Montage, Early Start and Ferries

With our largest ever Montage team, aided by some good Vendée sunshine, the team are working hard to prepare Le Pas Opton for the 2026 summer season. We’re so grateful for all the effort put in by so many volunteers and our amazing French staff team. The site is looking amazing and we’re looking forward to welcoming our guests in only a few weeks! This weekend we begin our online training sessions for our Animateur teams. Our focus is very much on our Early Start, Week 1, coming up fast on the 11^th May.

We are aware that the events in the Middle East, and the impact on fuel prices, may affect guests choosing to booking a Spring Harvest Holiday at Le Pas Opton. We are monitoring the situations carefully. P&O have added a fuel surcharge to the cost of their ferry crossings as they respond. We are not currently passing this on to our guests. Since we have secured tour operator rates, we continue to offer the best prices available to our guests.

You may have seen Brittany Ferries in the news this week. They have pledged to not raise prices despite the conflict in the Middle East. They have said that they have secured the ‘vast majority’ of their fuel at a fixed price which limits the impact of further rises in the cost of oil. They also shared that they have recorded a 37 per cent increase in reservations over the past fortnight for sailing in July and August, which they claim indicates many families were ‘abandoning the volatility of travel by air.’ These comments are taken from the article in ‘The News’, please click here to see the full article.

We are pleased that Brittany are not raising prices, and other than P&O we have not seen other providers add to the industry rates we are offered. While Brittany has pledged to not raise prices due to fuel costs, it is worth noting that their pricing already favours booking earlier rather than later, and our message to our customers is that it is better to book now to secure the best prices and availability, should you choose to travel with Brittany. The French government have explicitly ruled out immediate fuel restrictions or rationing, and we are unaware of any fuel issues impacting those who have travelled recently to LPO.

Our Guest Service team are available to help talk through travel options and answer any questions you may have when considering booking a holiday with us and travelling to LPO.

While our Animateur team is now fully recruited, we are still looking for Bénévoles to support with various tasks, with particular need for minibus drivers, team cooks and night shepherds. These roles remain open. Click here for more information and see how to apply.

LPO continues to be a place of prayer. Please do join us in praying for peace in the Middle East, and for the season ahead. That God will continue to bless those setting up the site, that he will move mightily over the summer months in the lives of our guests and team, and that those he wants to holiday with us will be able to join us.

Thanks for all your support,

John Musgrave

Managing Director, Spring Harvest Holidays

President's Representative, Association Le Pas Opton