French motorways or autoroutes are a delight to drive on, as they are all relatively new and incredibly well maintained. French roads are always very well maintained and the road network includes 4960 miles of motorways constructed in the last 20 years (many with tolls) which link the main provincial towns and cities with Paris. France has one of the densest road networks in Europe. All of the motorways throughout France are a fast efficient way to travel and once you are on them they are easy to navigate.

They are not cheap and the locals prefer to avoid them where possible and stick to the national routes (the RN and D roads).

The minimum driving age in France is 18 years old. All drivers in France need a valid driver’s licence. Proof of insurance coverage is necessary. The gendarmes may request to see your license, insurance certificate, and vehicle registration at any time. You should also carry a National Identity Card or passport.

Beware because on the spot fines are imposed for not carrying the proper documentation. All drivers should carry a red warning triangle in their boot, together with spare head-light bulbs, a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher.

If you are driving to France from another country, there is a good choice of car-ferry operators from England and the Eurotunnel.

In France to rent a car you must be over 20 years of age and have held a full driving license for at least a year. Insurance is compulsory. All of the main car rental companies have offices in all major railway stations and airports, as well as in major city centers.

All foreign cars need to display a sticker showing the country of registration displayed close to the rear number plate. Right hand drive vehicles need to have the head-lights adjusted or have deflector kits fitted which are easily available at all the English ports.

You will need to obtain a green card from your UK insurer for full cover abroad. If you do not have a green card your UK insurance will not cover you outside of England. You can also arrange for rescue and recovery service with the AA, RAC and Europ Assist. The most expensive place to buy this is at the ferry or train terminal.

In France you must give way to the right unless road signs indicate otherwise. Like in England, cars already on a roundabout have right of way.

Permanent speed cameras are normally well signposted and are big rectangular boxes painted with bright fluorescent black and yellow diagonal stripes to warn you. The Michelin website lists where these fixed speed cameras are on your journey and advises the speed limit at those locations. It will also calculate the toll for you on motorways.

On autoroutes the speed limit is 130 kilometres and 110 when it rains. On dual carriage ways the speed limit is reduced to 110 kilometres and 90 when it rains. On other roads the speed limit is 90 kilometres and 80 when it rains. In hamlets, towns, villages, the normal limit is 50 kilometres and the French do not always display the speed limit.

If you are travelling on the national routes you have to be really careful about buying petrol or diesel on a Sunday. Almost every service station is closed on a Sunday (except those on Autoroutes) and all of the automatic petrol pumps do not accept international credit cards only French debit and credit cards. Hypermarkets and large supermarkets sell petrol at a discount but remember only to locals with French cards on a Sunday.

We operate Chateau du Guerinet a luxury french chateau in the Loire Valley near Blois, for up to 24 people perfect for a fantastic french vacation with friends and family and for visiting vineyards, historic castles and unwinding. The castle can be rented as a fully catered chateau or a self-catered chateau. You can rent a castle and drive from England or hire a car to explore this incredible region.

The Chateau Villandry gardens are an absolute delight. They are enthusiastically and lovingly tended by Henri Carvallo, curator of the chateau and great-grandson of Dr Joachim Carvallo who purchased the chateau in 1906.

At that time Villandry when Dr Carvallo purchased the property it was on the point of being demolished. It had been disfigured by the walling up of the arches, fake windows and additions and the moat had been filled in. Joachim Carvallo envisaged the original designs and the harmonious renaissance architecture. He devoted himself to the restoration of the chateau and its gardens giving up an impressive career in science under the tutelage of a professor who later went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Dr Carvallo went on to found the Association de la Demeure Historique with the objective of saving historic buildings throughout France. He sure saved Villandry which is now one of the most visited Loire Valley chateaux.

Carvallo’s best work was the restoration of the gardens, which still make the reputation of Villandry today. Gardens existed as early as the 16th century and these were recreated under Carvallo’s instructions following evidence of engravings found in “Les plus Excellents Bastiments de France” (1576-1579) by Jacques Androuet Du Cerceau.

