Mme poivre

hi le jars, like JR i am more likely to get the money out from the atm whilst over there which costs about £4 a time for me as i am with Abbey. or save up as much as possible and send it over in one big lump costing me £25 a go.  However, like you i did ask if you could put cheques in and found out they are quite happy to accept ehtm in my french bank CA but they charge you 25euro to change it.    

ok Ron i conceede if it was as you say then i would probably fly, but it is only 4-7 hours from the ferry ports for me and have in car child minder ( dvdplayers) to keep the kids happy and i usually take some friends with me if hubby cant go so i think it will be the car for me for some time to come.  However, we do take advantage of ryanair in the summer when hubby flies down for his two week vacation by far the best way to get him there  

Agreed it is about 2.5 hours to the ferry port, but i can take up to seven people in my car, how much would it cost for 7 people to fly?  i dont have to leave my car at the airport or expect someone to drop us off, i have the car with me at the other end as well.  You either have to hire a car or get lifts back from the airport in france as well.   so as a whole i prefer the ferry/tunnel as it is much more convenient for me.  personal preference thats all.  

That does depent on how many people are going and how much luggage you want to take and when you want to go, how early you book ect. To get cheap flights my family would have to compete a three hour journey in England first just ot get to the airport!!!!!!!!!1

Thank you for the information I hope it helps others on their way down as well J

Hi all can anyone tell me if there are any stops down the A28 after Rouen or le mans , I am trying to sort out my journey down.  thanks j

hi lemage Like you I am packing for the summer in france and have my new harry potter packed ready for a relaxing read, we are travelling to the vendee so like you we are lookin forward to abit more summer sun.   Have a good holiday  knowing I was getting away from England for 5 weeks has kept me going this term and in this awful weather  living north of Oxford we have had our share in the last few weeks.  Have fun J

Hi all  wonder if you know anything about the new succession laws that have been around for aobut 3 months?  Have been talking to a friend that lives in France and he said they have changed can anyone shed any light please?  Second marriage, three kids from one marriage, one from other and one joint. Thanks in advance J[:D]

Congtatulations Eillen  Well done give yourself a big pat on the back you deserve it. I agree with you, after doing the london to brighton I am looking forward to the next challenge and it will definetly involve my bike. Judith[:D]

hello everyone Can i please join in, I am very over weight but am quite fit, i have been doing loads of bike riding, the weight however, does not seem to want to shift.  I am comming to france for 5 weeks at he end of July and would very much like to go to the beach and not get used as a beach ball! Judith[:$]

not only a price war but more people comming out to visit in the summer............. J

Just a half hearted query about speeding cameras in the UK, did the london to brighton bike ride on sunday, hubby said he would carry my water sac for me getting near to birghton as i was tired, flying down the hill to birghton hubby gets double flashed by the speed camera then 2 mins later the bloke in front of me as well .  will i get a fine as it was my number on the back pack[Www] j

Well apart from not wanting to sit on a saddle for a while!!!!! OH thinking of entering a team to the twentyfour7 at cotswold farm park next month, just for fun category with others who enjoy the atmophere etc but dont want to make it a competition.  Sound like fun and somthing else to achieve. J

Well Pierre i didn't manage to beat your time, it took 8.45 hours  not that we went slowly when we were riding the bikes, took over 2 hours to walk out of london because of the crush, cars, traffic lights etc, then when we did get going we were stopped for about an hour as some poor people had some bad accidents, but we finally got there at 6.15 and ther were still some people clapping so it was really nice, and best of all the rain stayed away.    MY other half managed to ride alll the way up ditchling beacon without stopping and he is no light weight bless him, i am very proud of him,  anyway not going to sit on a bike for at least a week. J[blink]

Dont worry about the rain its only water!  Just enjoy it and let us know how you got on. Judith

