The Louvre Paris France district is a gigantic collection of enormous fortress-like buildings. As well as the palace of the French kings, La Place de la Concorde ( Concorde Square ) was the former site of the infamous guillotine and many beheadings in the French Revolution. Today, there are no murdering machines, but instead, an Obelisk given to France by Egypt from the ruins of Ramses II’s temple. Between the Louvre and Concorde Square is the Jardin des Tuileries ( the Tuileries Garden ), which is an incredible Italian style garden with fountains, caves, greenhouses and sculptures. Below the garden is Le Musee de L’Orangerie, with Renoirs, Monets, Picassos and Czannes. Also nearby, visitors can find the Vendome Square, which is the center of fine jewellery on location Paris. Clients can also examine Rivoli Street, the Faubord Saint honor Street and haute couture homes in Victories Square. Le Palais Royal ( the Royal Palace ) is awonderful piece of design surrounded by gardens, columns and colonnades. The financial district is also located in this area of France, with La Bourse du Commerce ( the Commodity Exchange ) located here. The L’englise Saint Roch Church homes a number of Jesuit art pieces, as well as the bodies of Corneille and Diderot.

Naturally, many travellers want to stay in the Louvre Paris France district, given its close proximity to a number of excellent attractions. The closest hotel is the straightforward, two-star Timhotel Le Louvre Paris hotel, which is just 253 meters from this wonderful museum. The rooms are plain, but you’ll have access to free wi-fi in your room and cable TV. Prices start at $133 / night. The Normandy Hotel is also right on the corner of the Louvre Museum. This three-star building looks rather impressive from the street and offers an equally classy, sublime interior. Beginning at $185 / night, this is one of the pleasanter three-star hotels in Paris. Found right next door is the four-star Hotel du Louvre Paris, which seems more like a palace than a hotel. Beginning at $277 / night, guests can enjoy marble baths, jacuzzi spas, plush bedding, a fitness center and nothing apart from top-quality amenities. For the wealthiest travelers, the Renaissance Paris Vendome ( $411+ / night ) and Park Hyatt Paris Vendome ( $750+ / night ) feature five-star accommodations in the area.

According to a friend of mine who runs a home business in the tourism industry guests staying at hostels in Paris regularly choose to take special tours at the Louvre Paris France. For kids and families, tours can be taken based totally on the following themes. 90 minute guided tours for kids and families explore the following topics: “Histories and Legends”, “Two by Two” ( kids participate in a museum workshop, while folks choose a theme for a tour), “The Medieval Louvre” ( tour of the remains of the medieval fortress ), or “Discovery Trail” ( public galleries and hidden secrets ). People can take hour-and-a-half guided tours of the complete museum or 90-minute journeys thru the masterpieces, the design and the history behind the Louvre. There are also special tours for groups, children and disabled visitors to prompt the appreciation of art by all.

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With European economies showing signs of recovery, there are some indications that the holiday rental season in France will be better than 2009. However, the gite market is very competitive, and although July and August may be good – the rest of the year could be difficult. Perhaps the Brits will still find it difficult with the strong euro but other Europeans will be vacationing in France.

Consumers are looking for value for money, and are conserving savings. So expect the last minute market to be very busy this year. The luxury end of the market was strong in 2009, and expectations are high for 2010. Those offering a range of activities and USPs will probably fare better.

Many gite owners are British, attracted by a less stressful lifestyle (how misleading), and often rely on pensions or income from the UK. Many have found it difficult to live on lower takings and less euros for their pension pounds, and have decided to sell up. Although gite property prices might have declined in the last couple of years, the Brits can sell at lower prices because they are getting significantly more pounds for their euros! There are still some desperate sellers.

So if you are thinking of buying, there are many gite bargains around. However, the Languedoc-Roussillon and Aquitaine, increasingly popular with the Brits does not have so many bargains – prices keeping relatively stable in the downturn.

Technorati Tags: french property market, french property market 2010

Whilst chateau hopping remember to take the time to happen upon some local wine cellars, for “degustation” or tasting in the Loire Valley. Take the time to relax and enjoy your holiday.

France’s Loire Valley has the grandest selection of 15th and sixteenth century castles. With fifty to sixty “must see” castles scattered on both sides of a 100-mile sweep of the Loire River, the first-time visitor can feel overwhelmed.

