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Brexit: travel rules between the UK and France

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Reading time: 0 min Published on 11 January 2023

On 1 January 2021 Brexit came into effect, re-establishing the borders between the UK and France. Here's the information you need to know before planning trips between the two countries.

Please consult our dedicated Covid-19 article for the latest updates on travel between the UK and France.

Following a transition period, Brexit came into effect on 1 January 2021 and the UK left the European Union. Free movement no longer applies between the UK and France, and migration controls have been re-established to and from the UK.

Travel arrangements

For British travellers to France:

Since 1 January 2021, British nationals have been subject to more in-depth checks when travelling. They are encouraged to allow additional time for border control and use the queue labelled 'Ressortissant de pays tiers' rather than 'EU / EEA / CH'.

British nationals who are not resident in an EU Member State and who wish to travel to France for a short stay (a maximum of 90 days in a 180-day period), or who are in transit to another Member State or to the Schengen area, do not require a visa.

Travellers need to:

• present their passport with at least six months' validity, which will be stamped upon entering and leaving the Schengen area. The maximum duration of a short stay cannot exceed 90 days within a period of 180 days;
• be able to prove that they have sufficient funds to meet their needs during their stay. With some exceptions, the minimum required in France is calculated as 65 euros per day. Examples of proof include cash or a bank statement;
• obtain travel insurance covering all medical, hospital and death expenses that could be incurred during their stay in France, including repatriation costs for medical reasons. Current EHIC cards will still be valid until their expiry date.

The supporting documents used to verify compliance with the entry conditions are listed in Annex I of the Schengen Borders Code, accessible here .

Further information on travel arrangements for British nationals to France is available on the French government website here and the UK government website here .

For international tourists wishing to visit both France and the UK on the same trip:

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can travel to the UK visa-free for holidays or short stays. A passport valid for the duration of the stay is required to enter UK territory. Until 1 October 2021, it is also possible to travel with a valid national ID card.

For nationals from outside the EU, a visa may be required to stay in the UK. Further information is available on the UK government website here .

Travellers from the UK to France are subject to customs control to comply with deductibles for purchases made in the UK, in quantity for alcohol and tobacco, and in value for other goods. The level of these exemptions is specified on the French Directorate General of Customs and Excise website here .

Purchases made in France may be eligible for tax relief - check here . PABLO machines, which automate this process, are available in ports, airports and train stations serving the UK.

Further information on customs procedures for UK travellers to France is available on the French government website here and the UK government website here .

Download the Brexit guide for travellers (French only)

Driving licences

British nationals travelling to France for a short stay can drive under their UK driving licence. An international driving licence is not required.

Travelling with pets

It is no longer possible to enter an EU territory with a European pet passport issued in the UK. British nationals travelling to France with dogs or cats must comply with the following health conditions defined by the regulation of 12 June 2013: - ensure that pets are identifiable by way of a microchip or clearly legible tattoo made before 3 July 2011; - ensure that pets have been vaccinated against rabies and that the vaccine is still valid; - ensure that each pet has a health certificate issued by a registered UK vet. The certificate must be accompanied by proof of vaccination against rabies as well as a document attesting to the pet's ID. Certificates are valid for a period of 10 days from the date of issue and must be presented during border checks during this period. They remain valid in EU territories and Northern Ireland for a period of four months.

EU or Northern Irish nationals returning from a temporary stay in the UK and transporting dogs or cats to France must be in possession of a European pet passport. The passport must certify a valid anti-rabies vaccination and must be presented at border control.

On arrival in France, travellers with pets will need to enter through a designated travellers’ point of entry (TPE).

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France bans nonessential travel to Britain over the Omicron surge.

The French prime minister said the restrictions were necessary after “the extremely rapid spread” of Omicron in Britain.

By Aurelien Breeden

• Dec. 16, 2021

The French government on Thursday banned nonessential travel to and from Britain and tightened testing requirements for travelers, as a record-breaking surge of Omicron cases across the English Channel raised worries that France would soon face a similar tsunami of new infections.

Jean Castex, France’s prime minister, said in a statement that, “faced with the extremely rapid spread of the Omicron variant in the United Kingdom,” the government had decided to act. He urged people planning to travel to Britain to postpone their trips.