The gardens at Chateau Villandry are the grandest examples of formal Renaissance style gardens in France. The gardens, which are terraced on three levels, were influenced by Italian gardeners brought in by Charles VIII. The protocol for plantings on each level are:

The first level is the highest, at or above ground level with the chateau, is the Le Jardin d’Eau, (water garden) featuring fountains, lawns and the reflecting pool whose edges are bounded by arbors.

The second level, includes the : Le Jardin d’Ornement, (ornamental gardens), consisting of the Decorative Flower Garden, the Garden of Music, the Garden of Love and the Garden of Simple delights. In the front of this level where the castle stands is a bed planted with a pergola walk shaded by vines.

The third and lowest level, is the kitchen garden Le Potager, (vegetable garden), consists of fruit trees and bushes, vegetable plantings,as well as herbs for medical or seasoning purposes. This garden, in the Louis XIV style, and takes the form of a rectangle of slightly irregular shape surrounding on three sides the two higher tiers of gardens. It is devoted to vegetables and has 9 square sections divided into beds of various coloured plants, surrounded by box hedges and hardy plants. Villandry is a vegetal feast, with big purple cabbages, beds of yellow and green peppers, zigzags of crazy-growing leeks, blocks of autumn pumpkins and mounds of celery all replanted twice a year with a brilliant eye for the colours of the changing seasons.

At the opposite side of the garden to the castle, there is a maze of 12000 clipped beech trees. Each of these gardens is impressive in their own rights, so I will not recommend one more than the others. Without too much pomp and ceremony you can witness a chateau that lives in harmony with nature, and the remarkable beauty of these gardens. Villandry is well worth the visit Eight gardeners work at Chateau Villandry full time, and plant about 60,000 vegetables and 45,000 plants in its gardens each year.

In July every year Chateau Villandry holds Les Nuits des Mille Feux, when they light up the magical gardens of the Villandry castle with 2000 candles. Lit just as the sun begins to set, the candles burn on until after midnight in the beautiful grounds of the Loire’s most famous chateau. Baroque music, played live by strolling musicians, adds to the mystical atmosphere during this quintessential Loire experience. It really is spectacular, so don’t miss it if you can.

If you can not make it to the Les Nuits des Mille Feux (The Night of a 1000 Candles) in July, then you definitely should try to see all the Chateau Villandry gardens in the summertime, and preferably about 2 hours before sun-down, as the light adds that certain ‘Je-ne-sais-quoi’.

We operate a luxury french castle wedding in the Loire Valley near Blois, perfect for a fantastic french vacation with family and friends and for unwinding and touring historic chateaux and vineyards,. It is a perfect castle wedding. You can rent the whole castle or rent a luxury suite. Do not just get married at home you can opt for a fairtyale wedding castle.

If you’re going to visit one chateau on the Loire, it should be Chateau du Chambord.

Obviously, you can’t miss this one. This is solid stock. 440 rooms, 420 feet wide, 84 staircases, 365 chimneys, …. Inside the chateau the highlight is the double helix staircase which serves as the axis for the whole chateau, and is thought to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci.

We run a luxury french wedding castle in the Loire Valley near Blois, ideal for a fantastic destination wedding or vacation with friends and family and for visiting vineyards, historic chateaux and unwinding. The castle is also perfect for a fairytale french castle wedding, party or any event. Go ahead and spoil yourself with a castle wedding. We always recommend our guests go and visit Chateau Chambord.

Chateau de Chambord was commissioned in 1510 by the young King Francois definitely an egomaniac when he was only 25 years of age, to help establish his power. He was not content with the amazing chateaux of Amboise and Blois.

He wanted a hunting lodge. Francois I spent without caring to realise his masterpiece project. He even went so far as to change the natural course of the Loire River. The castle we see today was not completed until 1685, and it is the largest chateau in the Loire by far.