Image via Wikipedia

Five of the best castles are below.

Chateau Amboise

Amboise’s narrowed cobbled streets wind at the base of the large. Although only 25% of the original chateau survives, the fortress walls with flying banners look down on the village and neighboring river. It was here that King Francois I hit his head on a low arch, fatally wounding him.

Chateau Clos Luce

Not more than a half mile from Amboise is Chateau Le Clos Luce, a chateau built and designed by Leonardo da Vinci. He lived the last three years of his life here under Francois I’s sponsorship. The rooms are filled with 40 models of Leonardo’s inventions so you can marvel at his foresight and impressive mental powers 500 years earlier.

This is another nice venue to amuse children. The gardens are drop dead gorgeous with a bubbling brook and the kids can play on models of Da Vinci’s inventions in the garden for hours and hours.

Chateau Chenonceau

Chenonceau Chateau amazes you with its two-story, 260-foot Great Gallery arching over the River Cher. Originally “acquired” by King Francois I, it then passed to his successor, Henri II, who gifted it in 1547 to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. Diane expanded the chateau and built a bridge over the river.

When Henri II died, his wife, Catherine de Medici, took revenge on her rival by forcing Diane to exchange Chateau Chenonceau for nearby Chateau Chaumont. Catherine then commissioned the construction of the bridge gallery. Unbelievably extravagant galas were held here until Catherine’s son, Henry III, was murdered. His wife, Louise de Savoie, placed the castle in mourning, furnishing it entirely in black and white.

History leaps out as you tour the rooms and the gardens. In world war I the Great Gallery was converted to a hospital. In world war II the chateau marked the boundary between Nazi-occupied and free France and became the site of prisoner exchanges. Today the chateau and grounds are maintained at their height as if they were at under Catherine de Medici.

It really is the must see chateau in the Loire Valley.

Chateau Chambord

King Francois I was not content with just the castles at Chenonceau and Amboise. He acquired over 10,000 acres of hunting land and decided to construct the world’s most magnificent “hunting lodge”. Chambord was built over many decades by Francois and his successors, Henri II and Charles IX in the sixteenth century.

Fully restored now, Chambord stands as the most extravagant of all the Loire chateaux – 500 feet wide with 440 rooms and 365 fireplaces. The central grand staircase was supposedly designed by the Italian great, Leonardo da Vinci. It has double spirals which enable two parties of people to climb and descend simultaneously without meeting.

[You can hire bikes and boats at Chambord for a delightful activity - very handy if you have kids to amuse.]

Chateau Chaumont-sur-Loire

Built in the 15th century by Lord Amboise on the site of a 10th century feudal fortress, Chaumont commands incredible views of the Loire Valley. It was later the home of both Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici of Castle Chenonceau fame. Enjoy this chateau for its fortress feeling, drawbridge, furnishings, tapestry, and incredible vistas.

It has a fantastic garden festival each year running from April to October. They have quirky contemporary displays and a different theme each year.

If you can you should spoil yourself and rent a chateau as opposed to just visiting one. A chateau is a wonderful venue for a destination wedding in France . Some even offer a destination wedding package. You do not have to be loaded to have a fairytale french wedding.

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Vacation loans falls under personal loans, but can come in both secured and unsecured loans. These vacation loans also offer a wide range of terms regarding payment period and interest rates. There is usually almost the same terms with a normal loan.

Secured loans are usually against a valuable property, say your house. This comes with lower interest rates. Most creditors base the annual percentage rate or APR on your credit rating. Do not be discouraged if you have a bad credit only with a slightly higher APR. There are still loans available for you. APRs tend to vary for secured loans from 7.9 % APR Variable up to 19.9 %, but the average falls under 13.5 %.

Vacation loans can also be unsecured loans. This means that there is no collateral needed for the loan. This usually comes with an APR of 7.4 % up to 41 % APR, depending on the credit rating, but the average is around 19.9 %.

These vacation loans usually have special promotions during holiday seasons. There are creditors tends to give away a small per cent off as a bonus to those that wants to have a vacation for Christmas.

The rates for vacation loans tend to differ according to your payment plan. Since the loans are via APR then, the longer you plan to pay the loan, all the more interest you are likely to pay. This may also work just as well because there will be smaller monthly payments. So it is more affordable. You may go out on that dream vacation without blowing all your salary on repayment when you get back.

