NEW CYCLE ROUTE
Franche-Comté, the region in Eastern France, has launched its own stretch of the pan-European EuroVélo Nantes-Budapest cycling route. Spanning over 187 kilometres, the route in Franche-Comté follows the course of the Doubs River taking in the cities of Dole, Besançon, Montbéliard and Belfort. This is the ideal opportunity to discover the area's picturesque countryside and scenic mountainous scenery on bike. With easy stretches to the West and more challenging rides to the East, the route caters for all levels.
BREST 2008
The International Nautical Festival is being held at Brest, Brittany from 11th to 17th July, 2008 and will feature maritime heritage, navy vessels, as well as professional & amateur ships together with a traditional sailing craft village.
TOUR DE FRANCE 2008
This years Tour de France, the 95th, is to start in Brittany on the 5th July and will feature 21 different stages -- including 10 flat events & 5 mountain, finishing on the 27th July, during which time the riders will only have two rest days.
BORDEAUX WINE FESTIVAL
From the 26th to 29th June, Bordeaux is hosting it's world famous annual wine festival on a 12ha site in the city centre -- get yourself a tasting pass & you can sample a wide range of vintages from around the Bordeaux & Aquitaine areas. A vineyard pass is also available enabling you to visit various vineyards in the Gironde.
AIRES NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS
The new aire in Oloron Sainte-Marie in the Pyrenees-Atlantiques is now operational. The designated parking for 7 motorhomes in the town centre also has an AireServices service point with electricity points and a drainage platform. One other added attraction in the town is that it has the only Lindt Chocolate factory shop in France. See our Aires directory for full details.
Another new aire has also been recently commissioned at Bellegarde sur Valserine in the Ain department of the Rhone-Alpes. The aire is located at Place Zanarelli on the edge of town, overlooking the Rhone & has drainage, water & electric -- the services are available for 3€ each & are operational from 01/05 -- 30/09 ( see the aires database for full details).
NICE JAZZ FESTIVAL
From July 19th -26th, 2008 the olive groves of the magnificent Cimiez gardens and Roman arenas will echo with the cool sounds of the Nice Jazz festival. Already established as one of the greatest festivals in the world, it excels in making the most of music from all over the world not only jazz but also world music, soul and rock performances are to be heard.
NEW NICE RIVIERA PASS
The NICE Riviera PASS aims to make everything easier during your stay on the French Riviera. With a single pass, you can discover Baie des Anges from the top deck of the 'Nice le Grand Tour' bus which you can get on and off as you like to visit the main sights and museums in Nice, follow a guided tour or sample regional specialities. You can also escape to Antibes, Biot, Cagnes-sur-mer or Monaco with all their attractions. In addition to free bus travel the pass allows free access to many of the Nice museums & gardens plus free guided tours around various parts of Nice. Prices for the Riviera Pass are 24€, 36€ & 54€ for 24 , 48 & 72 hours respectively -- they are available online (www.nicerivierapass.com) or from the four Convention & Visitor Bureau agencies in Nice.
MULHOUSE AUTO FESTIVAL
This year, from 4 to 6 July, 2008, the Mulhouse Automobile Festival celebrates its 10th Anniversary. This quality event that is open to the general public is witness to the strong link that ties Mulhouse to the automobile world. This historical link places the car at the heart of the city's economic and tourist life -- a three-day celebration based around the Cité de l'Automobile (the national museum with its prestigious Schlumpf Collection and its many unique models) to confirm the international reputation of Mulhouse.
BAGNERES AIRE MOVED
The aire at Bagneres-de-Bigorre in the Midi-Pyrenees which was located next to the station in Place de la Gare has been moved to a location just east of the railway station at Rue Oscar-Cassin; the services are still free however.
Whilst in the Cantal (Auvergne), the village of Pierrefort has built a new aire de services near to a rest area in the village. Services are available from the Euro-Relais borne via jetons from the tourism office at 2€ each.
CHAMBORD SON ET LUMIERE
The symbol of the first French Renaissance, the Chateau de Chambord is putting on a new son et lumière show in 2008, the showis divided into 20 scenes grouped into 5 categories. A series of eight virtual images on transparent curtains of rain will fill the stage space separating the public from the northern facade and roofs, which act as a backdrop. The son et lumière show is on every night from 28 June to 31 August and every Friday and Saturday in September 2008.
