Still not sure what to do for Christmas this year? Why not try something different by celebrating the festive season in France or Italy? We still have several properties available with lots of little extras to make Christmas extra special for you and your kids. 

Properties will be tastefully decorated, with most providing a Christmas tree. Several will do a food shop for their guests’ Christmas dinner, welcome packs will be adapted to include seasonal treats like mince pies and handmade chocolates and some will even invite their guests for festive drinks, a free Christmas dinner, or even host a treasure hunt for the children. 

“Christmas is a wonderful time in France and Italy, with plenty of markets selling gifts, handcrafted ornaments and food. Towns and villages are lit up with pretty festive decorations and many larger towns feature outdoor ice rinks. It’s a great way to celebrate Christmas slightly differently and our property owners will be on hand to make it magical,” says Wendy Shand, founder of Tots to Travel. 

Here are a few of our favourite suggestions… 

In Italy:

Casa Alexa
For a white Christmas, this stunning property in the Marche region of Italy sleeps 10 plus 3 cots – so ideal for a family or group of friends going away together (3 double bedrooms, 2 twins, 4 bathrooms). It has an open fire, central heating and stunning views of the snow covered Siblini Mountains which are just 30 minutes away (suitable for sledging and skiing day trips). More details 

In France:

The Cottage
This beautiful three bedroomed cottage sleeping six (plus babies) is an hour’s drive from Toulouse. It has a wood-burning stove for cosy nights in. The cottage will be tastefully decorated and a Christmas tree provided. The welcome pack would include homemade mince pies, champagne Gaillac style and chocolate Santas. More details 

La Colline and La Maison Soie
La Colline is situated in the Languedoc Roussillon and sleeps 8 (plus babies in cots) in two double and two twin bedrooms. It’s minutes away from the bustling village of Anduze with plenty of lively restaurants and cafes and a Christmas market. More details  

La Maison Jaune
This grand house in the Dordogne sleeps 7 (plus babies in cots) in two doubles, one twin and one single room. Situated in the bustling village of Villefranche de Lonchat, guests can enjoy the local markets which feature Christmas delicacies like Foie Gras and Oysters. More details  

Le Manoir Champagnois
Le Manoir Champagnois is a stunning manor house with two properties - Le Gite Meunier (two bedrooms) and La Maison Verger (one bedroom gite) - and is just 90 minutes from the thrill and excitement of Disneyland Paris and three hours from Calais ferry port. For Christmas, the properties will be decorated including Christmas trees from the garden. Christmas markets can be visited in Reims and Metz and guests will also receive a Christmas gift of a box of handmade chocolates made by a local chocolatier. More details

Recent trends suggest that the traditional two week summer holiday is set to make a much welcomed return!  

The benefits of one long holiday are convincing… reduced costs, carbon footprints, and in particular, time spent travelling means you spend more time actually enjoying your holiday! It seems like booking a two week holiday for next summer might be the way forward.  

The Times travel expert, Ginny McGrath, reported last month that she was, “thinking of taking a longer holiday next year – two whole weeks... it’s back to the good old days of the long summer holiday”.

 Link to The Times

Here at Tots to Travel we agree. One of our own Tot’s mums who booked a ‘two weeker’ reported that she felt, “significantly more rested and far less testy with the children” compared to previous one week holidays.

Ginny McGrath adds, “it’s going to be strange… I might actually get to wear all of my flip-flops and sarongs: I definitely cannot forget to switch on my out-of-office, the milk will most definitely be off if I don’t empty the fridge, and I might even get a noticeable tan – perhaps it’s not such a bad thing after all.” 

Ask our Family Travel Experts for advice on where best to spend a whole two luxurious weeks away!

France and Italy experience warmer autumns than we do here in the UK and many of us deserve a break!  Here are some fab places to take the family where there are things to do other than swim!

FREE Horseriding Taster Sessions and Adventure treks for tots
Les Gites de Lavalette offer families with children of any age entertainment on horseback!  Apart from the FREE taster sessions for tots, the British owner (who is a British Horse Society trained instructor) provides horseriding lessons and a special Adventure Trek for little people which takes them on a tour across the local vineyards, through the walnut trees and down to the river for a snack.  If your children get a taste for horseriding then more sessions can be booked whilst you are there.  Adults can choose to book sessions according to their level and experience.

Where?: Charente/Dordogne border
Accommodation: Albizia (three bedrooms) and Acacia (two bedrooms) provide simple, clean and comfortable accommodation with plenty of toys and play equipment for the children. 
Cost: prices start from £485.00 in September 08

Disneyland: Parents Go FREE!
Le Manoir Champagnois is but 90 minutes from the thrill and excitement that lies beyond the gates of Disneyland Paris.  You will recieve FREE 1 day, 2 -park tickets for 2 adults (under 3s go free anyway) which will be valid for any day during your stay.*  Your tickets will be waiting for you on your arrival at Le Manoir which means that you beat the queues and gain immediate access to both the Disney Park and Disney Studios. 

Autumn and winter are the very best times to enjoy the park as the crowds have vanished and the cooler weather makes for an altogether more comfortable trip.  Newbies to the park can benefit from all our Disney tips such as where to park, where to eat and of course which rides are a ‘must.’

Or if you would prefer…mums and dads can benefit from a Limited Edition bottle of Compte Audoin de Dampierre Grand Vintage 2002 Champagne in a limited edition Dampierre ice bucket PLUS entry for 2 people to one of the major Champagne houses in either Epernay or Reims.*

* These offers are valid for stays at either property between 1 October 2008 and 31 January 2009 on bookings taken after 1 September 2008.  Offers limited to one per booking; minimum stay 1 week.

