So you’ve booked your summer holiday in France? Well done. Now all you need to do is sit back until a week before you go, then frantically run about like a headless chicken as you get everything ready for your all-important trip.
Sounds familiar?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
What if there was a way to get more from your holiday? What if you could make even more memories with your family?
Shall I let you in on a little secret? All it takes is a little bit of thought and planning. You’ll be amazed at the results.
If you want the most from your family getaway then here are some things to consider. You’ll end up with a stress-free trip your family will love, organised meticulously with an effortless and spontaneous feel. Does that sound good… then read on….
1. What do you want from your holiday in France?
Everyone is different, and so is the wish list they have for their perfect holiday. Take a bit of time to think about what you want from your holiday in France. It will be much easier to plan, so everyone is happy that there are tailor-made elements just for them.
- Perhaps you just want complete relaxation to get away from the pressures of everyday life.
- Maybe you want to immerse yourself in the French way of life.
- You might be looking for your own property so you can enjoy more of what the region has to offer.
- You could be wanting to do some serious thinking about a future event in your life.
- You really need to have quality time with the rest of your tribe.
2. Do a bit of planning
All holidays should have a spontaneous element – you don’t want to go away having your whole trip mapped out. Everyone needs room to be surprised as those events provide the most vivid memories.
However, with a little bit of planning, you can achieve so much more and still have time to be wowed and amazed by all the new things you can experience on your holiday. Why not contact your holiday provider and ask them what’s happening in their area when you will be there?
You’ll gain much more insight through local knowledge and believe me, there’s nothing worse than arriving somewhere and being told about a fantastic event, only to find out that it’s sold out. Then you hear those immortal words…. “if only we had known you were interested we could have got tickets for you”
Take a look at the local tourist board websites as they make a great place to start where you can get a feel for the area and what’s happening. Plus it starts to get you in the mood for your trip.
Perhaps you are actually going on holiday to celebrate something or having a big family get together. It’s so much easier to plan celebrations in advance, so you don’t feel the pressure when you get there. You can just sit back, relax, enjoy the festivities and take full credit for the perfect planning!
3. Sprinkle with something unusual
You don’t have to force yourself to do crazy things every day but getting your gang to try something they have never done can be a very liberating and memorable experience.
Try cycling ensemble on the super-quiet roads and take a picnic so you can feel at one with nature.
Take to the water on the beautiful rivers with stunning views. There is everything from canoeing for that hands-on experience to a comfortable boat trip with optional lunch where you can eat your way around the rivers.
Maybe a visit to a local market or one of the famous marché gourmands could be just what your family would love. Eating great produce at a reasonable price then dance the night away to live music.
What about pottery? Hand paint some plates then have them fired as a family project you can take home with you and always remember that day. Plus they have an excellent restaurant so you can have a lovely lunch or evening meal after your creative afternoon.
4. Live like a local on your holiday in France
The whole point of going on holiday to another country is to experience something different from life at home. So live as much as you can the way local people do, then you can feel a much deeper connection with the place you have chosen.
France is famous for its love of gastronomy. It is said that the French will talk about lunch when they have breakfast and discuss dinner options when they have lunch.
The markets are a beautiful place to explore what’s in season and be totally inspired by what is on offer. Buy unusual ingredients then take them home and create something exceptional which tastes even more delicious when eaten al fresco.
What about eating in a nearby restaurant? There is nothing better than experiencing what the local people love to do on a day to day basis. You will learn much about the area and truly connect with the people who live there.
Winetasting is part and parcel of being on holiday in France, and you can’t travel a kilometre without stumbling across a vineyard where the owners are only too happy to let you try their beautiful black wine made from the Malbec grape.
Don’t worry if you don’t like wine there are also some great local craft beers and even ciders to savour as well.
5. Learn some lingo
You can’t come to the country without dipping your toe into the French language. Just a few words will show the people you meet that you have made an effort to embrace their country.
There are plenty of lists online to help you and some excellent free apps and paid apps to teach you the language or give you that all-important refresher if it’s been a while since you spoke French.
Then just go out and talk… what’s the worst thing that can happen? You make a mistake – hey that’s ok.
But the best thing that can happen is that lovely conversation you had in the market with the women selling her own fresh produce. She even gave you some extra tomatoes, on the house. These are the things that make holidays truly memorable.
And finally……
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what you want to do when you are on holiday, what’s important is that you have the best time you can with those you care about.
Remember your trip will be over in a flash. You arrive feeling you have ages to enjoy yourself and then before you know it, you are getting everything packed up for the return journey.
If you plan your trip, then you can ensure that you take a bit of France home with you and learn something new about a different culture. Then you have all those memories to keep you going until your next family getaway.
Of course, you will get to organise everything again, as you have done such a great job this time, but hey, that’s quite a compliment.
Do you want to know more about holidays in South West France?
Then why not get this FREE guide, just click here.
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