Another factor that may affect the monthly payment and the length of payment is the amount of the principal loan. There are creditors that tend to give more time for higher loans. Higher loans could sometimes mean longer payment terms, it can range from 12 months to 36 months, sometimes longer.

These vacation loans sometime vary a little, like personal vacation, family vacation, short-term vacation, and long term vacation. Vacation loans are practical as long as you know that you have the means to pay them. Remember to always plan your vacation wisely to avoid extra expenses and to have a fun and memorable one in France.

Technorati Tags: Annual percentage rate, eiffel tower, Financial Services

The New Year is often a time to reflect and plan for the future. Often, big decisions are made during this period. Many contemplate big life-style changes while others plan to settle their finances like credit cards, mortgages and the like. If history is anything to go by, the number of enquiries about Gites will rocket in January, February and March. So what are the Gite Market Prospects for 2009?

Image by TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³ via Flickr

Will it be the same in 2009? The financial crisis will have some impact – there is no doubt. But it will be a good time to buy with substantial price reductions in the pipeline.

The media has been full of stories about expats with diminishing pensions in euro land. The rapid demise of pound sterling against the euro, has devalued pensions by 30% in the last 12 months. So many expats are having to re-consider a return back to Blighty. Expats in France are being forced to sell-up and return to the UK too.

In these well publicised cases, the problem is the income is in pound sterling. Those fortunate to be running gites will not be affected by this particular issue – although they have a different set of problems (less tourists from the UK as they cannot afford to holiday in France!). Gite owners are typically paid in euros so their income will not subject to the exchange rate.

So in 2009, we think potential “expats” will look at the Gite market seriously as they will perceive that their income will be in euros. Gites will look attractive in this light – a lifestyle change and income in euros! This paints a rosy picture. The gite market still remains a fiercely competitive market – 2009 is likely to even more competitive as economies struggle with the recession and tourist numbers to France decline.

Our recommendation is to have a thoroughly researched business plan – that is realistic! Look at options for a niche market for your Gite – wine tours, painting weekends, rambler weeks, etc. These markets are easier to market to – rather than attacking a hugely competitive general tourist market. Look for an unique USP, and bear in mind the French only tend to book gites in July and August. Perhaps 10 weeks to make some income! You probably need to look at attracting business outside that 10 week time frame. Save money on your channel ferries too: Channel Ferries Deals.

C’est la vie!

Technorati Tags: Business plan, Gite Market Prospects, Travel and Tourism

There are various alternatives for people planning a vacation in France – hôtels, holiday rentals, camping and Holiday villages are among the most popular. But perhaps it is time to consider Holiday Villages in France.

Image via Wikipedia

Hotels offer the advantage that everything is laid on – no cleaning to do or meals to prepare – and are often located in the best town centre locations. Holiday rentals provide a chance to stay in a typical house of the region, and give the freedom to come and go that may be missing with a hotel.

Camping holidays are a great way for a young family to visit France. Entertainments are usually laid on for adults and children alike, and most campsites offer bars, restaurants and swimming pools with slides and water games. Facilities depend, as always, on the price you pay.

Don’t confuse these large family oriented campsites with ‘camping a la ferme’ (on the farm) French-style when you make your booking! Camping at a farm is a cheap, traditional camping experience where you pitch your tent in a field – and very few facilities beyond running water and toilets are made available.

The last main option is French holiday villages, and perhaps these offer the best of all possible worlds.

A well run modern holiday village offers numerous facilities with a selection of bars and restaurants, night-time amusements, day time entertainment, tennis and other sports, and a dazzling choice of pools and associated fun.

But on-site enjoyment is only part of a successful holiday. Sometimes you need to get away and enjoy the French countryside or beaches! The best of the villages are found in the best locations. Usually they are near the coast, perhaps the Cote d’Azur, the Atlantic surfing beaches or the beautiful scenery of the Brittany region, but sometimes they are located in the most impressive country ide such as the Dordogne or the Gorged de l’Ardeche.

Whichever type of holiday you are looking for you are sure to find it in France from one of the options above – just spend some time deciding what is best for you and your family to be sure you make the best possible choices.

You can find some of the best villages available for a visit at holiday villages in France. If you need some ideas about which part of France to visit first, visit regions of France to start exploring.

