MEALS

Meals are served buffet style with several hot and cold buffets to choose from. Seating will be available in the indoor restaurant or on the semi-open terrace with a panoramic view of the sea. Multiple buffets for salads, main dishes, cheeses, desserts, bread and wine are available, offering an abundance of choices. Gluten-free options are also available. Coffee is not included with the evening meal, but cocktails and specialty coffees may be purchased from the bar during their operating hours.

For children 2 and under, you can pick the appropriate food you want for your child from the buffet, and baby food is also available upon request. Equipment for children is available in the restaurant (highchairs, children’s dishes, microwave to warm up milk, baby food etc.)

Meal times:

Breakfast ………   7:30 am to 10:00 am

Lunch …………. 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm (unless otherwise specified for a particular excursion).

Dinner …………   7:00 pm to 8:30 pm (unless otherwise specified for a particular excursion).

CHURCH SERVICES AND TRANSLATION

English speakers are welcomed and do not need to speak French. A short, opening service will be held after dinner on Wednesday, October 16 at 8:30 pm. Some of the services will be held in French and some in English, with simultaneous translation into the other language provided via translation equipment. Visitors should bring headphones with a standard jack to plug into the translation receiver which will be provided onsite.

ELECTRICITY

The electrical current in France is 200-220 volts, 50 cycles. This will burn out North American appliances if no transformer – may also be referred to as a converter – is used (in the past, several visitors attending the Feast in France have had "bad hair days" due to short-lived but supercharged curling irons...). Note that a transformer/converter is not the same thing as an adapter. An adapter is the plug that allows the appliance to be connected to the wall outlet. The sockets in France generally have two thin cylindrical prongs rather than the rectangular flat type found in North America. A transformer/converter is a separate item that modifies the electrical current. Many companies market travel sets including both a transformer and several European adapters. Such sets usually cost about $20 and are available at luggage shops or department stores.

PLEASE NOTE: We recommend you buy one or several adapters (depending on how many you need) to charge your phone, computer, etc. We recommend you buy a transformer or a converter for appliances such as blow dryers and flat irons that are NOT dual-voltage, i.e. if they are not built to function both with 110 volts and 220 volts. Please check out the following two resources for more information:

https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/voltage-converter-vs-travel-adapter-how-do-they-work/ (article from Travel Fashion Girl)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J1ZLXYuks4 (YouTube video from Trip Astute)

CURRENCY AND EXCHANGE

The currency used in France is the Euro. Exchange rates vary from day to day. As of  February 12, 2024, it costs $1.08 to buy one Euro. This will most likely change before the Feast.

We recommend that visitors change at least a small amount of money before their trip to be sure some local currency is available on arrival. While traveler’s checks are a safe way to bring money since they can be replaced if lost or stolen, they are becoming more difficult and expensive to change.

Debit Cards

Many visitors use ATM cards to withdraw Euros from ATMs. A visitor’s bank account is debited in the home currency and a small fee is charged. This is very convenient and one of the least costly ways to change money, since the fee is offset by an often more advantageous exchange rate.

Banks

Banking hours in small towns and villages are typically 9:00 a.m. to noon and 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. However, the best place to exchange money is at the post office, which is also a bank. Exchanging $100 bills is not practical given fraud detection requirements, and many banks no longer accept the $100 bills, so it is recommended that visitors who wish to exchange cash only bring bills in denominations of $50 or less.

Credit Cards

MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in France; other credit cards (i.e. Discover or American Express) are accepted in a more limited way or not at all. It is also possible to use a MasterCard or Visa with a PIN code to obtain a cash advance (in which case, visitors are charged a fee as well as interest on the cash advance "loan" by the home bank.)

When using a credit card for purchases, you typically receive an advantageous exchange rate.  Look for one which does not charge foreign transaction fees if possible.  You may be asked if you would like your purchase converted to USD at the point of sale, but it is usually more advantageous to have the purchase rung up in EUR.

The bottom line: it is always a good idea to have at least two different means of procuring Euros in case there is a problem with an ATM machine or with your card.