Fuel shortage in France could lead to holiday problems

UNION-LED blockades of French oil depots and refineries have led to fuel shortages across the country, with reports of British and European holidaymakers finding themselves stranded due to panic buying and shortages at gas stations.

The UK’s Automobile Association (AA) has warned that half of the country’s petrol pumps could run dry as French drivers store fuel in fear of supply shortage.

Travel advice has been issued by Britain’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office, with a warning over fuel rationing in parts of northern and north-west France. The problem could become severe later this week as UK families travel to France for a half term or bank holiday break.

EDMUND KING, AA PRESIDENT, said: ‘AA breakdown services in Europe have been taking calls from UK drivers who have run out of fuel. We are recovering vehicles stuck at the side of the road to places of safety until fuel supplies are resumed. We are strongly advising our members heading to France to fill up their tanks before crossing the Channel and moderate their driving to get the best miles per gallon from their fuel. The only silver lining might be less traffic that will allow a car to travel further, typically 300 miles on one tank of fuel.’

The industrial action in protest against new labour laws has spread to all of France's eight oil refineries.

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Green light for multimillion-pound Norwich Castle plan

THE HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND (HLF) has earmarked £9.2 million for a ‘Gateway to Medieval England’ project to create a major heritage attraction at Norwich Castle.

The castle has been awarded an initial HLF development grant of £462,400, which will identify essential repairs and conservation work and set out plans for the development. The project aims to show the keep as it appeared during the rule of the Norman kings.

Newly-exposed Norman archaeology and architecture will tell stories of the castle’s past and a ‘battlements experience’ will offer views of medieval and present-day Norwich.

A partnership with the British Museum will bring medieval treasures to Norfolk, displayed alongside artefacts from Norwich Castle’s own collection.

Robyn Llewellyn, head of HLF East of England, said: ‘Norwich Castle is one of Europe’s most spectacular medieval keeps and home to a wonderful historical collection. We are recognizing its potential by funding a range of plans to enhance the museum’s existing displays and creating a complementary British Museum Gallery of the Medieval Period.

‘We’ve earmarked £9.2 million for the project and will be working closely with Norfolk Museums Service over the coming months to help them produce a first-class visitor attraction.’

Building work is expected to start in 2018, with the revitalized keep being open to the public by 2020.

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Brittany Ferries self-catering discounts in France & Spain

BRITTANY FERRIES  HOLIDAYS has announced a promotion on #self-catering holidays to #France and #Spain this summer. More than 110 French cottages and 30 Spanish houses are on offer, with discounts of up to 25 percent on the company’s ferry-inclusive prices. Discounts are available throughout the summer season, including the school holidays, and until the end of 2016. 

‘We are offering all sorts of accommodation, from rural retreats and coastal resorts to properties in villages and town centres,’ said Christiane Barker, general manager Brittany Ferries Holidays. ‘Clients can choose between France or Spain and our ferry-inclusive pricing makes this excellent value for money, particularly for families. You can secure your holiday now with a deposit of just £40 per person. The balance is payable just six weeks before departure.’

Gite and French cottage locations are offered in Brittany, Normandy, Poitou Charentes, the Loire, and beyond. Spanish properties are located in Asturias and Cantabria.

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Up in the air …

FLYBE has extended its exclusive partnership with #Disneyland #Paris for its Kids Under 7 Go Free entry offer to the theme park after it drove significant passenger growth during the first quarter of the year.  

Families wanting to take advantage of the holiday package offer, which includes Flybe flights into Paris Charles de Gaulle from Birmingham, Cardiff, Doncaster Sheffield, Edinburgh, Exeter, London City, Manchester, and Southampton – and from Southampton to Paris Orly – can book through to June 29 via the Disneyland Paris website for travel up to and including October 31.

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Saudi tourism to boom – forecast

SAUDI ARABIA’S in-bound tourism numbers could increase by 43% by 2020, according to research done for Deloitte. The number of international trips made to #SaudiArabia is estimated to increase from 18 million in 2015 to 25.8 million in 2020. 

Says Grant Salter, head of Travel, Hospitality and Leisure Advisory (Middle East) at Deloitte: ‘The kingdom already sees strong #tourism figures and hotel occupancy rates have historically been relatively high. There are more than 49,000 new hotel rooms under construction or in final planning across the country to meet the demands of this significant increase in tourists. We believe that with the improvements to the hospitality and leisure offering throughout the kingdom, there is a good chance that the projected increases will be met, if not exceeded.’

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Parents line up to challenge term-time holiday fines

THOUSANDS of British parents are poised to have fines refunded after the High Court ruled that children can be taken on term-time holidays. But the Department for Education vowed to close the loophole and change the law to remove the requirement that school attendance is ‘regular’ – which will mean that every unauthorized absence would be illegal.

However, any such changes could take years to implement and in the meantime millions of families could book term-time holidays following the court ruling.

The landmark case was won by Jon Platt, from the Isle of Wight, who refused to pay a fine for taking his daughter on a family holiday to Florida. He made legal history after the High Court ruled he was not guilty of any criminal offence. The test case will help parents take term-time holidays without fear of being prosecuted – and potentially allow some of the 200,000 fines handed out over the years to be reclaimed.

The case highlighted the issue of the high cost of holidays during school breaks. Andrew Shelton, managing director of flight search website Cheapflights, said: ‘It's unsurprising that families are flouting the rules when it comes to taking children out of school during term time, as prices can rise significantly in line with demand during the holidays. A quick search on our site today shows that families can save up to 45% by travelling during term time; a flight to Lanzarote is just £204 in September, which represents a saving of £340 on the adult tickets alone against the August price of £374.

‘Hopefully, this ruling will lead to some relaxation of the rules to flatten out those peak demand periods, giving everyone the chance to enjoy the benefits of a family getaway.’

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No nudity on Cadiz beaches

NUDITY will not be allowed at a popular tourist spot in #Spain, the country’s supreme court has ruled.  

The Spanish Federation of #Naturism objected to local legislation that prohibits nudity on beaches in the historic port city of Cadiz, arguing that naturism was a fundamental freedom.

But the supreme court ruled that authorities in Cadiz could ‘manage properly the use of its services, equipment, infrastructure, facilities, and public spaces’. The judges said the federation did not convince them that nudism was ‘at this moment an accepted practice by the majority of beachgoers’.

Naturists are allowed to use a beach outside the city.

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