Weather
Temperate and continental climate in the north, Mediterranean in the south, mountains are cooler with heavy snows in the winter.
Time difference
GMT +1
Currency
Euro (€) = 100 cents.
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France experts
Allison (Tina) Barnard-Barnard.jpg "France holiday expert")
She may have been raised in California, but Tina has a passion for Europe. Her most recent discovery was Pädaste Manor on Muhu Island, Estonia. “For peace and quiet it’s perfect. If you’re feeling brave you can jump right out of the seawater hot tub and in to the icy Baltic.” Next on her wish list is a whale-watching trip to the Azores – “Exotic islands just a three-hour flight from the UK”. Other travels around Europe have taken her to France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Italy and the Faeroe islands. And, of course, she has also explored her new home, travelling around the United Kingdom.
Guida Jardim
Travelled to Greece (Including Corfu, Paxos, Kelfonia, Zante and Crete). Corsica, Mallorca and Spain, South of France, Sicily, Venice, Portual and Madeira.
Lisa Allinson
The Oberammergau Passion Play, just a short drive from Munich, happens once a decade, and Lisa is taking bookings for the 2010 performance. “It’s an open-air theatre, and the setting sun provides a wonderful backdrop. You even get taken to dinner in the interval.” Completely different is Malta: “Cheaper than France, Spain or Italy and with wonderful snorkelling and a fascinating history”. Lisa is also a big fan of Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Spain, and the British countryside.
Mark Taylor
Mark is a great advocate of train travel. “Not only is it better for the environment, but travelling to, say, Paris or Bruges by Eurostar is quick, easy and convenient, bypassing the usual airport battles.” Mark is also one of our resident ski specialists. “I love St Anton in Austria. Its exciting runs are so easily accessible, and the car-free town has a friendly, lively atmosphere.” Mark has also spent time exploring Cyprus, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland.
Pippa McCarthy
Pippa studied for a year at La Sorbonne in Paris and regularly returns to France with her French husband. “I may well know France better than my own country, especially the likes of Paris, Provence, the Côte d’Azur and Bordeaux. We’ll be spending Christmas this year in the town of Montargis, among the parks, gardens and beautiful chateaux of Loiret.” When she’s not in France, you’ll find Pippa exploring Greece, Italy, Monaco, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and, at least sometimes, the UK.
Simon Clifford
Simon is at home in the great outdoors, places like iceberg studded Jökulsárlón, a glacial lagoon on Iceland’s south coast. “It makes a great day trip from Reykjavik, and thanks to the collapse of the Króna, Iceland is more affordable than ever.” Simon also fell in love with the beaches of Montenegro, again on the fringes of Europe – “Even better than those in Croatia, and that’s saying something”. And his travels have continued to take him to many European countries down roads less travelled, visiting Albania, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey and the Azores.
Toby Bishop
Toby was born in the province of Valencia and swears there’s nowhere better for a taste of real Spain. “Don’t miss the Fiesta of the Moors & Christians at the end of April. A papier-mâché castle is erected in the town of Alcoy, and townsfolk don historic costumes to re-enact the Spanish re-conquest of their country from the Moors – think fireworks, blunderbusses and vast plates of paella.” Toby has also been to Austria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Monaco, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and around the UK