Marcus Smith

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Technorati Tags: camping, holiday rentals, Holiday Villages in France, hôtels, Region France

Introducing France Video:

Beaches, skiing on the Alps, and vineyards are just a sample of what groups of people are attracted from this country. France is a country which draws more tourists than any other country. It is easy to see why this is the case given France’s great reputation for fine wines, good food, high fashion and relaxed lifestyle. But while a city like Biarritz France (in the Aquitaine region) is undoubtedly a place to eat and drink till your heart is content, there’s much more to this fascinating country than only cutting-edge cuisines. Spring is the best time to be here, and those interested in winter sports can drop at the Alps and Pyrenees with some polar gear. The summers are very hot and winters are moderate. An all-weather coat and pair of comfortable shoes are a must. Women, especially, should carry cocktail dresses as some of the restaurants ask for it. When visiting any religious site, refrain from wearing sleeveless shirt and shorts, as they are disliked at such places.

Culture
English is widely spoken here, although French is the official language. Handshaking is customary greeting and women should be kissed on both cheeks and should be addressed as Monsieur or Madame. French people are popularly known for their like for stylish sportswear and can’t forget the perfumes. Nudism is allowed on some beaches only. Social functions, fine restaurants, and clubs call for more formal dressing. When at a formal dinner, wait till the host gestures to start the dinner. Smoking is banned in public places.

Site Seeing
Paris, the city of love, is a massive city with many attractions in reachable distance thanks to the highly efficient public transport system. It boasts of more than 80 museums and 200 arts galleries. A trip to Disney land and the magnificent Eiffel tower will make the trip worthwhile.

The attractive tourists spots are the Arc de triomphe which spans over the tomb of an unknown soldier, the forbidding gothic architecture of the Notre Dame cathedral, the picturesque Sacre Coeur, to Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Moulin Rouge and boat tours along the Seine. Get the Carte Musees-Monuments pass, which gives access to 70 monuments and museums.

Shopping
Although service tax is included in the bill, a humble tip won’t cost much. Another dollar may be given to the server as a tip. Bus drivers can be given a $2 tip.

Electricity
220-volt, 50-cycle AC current.

Getting There
The national airline that operates here is Air France. Airlines that are inexpensive provide services from within the UK. Paris-Charles de Gaulle also known as Roissy-Charles de Gaulle is the major airport of France, which is 23km away from the city. The airport provides services such as, taxis, limos, and coaches. The railway facility provided by the airport, claims to reach all the terminals within eight minutes. These trains run 24 hours. The other airports that offer flight services are Paris-Orly, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon and Toulouse.

Ports such as Havre, Atlantic, Mediterranean, and North Sea, are known for their building of cruise ships.

Duty Free Items (Non-EU citizens)
1. 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250g of tobacco
2. 1liter of spirits over 22 per cent or 2liter of alcoholic beverage up to 22 per cent
3. 2liter of wine
4. 250ml of eau de toilette and 50g of perfume
5. 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract
6. 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract

Technorati Tags: Biarritz France, Fun Facts About France, Fun Facts of France, Interesting Things About France

How about spending a couple of days in the city the French themselves think is the capital for food? How about staying on the edge of two different wine regions, with a chance to make comparisons between the two at amazing prices? How about being in an ancient Roman city with its own theater and with fabulous mosaics? How about wandering down narrow passages between houses, designed originally to get the bales of silk down to the river protected from the climate? How about having two of Europe’s great rivers joining together within the city? How about seeing some great paintings and sculpture without being surrounded by hordes of other vacationers? How about a short trip to the Alps?

Getting to Lyon

You can reach Lyon easily from Paris by the world-famous fast train, the TGV. You can travel across a major part of France in just two hours, in great comfort. In fact, some Parisians take their business colleagues down to Lyon by train just to have lunch. Lyon is considered the gastronomic center of France with the highest concentration of Michelin three star restaurants in the world. Many of the young cooks at these great restaurants leave to open their own restaurants, serving great food at modest prices. You are sure to find exceptional food at reasonable prices in Lyon.

I don’t know why Lyon is not included in more vacation plans. It’s a great city for tourists and a perfect stop on your vacation trip on the way from Paris to the sophisticated beach life of the South of France. For your next vacation in France, spend a few days in Lyon.

