Welcome to France For Families 13th newsletter.  It is hard to believe that it has already been a couple of months since our last newsletter and that Christmas is beckoning over the horizon. I am sure many of you are asking yourselves just where does the time go and even more importantly how are you going to fit everything in, especially all that present buying? Well, with that in mind we thought we'd start this issue with a focus on French Christmas Markets...

French Christmas Markets
Why not do something a bit different this year and visit one of the many French Christmas markets, a treat that can be enjoyed by all the family. The advent of so many budget flights and the ease of travel on either Eurostar or Eurotunnel mean that the French markets have never been closer.  Many of the markets are open throughout the whole of December, heralding the start of Advent; while others are on a smaller scale and can be visited over a weekend or a long weekend. All of them however give us the shopper the chance to buy unique and off-beat gifts whether these be arts and crafts, Christmas decorations or something for food lovers.

Lille: Perhaps the most popular market in the northern regions is in Lille. Here the Christmas Market runs from 22nd November through to 27th December. Lille is easily accessed either by car (ideal if you are planning on bringing bulky purchases home) or by Eurostar. The market takes place in Place Rihour in the centre of the city and as well as over 70 stalls, ranging from arts and crafts to local delicacies there is the added attraction of a trip on the 'big wheel' with spectacular views over an illuminated city.

Strasbourg: Alternatively, why not try France's oldest market in Strasbourg. Founded originally in 1570, each year the market goes from strength to strength. In fact there are several different markets represented, including the Pièce de Resistance - the famous Christkindelsmarck. The whole effect is extremely colourful with lots of illuminations against the backdrop of the old city. It runs from 29th November to 24th December.

Amiens: Another large market within easy driving reach of the northern French ports and Eurotunnel, from 25th November to 30th December. Here there will be as many as 125 stalls open from 11.00-19.30 every day as well as a skating rink which may appeal to children.

Near to Amiens is St Quentin - here the Christmas market is known as the Village de Noel and is from 9th December-7th January. A relatively new entry to the Christmas Market concept, the town has 50 stalls in an authentic mountain village in the middle of a fir-tree forest, as well as a toboggan run and an ice skating rink.

Arras: A slightly smaller market takes place in Arras, with 60 stalls from 1st-24th December.  Calais has a much smaller affair over a long weekend,15th - 18th December.

Rouen: Head to Rouen in Normandy to sample gifts with a distinctly Norman flavour. Here you will expect to find lots of apple related delicacies like cider and calvados and wonderful dairy products for which the region is so well known.

Reims: Also within driving distance is the Reims market from 24th November to 24th December.  Alongside over 125 stalls there is also entertainment laid on each day from 14.00-19.00.  Home to Champagne, what better gift than a bottle (or 2) of bubbly, if you combine your stay to a visit to some of the Champagne houses.

Information about the French Medical System
Having recently returned from an eventful October half term holiday in France it seemed appropriate to give some advice on the French healthcare system, which we have had cause to use from time to time.  Unfortunately, illness is no respecter of holidays, so having made use of both hospitals and doctors in France on several occasions over the years, here are hopefully a few helpful hints.

1. Make sure you take out travel insurance for all the family before going on holiday. If you know you will be going abroad for more than one trip a year it is cost effective to take out annual multi-trip cover rather than several single-trip policies. Read the small print carefully so you know what to do in the event of an emergency. It is usual practice to have any major treatment approved by your insurance company who will have a 24 hour medical emergency number that you must call. Otherwise contact them as soon as possible.

2. Ensure that all members of your party have an EHIC card (this has replaced the E111 form). Remember that this is for emergency health treatment only and does not cover you or your family for say repatriation, which is why it is advisable to have travel insurance as well.

3. Familiarise yourselves with how to contact the emergency services. In France this can be done free of charge from a home or public telephone by dialling 15 which links directly through to SAMU, the emergency medical helpline. Alternatively it is possible to dial 112 from your mobile or a fixed line which gets you through to the emergency services as operates in all the European member states. The advantage of this option is that the person answering your call speaks both the language of the country you are in as well as English. They will then connect you to the relevant emergency service. France also operates a system of private ambulances, but these tend to be used (if necessary) after seeing a local doctor.  Other numbers worth noting are Fire 18 and Police 17.  These numbers should hopefully be available in the welcome pack, should you be staying in a gite. Alternatively your hotel/campsite will have the necessary information.