British authorities reported 88,376 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the highest number of known infections in a single day since the start of the pandemic. England’s chief medical officer warned that further records would likely be broken in the coming days, with cases of the Omicron variant doubling less than every two days in parts of the country.

Mr. Castex said that starting Saturday, travel to or from Britain would be allowed for only “urgent” reasons — like a family medical emergency or a legal summons — regardless of the traveler’s vaccination status. The new restrictions effectively bar French and British tourists during the busy holiday season.

Nonessential business trips are also banned under the new restrictions, Mr. Castex said, but he added that the new rules would not apply to French citizens living in Britain who wish to return to France.

Those who do leave Britain for France will face stricter testing requirements, even if they are vaccinated. All travelers will have to present a negative virus test taken within 24 hours of departure, down from 48 hours. (The 24-hour rule already existed for unvaccinated travelers.)

All travelers arriving from Britain will also have to register online and isolate for up to 10 days. However, they can take a test 48 hours after arrival, and if that comes back negative, they can end their isolation period.

France is already facing a surge in cases attributed to the Delta variant, pressuring a hospital system that is short-staffed and under strain after nearly two years of battling the virus. Nearly 3,000 Covid-19 patients are in intensive care, the highest level since June, and the authorities expect that number to rise to 4,000 by the end of the year.

Gabriel Attal, a French government spokesman, told the BFMTV news channel on Thursday that the goal of the new travel restrictions was to “slow down and reduce as much as possible the arrival of cases of the Omicron variant on our soil.”

Mr. Attal said that 240 cases of the variant had already been detected in France, but he added that “there are probably more.” The government is convening a special cabinet meeting on Friday over the virus, and could announce more new measures in the coming days.

France recently closed nightclubs for four weeks and tightened some restrictions in schools. But President Emmanuel Macron, who is widely expected to run for re-election in April, has ruled out any additional lockdowns, curfews or closures, arguing that heightened vigilance around social distancing, coupled with a swift booster shot campaign, would be enough to keep the surges in check.

In a televised interview on Wednesday evening, Mr. Macron said it was likely that additional Covid-19 booster shots would be necessary in the future.

Aurelien Breeden has covered France from the Paris bureau since 2014. He has reported on some of the worst terrorist attacks to hit the country, the dismantling of the migrant camp in Calais and France's tumultuous 2017 presidential election. More about Aurelien Breeden

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How to Travel to the UK From Paris and Northern France

Traveling between England , Paris and Northern France is so easy it's surprising that more long-distance visitors don't combine the UK and France for a two-center vacation.

US travelers who would think nothing of clocking up a thousand miles on a tour of New England, or an East Coast drive from New York to Florida, balk at the 280 miles between Paris and London.

Maybe that's because considering the different transportation choices seems too confusing. Which routes are the shortest, the cheapest, the ones that best suit your own travel preferences? This roundup of travel options between the UK and Paris as well as some other popular departure points in Northern France will help you consider the pros and cons and make an informed decision.

Travel From Paris and Northern France by Train

Eurostar is a great choice for quick channel hops between Paris and London. The high-speed train covers the 214 miles between Paris Gare du Nord and London St Pancras in two hours and fifteen minutes. That's less time than some people spend commuting to work.

But, you don't have to travel from Paris to London to take advantage of these trains. Eurostar also has fast direct trains from Lille , in northeast France, to Ashford and Ebbsfleet in Kent - jumping off points for excellent touring in Southeast England - before arriving in London .

And if you don't mind changing trains, Eurostar can arrange connecting travel through Ashford, Kent between the entire British rail network and such French destinations as Caen, Calais, Reims, Rouen, and Disneyland Paris .

• City center to city center for quick connection to local public transportation without the time and expense of airport transfers.
• Generous free baggage allowance.
• No booking fees.
• Plenty of space and the ability to walk around.
• When factoring in extras (baggage, credit card and online booking fees) charged by some airlines, as well as the cost of ground transportation to city centers, fares are comparable or better than flying.
• Longer journeys - the South of France, for example, can involve rushed transfers between stations or more than two transfers.
• Train stations can be exciting but they can also be hectic and confusing depending on your point of view, how much time you have between trains and the languages you speak.
• Waiting areas at Paris Gare du Nord have limited seating and poor food options.