Where?: Champagne, France
Accommodation: Two properties including a two bedroom apartment and a one bedroom cottage.
Cost: prices start from £635.00 in September and October 08

FREE food!
In the autumn the land offers a bounty of FREE food from blackberries and chestnuts to truffles and mushrooms.  One of the best places to enjoy these gastronomic joys is in northern Italy where our friends at Sapori-e-Saperie will help you hunt out this treasure.
Sapori-e-Saperi can arrange for you and your family to explore both the culinary and cultural wonders within this fabulous region of Italy.  From chestnut roasting, chocolate making, olive harvesting, mushroom collecting and of course eating, there is something on the schedule for young and old alike.  In fact if you are staying at our property, Casa Barile (see our website), you could even have a cookery demonstration from the comfort of your holiday home!
Tots to Travel families will receive a 5-10% discount from Sapori-e-Saperi.
Where?: Northern Italy
Accommodation: Casa Barile offers excellent accommodation, awesome views for up to 10 people (6 plus babies in low season).  Casa Barile comes complete with a chestnut roasting machine!
Cost: prices start from £1250.00 in September and October 08

Sorry to bang on about the credit crunch but the recent WHICH Holiday Report says that NOW is the time to plan your summer holiday for next year.  We know that the organised mums and dads amongst you (or perhaps those of you who missed out this year?) are already hot on the trail (just take a look at our bookings for ‘09!) and will benefit from cheaper prices not only with your accommodation but also with your car hire, airport parking and so on.  And quite apart from the £££, it's always nice to have something to look forward to as the evenings draw in!

Here are 7 Ways to get MORE FOR YOUR MONEY...

1) Book Accommodation Early: A recent WHICH! Holiday survey reports that the best way to save money is to book early.  Lorna Cowan, editor of Which? Holiday says:“If you can be flexible with your destination and dates, it may be worth waiting to see what deals come up.  But, for families wanting to get away next summer with specific destinations in mind, we recommend booking in the next month or so to avoid disappointment when it comes to availability and cost.”
At Tots to Travel, not only are we keeping many of our prices the same for the moment but we have also put our thinking caps on and given some careful thought to ways that we can give your family a better value holiday.  It is also likely that following the dreadful weather that we have had this August (the worst since records began) that there will simply not be very much left next year.

2) Parking the car: This element of a holiday is often a last minute chore.  Get ahead of rush and benefit from ‘early bird offers’ by booking your car parking at the same time as you book your holiday.

3) Car Hire: Again, book early to benefit from discounts up to 25%.

4) More For Your Money:  Many of our properties come with additional ‘benefits’ such as FREE Disneyland tickets, horseriding sessions or Teddy Bears’ picnics for the kids, so you get better value for money.

5) Book something that really suits your family: Use our experts to advise you which accommodation will suit you best.  Our team know our properties inside out and are well placed to make sure that you do not waste your money.

6) Book two weeks not one: There has been a trend in recent years to book lots of short breaks rather than a decent ‘two weeker.’  This way you will be assured of a proper break and will benefit from a longer break for the same effort and cost of travelling.

7) Travel Insurance: Travel insurance is an absolute MUST and caters for those ‘unknown quantities’ that life brings.  It will bring you peace of mind that if sickness or work requirements force you to cancel your holiday that you will be reimbursed. *  Go for an annual family policy which can offer really good value.
*Make sure that you read your Insurance company’s cancellation policy.

Regional focus: Brittany & Normandy
It is with such excitement that we  announce our new arrivals!  Our newest properties – Les Gites a la Campagne - have as always been chosen both with a keen eye on your children’s safety  but also with an eye on offering great value.  Gites a la Campagne is a cluster of 5 properties and offers a heated pool (in season), enclosed play area and a brand new play room, bursting with toys!
The properties themselves vary in size and shape (1, 2 or 3 bedrooms) so there is something for most families, and larger parties can book a couple of properties and enjoy holidaying with friends whilst not being on top of them!

The area
Brittany and Normandy are both really popular with families due to their accessibility from the UK, the pretty countryside and to the large expanse of coastline.  The coastline offers a variety of amazing landscapes, different coloured rocks, impressive megaliths and stunning views - and of course the famous beaches.
The climate can be similar to that of the south-west of England and can be changeable.  When holidaying in this area it is worth being prepared for all sorts of weather, just as you would perhaps in Cornwall or Devon.  The glorious days will be a treat whilst if you are unlucky enough to experience off weather then at least you will be guaranteed delicious food.  From a gastronomic point of view, it is hardly surprising to learn that freshly caught fish and shellfish feature heavily on the menu.  The children meanwhile will light up when they see the 'galettes' (a type of pancake made out of buckwheat).
There is also plenty of history to get your teeth into with numerous chateaux and bastide towns to visit.   For more info visit www.brittanytourism.com and we recommend Frommer’s Brittany With Family Guide.

Getting there: 
You can fly into Brest, Rennes, L'Orient, Dinard and Nantes from all around the UK and Ireland with Ryanair, Aer Arann and Flybe.  There are also numerous ferry crossings to Cherbourg, St.Malo and Caen from Portsmouth and Plymouth.

It’s so important for both you and your tots to get out and about in your local area.  They will love the stimulation of new faces and sounds and it gives you a chance to meet other local parents with children of the same age.

It’s simple to find out what’s on near you by visiting www.whatson4littleones.co.uk.  Here you can quickly search by your area, type of activity, day of the week and even age to find comprehensive details of everything from free library rhyme times and local baby and toddler groups to sensory play, baby signing, swimming and music classes.

It’s worth trying a few different groups to see what you both like and many classes offer free trial sessions.  To help, www.whatson4littleones.co.uk also has a useful guide to the many wonderful activities available as well as discounts for classes.

So visit www.whatson4littleones.co.uk today for lots of fun for you and your little one!