4. A list of doctors, dentists, and nearest hospital is also useful to have. Again this information is usually provided by your gite owner or is available at campsite/hotel receptions.

5. A doctor can be visited at his surgery or he will make a home visit (much more common than in the UK). You will need to pay the doctor in cash at the time of the consultation. The French as a nation are much more 'medicine' conscious than we the British public are used to, so even for a fairly straight forward ailment do not be surprised to receive a prescription for a fair number of different medicines. The procedure is the same as in the UK. You take the prescription to the local pharmacy who will then dispense the drugs. As an example - one of our children had an ear infection and we came back from the pharmacist with 5 different medicines. Our French hosts insisted they were all essential!

6. Keep all receipts.

7. Should you require hospitalisation, then rest assured - the French hospital system is first class. The only potential problem could be one of language, as English may not be spoken by hospital staff. It may be necessary to see if there is access to an interpreter.

Planning your 2007 holidays
The saying 'You can never start too early' seems to ring true as regards forward planning for holidays. We have already found that many gites are fully booked for next summer - good news for gite owners but not so good for us, the punters!  This aside, there are many, many companies out there with a host of villas/gites to rent or camp-sites to book.  However, why not start right here on the France For Families dedicated sections to gite holidays, with holiday villas located in many of the key holiday destinations in France - Alps, Brittany, Charente/Vendée, Dordogne, Languedoc, Loire, Lot-et-Garonne, Normandy and Provence.  Alternatively for camp-sites we have a huge selection in the Dordogne region.  It also pays to check out early booking offers on the ferries, Eurotunnel and air routes.

Focus on Languedoc-Rousillon
Continuing our tour round the various regions of France, we have decided this month to focus on Languedoc Rousillon, following a very enjoyable and successful recent holiday there. This section of the website has now been fully updated with lots more information to help you should you choose this region as a holiday destination.

The area is an excellent choice, giving the holiday maker the best of both worlds - spectacular scenery inland as well as the long coastal strip with mile after mile of wonderful sandy beaches and pretty coastal towns including Collioure down towards the Spanish border. There should be something here to keep all family members happy - from the Cathar castle car route and in particular the vertiginous Chateau of Peyrepertuse to a day at a Swim park, or getting lost in a maze.

The wild, often inhospitable hinterland offers lots of picturesque villages, including several classified as Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, great for mooching around, eating lunch or people watching from a local café. The small gift/craft shops often found there will appeal to teenage girls! And don't miss out on a ride on The Little Yellow Train which could be combined with some walking. 

If it is some thrills and excitement that you are after, there are plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities including white water rafting, canoeing, and walking.

Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
Throughout the regional sections on the France For Families website there is occasional reference to an organization known as Les Plus Beaux Villages de France and it seemed like a good idea to briefly explain some of the background to this society.  The association was founded way back in 1982 by the then mayor (Charles Ceyrac) of Collonges-la-Rouge in the Corrèze department of France. This village became the first ever designated 'Plus Beau Village'. The aim was to protect some of the smaller villages of France that tended to be somewhat off the beaten track. Membership of the movement helps to protect the heritage of these small communities. There are certain criteria that these villages must adhere to. For example, the population must not exceed 2000 inhabitants and the village/hamlet must have at least 2 sites or protected monuments.

At the moment there are 149 villages in the scheme, but this number can be added to and existing villages are closely monitored to make sure that they continue to adhere to the movements strict principles, based on their intrinsic architecture, heritage and beauty. All regions of France have villages in the scheme and some of those already included on the France For families website include Villefrance-de-Conflent in our featured region this issue of Languedoc Rousillon (see above), Beuvron-en-Auge in Normandy, Limeuil in the Dordogne, St Cirq-Lapopie in Lot-et-Garonne and Montrésor in the Loire. More will be added to the website soon so don't forget to check for updates.

Focus on Holidays with young children
Finally for this issue here are some thoughts from our experiences with young children on holiday....

