*The European WP Meet in Central Southern France!*

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Yesss!

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Daniel Tammet can be reached through the 'Contact' page on his website: http://www.optimnem.co.uk/contact.php
We can collectively compose an invitation for him, then one of us can send it to him through that page.

Careful, WP will have to shut down for a few days if the precious emoticon supply gets used up



Many thanks for that. Yes, I'd rather do thursday to monday as having gone all that way, I don't want to be heading back before I've even arrived, psychologically speaking. Regardless of cost, the time for driving is a huge negative. It's really one extra day on each end. As you said above, you really need to stay overnight somewhere in N.France to break the journey up.

As for the taxi, I thought I'd *walk* a mere 6km rather than pay that fee! But then I remembered the suitcase I'd be lugging along.....and now I'm wondering just how little stuff I really need for a few days sight seeing/wine tasting/pleasant conversationing in the sun? Maybe if Lotusblossom is on the same flight from Luton we could share the cost.

<EDIT> PS Post 666 ! !! I shall never make a new post, from now on I shall only edit this one!

NB. The flight from Luton that I quoted above is with Ryanair to Nimes, not one of the Flybe flights to Avignon, so you wouldn't have to share taxis if you got the flight I posted, just handle a small shuttle bus ( 5€ ) from Nimes Airport to Nimes station and a 30-50 minute train journey ( 8€ - 10€ ) from there to Avignon centre.

Or are you referring to one of the Flybe flights, from Southampton ( £119.99 return Thursday - Tuesday ) or Exeter, ( Wednesday - Wednesday ) to Avignon ? The Southampton flight does look pretty good, if slightly more expensive, and with two, ( rather than one ), extra hotel nights to pay too. But if Lotusblossom could go for the same flights you would at least be able to share the taxi. Great! And KenG will be there from Wednesday too.

I'm wondering how Morgana is getting on finding flights/trains. I was having a look and I couldn't find anything reasonable/cheap between N. Germany and S. France at all! Best of luck, Morgana!


That's great. I couldn't find that page.

Writing it together would be a very good idea.
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Last edited by ouinon on 16 Feb 2009, 3:02 pm, edited 3 times in total.

I will try and book flights from southampton, but first Ive got to find my passport argh, Im looking every where grr

Oh no! I hope you find it.

At least you would still have time to get another if you can't. How much do replacement-passports cost these days?

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in the UK you have to have an ID card too, if you apply for a new passport

s**t, etc.

I really really really hope you find it. It would be too drastic if you couldn't make it. Basically I would be very sad about it.

When did you last use it?

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Just noticed that 9 people have now voted in the poll.

I am so looking forward to meeting the mystery four!

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I had it to get a passel from the post office a few weeks ago so it must be somewhere grr.

My mum said that a new one will only take 3 weeks and she says I wont be made to have an ID card. She says she will book the flights tomorrow.

hurrah for the bank of mother!!

Definitely!

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Wow...a lot has happened since I´ve been at work.

It´s kind of late now, and I´m tired, so tomorrow I will look at all the booking possibilities. (I have an easy day tomorrow, more time). I´ll keep you posted!

Yes, the Hotel Monclar turned out to be a whited sepulchre! So we are staying at the Etap Hotel, which will be a lot more flexible in terms of room availability, booking, and any sudden needs to cancel right at the last moment.

Great, I hope you don't have trouble finding a cheap flight/good deal.

Last edited by ouinon on 17 Feb 2009, 4:44 am, edited 1 time in total.

For newcomers to the thread who are interested in joining the WP meet-up in central S. France, here are the details:

The meet-up is in Avignon the weekend from Friday 29 May to Monday 1 June, but people are obviously free to come earlier or stay later, or both! ( One person will definitely be there from Wednesday, and two others from Thursday )

We will be staying at the Etap Hotel in the centre of Avignon. All rooms are en-suite, modern, basic but clean, and cost 44€ per room/night for one person, ( 53€ per room/night for two people sharing a room ). The hotel website is at:

http://www.etaphotel.com/

Click on the small UK/USA flag in the top right hand corner of the page and you will get the english version. There is a booking window in the top middle of the page. Tap "avignon centre" into the little window. Reservations are by credit card. If you haven't got one then write directly to the hotel at the address on the hotel info page.

There are a few cheap flights to the area:

1) Flybe flies to Avignon direct from Southampton and Exeter, but only on certain days.

From Southampton:
Going : Thursday 28 May. Dep. 10.00 Arr. Avignon 13.00 ( it sounds long because of the time difference between France and the UK ).
Coming back: Tuesday 2 June. Dep. Avignon 13.25 Arr. Southampton 14.30

Price: £119.99 ( incl. taxes and charges, but not bags or insurance )

From Exeter:
Going: Wednesday 27 May. Dep. Exeter 10.05 Arr. Avignon 13.15
Coming back: Wednesday 3 June. Dep. Avignon 13.40 Arr. Exeter 14.55

Price 109.99 ( incl. taxes and charges etc )

The taxi ( there is no bus ) from Avignon airport to the centre, ( about 7 km away ), takes 15 minutes and costs 18€ - 22€. It is possible to share with someone else arriving on the same flight, and it's a tiny airport so it shouldn't be too difficult to arrange this.

2 ) Ryanair flies to Nimes from Luton and Liverpool airports. Nimes is 30 - 50 minutes away from Avignon by train, ( 8€ - 11 € ). ( The advantage of Nimes over Marseille, which also has cheap flights, is that it is a small/relatively peaceful airport, and the connection with Avignon is slightly simpler ).

From Luton:
Going: Friday 29 May. Dep. Luton 11.20 Arr. Nimes 14.10
Coming back: Monday 1 June. Dep. Nimes 14.35 Arr. Luton 15.30

Price ( incl. tax etc ) £92.68

From Luton, ( again ):
Going: Thursday 28 May. Dep. Luton 11.20 Arr. Nimes 14.20
Coming back: Monday etc as above.

Price ( incl. tax etc ) £77.86

From Liverpool:
Going: Friday 29 May. Dep. Liverpool 9.00 Arr. Nimes 12.00
Coming back. Monday 1 June. ( early afternoon I think ).

Price as first Luton option.

From Nimes airport you need to catch a 25 minute shuttle bus to Nimes railway station which costs 5€, and then the train to Avignon, ( eg: dep. Nimes 15.16 arr. Avignon 16.11 for people coming from Luton, or dep. Nimes 13.17 arr. Avignon 13.42 for people coming from Liverpool ), which costs 8€ - 11€ depending on time of day. So if you come via Nimes you need to add about 30€ to the cost of your return fare to Avignon.

There are already five people definitely coming, another four thinking about it, ( according to the poll ), and anyone else interested is very welcome. I am looking forward to it immensely.

the flights came to too much so I will have to think of something else.

Even the cheapest Luton option with Ryanair to Nimes at £77.86 return Thursday to Monday ? ( ( plus the 30€ return Nimes-Avignon ). I know you'd have to pay the extra night hotel too but that would be money on holiday time not on transport ).

What about sharing a room with me then for the three nights I will be there? That would reduce your total bill by 51€ already. I would cancel my room, you would book yours for the four nights, and I would share the ( two person ) price ( of 53€/room for two ) for three of them.

But if you don't want to share a room, which I agree is something to do only when in desperate need, , then maybe you could persuade the two other people, that you mentioned before, to drive down and share car costs with you.

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