Fly to UK Destinations From Paris and Northern France

A large number of airlines fly from Paris's two airports - Charles de Gaulle/Roissy Aeroport and Orly Aeroport - to destinations all over the UK. Airlines and airline routes change from time to time. Here are some of the airline companies offering direct routes as of 2021. Many other airlines offer routes that involve multiple stops. (Editor's Note: Due to COVID-19, flight schedules are constantly changing. Check your local sites for the most updated flight paths).

• London airports: London Heathrow - British Airways to Paris Charles de Gaulle, Air France to Paris Charles de Gaulle
• London Gatwick - EasyJet to Paris Charles de Gaulle
• London Luton - EasyJet to Paris Charles de Gaulle
• Other UK international airports: Aberdeen - Air France to Charles de Gaulle
• Birmingham - Air France and Flybe to Charles de Gaulle
• Bristol - EasyJet to Charles de Gaulle
• Cardiff - Flybe to Charles de Gaulle
• Edinburgh - Air France and EasyJet to Charles de Gaulle
• Glasgow - EasyJet to Charles de Gaulle
• Liverpool - EasyJet to Charles de Gaulle
• Manchester - Air France, Flybe and EasyJet to Charles de Gaulle
• Newcastle - Air France to Charles de Gaulle
• The pros: Faster access from France to the more distant UK destinations in Wales, Northern England and Scotland.
• Some price benefits over train and car on the longer journeys or with the budget airlines.
• The cons: Smaller airports may only be served by no-frills, budget airlines.
• Price benefits can be swallowed up by local transportation costs or extra charges for baggage.

Driving to the UK

Paris is approximately 178 miles from the entrance to Eurotunnel at Coquelles, near Calais, and a Channel crossing on what is known as Le Shuttle . It's a good choice if you are traveling with a lot of luggage, a large family or a microchipped pet that has qualified for a pet passport. You simply drive your own car onto Le Shuttle . Tickets are issued per vehicle (with cars and larger people carriers at the same price) and each vehicle can carry nine passengers for no extra fee. The crossing itself takes 35 minutes to Folkestone in Kent, around 40 miles from central London.

• Fast, relatively cheap for large groups.
• Convenient if you are touring in northern France, especially Pas de Calais , and plan to tour in Kent and southeast England by car.
• You must drive on and off Le Shuttle. There are no foot passengers.
• Need to factor in fuel costs and French motorway tolls.
• Not all car rental companies permit cross-border or one way rentals. Those that do add a surcharge for the service.

Drivers and cyclists also have a choice of ferry crossings from Northern France.

Ferry Crossings

The growth in popularity of Eurostar and the Channel Tunnel has meant fewer ferry companies now make the channel crossing . If you like the idea of a pause before and after your vacation, you are towing a trailer or have a full vehicle, ferries could be your choice. The shortest crossing, from, Dunkirk to Dover , takes about 2 hours. Dover to Calais crossings take about 2.5 hours and ferry crossings of between three and five hours will take you from Le Havre and Dieppe in Normandy to Newhaven or Portsmouth on the South Coast of England. Brittany Ferries offers overnight cruises from some ports.

• Take a car full of passengers - you may pay more per passenger but not very much as the main cost is your vehicle.
• Very inexpensive for foot passengers and train stations nearby or even at the ferry ports.
• Food, shopping, games and entertainment and sometimes slot machines at sea.
• Choice of departure and arrival ports to suit your other vacation plans.
• If you cross to Dover you get to see the unforgettable white cliffs from the sea.
• If you do an overnight cruise and book a sleeper cabin for the longer crossings, you can substitute your transportation for a night at a hotel, sleep your way across the Channel and arrive early for a full day of sightseeing or touring.
• The Channel can get rough, so not for you if you get seasick.
• Risk of cancellations in bad weather.
• Risk of industrial action. The French crews and port workers are notorious for wildcat strikes.

The long way is also the cheapest. Coach operators, using either ferries or Le Shuttle, run regular services between Paris, Lille, Calais and other towns in Northern France, and London, Canterbury and several other towns in the Southeast. Decent onboard toilets, air conditioning, and WiFi are usually included. A nonstop journey between London and Paris takes around nine hours via Eurolines, a branch of National Express Coaches .

