You are here:

Share on:

General Info

Multi-centre holidays

Any accommodation in this brochure can be used for a multi-centre holiday, with time spent in one location, and more elsewhere. We often have clients that stay a week in one resort, and a week in another.

Special needs

We are happy to advise and assist elderly clients and those with additional needs to choose a suitable holiday. Clients with mobility problems are strongly advised to enquire about suitable self-catering accommodation and hotels before booking, as many have steps, steep stairs, narrow doors and awkward corners.

Special requests

Please advise us at time of booking of any special request, which will be communicated to our French partners. All special requests will be noted, but cannot be guaranteed. Cot, high chair hire, cleaning kit, end of stay cleaning, meal plans are some of the options which can be arranged at some accommodation (when not included in the basic package), sometimes pre-travel, sometimes only on arrival. Please enquire for the availability of these for your chosen accommodation.

The Euro

All prices to pay locally (deposit, local tax, linen or baby kit hire...) are quoted in Euros (€).

Travel documents

All passengers must have a valid standard 10-year passport. Find out more about entry requirements. British passport application forms are available from Post Offices and you should allow up to 12 weeks for issue or renewal.

Useful source of information

Atout France, Lincoln House, 300 High Holborn, WC1V 7JH London, info.uk@atout-france.fr, uk.rendezvousenfrance.com/en/mountains

French public holidays

On public holidays (01/01, Easter Monday, 01/05, 08/05, Ascension & Pentecost (both in May), 14/07, 15/08, 01/11, 11/11 and 25/12) you will find shops, museums and banks are often closed, so make sure you have enough local currency to tide you over.

General travel advice

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) offers general travel advice and country-specific advice. Please check their website www.gov.uk/fdco for useful information. The Know Before You Go section has important information.

French school holidays

Please note that half-term school holidays in France run during parts of February and early March. Resorts can be particularly busy during this period with more crowded slopes and some queuing at the lifts. If you can avoid these periods, not only you will avoid the crowds but you will also pay less for your holiday.

‘Ski-in/ski-out’ properties

Where a property is described as being ski/in-ski/out, this is subject to normal snow conditions in that resort at the time and to the individual skier’s ability.

Eurotunnel LeShuttle FlexiPlus

All our inclusive holidays include a return standard Eurotunnel LeShuttle crossing for a standard car with a FREE FlexiPlus upgrade on selected dates giving you not only the complete flexibility to travel on the next available departure on the day you have booked to travel but also dedicated check in lane, priority boarding and use of the dedicated lounge facilities with complimentary facilities. At other dates, including some school holiday weeks, you can upgrade to FlexiPlus for a supplement.

Tourist tax

The local tourist tax will be collected upon arrival. It is a holiday tax levied at the discretion of the local authority. This varies from place to place and can be up to €3pp per day. It is sometimes included in the price of the accommodation.

Alcove/cabin

A separate sleeping area that is normally off of the living room or in the entrance hall, but has generally no door or window. Usually with bunk beds.

Duplex or split level apartments

A 'duplex' apartment is split level, arranged over 2 floors. Some 'split-level' apartments or chalets are over 3 or 4 floors.

Bed linen and towels

Normally available but may be at a supplement. This is specified within each apartment description. When bed linen is supplied, beds are not normally made on arrival, unless otherwise specified (at certain residences this is available at an additional supplement). When not included in the price and payable locally, bed linen and towels must be requested at time of booking or no later than 3 weeks prior to departure.

Sleeping arrangements

In all apartments, and even those in our 4* luxury selection, the living areas are generally designed to be used as additional sleeping areas. As a result there is likely to be a maximum of one or two sofas in even the largest apartments and these will be convertible sofa beds rather than the types of sofas you would usually have at home. Often apartments on the higher floors have rooms in the eaves with low-ceiling height in part of the room and therefore restricted headroom. Please note that a French regulation states that children under 6 years of age should not sleep on the top bunk beds.

Your own car

For many of our accommodation locations, a car will allow you to drive to the slopes or the shops without being dependent on public transport. If you don't fancy driving all the way there why not consider fly/drive or rail/drive?

Mezzanine

An open plan (sometimes closed off) bedroom above the lounge, usually accessed by means of a loft ladder or steep staircase. These bedrooms are not recommended for young children or the elderly.

Sloping ceilings

In most residences, the apartments located on the higher floors will have rooms under the eaves and have sloping ceilings, therefore, restricted headroom.

Beds

Sofa beds and pull-out beds in lounges are common.

TV

When provided TVs have French channels only; ‘Satellite’ TV means in most cases one or two English language news channels. Some will have a good selection of English channels, usually if they are owned by English people. But it is dependent on the apartment and owner.

Kitchen areas

These are not independent kitchens but still allow you to prepare meals for the whole party during your stay. They include at least 2 hot plates, sufficient utensils, crockery and cutlery up to the apartment capacity, a fridge, sink and storage space. Our individually privately owned apartments and chalets generally have more extensive facilities and equipment.

Electricity and water

Electricity, gas and heating is included in all our accommodation.

Parking

Arrangements vary for each individual property: chalets sometimes have an indoor garage and always outdoor parking. Hotels and residences generally offer either underground parking or outdoor spaces. Parking is often payable in apartments.

Reception

All residences and hotels have a reception where keys are normally collected and where most queries regarding your accommodation can be answered during your stay. The staff there will also be happy to help with any information or advice on making the most of the resort. Key collection for chalet residents is normally arranged through the chalet manager.

Welcome meetings and kids’ clubs

When available (hotels or residences), please be aware that these will usually be in French. Further information about the resort and its activities will be available from the Tourist Office.

Swimming pools

The French Government’s Agence Regionale de Santé stipulates that for health & safety reasons pool temperatures should be between 25-27c for indoor pools and 24c for outdoor pools. This could mean that the water seems a little colder than what you may be used to in the UK. Please note that in France it is public swimming pool’s health & safety policy that swimming trunks are compulsory in the swimming pool, swimming shorts or similar are prohibited. Many residences and hotels with pools have a similar policy but that said sometimes the rules are not enforced as strictly in this type of pools so you could take both! Residence & hotel pools are not always open all day or every day, please check opening hours on arrival. Please note, that as it is not a legal requirement in France some of the swimming pools do not have depth markers and equally there will be no lifeguards on duty at accommodation pools.

Deposit

A refundable deposit is payable on arrival. It covers breakages or extra cleaning and will be returned at the end of your stay providing that there are no damages and the accommodation is left clean and tidy. For the apartments where cleaning is not included in the price, we recommend that you take cleaning materials with you.