The Royal Chateau at Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France is the most recognisable chateau in the world because of its very distinctive French Renaissance architecture that combines classical Italian structures with traditional medieval forms and a variety of towers and turrets. The roofline really is amazing.

The chateau is in the centre of a thirteen thousand acre wooded park and game reserve with [red deer and wild boar|wild boar and red deer[/spin], surrounded by a 20 mile wall. It is the largest walled forest park in Europe.

If you’re going to visit one chateau on the Loire, it should be this one.

Obviously, you can’t miss this one. This is solid stock. 440 rooms, 420 feet wide, 84 staircases, 365 chimneys, …. Inside the chateau the highlight is the double helix staircase which serves as the axis for the whole chateau, and is thought to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci.

The castle was rarely inhabited. Francois I spent barely seven weeks at Chateau Chambord on short hunting trips. Because the castle had been constructed for the purpose of short visits, it was not practical to stay there on a longer-term basis. The massive rooms, high ceilings and huge windows made heating a logistical impossibility. This was exacerbated by the fact that the castle was not surrounded by a estate or a village. There was no immediate source of food other than game. The end result was that all the food had to be brought in for the hunting parties which typically numbered between 2000 to 3000 people at a time. This puts catering for the extended family for the holiday season into perspective doesn’t it.

When the castle was not inhabited it was left completely devoid of furniture. All of the tapestries, paintings, furniture, eating implements, were brought in especially for each hunting trip. Imagine trying to co-ordinate a party of two thousand odd including the royal family going camping.

This is why much of the furniture from this era was built to be disassembled in order to aid transportation. French beds and armoires all disassemble beautifully. Contrary to popular belief flat-packing was not invented by Ikea.

After King Francois died, Chateau de Chambord remained unoccupied for some 80 years falling into a horrible state of decay. In 1639 Louis XIII gave it to his brother, Gaston d’Orleans who carried restoration work which was greatly needed. Gaston d’Orleans saved the castle.

Louis XIV furnished the royal apartments and added a horse stable for just 300 horses to allow him to use the castle as a hunting lodge.

In 1930 the chateau became the property of the French Government but restoration work was not begun until a few years after World War II ended in 1945.

Next time you are thinking about complaining about packing for a camping trip remember Chateau Chambord and King Francois’ seven weeks of hunting.

We now rent out our chateau as a romantic venue for a french castle wedding. A fairytale wedding castle in the Loire Valley is a perfect location to get married. A destination castle wedding is becoming very fashionable among celebrities, but you do not need to be a celeb to have your own fairytale wedding in a castle in France.

It is amazing the diversity in quality of wedding speeches and how many speakers panic at the thought of delivering their speeches.

Here are a few pitfalls to avoid, and a few tips to heed, when giving a wedding toast that will leave other wedding guests impressed.

Prepare for Your Wedding Toast

The first key to an impressive speech is preparation. Decide first whether you will you just wing it or whether you will you write it out and read it verbatim, use notes for reference?

Normally just winging is best left to the naturally gifted speakers and unless you fall into that category unquestionably it is most likely to get you in to difficulties on the day. If you want to wing it on the day, it is worth making some well-rehearsed mental notes before going into it.

Writing Out a Toast

If you’re a great writer, there’s nothing wrong with writing out your entire toast. Your ease with language and your ability to string together impressive words won’t be lost on your audience provided only if you read your toast with conviction. Just don’t get too stuffy like Frasier would. Read it convincingly and pause and remember to breath.

Or alternatively you can elect to just to make some notes to keep you on track as you go – this will allow empathy from the wedding party and your fellow guests, and it gives you the flexibility to make changes on the fly as you see what’s working and what’s not as you deliver your toast.

Here is a simple but universally effective game plan for delivering a fail safe wedding toast.

No-Fail Toast Game Plan

First introduce yourself, and your relationship to the bride or groom. Explain how you came to know them, and how far the three of you go back. Next think funny, but don’t be obnoxious. Share a witty story about how you met either the bride or groom, and how their lives became better after they were together.