• City center to city center.
• Long travel day.
• Ferry - If you are cycle touring, a ferry is probably the easiest way to cross the channel as your cycle will usually travel free, as a foot passenger. You'll need to book it in though and it will be issued with a boarding card.
• The Channel Tunnel - Up to six bicycles can be taken on each Le Shuttle journey - cyclists travel in a minivan on the boxcar like trains through the tunnel while their bikes travel separately.
• Eurostar - Passengers with bicycles that can be folded or dismantled and packed in a bicycle carrier can take them on board Eurostar trains as their carry on luggage. Places must be reserved for bicycles that can't be dismantled or folded and there is a charge for carrying them.

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The best rustic luxe farm stays in Europe: from a 13th-century château to a vegan agriturismo

This harvest season, head for a glam farm stay where homegrown produce and animal meet-and-greets come with cool design, chic spas and gourmet cookery

What comes to mind when you think ‘ farm stay’? Muddy pigs? Bales of hay? Bedrooms dressed in gingham? Certainly not yoga workshops, al fresco hot tubs or Michelin-worthy menus — but that’s exactly what you’ll get at the new breed of agro-accommodation, where country life comes supplemented with city-worthy style appeal.

This is our pick of the crop, with highlights ranging from plush spas to live music nights. Old McDonald won’t know what hit him.

Le Barn, France

It’s only 45 minutes from Paris, but Le Barn’s estate in the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse feels properly rustic, with 500 acres of forest, wild swimming lake and farmland to explore. Get your hands dirty in a workshop plucking courgette, aubergine and cabbage from the permaculture veg garden, or meet the horses at acclaimed on-site equestrian school La Cense — guided rides are available to suit all abilities. A rota of other activities, from yoga to photo workshops or pétanque, keeps days varied beyond the farm fun. Mid-century-influenced bedrooms in soothing neutrals, meanwhile, are chic enough to have been lifted straight from the Marais.

Book it: Rooms from £200. lebarnhotel.com

Guardswell Farm, Perthshire

Fluffy sheep. Shetland cattle and Angora goats. Rambling apple orchards producing house-made cider. This 150-acre family-run property has everything you could want in a farm stay — with the added benefit of sweeping panoramic views over the surrounding countryside. The Lamottes, who’ve owned Guardswell since 2011, are passionate about sustainable diversification and now operate six eco-conscious self-catering stays on site, some with wood-fired hot tubs and Big Green Egg barbecues. Book off-grid The Infield (sleeps two) for a stargazing deck, or Guardswell Farmhouse (sleeps 10) for a party pad with firepit.

Book it: From £220 for two nights. guardswell.co.uk

São Lourenço do Barrocal, Portugal

From sun-warmed olive groves to manicured vineyards, ancient oaks to neolithic rock structures, this 1,900-acre family-owned Alentejo farm has endless sun-soaked corners to explore. Eating is naturally a major focus: everything from wine to honey is produced here, with goodies served up in four dining spaces including al fresco garden restaurant Hortelão. Beyond the plate you can avail yourself of the tranquil spa, which is host to fragrant body scrubs and tai chi sessions, or try rural-chic activities like flower arranging and pottery workshops. Simple but stylish whitewashed rooms with terracotta tile floors and wool blankets might gaze out to medieval hilltop village Monsaraz or across wild meadows.

Book it: Rooms from £348, barrocal.pt

Tewinbury, Hertfordshire, UK

Despite being a working farm, Tewinbury doesn’t lean only on its abundance of fresh on-site fruit, veg, wheat and barley to turn your head. With four restaurants, a spa treatment room, cinema, cookery school and weekly live music events, it’s as much a celebratory destination as it is a bucolic unwind. Choose from lakeside cabins with alfresco hot tubs, a shepherd’s hut or homely farmhouse bedrooms accented with wooden beams. When you want to work off the effects of one of their Roots communal supper club nights, pull on wellies from the communal boot room, borrow a map and some of the 700 acres.

Book it: Rooms from £140. tewinbury.co.uk

Michelberger Farm, Germany

The countryside sister to Berlin’s industrial-minimalist Michelberger Hotel, this design forward spot in the Spreewald Biosphere Reserve combines a sharp-angled red brick aesthetic with a serious field-to-fork ethos. For the past six years the team has been cultivating a holistic ‘food forest’, growing as much as possible across their 3.7 acres. Communal breakfasts and dinners, set within a window-lined barn conceived by architect Sigurd Larsen, feature homegrown tomatoes, squash and onions, with meat and dairy hailing from other surrounding farms.

