Will car hire in France be tricky in 2010?

2009 saw some problems with car hire in France due to supply and demand issues. The global downturn saw many car hire companies holding back on upgrading their fleets and indeed in some cases reducing their fleet size. This meant that many people who left their car hire in France to the last minute were disappointed due to lack of availability.

It seems as though car hire in France wasn't as badly affected as car hire in Spain but it was a problem none the less.

Many sources are reporting that these availability issues are set to continue in 2010 so the best advice is not to leave your car hire in France until the last minute. In fact, not only will advance booking guarantee your car rental but in many cases it will mean that your car hire in France will be cheaper that if you'd have left it to the last minute.

I myself have just booked a hire car for a short trip at the end of January and because I booked well in advance and used the cartrawler booking system I got myself a really good deal. I ended up paying not much more than €50 for three days, including insurance. I don't know about you but I think that is a seriously god deal.

Use our booking engine to get an instant online quote for your car hire in France and secure yourself a good deal now rather than leaving it until the last minute and risking disapointment.

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More easyJet flights from UK to France confirmed for 2010

One of the best known low cost airlines, easyJet has confirmed more easyJet flights from UK to France for 2010.

These easyJet flights from UK to France include;

• easyJet from Bristol to Marseille
• easyJet from Gatwick to Marseille
• easyJet from Gatwick to Montpellier
• easyJet from Luton to Montpellier

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Flybe increases aircraft size for flights from Southampton to Paris Charles de Gaulle

To help battle against Eurostar backlogs, Flybe has moved larger aircraft to help with its flights from Southampton to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.

More information at www.flybe.com

Flybe adds more flights from Birmingham to Paris Charles de Gaulle

In an attempt to help with the backlog of Eurostar passengers blighted by snow and mechanical breakdown, low cost airline Flybe has laid on larger aircraft for its flights from Birmingham to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.


Go to www.flybe.com for more information.

Bomb scare at Biarritz airport

A bomb scare at Biarritz airport in France left hundreds of people shivering in the airport car park for an hour and a half while security forces conducted a controlled explosion on an unnatended package.

Servics quickly returned to normal at Biarritz airport and nobody was hurt.

Snow strands thousands of travellers at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport

At Paris Charles de Gaulle airport yesterday, 40 percent of flights were cancelled and the remaining services were leaving an average of one hour late, while the city's second airport Orly was the scene of a strike by security staff.

British Airways strike to go ahead. Will this affect your flights to France?

British Airways cabin crew trade union UNITE, announced on December 14th, that their strike ballot closed with a majority vote in favour of industrial action between 22nd December and 2nd January.

This is probably the worst time of year to have your flight cancelled and we are advising everyone to consider booking an alternative flight as a stand by. If you don't leave it too late, this back up plan might not cost the earth and at least you'll get to spend Christmas with family or friends.

To look for alternate flights from UK and Ireland to France use the handy Skyscanner search box. You can flind this box on our flights from UK to Nice page. It's free, it's up to date and it might just give you a "Plan B" if you need it.

Don't leave it until it's too late though. As soon as BA publish details of their strike action we are expecting flight demand for alternative flights to France to soar.

Good Luck.

Beziers airport announcement

Important Ryanair announcement concerning Beziers airport expected later this week.

Flybe flights from UK to France - New routes for 2010

Low cost airline Flybe has announced 16 new routes for 2010.

Flybe flights from the UK to France for 2010 will include;

• Flights from Birmingham to Avignon airport (3xweek),
• Flights from Birmingham to Bordeaux airport (4xweek),
• Flights from Birmingham to Limoges airport (3xweek),
• Flights from Birmingham to Rennes airport (3Xweek)

• Flights from London Gatwick to Limoges airport (3xweek)

• Flights from Manchester to Avignon airport (2xweek),
• Flights from Manchester to Bergerac airport (3xweek),
• Flights from Manchester to Limoges airport (3xweek)

Also returning for summer 2010 are the following flights from UK to France;

• Flights from Birmingham to Bergerac,
• Flights from Birmingham to Brest airport,
• Flights from Birmingham to La Rochelle airport,
• Flights from Birmingham to Toulouse airport
  

• Flights from Edinburgh to Bergerac,
• Flights from Edinburgh to Rennes

• Flights from Glasgow to La Rochelle

• Flights from Manchester to Brest,
• Flights from Manchester to La Rochelle,
• Flights from Manchester to Rennes

• Flights from Newcastle to Limoges

• Flights from Southampton to Avignon,
• Flights from Southampton to Bordeaux,
• Flights from Southampton to Brest,
• Flights from Southampton to Limoges,
• Flights from Southampton to Perpignan airport,
• Flights from Southampton to Rennes

Flybe’s Chief Commercial Officer Mike Rutter said..............."In an environment in which other airlines are withdrawing services, we’re delighted to be offering close to 4,000 summer flights a week that include the operation of another 16 brand new routes."

"With people already planning next year’s holidays and wanting their budgets go as far as possible, it’s advisable to book early and take advantage of the lowest possible fares.”


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rumours of Perpignan airport closure continue

Rumours continue to spread about the possible closure of Perpignan airport. I can't find anything concrete to support this so will keep looking and listening.

Toulouse airport new terminal to launch in 2010

Toulouse airport new terminal, "Hall D" is set to launch in the first quarter of 2010, 30 years after opening it's doors on its first terminal on the Blagnac site.

The €104m project will transform Toulouse airport in the first quarter of 2010 and will be the airports key to offering new routes and improving passenger efficiency.

Development summary so far.................

• In the stages of completion:

Staff offices as well as airline counters
Installation of glass partition walls leading to landing area

• In progress:

Departure lounges
Security check-point and check-in desks
Preparation of floor surfaces
Installation of sign system
Heating inspections
Partition walls for all offices
Shopping area
Study of aircraft parking
Customs check-point
Electrical work

• Under construction:

Connection between Hall C and Hall D departures level (check-in area)
Arrivals area

Reader update to Parking at Toulouse airport

One of our readers, Chris Galley, has just written in to give us an update to our Parking at Toulouse airport information.

Chris tells us that Toulouse airport does actually have a P4 car park which is for staff rather than the public, and that the "Navette" or shuttle bus only runs to P4, P5 and P6, not P2 as previously stated.

Many thanks Chris for your information on Toulouse airport parking.


Simon Kerridge

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Is the end of Ryanair insight? Will this change ryanair flights from UK to Grenoble?

Michael O'Learly, Ryanair's flamboyant chief executive officer has said that he plans to step down in two or three years time.

The question is, what will this mean for Ryanair? It seems as though perhaps Ryanair is one of those companies that is built largely around the personality of its CEO so how would it fair if this larger than life character is no longer at the helm? Would it carry on as if nothing had changed? Will low fares be enough to continue Ryanair’s grip of the European flight market or would some of Ryanair’s most popular routes such as flights from UK to Grenoble suffer as a consequence? Only time will tell.

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Flybe in trouble after negative campaign towards BA. Will this have a negative impact on Flybe flights from UK to Paris Charles de Gaulle?

Flybe, one of the best known low cost airlines has suffered negative comments after it ran an ad campaign urging it's customers to avoid "the hassle and worry" of flying with BA during the winter strike period.

British airways is a partner of Flybe, owning 15% of the low cost airline and was unsurprisingly not very ammused.

I wonder if this negative exposure will do anything to hurt Flybe flights from UK to Paris Charles de Gaulle, one of the airline's most popular routes.