Day 1114 (Saturday) 27^th June 2020

We had a lovely lazy day today sunbathing and reading and I did some prep for work next week with the little monsters.

(None of the following photos are mine)

Which parts of France will French holidaymakers head to this summer?

After being confined to their homes for two months during the coronavirus health crisis the French can move around freely again. With travel abroad still complicated for many the French are set to stay at home en masse. So where will they be going?

In France, like most countries, les grandes vacances (the big holidays) is an important annual event. Every summer, the French take weeks off work in July or August to head away on holiday.

But this year the coronavirus pandemic jeopardised people's holiday plans by bringing international travel to a standstill for several months.

As a result, the holiday season will be slightly different this year with most opting to holiday in France. Some parts of the country can expect an influx of tourists while other areas will be quieter. 

The stats

France is a favoured summer holiday destination for many people, including the French themselves - 70 percent of French tourism is domestic - but this year more people than usual are opting for staycations, even as Europe has loosened restrictions on international travel.

Travel companies have noted a slump in reservations abroad this year, down from 66 percent usually to 20 percent this summer, according to French media Sud Ouest.

In total, 86 percent of French people will go on holiday in France this year, up from 75 percent in 2019, according to a survey for 13 regional tourism committees.

In addition to favouring domestic holidays over international this year, French are also travelling less than previous years, with local holidays within ones region being the clear winner.

"In other years, 40 percent French holiday makers stayed in their region of residence or in the regions of proximity," said Didier Arino, Director of the tourism agency Protourism, to AFP, adding, "this year the number has risen to 52 percent."

The coast

On top of the list of where people be going is the coast - a trend that is not new - with 43 percent saying they are opting for a holiday by the sea, according to the regional tourism survey.

France of course is lucky to have a long coastline stretching from the Channel beaches in the north to the Atlantic in the west and the Mediterranean in the south. 

Brittany and Normandy, both situated on the northwestern coastline, are among the most popular destinations this year, according to Les Echos with the sunnier south coast also in demand as you'd expect.

Brittany

Normandy

The coastal areas of France are easily accessible by train, and the French seem to be opting for alternative means of transport to planes this summer, François Xavier de Bouard, chief of the tourism agency Secrets de Voyage, told French newspaper Ouest-France.

"We also have a lot of requests to rent houses with swimming pools because it makes people feel like they are in an even safer environment," he said.

France's popular campsites are also expected to be popular this summer with reports that sales of tents have doubled in recent weeks.

The southern island Corsica, which is usually a favoured holiday destination among the French, has seen a plunge in its popularity this year, which could be explained in its still relatively high levels of coronavirus.

The countryside

Second on the list of where the French will be going this year is the countryside.

Twenty-seven percent of the respondents in the regional travel survey said they will be wanting greenery this summer, and the most popular sites are the Loire Valley (west) and Dordogne (southwest).

Loire Valley

Dordogne

Both places are usually holiday favourites among British tourists - the Loire Valley is known for its stunning nature, cycle trails and vineyards and Dordogne for its gastronomy, tranquil beauty and picturesque countryside. 

Mountains

Third on the list is the mountains, with roughly 12 percent of the respondents in the regional travel survey said this would be their holiday destination this summer.

France is blessed with mountains from the Alps in the south east, the Pyrenees in the south west to the Vosges in the east and the Massif Central in the centre of the country.

Pyrenees

"There is a tendency to seek the green and the mountains", the president of the federation of Gîtes de France told Sud Ouest media, adding that certain areas like the départements Cantal and Lot had seen a surge in popularity.

Both départements are rural areas in the southern part of France, not on the coast but with plenty of mountains to climb for hikers.

Brits and Americans make up a large chunk of France's foreign tourists, and while travel from the US is looking complicated even impossible this year, many Brits will be tempted to make the journey, even if it might mean having to spend two weeks in quarantine on their return.

Every year, about 13 million British people come to France for their holidays. While the number will plunge this year - Brits too are opting for staycations - some remain determined to go to France this summer.

"I will spend my holidays in France as usual, with or without quarantine, I don't care," one British woman told French media LCI. 

While British holiday makers in France are asked to voluntarily self-isolate for two weeks, they will be subject to a mandatory quarantine when they return to the UK.

However there are hopes among holidaymakers and the tourism industry that the obligatory quarantine will soon be dropped by the British government.

Fifteen French 'text speak' abbreviations that will help you sound local

Nobody wants to be the embarrassing old person who gets their LOLs mixed up, and it's even harder if you're messaging someone in a second language.

As with English, French has evolved its own selection of abbreviated 'text speak' - perfect for when you're texting or messaging someone, and also useful to use on Twitter.

And if you're going to be sending messages to French friends, colleagues and neighbours you will start to see quite a few of these.

But you need to be careful not to get your DQP mixed up with your JTM, or your conversation could be taking a turn that you definitely won't expect.

As in English, text speak in France is generally casual and better kept between friends, so we don't suggest that you try these out on your boss or your mother-in-law, unless they use them first.

Here is a list of some of the most common text abbreviations in France.

MDR (mort de rire) = LOL (laugh out loud. Definitely not lots of love, as many a red-faced oldie - including former British Prime Minister David Cameron - has found).

STP/SVP (s’il te plaît/s’il vous plaît) = please

DQP (dès que possible) = ASAP

bcp (beaucoup) = a lot

dac (d’accord) = OK

PEH (pour être honnête)  - TBH (to be honest)

A+ (à plus) = see ya later

biz (bisous) = kisses

dsl (désolé) = sorry

jtm (je t’aime) = I love you

A12C4 (à un de ces quatre) = see you when I see you

C cho (c’est chaud) = that’s tough/dangerous/difficult

CPG (c’est pas grave) = don’t worry about it

p2k (pas de quoi) = no thanks necessary

qqn (quelqu’un) = somebody

I was really pleased to get our first French joke

Translation - Avoid touching other players' balls and wash your hands after touching yours.

I like this one too