Fuel Surcharges - about to hit the tourist industry in more ways than one!

One of the great advantages of living in the Dordogne is that we are only a short drive away to the nearest airport from where you can catch daily flights to a huge selection of destinations in the Netherlands or United Kingdom. We may not like the way airlines such as Flybe and Ryanair operate, with their dubious no cancellation/no refund policies (and slapping on a massive 'cancellation fee' which precludes them from paying back the taxes - as is dictated by law), but they do make it easy for thousands of people to fly in and out of the Dordogne. People still talk about the 'low cost' airlines and seem not to have notices that there is not much 'low' about the costs these days -- but we still appreciate the fact that we can hop across the channel at a reasonable rate.
However, in the past month many of the major airlines have been increasing their fuel taxes, which will of course make a significant difference in the total price you pay for an airline ticket. All airlines are expected to announce increases soon and further fuel surcharge increases are also anticipated again later in the year, including some airlines who have already implemented fuel surcharges increases. No doubt the 'low cost' airlines will find some way in which to rub the honey around our mouths -- or sugar the pill -- and yet, I suspect that they just do not care anymore, and the fuel taxes and surcharge was just the excuse they needed to drastically increase their prices. One thing is for certain -- with the Euro being as strong as it is against the Pound and the Dollar, the already slow and dwindling tourist numbers in the Dordogne Perigord are bound to be affected radically, and the local tourist industry is going to have a tough time ahead -- for this is not something that is ever going to be reversed -- and it will be very interesting to see what the governments will do aboutg the situation.........


Related links:
Flybe flights to the Dordogne
Who flies where in France
Alternative travel: By train



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Eurostar re-launched at St Pancras, London! A Big day for Anglo-Franco tourism!

The Big Day has arrived! 14 November 2007, and the new terminal for the Eurostar train service at St Pancras in London has opened -- bringing with it a range of improvements and special services, one of which is a good 20 minute reduction on the London-Paris route!

For more details, read the blog entry of 10 November 2007 and by all means, click on the link above for the Eurostar website -- it is impressive -- and sure the whet your appetite! You can also subscribe to their newsletter by simply filling in your email address at the bottom -- and it is well worth your while as I see there are already very exciting special offers available in fares!

What a pity they did not think about combining the first Paris-London-Paris trip with the midnight appearance of the 2007 Beaujolais Nouveau -- a few hours and it could have been the event of the decade!.........But -- nothing stops you from booking your ticket straight-away and coming down to the Dordogne anyway to come marvel at the exquisite autumn colours in this region, enjoy an excellent meal of foie gras, confit de canard and pommes sarladaise, and of course, a bottle of 2007 Beaujolais Nouveau!

See you there!


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The new Eurostar High Speed : London to Bordeaux in a 5 hour train ride !

On 14 November 2007 the new Eurostar High Speed service will be launched from the magnificent new Eurostar station in London, at St Pancras International. London and Bordeaux are now a short distance apart!
Closer to the patisseries of Paris! Nearer to the best beers of Brussels!
It will be possible to travel from the state of the art railway terminal in the centre of London, or from the second new terminal at Ebbsfleet International, in the north of Kent, near the Bluewater Shopping Centre (opens on 19 November) from as little as €77 (special offer) to around €250 return to the centre of Bordeaux from next month! (Allow for change over time and cost in Paris from Gare du Nord to Montparnasse station, where you change to the fast TGV).
What a pleasure! Luxury and excellent service, the best possible way to travel (I love train travel -- don't you?) sipping champagne, no long waits at airports -- in fact, no long journeys to airports as train travel takes you from city centre to city centre -- and in much quicker time than any airline can get you there:

Paris – London : 2h15 (instead of 2h35)
Lille – London : 1h20 (instead of 1h40)
Bruxelles – London : 1h51 (instead of 2h15)
London - Bordeaux : 5h45 (including change between stations)
Bordeaux to Lalinde: 1h30

The High Speed will be the first British fast train of its kind to link up with the already existing high speed trains of Europe. The Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL)will now, for the first time, be able to reach the same speed as the French trains -- that of 300 km/h

St Pancras, with its neo-Gothic Victorian facade, was first inaugurated in 1868 -- and the new International terminal will keep the same style, although daringly modernised to cater for the 400 meter long Eurostar trains and the highly demanding tastes of its passengers.

There will be a wide range of shops, bars and restaurants, an international brasserie, the longest champagne bar in Europe and a daily fresh produce market. First Class and Business Class lounges and WiFi connections -- everything a discerning traveler of 2007 demands.
St Pancras International links up with six tube lines, and seven rail companies -- and King's Cross and Euston are only one tube station away -- convenient and comfortable!

So, the question now remains: Did Harry Potter really travel from St Pancras? Well, yes! Although he was supposed to have traveled from platform no.9¾ in Kings Cross, the film version shows him traveling from St Pancras, where the superb architecture and neo-Gothic Victorian style forms the perfect backdrop for this all-time favourite!






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Chateau Lalinde : The perfect venue for your event

Relocation Orientation in France