Cheap coach tours/holidays across France & into Belgium, Spain, Italy, Germany etc?

General Discussion
1

In the Uk my local group of friends/usual suspects/ culture vultures......would look out for the really cheap offers,advertised in the local papers and the Daily Mail etc......


Usually 3, 4, or 5 day trips at a really good price, often including a buffet breakfast and evening meal. Our last, most recent outing took us to the Grand Hotel Scarborough, with trips to Beverley, Robin Hood bay, York & Whitby. It was only a four day trip but was a great taster for a return visit, (at some point) and was incredibly good value.


I miss these short breaks and would love to find a similar kind of set-up over here.


If no-one is providing anything like this in France (I have a feeling that I might have already asked this on this forum.....forgive me if that is the case ...), BUT JAMES & CATHERINE, may this not be another possible lucrative, as well as pleasurable, source of income for the SFN site ?


There are so many members now...I think we would have some real buying power...


They could be centred on people's interests....eg. Dieppe Kite flying festival in June.....


Art...Madrid (The Prado,Velasquez),....Barcelona (Gaudi),......Ghent, (Memling, Flemish Art).....etc, etc,....


"Europe could be our Oyster".....just as it was food for the monetarily challenged in the 'olden' days.

2

No I DO NOT agree when you can compare cheap air fairs to cheap cruises.

There is no catering on a cheap flght.

Snackery takes almost no effort.

A flight is just like a bus ride with a few people on board who are trained

for a short while to be pleasant and to know the basics regarding in flight

safety.

I HAVE no expectations of of a great holiday for 330.....

By the way

3

Simplicity is often part of my menu Hilary.

But there is no substitute for Fresh.

Grapefruit or lychees out of a can is not my idea

of good food. I prefer to peel my own. Nothing wrong with properly sourced potatos turned into mash and

served with great sausages [prepared mainly with fresh pork , seasonings and leaks perhaps]

Good meals cost good money to produce not just because of using fresh ingredients but because

of the staff employed to cook and represent the dishes as they are served.

MOST kitchens who offer deals will be forced to be economical with the staff budget.

I imagine that the best chefs who enjoy their work and go on to express that enjoyment will

be worthy of rather well paid salaries. I will address this matter to someone I know who

edits a well known catering journal.....could be a good story for her.

Let us get back to the roots of this topic.....7 day cruises for or from 330 euros/pounds

and discounts for SRN members? To be honest with you 330 of something would barely cover

cost of a dinner part for 8 here.....I mean a dinner party

4

You are missing the boat!
For 330 euros, which was the price originally mentioned I expect very

little!

To be honest with you I am not a coach trip or cruise sort of person.

It reminds me of the days when my grandmother was alive and we went

off to Hove or Broadstairs with the Darby and Joan club and we all sat

in a massive dining area together eating fish and chips. On the way back

in the coach everyone sang in their best Fulham accents. Memories of

Vera Lynn clashed with my interest of Cliff Richard and Summer Holiday.

But that was 10 shillings worth of fun.

5

Yes I agree with the fact that some people go on cruises just to to eat

and drink. But not for 330. pounds per person for fine cuisine....

As I said find such a deal and perhaps we could spend a year on the ship.

Having said that.....being surrounded by all that food would be frightening.

6

Hi Julian,

Thanks for these great links.....I have forwarded them on to friends in the UK who may come over to stay with me here in the Dordogne and who may like to make a group booking sometime...

Barbara, if one or more of these providers link to SFN then that could provide a bit of regular income to the site (not sure how much, but ask James) and holidays offered to SFN members at a discount, as they do for other groups.....Worth investigating, I feel.

I am a bit of a 'foodie' too, but I'm not sure my constitution could stand 7 or more days of an uninterrupted gourmet diet.....sometimes I just crave my tinned grapefruit, a simple, crisp, clean, 'un-messed about with' salad, or, like Elizabeth Taylor, 'bangers and mash'.etc....

7

However not for me.

I have often travelled with P and O Ferries to get from UK to France but

that style of cuisine is set for a market ....not to my taste.

But as I recall the idea was for someone to sell the idea to create a percentage in

profits, Never forget the tax etc.

If I want Pizza I make it from scratch at home....there are very few commercial p izzas

which I find edible....except Pizza Express.

8

But you do get what you pay for!
And I can only imagine what you get.

But at that price it would be cheap enough to live on the ship and not to have to do the

housework and all sorts of things which take effort and organisation.

But we enjoy good food like many SF N people and I just can not imagine that the

standard of cuisine would be acceptable.Prove me wrong and let us see a great menu.

If that happens the bookings will probably come rollin in.

As a project to make money on as a 3rd or 4th PARTY.....can not see this...but

maybe someone else can.

9

Barbara,

Here's the link....

http://www.leclercvoyages.com/circuit-search?m_c.thematique=marit&topHotel=false

10

Aimost unbelievable...but it's there online.....

I suspect it's due to a combination of factors.........cruising not perhaps so popular with younger holiday makers (?), the less desirable (below deck) accomodation not filled and perhaps they (like a lot of restaurants), rely on making most of the money from the consumption of booze, gifts, cigarettes & duty free....

Look at the amazing last minute deals that are offered by Lastminute.com .....they would much rather slash the prices than to have unsold seats & accomodation.

11

cruises for 330 euros/pounds and pay the taxes and make a profit.

Impossible surely.

12

I wasn't suggesting that we run our own operation.

I've just Googled 'Vacances en France par cher, avec transport...' and discovered Leclerc's Voyages site, which does do trips that appear to be good value.....some of which are being offered at a further large discount....7 night cruises to the caribbean starting at 330 euros...

Their cheap get aways in France, don't appear to include travel....

Presumably, if we approached tour operators direct, we could get even more of a discount. Will have to do a bit more research on this....

Perhaps James could approach them, offer free or discounted advertising for a good discount for SFN members ? Worth investigating, I think....

13

That looks about right for an SFN outing, right down to the accents and clothing, Hilary :)

14

Hi Ian,

Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be fine !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfiIiQfMPT4

NOT what I had in mind ......

15

I dunno who would have the oomph to organise this crowd for a week's jolly around Europe, Hilary. Just imagine trying to shove everyone out of the pub to get back on the coach :)