When P&O commissioned its two massive new ferries the company had no idea that its main rival SeaFrance would go into liquidation. But what timing for P&O. Until a new ferry company takes over SeaFrance or sets up a rival the considerable freight and passenger traffic is using P&O and its expanding fleet. It was a bold step to inves...

Shopping in French fleamarkets is a particular pleasure. Some cities specialize in gathering dealers together at fixed dates. Strasbourg has four brocantes or fleamarkets a year and the next two in February and April (7th and 8th) give you the chance to seek out all sorts of old items some valuable some possibly less so except in terms of the plea...

For many of us carnivals are usually associated with the south of France and Christmas markets with the north. But both Christmas markets and carnivals are celebrated throughout France with equal gusto so wherever you are you'll find one. January is a cold sometimes bleak month in Pas de Calais on the English Channel but there was a particularly r...

The snow has been falling and the slopes on the French ski resorts are top quality. But a slow start to the season meant that many people held off booking or went elsewhere. So there are plenty of bargains out there even over the half-term holidays. Here are a few suggestions from some small specialised companies in the U.K. Even if you don't use...

The French are good at romance and Valentine's Day offers every full-blooded French man and woman the chance for dressing up going out and of course eating and drinking very well. But the French are very good at romance all year round.  See what the French  get up to on St. Valentine's Day. Where else would you expect to find somewhere d...

From February 17th to March 4th Nice is awash with Carnival fans. This year His Majesty The King of the Carnival who leads the whole glorious festival is the King of Sport. And in a truly gracious Gallic gesture His Majesty's guest of honor is...Great Britain. It's an acknowledgement of the 2012 Olympic Games which hopefully the whole world knows...

Located in the charming medieval hilltop village of Eze the Chateau de la Chevre d'Or is the place to stay. Between Nice and Monaco and overlooking the blue waters of the Mediterranean it's perfect for a short break. So if you've missed Valentine's Day this might just be the chance to redeem yourself in your partner's eyes. There's a 3 for 2 offer...

La Piscine museum in Roubaix on the outskirts of Lille is a fabulous museum well worth a visit in its own right. It's in a former Art Deco swimming pool and baths and much of the interior is original. If you're going between February 18 th and May 20 th there's an added attraction: the exhibition called Picasso at work. Through the lens of David D...

Toulouse is an exciting city the capital  of the region of the Midi Pyrenees a cosmopolitan meeting place and the major city of southwest France. Its proximity to Spain gives it a Catalan feel. So it's appropriate that it holds an important Flamenco Festival each year. Throughout the city you'll find exhibitions live performances and workshop...

If you're planning a trip to France and want to take the ferry then try AFerry.co.uk. The site lists all the ferry companies all the routes and gives you the best deals. It's a great one-stop site for France but this is a huge site claiming to be the biggest ferry booking site in the world. Amd it covers not just France but the rest of the world....