Talk about some quirky characteristic that one of them has which completely complements the other. Remember that wedding audiences are generally easy going. They are all friends, and they’re probably a little drunk or even a lot drunk.

A good natured approach will get them smiling and if your lucky laughing with almost no effort. But remember whatever you do, the goal is to NOT embarrass the bride and groom in front of everyone they know. Never mention ex-girlfriends or boyfriends, This is a toast, not a roast.

Make the Wedding Toast Emotional

Talk about what an incredible couple they are, how inspiring they are to all those around them, and how the world is a better place with them together. Bring up the beautiful union of families. You can hint about the expectation of incredible kids down the line.

Keep the Toast Positive

If you are in trouble, go for compliments. The poor wedding couple have been through a lot to get to this day, and sometimes it’s just nice to hear how much your friends and family dig you. Also be sure to steer clear of these all-too common snares:

Wedding Toast Faux Pas

Boring your guests, insulting your inlaws, and pronouncing your love for your best friend’s wife are all pretty much faux pas in the game of life.

Don’t drink too much before your toast – a drink to loosen up is okay, but much more than that and you’ll be telling old college stories that are best left in college.

Never use an insult of any kind – this is a festival of love, remember? Don’t use any corny one-liners, make sure that any humor in your toast comes from genuine emotions.

Staying Cool During the Toast

But if all this sounds totally daunting and you have broken into a sweat just reading this because you are simply terrified of speaking in front of other people, just keep it simple.

Tell the bride and groom how much you care about them, and how much it means that they have included you in their wedding celebration. Wish them all the success in the world, have everyone raise a glass, and give them a big hug.

Easy, peasy. No sweat necessary.

Here are the french literal translations for two Christmas Carols that are sung to the same tunes in English.

Douce nuit is the French version of Silent Night. They are sung to the same tune, but the translation given is the literal translation of the French Christmas carol Douce nuit, which is quite different than Silent Night.

Douce nuit, sainte nuit !

Dans les cieux ! L’astre luit.

Le mystère annoncé s’accomplit.

Cet enfant sur la paille endormit,

C’est l’amour infini,

C’est l’amour infini !

Sweet night, holy night!

In the heavens the star shines.

The foretold mystery comes true.

This child sleeping on the hay,

Is infinite love,

Is infinite love!

Lyrics for “Au Royaume du bonhomme hiver,” a French Christmas carol

Au Royaume du bonhomme hiver is a French Christmas carol, the equivalent of “Winter Wonderland.” They are sung to the same lyrics, but the translation of the French given here is literal, as the French lyrics are quite different than the English ones.

Écoutez les clochettes
Du joyeux temps des fêtes
Annonçant la joie
De chaque coeur qui bat
Au royaume du bonhomme hiver.

Listen to the bells
Of the joyful holiday times
Announcing the joy
Of each heart that beats
In the kingdom of the winter snowman.

Sous la neige qui tombe
Le traîneau vagabonde
Semant tout autour
Une chanson d’amour
Au royaume du bonhomme hiver.

Under the falling snow
The sleigh wanders
Spreading all around
A love song
In the kingdom of the winter snowman.

Le voilà qui sourit sur la place
Son chapeau, sa canne et son foulard
Il semble nous dire d’un ton bonasse
Ne voyez-vous donc pas qu’il est tard ?

France is magnificent at Christmas time. The little french villages are a mass of Christmas Decorations, spirits are high, the shopping is to die for.

We now rent out our chateau during the festive season as a holiday christmas castle. Come and lord it up at our christmas castle and enjoy roaring fires with your family and friends, walks through the forest, roast goose, foie gras, champagne and shrimp. Come and experience a christmas castle.

Christmas is a very special time of year to visit France. It is a particularly handy time for antipodeans to visit France and Europe as the festive season co-incides with the big summer school vacation.

France is a very catholic nation and many french go off to Christmas Mass.