Holidaying in France (or anywhere for that matter) with a young family is enormous fun and need not be a stressful experience. In fact, a holiday with babies and toddlers in tow can be easier than one with older children and teenagers because by this time they often have very definite ideas of what they will and won't do.  Younger children are just happy to be with you for a week or two of 24/7 attention!

Long journeys with little ones can be a daunting prospect, but a bit of pre-planning pays dividends in the long run. So long as your children have a good supply of favourite books and toys, coupled with frequent stops they should be happy. Our children, over the years, have all enjoyed the concept of  'holiday pressies' - when Mum or Dad hand over something small and new for them to play with - a colouring book and crayons, their favourite comic, a new sing-a-long tape etc..Of course most children at this age will also sleep - a welcome relief for parents.  See the France For Families website for more boredom busting ideas!

Do make regular stops, having pre-planned your route to make the most of using the French motorway system (known as autoroutes/peages). Take a break at the Rest Aires where there is space to run around as well as play equipment for children to use (supervised of course). Baby changing or decent toilet facilities are not high on the French list of 'stop-off' must haves, and if you wish English style toilets you will have to use the disabled facilities. If you have need of something a bit more than than the basics you would be well advised to stop at a full Service Area.

Once at your destination and settled in, whether that be in a gite, on a campsite or in an hotel, you can start to unwind and plan day trips with the family. Children are accepted everywhere and entry to most attractions is free which is a great bonus - often up to 10 years. With 4 children (as we have) you sure start to notice a difference when you begin paying for all members in your group!

There is so much to do on holiday, whether it be a lazy day on the beach - don't forget sunscreen and hats- or touring grand chateaux, gardens, picturesque villages or a museum. When the children are small you can still get away with a museum trip. We always found that a good balance was best and as an example, over the years we became quite adept at finding childrens' playgrounds for our children to enjoy. Treats, particularly ice creams/lollies have also been popular, and can be enjoyed by the children while you enjoy a coffee at a pavement café. People watching is very much a part of life in France and it is quite acceptable to spend as long as you like at your café table - or at least as long as your children will let you.

Places to hunt out with small children (apart from the obvious seaside) are shallow rivers for paddling and using fishing nets. Our children when much younger spent many hours enjoying just this sort of activity on for example the Dordogne and Gardon rivers.

Obviously some compromises must be made on holiday. Gone are romantic dinners à deux, but to counter this eating out at lunchtime en famille is very rewarding, and lighter on the pocket as most restaurants have special, cheaper lunch-time only menus. Some restaurants will have high chairs, but we found that keeping a portable, travel high chair in the car was invaluable for emergencies. (Also excellent for use on picnics). There has been much has been written (lots of it negative) on the subject of children in restaurants and French attitudes in general to children in restaurants. We must say that having holidayed in France since our eldest was a baby (now 14), we can confidently say that all eating out experiences have been positive. The children have probably lost count of the number of 'surprises' they have been given at the end of a meal to take home because they have been so good, and this from the restaurant staff as well as other diners.

Early on during our holidays when the children were young we realised pretty quickly that any semblance of routine should be allowed to slip. Bearing in mind that much, if not all of France shuts down for 2-3 hours over lunch-time we found that the time available for visiting places was somewhat limited, especially if you had a late morning start. Imagine the scenario - we had one memorable occasion when with 3 children under 3 we had got up (late), breakfasted and headed out, only to reach our destination just as it was closing for lunch. So we decided that as this was a holiday we would not head back to our gite to feed the children tea at 5.00, with bed at 7.00 but allow some flexibility into our day.

In short, a holiday in France is a wonderful experience for the family and one we cannot recommend enough. The French, are a very hospitable people, who are often given a bad press. The secret is to remember that this is a different culture from what we are used to and to meet the locals half way. It helps if you at least try to talk to them in their language. Children are part of this culture and while the stereotype is of exceptionally behaved French children this, as in all things, is not always the case! So go and enjoy the experience as we have.

We hope you have enjoyed reading this latest newsletter and would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support of France For Families throughout 2006 and to wish you all -  Joyeux Noël!