Book it: From £230. michelberger.farm

Husk, Suffolk, UK

While this bolthole in Thorington calls itself a supper club with rooms, between the farmstead location and quirky interiors — spread across converted grain silos and former Victorian cow barns — there’s a distinctly bucolic vibe. Chef-owners Joey O’Hare and Katy Taylor produce their own chicken, quail and goose eggs from on-site flocks (say hello to the birds in the aviary or down by the pond) as well as heritage variety fruit and veg from a half-acre garden. When you aren’t eating their produce in menus featuring Blythburgh pork tenderloin or smoked cod’s roe, swim in the natural pool or steam in the eco-sauna. Then bed down in one of seven rooms with Farrow & Ball tones and free-standing rolltop baths.

Book it: Rooms from £460 for two nights. huskthorington.co.uk

I Pini, Tuscany, Italy

See farm animals as friends, not food? Make for this vegan agriturismo in the Tuscan vine-lined hills by walled medieval town San Gimignano. Eleven rooms are the picture of rural elegance: terracotta brick floors, stucco walls, floaty fabrics and statement lamps — and the vibe extends out to the artfully crafted restaurant plates. Feast on regeneratively farmed, 100% organic veg, fruit and herbs, supplemented with house-made olive oil from their own aged groves. Wash everything down with I Pini’s own wine — produced from grapes hand-picked in a communal harvest each autumn.

Book it: Rooms from £339. ipinitoscana.com

Coombeshead Farm, Cornwall, UK

Chef Tom Adams’s foodie haven near Bodmin Moor will make you want to up sticks and move to Cornwall. His elegant but relaxed set menu restaurant — which has been awarded a Green Michelin Star — and nine pretty farmhouse bedrooms are only the tip of the iceberg. There’s an on-site bakery (with life-changing sourdough), a glossy farm shop and 66 acres of scenic valley, where the team rears their own pigs, cows, chicken and lamb with help from local farmers. Depending on when you visit, you might catch sight of Red Devon cattle moving through the grasses or Gauloise hens in woodlands.

Book it: Rooms from £165. coombesheadfarm.co.uk  

Domaine des Etangs, Auberge Resorts Collection, France

Between the epic 13th-century château and extensive contemporary art collection, this luxe resort might not immediately seem much like a farm. But look beyond the pools and spa, and among the rambling acreage of forest, ponds and fields you’ll find a large herd of prize Limousin cattle and an extensive organic veg garden and orchard. The latter fuels a farm-to-table restaurant, Dyades, but for the full rural immersion go self-catered, booking one of six self-catering ‘métairie’ farm buildings. Dotted in secluded spots around the 2,500 acres, they come complete with atmospheric original barn features and high-spec furnishings.

Book it: Rooms from £264. aubergeresorts.com

The Ferry House, Kent, UK

Fringed by two national nature reserves, Harty’s pancake-flat landscapes have been farmed by the Burdens for three generations. The family bought the 16th-century Ferry House in 2000, turning the inn into a celebration of local, low-waste produce with veg from their own garden, beef and eggs from the family farm and surrounding estate, and game from the grounds (keep eyes peeled for fleeting pheasant and red-legged partridge in the fields — chef James Pilcher smokes it for his menu). Comfy guest rooms with wooden beds and floral wallpapers sit the right side of countryside kitsch, though you can also book self-catering cottages, set in and around an old farmhouse up the road.

Book it: Rooms from £125. theferryhouse.co.uk

Masseria Prosperi, Italy

Can’t decide between a farm break and a beach break? Get both at this upmarket Puglian masseria, mere minutes from the coastal sands and azure surf. In the morning you can hang with the on-site donkeys, goats and geese; wander through groves of knobbly olive trees; meet the bees from the onsite honey hives — then nip to the local Blue Flag beaches for a lazy afternoon. When you return you’ll bed down in one of eight elegant rooms that encapsulate the Puglian whitewashed aesthetic. Got a crowd in tow? You can exclusively hire the whole villa, too.

