Retreat-Holidays
Dates prices, flights and trains
Dates
13 - 20 October 2010
(Wednesday to Wednesday)
Weather isn't predictable anywhere these days, but in Aix-en-Provence it is usually lovely in October. The average temperatures for the month are:
Maximum Minimum
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Price
£899 Half board - NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
What is included:
Flights and taxes ex Gatwick or Bristol (for other airports, see below); transfers between Marseille airport or Aix TGV station and la Baume; half-board (bed, breakfast and evening meal) plus light lunch on last day; en suite room for seven nights; three local excursions; late check-out on last day; the services of the retreat-leader.
What is not included:
Travel between home and UK airport or Eurostar station; any supplement due for train travel or alternative flights; lunches; drinks; personal expenses; fuel surcharges; any increase in Air Passenger Duty after 17 July 2009; telephone; taxis; gratuities (see below); insurance (valid insurance is obligatory - Pilgrim Travel can offer insurance cover, subject to conditions - ask us for a quote).
Gratuities
Tipping is a personal thing, but it is part of the culture in France to tip people who give you good service, so the group leader will collect up gratuities from the group to distribute to the domestic staff and minibus drivers. People often ask how much is appropriate: we recommend €40 per participant.
Flights
Gatwick to Marseille, at civilised times (unless the currently advertised schedules change).
If you don't live near Gatwick, there are also possibilities of flying KLM via Amsterdam. You have to change planes, but you don't have to retrieve your luggage in Amsterdam - it is checked through to Marseille. All the following departure airports currently offer KLM flight times which mesh in well with those from Gatwick:
Aberdeen
Birmingham
Bristol
Cardiff
Dublin
Durham Tees Valley
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Humberside
Leeds-Bradford
Liverpool
Manchester
Newcastle
Norwich
These KLM routes tend to be more expensive, so there will usually be a supplement. Ask us to quote if you're interested.
The transfer from Marseille-Marignane airport to la Baume takes about 20 minutes.
Travel by Train
It is also possible to travel by high-speed train (Eurostar + TGV), with just one change of trains in Lille. The journey time from London to Aix is only between six and seven hours. There is then a ten-minute transfer to la Baume. There may be a supplement for train travel, depending on fares at the time of booking - they generally go up as the date of travel approaches. Ring us and ask for a quote if you're interested.
Accessibility
This retreat-holiday is not suitable for anyone with problems of mobility because la Baume is built on a hillside and, even using the lift, there are 39 steps from the entrance up to one's bedroom. That said, you rarely need to climb them all in one go, as reception, the oratory, the chapel, the dining room, the café, the meeting room and the bedrooms are all on different levels. The house will arrange porterage for luggage on arrival and departure. The bus stop for going into Aix is about 400m from the front door: a gentle slope on the way down, but seeming less gentle on the way back up!
All arrangements are subject to change.
Dates prices flights and trains