Hi Peter!

I've just come back from the UK and will do some research into gluten-free food in France for you. Most French chicken is shallow-fried rather than deep fried or rotisserie-spitroasted, and it is unlikely that chicken and chips would be done in the same fat as we don't seem to have the 'fish and chip range' in even fast food shops. I'll be back in touch soon.

My wife is Coeliac so I have an understanding of what it is like for you and there is no worse place to be than France with all those delicious breads and cakes. I haven't had a croissant or a pain aux raisins for years in sympathy with my wife's diet. I suggest that you go to http://www.coeliac.org.uk/glutenfree_living/travel__dining/115.asp where you can print off a request in French that tells the waiter that you are coeliac and asks if he can suggest items on the menu that are gluten free. The biggest problem that we find is the use of stock which generally contains gluten. Fortunately most good quality French reataurants make their stock in-house. We did have an experience in a very expensive restaurant in Angouleme last year where we asked if the sauce the duck was served in had gluten in it and then watched the chef go to a cupboard and read the ingredients label on a ready made sauce!

Also be very careful if you need to get any medication, my wife was poisoned last year after being given anti-biotics containing gluten following being bitten by a dog. We told the nurse at the hospital that she couldn't have gluten but we were obviously ignored and only realised what had happened after spending a hundred euros on the prescription.

I hope that this will prove helpful - http://www.maladiecoeliaque.com/rsgacheter2.htm - which is a website listing things that you can buy in France that are gluten-free.

My sole fear is how much of the French you can understand. Basically it provides a list of producers of gluten-free foods - (producteurs/fabricants) and you can access each company's website giving details of what products to look for. There is also a further list which shows where these can be bought.

General suggestions are that you look in 'bio' shops -biological products/wholefoods - and chemists. SOME bakeries offer 'pain sans gluten' especially individuals who are not part of a chain eg Banette.

They do remind you tactfully that beer is sometimes used as a raising agent, especially in the speciality pain àla bière. Gluten-free foods are gaining ground in France, but ever so slowly.

I sincerely hope that you find good 'local' gluten-free food and that everyone has a wonderful holiday. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can find out any special information for you.

I have looked at several of the websites given and if you can handle the French, and feel comfy about doing so, you could order products on line and have them sent to your address at the campsite ... some offer a Colissimo service for 8€ extra which is a French postal service offering a package guaranteed to arrive next day ......... so you could ask someone locally to help you with an order using the internet once you arrive at the site, but you will have to have a bit of help to fill in the items you require and make sure that the sending address - the campsite - is different from your billing address - where your credit card is registered.

If you think you will be going down this route, please remember to tell your credit card issuer that you are away from date x to date y so they won't stop your card because it's showing a different spending pattern ..............

Thanks guys much appreciated.
Will be taking a stock of bread, pasta and rols with us so no need to purchase anything I hope.

We will probably do only one restruarant so will take those cards with us.
Just was wanting to be sure about the Chicken and Fries.

Been reading up on swimming pools looks like they are out for me, no danger of wearing speedos