Book it: Rooms from £174. masseriaprosperi.it

Hacienda Zorita, Spain

This Salamanca estate has serious history: it dates to 1336, when it was a monastery, and hosted Christopher Columbus. Now as a hotel and farm estate it rents out simple but stylish wood-beamed bedrooms and family-friendly villas, a laid-back base from which to explore the surrounding rambling gardens and organic farm. Visit the spa, set in a historic water mill and featuring olive and grape-based treatments; explore the on-site cellars where rum ages; and delve into the dedicated cheese room, full of house-made dairy wheels. In autumn, you can even get involved in helping harvest grapes for the estate’s wine.

Book it: Rooms from £169. haciendazorita.com

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Tiny English seaside town reveals huge plans to bring back beloved beach and promenade – and you can even sail to France

• Kara Godfrey , Deputy Travel Editor
• Published : 10:18, 28 Aug 2024
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A PORT town in the UK has revealed huge plans to become a popular destination for holidaymakers.

Newhaven, in Sussex , is often overlooked by Brits heading to the nearby Brighton or Eastbourne.

This isn't helped by the closure of the town's only beach, West Beach, back in 2008 due to safety concerns.

And it could have even been home to the UK's largest waterpark, following plans in 2012, although these were later shelved.

But new plans hope to revitalise the town, which was once a traditional seaside hotspot.

Local Lib Dem MP James MacCleary said his plans currently include reopening West Beach, a rare sandy beach in Sussex.

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He told the Telegraph : "The beach is a long-running saga - for me politically, and as a resident, I desperately want to get it reopened to the public."

“We’re just a few steps away. Hopefully we can do that in the coming years."

Along with the beach, the new plans also include a splash park , play area, outdoor gym and 296m2 restaurant.

Corinne Day, programme director at Newhaven Enterprise Zone (NEZ), said: "As the town’s reputation as a hub for industry, marine and creative businesses grows and it attracts more businesses to the commercial space it offers, having an updated town centre is just one of the factors that will build on its success as we look to transform Newhaven into a major contributor to the Sussex economy by 2030."

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Until then, there are a number of attractions and new additions that are brightening up the town.

This includes 15 huge murals across buildings in Newhaven, as part of the June Look Again Supergraphics Festival.

Now a permanent feature, the most famous is the rainbow Newhaven Cat Wall, which is one of the highest rated attractions in town.

There is also the Paradise Park kids attraction, with outdoor playgrounds, indoor soft play and 'dinosaur safari'.

For adults there is the Newhaven Fort, a Victorian coastal fortress that has amazing views of the town.

Otherwise there are a number of pubs to visit include The Ark and The Hope Inn, both overlooking the River Ouse.

If you fancy staying, you have a few B&Bs to choose from as well as cheap rooms at the Premier Inn.

Trains to Newhaven take just over an hour from London, although you have to change at Lewes station.

And if you want to go further afield, Newhaven is also known for it's connections to Europe.

Ferry services between the port town and and Dieppe in France are run by DFDS Seaways and takes around four hours.

While in Newhaven, it's also worth exploring the nearby Eastbourne which was named one of Conde Nast's 'Best Places to Go' in 2023.

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It was even named one of the best towns for a day trip by Time Out as well.

Want to explore some other seaside towns? The Sun's travel experts have revealed their favourite locations across the UK .

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This uncrowded corner of France proved the perfect holiday destination for a much-needed mums-only trip

After two years of a-levels stress, it is not just the kids that need a break – sarah rodrigues discovers a villa in moliets-et-maa where her group of mum friends can unwind with poolside lazing, vintage markets and local wine, article bookmarked.

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I f you’ve ever watched 2016’s Bad Moms, starring Mila Kunis, you may remember a certain scene in a supermarket.

Set to Icona Pop’s ‘I don’t care … I love it’, it shows three over-worked, under-appreciated mothers storming the aisles of a supermarket being, in turns, suggestive, raucous, aggressive and frankly terrifying. At the checkout, one of them fondles an oversized saucisson in the face of a male cashier.

There were no such antics on a recent girls’ – indeed, ‘moms’ –  trip to Moliets-et-Maa, located about an hour north of Biarritz . In the supermarket we were all too busy stocking up on rosé, cheeses, radishes (to be eaten raw and salted) and pâté – all served, grazing-style, on the outdoor table by the pool of our villa.

