SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 2021 THE GUIDE


see the Bread Fairy delivering delicious croissants, pains au chocolat and baguettes directly to your tent,” say the owners. www.chateaumonfreville.com


My Eco Stay


This website allows you pick and choose among all sorts of green accommodation. Among the listings are a yurt on an organic farm in Brittany, renovated circus trailers in Burgundy, a caravan in Gascony, teepees near Aurignac, a gypsy caravan in the Loire Valley, tree cabins in the Landes, wooden cabins in the Hautes-Alpes, a Hobbit house with a natural swimming pool near Langon, and a solar-powered river catamaran on the River Lot. www.myecostay.eu/en/eco- friendly-accommodation/farms/


ECO TOURING HOLIDAYS


Fossil fuels be damned! The following holiday ideas feature modes of transport with low carbon emissions, allowing you to travel around l’Hexagone guilt-free. We have horses, caravans, trains, boats, electric cars… and not a single petrol station in sight.


France Ecotours


France Ecotours offers several trips in horse-drawn, gypsy- style caravans all over France. There’s a seven-day trip across Gascony, for example, or an eight-day trip across the Jura. You’ll be pulled along by either a Comtois or a Percheron horse. “Both breeds are perfectly


Unwind in eco-luxury at ‘Château Jumilhac’ at Domaine de Puybeton


suited for drawing heavy loads,” the company promises. “Their strength and sweet nature make them ideal companions for your caravanning trip.” There are also trips in Périgord, Normandy, Brittany, Burgundy and the Vendée. www.france-ecotours.com/en


Electric wine tours Now here’s a wine tour with a difference. La Grande Maison, a lovely farmhouse near Saumur in the Loire Valley, is offering tours of the local vineyards by electric bike or electric car. Many of the wineries they visit are organic, and there are vegetarian and vegan picnics available – which as any visitor to France will know is quite the rarity. And, on the bike tour, if you’re planning to stock up on


wine, worry not: the bikes are sturdy enough to carry boxes on the rear racks. www.lagrandemaison.net


Sail to France It’s only a short skip across La Manche to France, so why not charter your own sailing boat? That will keep your carbon footprint down to a minimum. Just make sure it comes with a crew who can do all the dirty work while you sit on the deck and enjoy the view. Visit the following websites for more information of crewed charter yachts. www.boatbookings.com www.happycharter.com fairviewsailing.co.uk www.dreamyachtcharter.co.uk


Cycling is a great way to get around the Parc du Mont-Ventoux


Train tours around France Many tour operators offer guided rail trips around France, sometimes escorting you from the moment you board at the Eurostar terminal in London. Seasoned travellers won’t need a guide, however, since the French railway system is very simple to navigate. Some of the prettiest rail routes are through the country’s high-altitude regions, so head for the Alps or the Pyrenees. Rail Discoveries (www. raildiscoveries.com/holiday-


destinations/europe/france) Great Rail Journeys (www.greatrail.com/holiday- destinations/europe/france) Vacations By Rail (www.vacationsbyrail.com/ europe/france)


Canal boat trips


While northwest France has some canals, the east and south of the country are very well served. Many of these


waterways are distinctly prettier than the industrial channels we have in the UK. Perhaps the most famous is the Canal du Midi, a 240km link between Toulouse and the Mediterranean coast. When it was built, in the 1600s, it was deemed one of the greatest construction works in the world. Nowadays it’s rightly a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other great waterways include the Canal de Garonne (which continues from the end of the Canal du Midi to the majestic Atlantic coast), the Canal de Bourgogne (through Burgundy’s glorious wine country), the Canal du Nivernais (linking the Loire to the Seine), the Canal de Briare (with its stunning Pont-Canal de Briare), the Canal de la Marne au Rhin (across Lorraine to Strasbourg) and the Canal du Rhône à Sète (which crosses the


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