Alternative Aquitaine's Guide to
Beating the Euro

Practical Ideas for Making Your Holiday More Affordable

You really want to go to Aquitaine but the exchange rate is making you think twice?

Here are our Top Ten Tips for saving potentially hundreds of pounds on the total cost of your holiday to France:

Save up to 50%! Unprecedented discounts are being offered this year so why not take advantage of our Special Offers.
Even in August you can save 22% - 28% on many villa and apartment holidays. Please check our special offers for Mer & Golf villas and Family Holiday sites.
Try a two-centre holiday combining a week in the country (prices are lower the further inland you go) with a week at the coast – this is a great way to experience the rich diversity of Aquitaine too. For some suggestions please contact us.
Choose one of our Best Value for Money rentals as rated by our clients.

Save over £200 for a family of four by flying on Sundays and Fridays (usually much less expensive than Saturdays). Saturday-Saturday restrictions often apply to rentals, but not always (especially outside July & August) so it’s worth asking!
Go car-free by choosing a rental where beaches, shops & restaurants are all within a short walk. You eliminate hire costs and save over £200 per week! Browse car-free rentals.
Taking the ferry? Operators prices direct to the public can be high and it’s often cheaper to book via an agent. With our ferry partner Chateau Vary Travel our clients have sometimes made three-figure savings.

Pre-order currency when the rate is good. In a recent Which? survey ICE (an online currency ordering & home delivery service) offered rates that were much better than most airport or high street bureaux.
Be smart about where you eat out and buy food: eat at lunchtime - there are more fixed menu options; eat out in a village bistrot; the menu fixe can be as low as 12 EUR for 3 courses, much cheaper than resort restaurants, and often betterl; in a restaurant order wine by the carafe rather than by the bottle and ask for tap water (un carafe d'eau) rather than bottled mineral water; buy your wine direct from the vineyard; use a ‘traiteur’ & eat in with restaurant-standard food. Also, from July 1st VAT in restaurants and cafés drops from 19.6% to 5.5%, which could pay for another bottle of wine...
Actually make some money - choose a rental with wireless Internet access and, after a day at the beach, cash in cricket-score spread bets, play on-line poker or auction the curiosity you bought at the local marché that morning on eBay!