France Travel Guide

Posts Tagged ‘period’

For years I had thought about travelling to France, using a car hire service and touring the battlefields of the First World War. My family like many in Britain lost loved ones in this senseless power struggle which is why my advice to anyone would be to visit the battlefields and cemeteries to get an idea of the sheer scale of the slaughter that occurred ninety years ago. The best way to do this is to hire a car and tour at your own rate, there are many organised tours of the sites but if you are after a truly unique experience, car hire is the way to go.

One major reason you should hire a car is because you may have to go to a specific cemetery. It is always worth doing the research before you embark on your trip to France; finding the names of your family members and locating which of the cemeteries they are lying in will save time and effort. It is always revealing to research your ancestors and find out a little about their last moments, in many cases, harrowing tales of comradeship and pointless death become apparent.

If you had any relatives who were at the battle of the Somme, there is little doubt that they lay in France. The battlefield itself now has a chilling memorial to the hundreds of thousands who lost their lives. The use of a hire car is especially useful here as it allows the traveller to navigate this area of France with ease; if taking elderly relatives it is a necessity to use car hire services as mobility issues can arise without your own transport.

A sense of eerie massacre surrounds these battlefields; it may not sound like the best idea of a family holiday to France but in my opinion it is vital to teach children about this period. Maybe extremely young children may not enjoy travelling around in a hire car visiting what must be seen as just fields with slabs in, but older children should definitely be involved. If the younger generations do not realise the sacrifices that were made in order for them to live freely, by their own ancestors, the world will go to rack and ruin.

With so many lives lost in the conflict it is a poignant reminder of how violent the world can be. It has been sixty years since the last major world war so younger generations have no idea of how much families once had to sacrifice. Some families lost all of their male members and it is crucial to recognise this fact. A hire car tour of the battlefields is perfect way to illustrate the point.

Travelling to France and finding the final resting place of an ancestor is a humbling experience for all who undertake it. But you do not have to solely spend your time delving into this morbidity. The use of a hire car allows tourists to visit some of the quintessential villages of France. With their quiet village life, they offer a great chance to relax, and of course like much of France, the cuisine is something to savour.

Making a trip to the battlefields of France is a great educational trip and if timed well can coincide with children’s school syllabuses. This added education can help students get a feel for the subject in a physical way and add an element away from the textbook. Most teachers will advocate the benefits of this type of learning and raising your own children’s grades must be what all parents would like.

I myself have used hire car services and toured the French battlefields and found my ancestor’s graves; although it is seemingly a rather morbid experience it is well worth undertaking. Reminding ourselves of the sacrifices of past generations is an educational element that should be a part of everyone’s learning.

With the vast amount of different rivers and canals in France, and having such a varied landscape, you can be sure that you will be able to find just the right type of holiday for you and your family.

So, as you cruise along one of the rivers or canals at a leisurely pace you will get to see things that most people will never experience and each region also offers you the chance to experience their fantastic and sometimes unusual cuisine along with the incredible French wine that is as varied as the different regions.

Only a boating holiday in France will enable you to fully appreciate the idyllic countryside and architecture from Roman to Renaissance periods along with the beautiful chateaux that are dotted along the banks, with the added plus of the glorious weather to match, it is not like travelling along the Norfolk Broads in the United Kingdom most of the year, when you are guaranteed to get some rain or gloomy days!

There is such a wide choice available for your boating holiday and you can pick the area with the climate for you; the further down South you go, the warmer it gets, but don’t forget that whilst cruising along, you need to be on the right hand side of the river or canal, just as the roads are in France!

One point, a licence is required to be able to travel by boat on the French waterways, unless of course you only have something like a canoe! Basically, any boat that has a motor means that you have to have a licence, although temporary permits called La Carte Plaisance are available and are issued by the boat rental company or charter firm that you book with.

A la Carte Plaisance is valid only for a set period of time for any habitable boat, which is under 15 metres in length, but there is also permit available for your children to drive the boat if they are between the ages of 14 and 16, if you feel they have a good sense of direction! but this is a great way to get all the family involved in the fun, but you must ask for a La Carte Junior in order to be allowed to do this.

With many of the river guides today available in English, you can be sure that you will not miss any of the local attractions or delights on offer. You can find these guides along with extra information from the regional tourist offices, but these are also normally issued to you by the charter boat company before you set off on your holiday.

Choosing the part of France you wish to visit is so important to get the best out of your holiday and in the North West of France there is Brittany, which is an area known for cider and crepes, to the East of France were there are rivers and canals throughout the regions of Alsace and Lorraine and you will find this area great for experiencing a diverse landscape from rolling hills to forests, whilst trying some of the local French beer and crisp white wines that this region produces.

How about Burgundy within the centre of France which is a great place to experience local cuisine and fine wines and the quaint historical towns provide lovely afternoon walks taking a step back in time with the history.

Also, lets not forget the South of France, obviously with the more beautiful weather, you can experience travelling along the Canal du Midi, which is the oldest canal in Europe and runs from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, and at the same time you will be able to take in the amazing variety of wildlife such as flamingos whilst on your canal boating holiday.

Yet as with any country, there are always rules and regulations on how you travel the waterways, whether it be the rivers or canals and before you embark on your boat trip you will be given some basic tuition, so that you can be issued with your licence.

And did you realise that there are over 2000 locks in France, which are known as écluse? but don’t worry to much as Some locks are automatic and some are still operated by a lockkeeper, however others will need to be operated by yourselves, so the general ‘training’ is very important, otherwise you could find yourselves in a bit of pickle initially, although most people on the canals are so very helpful and will come to your aid if you get stuck.

Although the rivers and canals are used extensively by pleasure boats these days, they are also still used by commercial vessels as well and it is these merchant vessels that have the priority on the waterways, plus also the traffic going up stream has priority over those travelling down stream.

As with road systems, the waterways have speed limits and although you are not likely to wish to speed along, these do have to be obeyed, but, it is the left-hand side that is used for overtaking just as it is on the French roads, and the slower boat must also slow down more to let the faster vessel pass.

The condition of the French rivers and canals is excellent and you will find that they even have designated areas for swimming and water sports, because, for obvious reasons, swimming is not permitted wherever you feel like going for a quick dip, yet if you are into fishing, then you can even do a spot of this while you are meandering down the river – just don’t forget to get a licence for that as well!

Along your chosen route you will find lots of fantastic areas where you can stop for lunch and stock up on supplies for that ever so important alfresco dining whilst you are cruising leisurely along. You will find additional facilities alone the way which are necessary, things like emptying your waste, which has to be done at specific points, but these are also fantastic and are very easily accessible, as it is illegal to dump waste into the river or canal system.

So even if you have never done this sort of thing before, you will without a doubt have an incredible fun time and when your boating holiday in France is nearing its end, you know that no one will want to leave.