More Info:
Vacation Rentals near Lyon
Regional Guides

Technorati Tags: france, france holiday, french holiday, gastronomy, lyon, rhone, visit france

The single most important thing for a cost-effective vacation is pick you time. Times to avoid in Paris: Christmas, September/October when there are large trade shows. If you want the best hotels that Paris offers: check rates at weekends or inthe summer holidays, August, you might just get a deal.

Try to time your departure so that you leave late at night having had a full day in Paris: your hotel will hold your luggage even if you have to check out in the morning. You have now got an extra day in Paris, and no hotel bill! Sleep on the plane its the best thing to do on them.

Don’t go alone: preferably take a couple of friends and share a room: you will normally pay the same for two adults as one and the third person is much less than half the tarrif for two.

Don’t hire a car . You do not need a car in Paris; the central city is compact and walkable and the Metro will get you around faster than a taxi in rush hour. If you are hiring an auto for the remainder of your vacation, arrange it so that your hire period begins as you say au revoir to Paris.

On-line travel sites are great for finding and coparing the best hotel rates. Don’t just book with the first site you find though. Try five or six especially if you are looking for smaller, boutique hotels. Not all travel websites list all hotels.

Beware that a lot of museums and art galleries are shut one day a week: normally Monday or Tuesday. If you are in town for those two days then double check which days your “must see” sites are open to avoid disappointment.

Don’t use taxis to hop around town: use the Metro for longer trips or walk: Paris is one of the most walkable cities in the world and most of the major sights and shopping areas are within easy walking distance.

A new development in inner city transport is the Vélib program (“vélo Liberté” or Freedom Bikes) by which it is possible to rent a bike for a very modest price. The first 30 minutes is free (plus a Euro1 daily fee payable by credit card) and prices rise raipidly for longer rental: designed to encourage you to drop off the bike and pick up a new one as you require: what a great reason to stop at cafe or two…

Paris is a wonderful city and who doesn’t want to see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Musse d’Orsay, Notre Dame Church. Make sure you make the effort to make it to top stared restaraunt at least once on your visit.

Choose a Paris Luxury Hotel for your next European vacation and really see a different side of that wonderful city. A central Paris hotel will help you spend most of your time in the city of romance not commuting from a remote suburb. Selecting the best Parisian hotel can make or break your vacation.

Technorati Tags: central Paris hotel, cheap Paris hotel, discount Paris hotel, last minute Paris hotel, luxury Paris hotel, Paris apartment

We have a great selection of Gites for Sale on Gites-in-France.co.uk – but perhaps you are looking for a holiday home, investment property (including leasebacks) or a permanent relocation? Looking for French Property News – latest properties and guides?

Our partner 1st for French Property has over 5000 French Properties for sale – the #1 site on the Internet. You can immediately see at a glance thumb-shot photos, number of beds and baths, land area, region /department of France and of course the price! From La Loire to the Cote d’Azur in Provence and plenty in between. They work with a large number of French Estate Agents (Immobilier sarl or agence in French!). Perhaps you want to arrange a viewing trip – not only can we arrange viewings but also have a large selection of French Rentals for viewing trips!

1st for French Property’s international clients include property buyers from Canada to New Zealand and most European countries. They also work with agents from Real Estate Agents in the USA looking for property in Europe.

French Regions
The most popular regions at the moment seem to be Aquitaine (including the Dordogne), Brittany, Normandy, Limousin, Languedoc and Poitou-Charentes.

Property Types
Types of property/ house available: If you are interested in a particular type of property – say, farmhouses then the 1st for French Property site makes it easy to find just such a particular type of property. If you are looking for a commercial opportunity such as a bar or a hotel – they can help you! They have an easy to use Search Tool to help you with your searches.

More Information
You will also find lots of background information: property buyers guide, region and department guides and lots of helpful articles. A new feature is a Video Guide to each region. There a daily email newsletter report listing latest properties matching your criteria – this service is called My Notify. There is a large range of RSS feeds for your Newsreader application so that you can keep up to date.

Services

Currency Exchange – services for transferring regular mortgage payments, one-off payments and travel money
French insurance – holiday and permanent residence
Mortgages – both Euro and Sterling.
French Property News – latest properties

Technorati Tags: 1st for French Property, french commercial property, french departments, french property news, french regions