No more stopovers at Mont Saint Michel?

NEW FRENCH TRAFFIC LAW

A new French traffic law comes into effect on the 1st July, 2008 which requires that all motor vehicles must carry a fluorescent jacket & warning triangle, to be used in the event of a breakdown or accident. Failure to carry these items or to use them will result in an on the spot fine of 90€ for each item missing.

LOURDES 150^TH ANNIVERSARY

In 2008, the Sanctuaries of our Lady of Lourdes and the Town of Lourdes itself will celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Apparitions.

Between February and July 1858, a beautiful "lady" appeared 18 times to a 14 year-old girl, Bernadette Soubirous. The so-called "apparitions" occurred in the Massabielle Cave, near Lourdes. Bernadette was the only one who could see and hear the lady, even though she was not the only person to be in the cave.

The Jubilee Itinerary will enable visitors to discover the four sites that are associated with Bernadette (the church where she was baptised, and the one where she did her first communion, her house, and of course the cave itself). The Jubilee Year will be running until December 8th, 2008.

AIRE AT GORDES, VAUCLUSE

The aire at Gordes in Vaucluse (PACA) in the south of France is no longer available to motorhomes, parking is still allowed there during the day -- at a price of 5€ but overnight stopovers are not allowed. The town council is currently constructing a new aire but at the moment there are no aires in the town.

DOUBS GUIDE

A new guide & map to the aires de service in the Doubs department of the Franche-Comte region of eastern France has recently been produced. The guide lists 21 aires in the department, detailing services available at each, together with 6 tourist itineraries for motorhomes and can be obtained via the Doubs Tourism website at www.doubs.com.

AIRE AT LA MOTTE MOVED

The popular aire at La Motte (it was named in the top 150 Aires last year by Camping-Car magazine) in Var (PACA) has been moved to a new site to the north of the village. The aire is also now no longer free --  the parking for up to 10 motorhomes is free but the services are now charged at 6€ - a substantial increase from last year. The aire can be found in Avenue Fredric Mistral -- 400m north of the village centre.

DOWNLOADABLE AIRES GUIDE

The department of Meuse in the Lorraine region of northern France has produced a new guide to its aires which is available to download directly from its website at www.tourisme-meuse.com. Although the guide is only available in French it is easy to follow & gives details of the aires that can be found in its department. They have also produced a new guide to the beers of the region which is also available for download from the same site.

ON YOUR BIKE -- IN BESANCON!

The city of Besançon in the Franche-Comte region of eastern France now offers free 30-minute bike rides as part of its new self-service bike facility, Vélocité. With 200 self-service bikes available at 30 bike stations in the city centre, there has never been a better time to cycle from one of Besançon's landmarks to another. Visitors can pick up bikes at any station and return them at another station of their choice. The first half-an hour on a Vélocité bike is free, 1 hour and 15 minutes is at 1 euro per bike and 3 hours and 29 minutes is at 3 euros per bike. For more information, and a location map of the bike stations, visit www.besancon-tourisme.com.

CHARLES DE GAULLE MEMORIAL

From 18th June 2008, in Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, Haute-Marne, at the foot of the Croix de Lorraine, a commemoration site featuring the latest museum and exhibition technology will enable visitors to discover the personality of the most famous French man of the 20th century. This  newly constructed 1,600m2 museum & memorial is entirely dedicated to the life and work of General de Gaulle.

MONT SAINT MICHEL

Mont Saint Michel, one of France's main tourist attractions, is at the centre of a 160 million euro development project to restore it's island status by creating a dam that will capture both the tide & the river hence flushing away the sand & silt that have built up over the years. Unfortunately the project also intends to remove the parking next to the Mont -- a popular stopover spot for motorhomers, and replace it with a purpose built parking area about 1 kilometre inland with a road train to take visitors to the island. The project that is currently under way is due to be completed by 2012, parking fees will be from 6 to 10 € (dependant on season) but it is not clear whether there will be any provision for motorhomes in the new parking area.

FIREWORKS AT THE CHATEAU

The Chateau de Chantilly in Picardy has played host to a firework display since 1672 when Louis II welcomed the Dauphin with a pyrotechnic display. It now hosts an annual international fireworks competition from the 12^th -- 14^th June, all set to classical music and starting each evening at 9.45pm, lasting for an hour. Prices are 12€ for adults & 3€ for children.

LE MANS

The annual Le Mans 24 hour race is on during the weekend of the 14/ 15^th June, this year it will be started by 3 famous astronauts -- from the orbiting international space station via the circuit's large TV screens. Every year 220,000 spectators make a beeline for the Bugatti track, driven by a single passion: the roaring of the engines! In this exceptional race, which is the longest in the world (13,650 km), the cars go by at more than 300 km per hour