Day Trips On A Budget
Unless you’ve been without human or media contact for the past 18 months, you’re probably aware that we’ve been struggling through a stubborn recession. Everywhere you looked there were high street stores closing down. You only had to scratch around in your purse or wallet to notice the impact. Times were, and still are, a little bit hard.
When the chips are down and we need to be more frugal with our money, luxuries are usually the first to go. This typically means sacrificing that dream holiday to the Maldives for a ‘staycation’ – going somewhere slightly less glamorous but much more affordable.
But I guess the good news is that taking a trip abroad or going on a day-trip, doesn’t need to cost the earth. Travel, via plane, road or sea is becoming increasingly more competitive. As this happens, travel not only becomes more accessible, it also becomes cheaper.
Now I’m not suggesting for a second that you can travel the globe on a shoestring budget, but what I am implying is that you look at what’s available just across the pond. There are a number of great sights and things to do, literally on our doorstep – in France.
Beyond the obvious attractions, such as Disneyland Paris, The Louvre, Mont St-Michel and Avignon, there are countless, lesser known gems perfect for the whole family, including:
• Bagatelle Amusement Park
Only a 45 minute drive from Calais, Bagatelle is an amusement park where all the family can enjoy the thrills and spills of the 18 rides and attractions on-site
• Wallonia
Rolling farmland, wooded peaks, fast-flowing rivers, but also scenic drives, good food and quality lodging from friendly guest houses to five star hotels.
• Calaid Cote d’Opale
Calais Cote d’Opale is a region offering a vast amount of warm and festive events all year round! Sound and light shows, historic pageants, fairytales, legendary celebrities, twilight walks, a fascinating heritage, artists and aficionados there’s always a fantastic festive air in the Calais Cote d’Opale!
• Shopping in Calais at Cite Europe
With more than 200 shops including well known high street names and a supermarket, Cite Europe is ideal if you want everything under one roof. Cite Europe is only 5 minutes from the Eurotunnel exit, and 4km from Calais, and is well sign posted. It has over 200 shops including well known English shops like Tesco Wines, Tie Rack, Toys R Us, as well as the best French high street brands. Carrefour, the large hypermarket within the shopping centre has a vast range of foods, groceries, cookware and electrical goods to name but a few.
• La Coupole
Situated 5km from the town of Saint-Omer, La Coupole is a larger-than-life underground bunker designed by the Nazis, during the second world war. It is one of the great relics of the Second World War in Europe, a History and Remembrance Centre, now a major tourist attraction. The bunker was used to store, prepare and launch V2 rockets, the secret weapon that Hitler had developed to destroy London.
So there you have it. A few recommendations for enjoying an affordable trip abroad, and doing something a little bit out of the ordinary. You may have to put off your holiday, but you can still enjoy a short break or day trip with the family to help soften the blow.
For more information on Channel Tunnel fares, or Disneyland Paris tickets, visit Eurotunnel.com.
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