Day Trip Ideas From Across The Pond

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 look in your purse or wallet to notice the impact. Times were, and still are, quite tight.

When times are hard and we need to be more frugal with our money, luxuries are usually the first to go. This usually means sacrificing that dream holiday to the Carribean for a ‘staycation’ – going somewhere slightly less glamorous and 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, by air, road or sea is becoming much more competitive. As this happens, travel not only becomes more accessible, it also becomes cheaper.

I’m not suggesting for a moment that you can travel the globe on a shoestring budget, but 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 popular attractions, such as Disneyland Paris, The Louvre, Mont St-Michel and Avignon – there are a wide range of lesser known gems perfect for the whole family, including:
• Bagatelle Amusement Park
Only a 45 minute drive from the Eurotunnel Calais terminal, Bagatelle is an amusement park where all the family are sure to enjoy the thrills and fun, with 18 attractions
• 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 – makes Wallonia the perfect getaway!.
• 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 an amazing 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 perfect if you want everything in one place. Cite Europe is approximately 5 minutes from the Eurotunnel exit, and only 4km from Calais. It has over 200 shops including well known English shops like Tesco Wines, Tie Rack, Toys R Us, as well as many French high street names. Carrefour, the large hypermarket within the shopping centre has a superb range of foods, groceries, cookware and electrical goods, plus many many more.
• La Coupole
Situated 5km from the town of Saint-Omer, La Coupole is a gigantic underground bunker designed by the Nazis, in 1943-1944. 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 it is. A few suggestions for enjoying an affordable trip abroad, and doing something a little bit different. You may have to sacrifice your holiday this year, but you can still enjoy a nice short break or day trip with the family to soften the blow.

For more information on Channel Tunnel prices, or Disneyland Paris deals, visit Eurotunnel.com.