It was a celebration, of sorts. None of us knew whether we’d be wailing in a corner or crowing from the rooftops when results came out in a few weks – but for now, at least, the stress of A-Levels was over.

As a group of women who met when our now-18-year-olds were four, we’ve formed friendships beyond the school gate, becoming invested in each other’s children, as well as in each other. Together, we’ve been through the bake sales, the seasonal plays, and the sports days. The birthday parties and sleepovers, the romances, rows and revision.

So although a few of us have been on holiday together before, it’s always been with our children. Wholesomeness has reigned, albeit with a few post-kids’ bedtime wines. This time, it was just us. The icon for our WhatsApp group – a gaggle of women jumping gleefully into a pool – said it all. Fourteen years of school: over. You think you’re relieved, kiddos?

There’s a telling moment in the Bad Moms rampage though, where they stop to coo over a baby. The kick-in of maternal instinct , even while mothers are ‘on the loose,’ is strong. And so it was with us – for as much as we had fantasised about spa retreats in Thailand , beachy jaunts in Mexico and ‘ what happens in Vegas ’ moments... well, when it came down to it, we didn’t want to be too far away from our children. Just in case.

Read more on France travel :

• How to plan a flight-free summer trip to the Alps
• France travel guide: Everything you need to know before you go
• The best vegan places to eat in Paris, from restaurants to patisseries

So Moliets-et-Maa was perfect : a short flight from London to Biarritz, and then an easy drive. Even so, some of our group ultimately had to drop out, due to family commitments. Others could only come for a few days. All of us received constant messages, asking everything from “where’s the ketchup?” and “can you transfer me some money?” to “when are you back?” to “where are you, again?”

Despite its (under these circumstances) sometimes annoyingly good wifi, our Summer France accommodation couldn’t have been more ideal: 5 double bedrooms, most with their own bathroom; a spacious living and kitchen area; a large outdoor area and pool, backing on to woods and a lake (I saw a deer on our first morning) and a pétanque pitch at the front. At times, it was difficult to know whether to hibernate or explore.

Although there were – okay, fine, we admit it – attempts to straddle an inflatable pineapple and some fully-clothed pool-jumping antics, exploring generally won. With the beach just a short cycle or walk away, there was little excuse not to head down for morning yoga against the soothing sound of the rolling surf. By the time we arrived back at the villa, the ‘croissant fairy’ would have passed by our front door, dropping off a bag of buttery bakery treats. Later in the day, surf lessons were available for those who wanted to take on the Atlantic waves – and evening swims against pink skies were blissful.

As the sun set, the commercial stretch leading to the broad expanse of Moliets beach became lively, with bars, restaurants and ice cream parlours doing a roaring trade. The queue that started to form outside La Cave Aux Moules each night, well before its 7pm opening time, was all the encouragement we needed to join its large tables of feasting families, slurping happily behind ever-increasing mountains of shells. With generous portions priced at around £12 and multiple sauce choices (such as Roquefort and Saffron, as well as the usual Marinière), there was also pizza and salad for vegetarians. The fact that the restaurant doesn’t take reservations says it all, as does the fact that we returned a second, equally satisfying, time.

There’s no better way to spend a summer Sunday in France than at a brocante , a vintage market. In Anglet, about ten minutes inland from Biarritz, we were in our element as we rifled through jewellery, linens, crockery and buttons, wondering how much treasure we could feasibly take home with Ryanair’s meagre luggage allowance (sadly, the ornately framed mirror got left behind). Just by the square, Les Halles des Cinq Cantons provided fuel for our shopping spree, with a wide range of cuisines. We ate paella at a communal table, washed down with local wine.

But it wasn’t just second-hand purchases that we stuffed into every available corner of our bags – brightly coloured foutas, lightweight beach towels, could be found for €10 in Moliets. In Bayonne, known as France’s chocolate capital (head to Cazenave on Rue Pont Neuf for its Mousseux, thick and whisked to perfection) we also found the fabulous Bayona , stocked with every imaginable type of artisanally-crafted espadrille, as well as a specialty truffle shop (it was a simple and delicious truffle pasta for dinner that night) and a clutch of reasonably priced antique shops.

Buying additional luggage was beginning to look like a very real possibility.

