Impact of the euro exchange rate on French holidays

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Impact of the Euro - Pound exchange rate on holidays in France.

The Pound certainly lost some value against the Euro in 2009, which obviously added a little pressure to the family budget for a holiday in France. However, France, and particularly the Vendee, remains the ideal destination for families with children due to its accessibility by car and being far enough south for good weather. The cost of equivalent self catering accommodation for a holiday in the UK can be significantly more, not to mention the overall cost of living which is still lower in France. A recent survey suggests that daily holiday costs are still 28% less than for a holiday in the UK. The Vendee is relatively inexpensive compared with other tourist areas of France, being the second most popular destination in France for the French, after the Cote d'Azur. And remember that a self-catering holiday is typically half the price of an average hotel stay.

Prices in Euros
We quote our prices in Euros, meaning that the price you pay for your holiday accommodation is fixed and guaranteed in this currency, and with no surcharge for payments by card.

The old “currency surcharge” is starting to rear it's ugly head in the travel market, being added to the prices that that you are quoted in Sterling at the moment of booking and bringing further uncertainty as to what you will pay when it comes to settling the balance of your holiday.

According to many financial analysts, the exchange rate should improve for 2010. We have already seen a general improvement lately and it seems highly unlikely that we will see the return of the conditions of near parity Euro - Pound, so the cost of holidays in France should stabilise for 2010.
Update 23/08/10 - exchange rate now € 1.226/ £ - highest since November 2008.

What can you do to reduce the cost of your holiday in France?

Choose the right source of holiday properties.
Our company operates in a way which ensures that you are getting as close to a book-direct price as possible and in many cases the properties in our range are priced at the same rate through us as you would get direct from the owner.
Our aim is to provide you with a simple English-speaking contact for your booking without the high fees that many agencies apply, offering you ease of booking and the best value for money.

What you get from us:

The right holiday property - Cottages gites and villas specially selected to meet the needs and preferences of British holiday-makers – and we know every house, so can answer any question that you may have. Many of the holiday properties are advertised exclusively on our site and not available elsewhere, giving you access to an untapped resource of quality self catering accommodation.

Comprehensive local knowledge - we are based in the Vendee and can provide you with any further information you need to help you choose your ideal holiday property.

Easy booking - A booking system that is as simple and efficient as possible, with payments by card and all correspondence in English.

Bargains outside peak season - For those who are not tied to school holiday dates, many of our cottages, gites and villas offer reduced rates for smaller groups outside the peak season, further enhancing your buying-power. (See cottages, gites and villas with reduced rates)

Choose your payment method carefully.
Paying by card usually involves lower fees than bank transfers or raising a bank cheque in Euros. Note that despite using an "all fees paid by the sender" arrangement for a bank transfer, the receiving bank in France will still apply heavy fees which may be passed on to the customer as a surcharge (up to 35 Euros) for this payment method.
The fees for card payments vary from one card or bank to the next, as you can see from this table. This data is a little old now, but gives you an idea of the possible differences.
Recent data shows Nationwide, Post Office and Saga as being the lowest cost cards.

Provider	€250 in £'s at 1.4752*	Purchase fee	Currency conversion fee	Cost of service charge	Cost of conversion fee	Charges plus fees	Total cost
Nationwide	£169.47	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	£169.47
HSBC	£169.47	Free	2.75%	Free	£4.66	£4.66	£174.13
Lloyds TSB	£169.47	£1	2.75%	£10.00	£4.66	£14.66	£184.13
NatWest	£169.47	£1.25	2.75%	£12.50	£4.66	£17.66	£186.63
Royal Bank of Scotland	£169.47	£1.25	2.75%	£12.50	£4.66	£17.66	£186.63
Barclays	£169.47	Free	2.75%	£15.00	£4.66	£19.66	£187.63
HBOS	£169.47	£1.50	2.75%	£15.00	£4.66	£19.66	£189.63
Article by Sarah Madock Source: moneysupermarket.com 05.06.2007

Cash on holiday – It is usually cheaper to organise your cash spending money in advance rather than draw it out of cash machines in France. A specialist broker will generally give you a better rate that a high street bank and you avoid the high fees applied to ATM withdrawals (can be £2 to £4 on a £100). See Travelex for example.

We make no surcharge for payments by card and can accept any card showing the Visa or Mastercard symbol.
You won't get charged a "Dynamic Currency Conversion" fee either.
(This is a dodge used by unscrupulous traders, "helpfully" quoting you a transaction in Sterling and thus pushing additional card fees onto the purchaser - up to 4%.)

Look for the best deals on your ferry, or flight and car hire.
The prices of ferry travel can vary significantly and you need to shop around to find the best deals. This can be difficult when juggling the accommodation reservation and the travel at the same time - a "chicken and egg" situation...

We can hold the option open for you - Note that we are willing to hold dates for you while you book your travel, giving you more time to get the best prices.
Our Vendee travel page has suggestions to help you as well as distances from the ferry ports to allow you to compare crossings and journey times easily.
Properties on our site also qualify for discount ferry rates through the Chez Nous Travel Service. Just click on the Chez Nous link on our travel page and you will automatically get access to discount prices from Britanny Ferries. You can also compare prices with "Ferry Cheap".

A few hints to buy wisely when on holiday.

Food shopping in France – Super and hypermarkets usually offer the best prices, compared with smaller shops. The main supermarket chains all seem to have a three-band pricing system – the usual top priced brand names, plus a range chosen for good quality and value for money (eg: products tagged as “Marque Repere” at Leclerc or “Saveurs U” at Hyper-U) and a budget range of the basic necessities (eg: products tagged “Bien Vu” at Hyper-U). Obviously to a certain extent you get what you pay for, but for a simple product, like sugar for example, the budget range is a good choice.

Restaurants in France – Restaurants outside the tourist hot-spots will always give better value for money and the best economy is always in the set “menu”, rather than a-la-carte, sometimes being up to 50% less for a similar meal. Prices at good restaurants are still excellent value in France compared with the UK.

Fuel in France – You will usually find the cheapest petrol and diesel at supermarket pumps and these usually have a 24 hour card pump which is an added convenience. At the time of writing, (Dec. 08) the price of diesel has dropped back under the 1 euro per litre.

France still offers an ideal destination for family holidays, and the Vendee is probably the best compromise for distance, weather and value for money.

Take these quotes from the holidayfrance.org.uk web site:

"Both the Telegraph and Times highlight the fact that the British holidaymaker will hang on their annual trip(s) away for as long as possible, despite the gloomy economic outlook. Even considering the tricky exchange rate, France has to be the best value overseas destination for all UK holidaymakers.
Can I have a great holiday that won't cost the earth? In France, Yes, You Can! "

"Holiday 'the last luxury to go' Charles Starmer-Smith highlights a CBI report that says despite record falls in profits in many parts of the leisure sector over the past three months, holidaymakers are continuing to book in their droves. The report says that many operators are up on last year with sales on currency up 5% too, despite the fall of the euro."

And this quote from the thisismoney.co.uk web site:

"ABTA spokesman Sean Tipton said that those heading to destinations such as France, Spain and Greece can manage their money carefully and still have a good time. 'If people steer clear of the tourist bars and restaurants, big savings are possible,' he said. 'If you eat where the locals eat and drink local wines, you can save money and will have a far more enjoyable experience of the country."


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