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A THIRD of French homes are now on the internet, according to a recent government report.
The study, The Information Society in France in 2004, said that of these half were taking advantage of broadband access.
It also said that online shopping was increasingly popular as the amount spent had doubled over the past two years to €4.7 billion.
THE course for the 2005 Tour de France has been announced and it features a route that starts in the Vendee region.
The classic race which will take place from July 2 – 24 will start in the west of France before heading across the country to the German border.
IF your holiday home website needs a bit of a makeover then there are some very simple steps you can take to make sure it sparkles.
Even if you entrust the updating of your site to someone else just make sure that they follow these rules so you get more ‘bang for your buck’.
The main function of your site should be to create a welcoming feel, build a sense of trust and make it easy to book your place for a holiday.
Continue reading "Easy tips for your holiday home website" »
THE classic image of a smoky French café could be a thing of the past on the streets of Paris.
The city council, working alongside the hospitality trade, is to allow bars and restaurants to make their establishments no smoking zones.
The plans will work on a voluntary basis, with stickers in windows highlighting those that have taken up the idea and bars will be checked regularly to make sure they still conform.
FRENCH wine exports took a dive again this year, continuing a worrying trend for the industry.
The Federation of Wine and Spirits Exporters (FEVS) said that the amount of wine sent out of France fell 5.6% in terms of volume over the first eight months of this year compared with the same period last year.
RYANAIR are offering free tickets to France from London Stansted and Luton, you just pay taxes and charges, if booked by the end of 28 October.
There is an advance booking period of 14 days and flights can be taken up to the end of March 2005.
However, these ticket prices will not be available during the busy Christmas period, from 16 December to 5 January.
IF you take a look around many holiday home websites it does not take long to work out which nationality the owners are.
Many sites only market to potential clients from their own country and just offer prices in that country’s currency and text that has a ‘local’ feel to it.
But by using the internet it can take just a few minutes to update your prices in any number of currencies, as well as take payments.
Continue reading "Taking payments through your gite website" »
KEN Livingstone, the Mayor of London, has submitted a new bid to stage the prologue of the Tour de France in the capital in 2007.
During a weekend of celebrations to mark the Entente Cordial, which involved a cycle ride between Paris and London, Ken Livingstone presented his ideas to Tour chief Jean-Marie Leblanc.
MAKING sure you have the proper health cover in place when you move to France is an important thing to consider.
The system works by providing a first tier of basic cover through different mandatory schemes, which will pay for around 70% of the medical expenses.
Next there is a second tier that consists of supplementary coverage, which is optional, provided by mutual or private insurers.
RISING world oil prices may see an increase in the price of gas and electricity in the French domestic market, claims Le Parisien newspaper.
They report that Gaz de France will raise prices by between 7 and 9 per cent on 1 November.
And they say l’Electricite de France will follow suit and increase their prices by around 3%.
Continue reading "Gas and electricity prices in France may rise" »
