There is not a comparison but a promise of forthfilling a duty to the public Andrew.
It is not a critisism of the individual staff but I just can not understand the almost stubborn
attitude of either UK or French Border adminstration to allow staff to take their holidays at
the most vunerable and busy time of the year.It makes every sense to bring in more staff.
Why should it present such a response...
The company I work with does not attract many French clients.
Maybe I will ask the why!
It was a question of planning that both Barbara were trying to show. Nothing to do with comparing one against another.
Ah Andrew your jokes are not like that of a true Frenchman.
Yes good old fashioned planning!
Barbara, the statistics say that France is the main tourist destination but far down the lists for excellence in education.
Both of us are trying to do our best to provide the best experience for those who come to stay with us. This year we have only one week booked by a French family and five from UK. The majority of our clients come from Holland and Belgium with the rest worldwide.
We are concerned that because of the strength of the pound and the poor start to the holidays experienced by so many that France will not be a popular destination next year.
Our clients spend money in local shops and restaurants so a fall in tourism will not just affect us but the local economy as well.
probably because I'm English and try to hold on to the last little bit of Englishness I have left. On the otherhand, perhaps I've been living with the natives too long as I just find the whole ferry queueing thing pretty normal, just like trying to blast down the A7 the same weekend - you just expect it! for the record, it would have been easier for us to go on holiday this year on the 13th of august for a week, but seeing as the monday is 15 août, every one will be on the roads that weekend and so we put back our holiday by a week ;-)
Well have a good holiday!
And why not .....hold on to that little bit of British.
I know that Jane we will possibly find it difficult next year.
And so will our villages....unless everyone pulls their socks up, straightens their tie
and tries to work with us b and b'ers and gite owners.
Can you direct me to your site again!
Will ask my agents why we get so few French people....
The chaos at British airport customs in no way caused by the policy pursued at the time by Mrs May of course !!
The queues at Bergerac are becoming legendary at the moment - and when two planes come in at the same time the two fonctionnaires must want to go on strike because of the stress they are under!!
Just a thought here Barbara and Jane - Have you thought about Friday to Friday, Sunday to Sunday even midweek changeovers. I have a majority German clients and they definately want to leave early Sat morning or even Fridays. My brother took a Friday to Friday let and I felt it was not a bad idea - he couldn't get there before Sunday (travelling from Lancashire) and was obliged to leave on the following Friday.
Ps I have 7 apartments changing out this weekend and this weekend the norm is becoming short 1week stays
Helen, off season we try to fit in with our guests, we did two weeks Wednesday to Wednesday in May.
We will have a three week booking in June next year. The majority of our guests stay for one week, but we do have fortnightly stays as well.
We are in Southern Burgundy so we have mainly Belgians and Dutch who can make it easily in one day.
Barbara, we have forward bookings for next year.
Our site is www.relax-in-rural-burgundy.co.uk
Does the new wine museum in Bordeaux help with your bookings?
Helen I work with an agency and we are flexable.
Although we were planning to sell and retire.....we may well decide to
hold tiny weddings!
But we are looking into that with our accountant etc.
I enjoy the planning.
Barbara I'm a civil servant, actually: fonctionnaire d'État de catégorie A to be précise, like the administration des douanes. But before I did that I was in charge of the India office of a multinational, so don't imagine for a second I don't know or care about business. Also if you Google le Papagayo or K'Ori - in Saint Tropez - ( my family's business, where I worked as a student) you'll see I also know and care about tourism.
Not for one second do I doubt that you are highly intelligent and that your life has been dull but
tourism is not your close to your heart just now where it is to mine.
I see that France is full of possabilities in this area....and they have not been fully recogniced.
In our area/ yours and mine there are small things begining to happen. They are stimulating the
lives of locals and visitors alike and will help with those who want to sell their properties, keep their
vineyards ticking over, help repair their chateaux.
There are vineyards opening their doors to new ideas....bringing in pop up restaurants, music-gastromic
events. Some such events organised by the French, some by Brits and some hand in hand.
So the French and the British should work together in mind, spirit and at the borders.
It is really not just about knowlege and intelligence but how it is used to benefit others.
Tourism is my family's source of income, Barbara. I'm boring on about my experience only because you seem to think I'm considering situations from some abstract point of view - I'm not at all, it is something I am, even now, directly concerned with.
I feel that you do not reflect this....however that is how I perceive it!
I would love to know what your family does within tourism....
Casinos, hôtels, restaurants, nightclubs: S of France all along coast but especially St Tropez, also Pyrenees, Mégève and Paris. I did say use Google in my last post... have a look at the Hotel Byblos in st Tropez, that was created by my grandfather's wife's family. But obviously I know nothing about tourism ;-)
Veronique,
Can't you use what influence you have to persuade them to open a casino/hotel/restaurant or two, in Bergerac...maybe right next to the airport (like the big one in Monte Carlo)....what an affect that could have !.....' like the man who broke the bank.....at Bergerac airport'...