With its fresh, invigorating air and vast open spaces, the French countryside is the ideal place to welcome in the joys of spring with the family. Holiday France Direct has launched a new brochure of holiday homes for 2010, including mountainside

upwards and is able to care for children with special needs, too. It also features a wide range of family-friendly resorts in Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland. Powder Byrne offer luxury family holidays to an exclusive selection of resorts

in the French countryside, but from knowing that my holiday had been eco-friendly. I was left with one more question for Carol: “Why can’t all homes be built like this?”A one-week stay for up to six people at the Earthship costs from £600; www.earthship-france

’Huez in France. A high resort with plenty of varied slopes, it is famed for its sunshine and huge ski area. There is also a ski kindergarten and excellent beginner slopes. Neilson’s Chalet Le Lac Blanc I is directly on the slopes with the lift only 70 metres from

and facilities are currently more important to UK travellers when booking a family holiday than finding a holiday that is eco-friendly. The self-catering specialists Tots to Travel recently surveyed parents on how environmentally friendly they felt their family

Hallyday – France’s answer to Frank Sinatra – who must now be, ooh, about 100 or so, but, bless him, still rocking! Solène offered to book us a table at a lovely restaurant she knew where we’d get a superb view of the fireworks, but we decided we’d rather