EXPERT
“Treatments range from things like high-pressure showers to slow walking in cold water”
accommodation costs and weigh these up. Many thermal centres have accommodation attached in the form of hotels or more often, self-catering apartment-type complexes. Most thermal towns have a large curiste rental market with a lot of choice available, so you can arrange accommodation yourself via the local tourist board or even adverts on sites such as Leboncoin. Rental charges vary
depending on the region, so if budget is a constraint, it might be sensible to do some research on accommodation costs before choosing a destination. You will also need to do some research on availability. Most thermes close at certain
A couple enjoy one of
the water treatments at Dax’s Les Thermes de Borda
usual 70% and the treatments themselves are covered at 65% or 70% depending on the pathology in question. Part or all of the remaining balance will be covered by your top-up mutuelle insurance if you have one. You need to make sure that you do the full 18 days of la cure, otherwise you have to repay the cost. Diff erent establishments have their own payment protocols, i.e. you may be asked to pay a reservation fee, pay upfront or settle the bill at the end. If you are not a French
resident and so your healthcare is not covered by the French state, there is absolutely nothing to stop you from doing la cure ‘privately’ – you will just have to meet treatment costs yourself. Thermal establishments all
have an à la carte-type price list and prices are very reasonable, for example, €8 for the jacuzzi- style bath, and many off er short-stay packages such as a six-day programme with 24 treatments, a couple of activity
€595,000, Evians-les-Bains: In the heart of the historic district, you’ll fi nd this three- bedroom duplex apartment with balconies, and a view of the Palais Lumière and lake
€620,000, Aix-les-Bains: In a village close to the spa town, is this four-bedroom chalet with balconies, garden and views over Lac du Bourget and the surrounding mountains
€241,000, Dax: A sweet three- bedroom village house with a garden, garage and terrace with BBQ and a view of the Pyrénées. Twenty minutes from the centre of Dax
FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: January/February 2024 75
and workshop sessions and access to facilities for €200– €300. If you are holidaying close to or in a thermal town, it’s defi nitely worth trying a couple of treatments and seeing if you’d like to do a longer session at a later date. When deciding where to
go, you will need to choose a thermal establishment that treats your particular problem; you will also need to think about travel and
On the market
times of the year and some cures, for example, the cure de soir when you go for treatments after work, are only available on particular dates. Either during the week
before your cure starts or when
you fi rst arrive at the thermes, you will need to see the doctor (médecin thermal) who is responsible for prescribing the actual treatments (soins). These last around 10 minutes each and will be 30 minutes apart, giving you time to get to the treatment room or cabin, undress, be treated, get dressed again and get to the next one. They range from things like luxuriating in a hot deep jacuzzi-type bath to being wrapped in extremely warm mud, to high-pressure showers and slow walking in cool water! Many of the thermal centres
have extra beauty treatments and fi tness facilities or classes available that you can book separately. You will have a second appointment with the doctor mid-cure to see how it is going and adjust the treatment schedule if necessary, and a fi nal one at the end of the stay. Once the doctor has decided
which treatments you require, 4
Les Thermes de Borda in Dax have a large indoor pool with lots of natural light FIND MORE PROPERTIES ON
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