With the likelihood of increased air fares from April onwards, driving to a French holiday destination looks even more attractive this year .Over the past ten years many of our guests here at Adventure St Tropez have driven to us and we have had many requests for advice when driving and trailering a boat toFrance.

Golden rules are::

If possible travel outside the busy holiday periods or travel any day other than Saturday

Book ferry well in advance prices are always cheaper.

Check your insurance and breakdown cover (stand alone cover is available at a reasonable rate and make sure you have the phone contact numbers with you and have cover for your trailer (if transporting one).

Carry a basic tool box and roadside breakdown set

Generally driving inFranceis easy and hassle free given that the peages add up especially in a long trip you need to allow £100 in peage fees to travel from top to bottom ofFrance. It is always a good idea to take Sat Nav not only for navigation but for noting the few speed cameras, however I would advise taking a road map as back up, not only for the fun of checking the route, but also as back-up in case a glitch (such as being routed up a closed road) occurs….many a tale to tell   about that one!

If trailering a boat make sure of the following

1. Cover the prop with an adequate prop cover
2. Coupler, hitch and hitch ball are of the same size
3. Coupler and safety chains are safely secured to hitch of tow vehicle
4. All fasteners are properly tightened
5. Boat is securely tied down to trailer (winch line is not a tie down)
6. Wheel lug nuts are properly tightened
7. Wheel bearings are properly adjusted and maintained
8. Load is within maximum load carrying capacity
9. Tyres are properly inflated
10. All trailer lighting is working properly
11. Trailer brakes are properly adjusted and working (if trailer is so equipped)
12. Check the rules for trailering are the same in France as theUK
13. Also a good idea to carry spare trailer tyres and bearings.

Once in France you will need an ICC (International Certificate of Competence) to drive your powerboat or a Personal Watercraft Competency Certificate for your jet-ski. The waters in France are well monitored and it is very likely you will need to produce your license.

We offer both these Courses at Adventure St Tropez as a Registered RYA Training Centre in the South of France we are able to issue the licenses after successful completion of your course. You need to bring along a passport sized photo for the licenses.

If all this seems like too much hassle we provide a very special multi-watersports holiday for families, couples and singles. Most important to us is teaching you new skills and as instructors with over twenty years of experience in all the sports we teach we get great pleasure from seeing our guests succeed and gain confidence in their abilities. Groups are small and the tuition is one to one in most cases, so success is assured.

Of course learning watersports is so much easier in the warm and relaxed atmosphere of the south ofFrance, and the fun and glamorous atmosphere surrounding St Tropez is always uplifting. We make sure the groups have a great time both during the day and night. With our local knowledge we arrange evenings out so everyone gets to sample a taste of the ‘good life’ at a reasonable price.

What a wonderful way to spend your holiday, learning watersports in the warm waters of the med, meeting new friends, and having a ball in the evenings.

Adventure St Tropez

www.adventure-sports.co.uk  or www.activity-holiday.com

01736761838 or 07710219465 or inFrance0033674747257

http://www.forwardwake.com

Jess Tucker and her friend Nicola were on a weeks holiday with us June 2007 and as we had to drop off Nickie and Kath at Nice airport and pick up our new Wakeboard Instructor Luke Thomas we decided to fit in a days white water rafting at the Gorge of Verdon and then go to the airport. If Jess was regretting looking  like a drowned kitten  tipped out and dumped  by various grade 4 rapids in cold mountain water she hid it well.  Smiles all round, and what a nice chap too, good looking, good tempered,  good taste in boardies  and a great line in tantrums, whirliebirds and inverts thrown every time we passed another boat..he loved the applause.  Jess certainly approved as by day three I previewed some hand holding which they tried to hide….sweet. On Friday night several litres of  Rose – midnight skinny dipping (nice move Jess) and hand holding was open….so sweet. Jess stayed a second week and the rest is history. Jess and Luke have been together ever since, and are now spending a year touring and  working out in New Zealand. A lovely lovely couple, we send them all our best wishes. It was a  match made at Adventure Sports (St Tropez) ………there will be more

Adventure Sports now has a new JetSki for the coming season. A new Yamaha VX, 4 stroke, 110 hp, three seater. More powerful and more reliable.

We look forward to working with the new machine, both in experience sessions for our holiday customers and the RYA PWC courses that we also run down here in sunny St.Tropez!