While we didn’t spend a great deal of time in Biarritz itself – its crowded sands weren’t a patch on the delightful serenity of our beach at Moliets – it’s worth noting that many of the more authentic eateries close after the lunchtime service, so time your visit well if food is a priority, or you’ll end up having to eat somewhere pricier and more geared towards tourists.

Not that the occasional rip-off is such a big deal, in the scheme of things – after all, we’ve all heard people rhapsodising about French supermarkets and how irresistible their selection and prices are, and rightly so.

Such perfection could do with a shake-up, though. Perhaps someone does need to make a Bad Moms style clip in one. Complete with gigantic saucisson. And hey – with university looming and the messages requesting cash inevitably multiplying, it may very well be us.

Sarah Rodrigues was hosted by Summer France at Villas La Clairière aux Chevreuils, Moliets-et-Maa. During summer 2025, a week in a self-catered three-bedroom villa, sleeping up to 8 people, is priced from £982.

Return flights from London Stansted to Biarritz (Summer 2025) cost from £75 pp with Ryanair.

Read more: This chic Paris district is becoming the trendiest spot for a city break in Europe

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Why don't refugees stay in the first country they reach?

A common question asked by the British public is why some refugees pass through countries like France before they reach the UK.

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Why don’t refugees stay in neighbouring countries?

In reality, 70% of refugees remain in countries neighbouring their homeland. For example, Jordan currently hosts 1.3 million refugees from neighbouring Syria. 

As of the end of 2023, the UK had approximately 448,000 refugees . This means refugees constitute around 0.6% of the population and the UK is home to just 1% of the refugees who have been forcibly displaced worldwide .

To put this into perspective, according to UNHCR statistics, Turkey currently hosts nearly 4 million refugees - more than any other country in the world - and most are from Syria which has been torn apart by war since 2011.

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Why don’t refugees stay in France? 

They do and France actually receives a much larger number of asylum claims than Britain – around 167,000 in 2023, compared to 67,000 in the UK.

Those who arrive in France often choose to remain there and a relatively small proportion of the asylum seekers intend on moving on to the UK.

As for the rest of the EU, in 2023 Germany remained the top destination for asylum seekers receiving more than 350,000 asylum claims, almost a third of all EU applications. Spain and Italy also received a significant number of applications, 163,000 and 136,000 claims respectively. 

Reasons refugees travel to the UK 

Family ties .

According to Care 4 Calais , the main reason many refugees continue their journey to the UK is because of family connections. Refugees who have been forced to leave their homes due to war and persecution face having to start their lives from scratch. 

Just as anyone might seek help from family or friends in a crisis, refugees often aim to reunite with relatives who can provide support in a new country.

In a recent poll conducted by the IRC , 67% of the UK public said they would want to be able to choose which country they sought asylum in if they were forced to flee their homes.

Language 

The ability to speak English also plays a crucial role as to why some people may come to the UK. Speaking the local language greatly enhances a person's ability to build relationships, access support and education, and integrate into society. 

It is also incredibly important when it comes to finding employment which enables refugees to become independent and share their skills with society. 

Learn more about the IRC's English Language support for refugees here.

Professional connections

Some refugees also have professional connections to the UK, such as people from Afghanistan who supported British forces or other organisations during the war there.

One pilot from Afghanistan served alongside British forces, but had to flee his home and leave his young family in hiding when the Taliban took control. He came to the UK on a small boat as he was initially rejected under the government’s Afghan resettlement scheme . The air force lieutenant said he was “completely happy” after the Home Office later accepted his asylum claim.

It’s important to remember that most people who come to the UK to claim asylum know nothing about the immigration process before they arrive and have no expectation that they will receive financial support. Almost all people seeking asylum are not allowed to work and are forced to rely on state support which is as little as £6.43 a day to live on.

The right to seek asylum 

There is no legal obligation for refugees to claim asylum in the first country they reach and this is a key protection by the Refugee Convention, which the UK signed up to.

If all refugees applied for asylum in the first European country they arrived, at entry points such as Italy and Greece, the refugee protection system would fall apart, as the whole system relies on cooperation. 

The truth is, the UK receives a tiny number of refugees compared to other countries in the EU and around the world. There are multiple reasons why refugees might come to the UK to find safety and begin to rebuild their lives. 

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