I think it will take me a little longer than that Pierre, were going in a group of 21 and will be going at the slowest ones speed so could take all day, but never mind, i'm in for the fun and it has given me somthing to aim towards for the last 5 months. MOH is thinking about doing a 24 hour in july with a team just for fun as well so might get roped into that one as well.  But thats a 10mile VTT course, i can do it, so i keep telling my self, have been around connock chase a couple of times now so know what sort of think to expect. [blink] J 

Thanks Pierre ZFP Ditchiling beacon has been mentioned to me a few times and someone  offered to sponsor me £50 if i could get all the way up. However i dont think i will manage it with all the people dodging that you have to do as well but will give it a go. About 26000 people doing it this year so should be interesting. How long did it take you from start ot finish?  Can i beat it i wonder?[:D] J

i hope you have completed the ride and feel a real sense of achievement.  My husband has been riding bikes for a number of year and this year has persuaded me do complete the London to brighton 54 miles, charity ride with him  (this sunday)  i have been practicing as stated in this thread and have now got half slicks on my bike which make a lot of difference, i am really looking forward to the ride and in preperation have completed, 22k in the vendee at easter, for local fotball team, 30mile ride in oxford for breast cancer and last sunday 26 miles for lukemia,  and on sunday for british heart foundation. so not only am i a lot fitter losts of charities have benifitted as well. There is definntely an art to riding the bike properly that is part of the fun learning.  So hope all you pushbikers out there are having as much fun as i am this year.[:D] J

We brought our house two years ago and only managed to stay for 3 nights after obtaining the keys on 27 dec.  Our new neighbours were very scary, tatooed, harley ridng, non drinking parisian married to a vendean they have two kids.  They made us so welcome they have become frim friends, helping will little garden, providing a meal for us when we arrive late in the evening, helping sort out problems with the house, introducing us to locals, we been taken to all the best places to shop and the best local beaches etc.  After returning home after the signing and meeting neighbours we received letters with pictures of our house covered in snow and a short letter saying they were looking forward to our next visit.   We have had some really good times with our neighbours, old and young, and am so grateful that we have been accepted there. We have lots of coffee and language lessons with them when we are over there and we are aways trying to find new things to take over for them to try.  At easter they were facinated by the fact that you could get colmun english mustard in powder form and so we gave them our tin before we left.  They sent us on our way with a whole chocolate cake to sustain us on the journey.  The kids all play together quite well most of the time and communication does not seem to be a problem as we are all learning more each time we go.   We always make a point of invitng our elderly nieghbour of 86 in for coffee when we go over and are asekd to make a return visit before we come home. Looking forward aready to our next visit. J[:D]  

I find it best to be honest up front, as we only have a holiday home I usually invite a friend or two to travel down with me as i like the company, but i also let them know what jobs have to be completed when we are there and usualy find that we complete work in the mornings then explore eat ect in the afternoon evenings.  This has worked really well for the past two years as my OH  doesnt have as much holiday as i do and cant always be with me and kids when we are in france. In my case so far, it has worked out best for us as our visitors have always contributed to shopping cleaning etc, they know what is expected and its amazing how much work you can get completed when its made into a game with the kids. J

hi back in the days when i was 16 i had a puch three speed with the gears ont he handle bar that had pedals, you needed them to help you get up big hills[:)] J

Hi Wish i new that before have just booked a one way with euro tunnel on english site and it was £49, do you have the link to the french site please? Judith

HI suandpete It not just the weather we go to france for theres lots of friends, English and french, that make each visit worth while regardless of the weather, but thanks it does make me feel a bit better knowing that i am not missing out on the weather.[:D] judith

Yes Im  still second home sick its half term.   I am still in England and its raining lots  envy all those who got to france for the half term. Judith

  hi guys As i love my husband, i do have to humour him occasionsly, and money is a big bug bear with him, (shouldnt i be saving my money to  do the french house up instead of visiting it as often as i can) i do earn my own money so will when the time is right have a phone line put in because i want one. judith