Budget break in France for non-driver

[Nomorediy]

Hi there,

I’m hoping to take my teen for a 1-1 short break in France for Easter. French is their favorite subject at school. They honestly don’t mind where we go or what kind of holiday it is, just really keen to go to France.

Any recommendations? I can’t drive due to a disability so it’s flight/train. Our budget isn’t huge. Maybe £1k for travel and accommodation for 4/5 days.

Perhaps we don’t want an area where mainly English is spoken. I’m guessing maybe a ‘local’ area is perhaps a bit cheaper.

I am conversationally fluent in French having been brought up by North African family. I just don’t know actual France very well at all. Used to visit family in Marseilles/Aix as a teen but not been for years now. Hence unsure which French booking sites to use, how the trains work these days etc.

Pls advise!

Have a look at Strasbourg, if you can find flights. You can easily spend 3–4 days exploring the city, maybe with a train trip to Colmar. Everyone speaks French but there is an underlying vibe of its Germanic past (all the amazing solid houses in the city were built during the Prussian occupation after 1871). Getting the city tram over the bridge to Germany could be "the most European thing ever" for a teen.

Marseille has enough to do with a teen for a few days. The cave tour at Grottes Cosquer is pretty fun and easy to get to with public transport. There’s lots of cool street art in the Cours Julien and Panier neighbourhoods, a museum of illusions, an immersive VR game experience called EVA Marseille. You could also rent an electric scooter and ride along the Corniche Kennedy. Marseille if well linked to lots of other towns and cities. For example, the train to Avignon is about 30 mins.

I would also add in Bordeaux. The French also have good railways if you want a day out of the city. BA do flight and hotel deals and these are often amazing value. The other option might be Montpellier. France isn’t really cheap anywhere so a walkable city is a good idea.

You can look at Star Tours, most of their clients are Indian, so it will be Indian food all the way, but affordable coach trips are their thing.

Maybe Toulouse? They usually have cheap flights, I think it's a bit cheaper than other major cities and you can do a day trip to Carcassonne and/or Foix, Albi etc.

I think the cheaper parts of France are a bit harder to get to without a car, especially for a short trip.

I think you are a bit late to be getting any reasonably priced flights for this Easter.

This.

You can get a ferry as a foot passenger, if you could get a train or coach to one of the ferry ports.
There's Calais obviously or you could get an overnight ferry to St Malo which is nice.

If flying I would recommend Lyon - it's easy to get from the centre to the airport (there's a tram) and the city itself is fantastic. Loads to do and see.

Or you could go to Lille by bus
https://www.blablacar.co.uk/bus/destinations/lille-1

We went to Beziers last summer and really enjoyed it, there is enough in the city for a few days and it is easy to get to other places like Narbonne, Carcassone and Sete by train or bus. It's not too touristy so English not widely spoken.

France isn't a cheap country but that part of France is easier in terms of cost of living. We stayed at Hotel Des Poetes, which was basic but central and friendly. We got the Eurostar and then a TGV but I think there is an airport nearby so you could get a cheap flight.

Also if getting the train long distance the OuiGo trains are a more budget option but be careful to check when booking as sometimes they stop at less popular stations - so for example an out of town TGV hub rather than the city centre.

I thought the Eurostar would probably be too expensive at this late stage, but if you're flexible on dates and times, you could get return tickets to Lille for under £500. Depends where you're travelling from, though, because UK train travel to St Pancras would add to your costs.

https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/find-lowest-fares

As @AnotherEmma says, what about a ferry?

I'm a huge fan of Le Havre - ferries from Portsmouth, day and overnight: www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/ferry-routes/ferries-france/portsmouth-le-havre/crossings

You say you can't drive, but how far can you walk? I'm old and used to take a wheelie suitcase and walk off the ferry to various hotels. Lots of choice as the port's so close to the centre. (I've happily stayed at the Mercure: all.accor.com/hotel/0341/index.en.shtml and www.ventdouest.fr/en/gallery.html, all walkable for me.)

Le Havre's a proper, less touristy French city, with great public transport (including trams!) beaches, birthplace of Impressionism, UNESCO World Heritage site, great French market, fascinating architecture, the hanging gardens plus ancient clifftop fort, funicular, letetris.fr/, etc.

www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/may/14/le-havre-concrete-modern-architecture-500th-city-anniversary

Have a great time wherever!

I had a great time in Reims, easily reached by Eurostar and a local train. Pretty town, 2 huge cathedrals, good museum, good food and (for you) lots of champagne availability!

St Malo is lovely and feels very French. I love the overnight ferry there. We’ve only ever stayed there a night or two though before going in elsewhere. One of my most favourite places in the world though.

Paris is also amazing and easy to get to on Eurostar, but obviously more pricey.

I wouldn't do overnight ferry for a 4 day trip, it eats up so much time

Eurostar also goes to Lille which is nice and cheaper than Paris

St Malo is a good suggestion I think.
I looked recently and accommodation was quite reasonable

Very takes a long time to St Malo. Depends on time available. Eurostar might be ok if flexible. I’d just check BA flight and hotel options then compare with budget airlines. Depends if London or regional airports.

Ooh, now I want to go to Le Havre!

Nice is a good shout I think, airport easily accessible by public transport and the airbnbs are plentiful and affordable.

Please do - it really is fantastic!

Most English peeps drive off the ferry and head straight to somewhere else with pretty half-timbered houses and tourist tat shops, like Honfleur. It's a huge shame.

St Malo is a good shout as you can sleep on the way there, you get off in the morning and it is a very short distance to the town centre, you can have a really great few days milling about and then get the ferry back on your last day and be home that evening.

I do bloody love St Malo though. Staying there helped me make the decision to move here.

If you want flights, I'd say that anywhere that Ryanair go to will have a pretty big UK contingent. We are 45 mins from a ryanair airport and have 60% UK owned properties in our village.

If you want the train, we took a 7am train from the east mids one year, and were in Lyon just after 3pm.

Train is expensive last-minute though - if travelling by Eurostar+TGV we try to book as far in advance as possible.

I can't drive on the other side of road, love france so loving this thread for ideas. I have flown to nice from Luton and stayed in air b and b the kids loved the bus ride from there to Monaco.

Le Touquet is in northern France and only an hour or so from Calais. It has a fantastic beach, nice walks, nice restaurants at several budget levels and a great Saturday market.

If you stay in the next town along, accommodation is much cheaper (air b n b). There is public transport from Calais to Le Touquet. A lot of the other places mentioned on this thread will cost a lot once you factor in flights, baggage, taxis etc, particularly as this will be a late booking.

Like others I think the Easter factor might clobber the budget but BA, Easy and Ryanair all do Toulouse from the UK and there’s a frequent shuttle bus from airport to city centre.
Good train service available for Carcassonne or Foix (down south, northern edge of the Pyrennees)