so that a ‘fat tax’ will only apply to those really large passengers who invade’ the space of the passengers sitting beside them.

“These charges, if introduced, might also act as an incentive to some of our very large passengers to lose a little weight and hopefully feel a little lighter and healthier.

“The revenues from any such fat tax will be used to lower the airfares for all Ryanair passengers yet further. Passengers can vote for their preference on www.ryanair.com until April 27.”

So, do you think Ryanair is seriously considering charging extra for larger customers, or is this is all another publicity stunt?