Marne Trophy Vaires, France - 03 untill 04 April 2010 (Easter) (fr)

Very few tournaments manage to attract participants from so many different countries as the Marne Trophy – what with a worldwide favourite as Paris around the corner. Besides this, being so close to Disneyland Paris of course also contributes to the popularity of the Marne Trophy. The tournament starts on Friday evening with the check-in at the Vaires sur Marne sports complex and the team leaders reception, whilst the participants are entertained at the opening party. On Saturday and Sunday, all participants play at least four matches. Saturday is for the qualifier matches. The last whistle is blown quite early in the day, in order to allow the participants enough time to spend the rest of the day in Paris. However, make sure you are back in time on Sunday for the last qualifier matches, the ranking matches and the finals. The tournament is concluded with a visit to Disney Village, the only part of Disneyland Paris with free access.

As well as participation at the tournament, Euro-Sportring also arranges the accommodation for the participants. Participants can usually choose between school accommodation, group accommodation (youth accommodation and bungalows) and hotels. The accommodation we offer has been selected with care and must comply to a number of conditions such as are they within easy reach of the sports park, do they provide value for money, are they suitable for sports groups, are they safe and are the management flexible. For more information about the available accommodation please see the pdf pricelist which can be found on this website.

Paris is 12 miles from Vaires. The Paris area houses more than two million people. The city is steeped in history, which is reflected in the enormous number of monuments and museums. Who hasn't heard of the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, or the Champs Elysées? Paris has continued to grow over the years, so that some of the neighbouring villages have by now become city suburbs. A number of them have managed to retain their very own character; Montmartre for example, still has a deeply magnetic power over artists. There are all kinds of shopping options. Paris has a number of major department stores (Galeries Lafayette, Le Printemps, both found on the boulevard Haussmann) and shopping centres (Forum des Halles, Centre Maine-Montparnasse). There are also clear concentrations of certain shopping branches in the city. Jewellers are concentrated in the rue de la Paix for example and on the place Vendôme, luxury sports articles are sold on the Champs-Elysées and avenue de la Grande-Armée. Each neighbourhood has its own streets with characteristic little boutiques of course. Paris has always been famous for its nightlife, and is especially well endowed when it comes to variety theatres and music halls, offering shows which are a mix of music, song and dance. The oldest and most famous music halls are the Folies Bergère (32 rue Richier) and Casino de Paris (16 rue de Clichy). Take a well filled wallet along! There are also many other less prestigious clubs where the shows are equally worth while. By the way, Paris is top of the list for cafes, both indoor and out. Fun neighbourhoods for an evening out include Montmartre ( the artist neighbourhood) and Quartier Latin (the student neighbourhood). Traffic in Paris is nerve wracking hectic. However, public transport is excellent, and a 'billet de tourism' offers you unlimited use of all means of transport for a choice of 1, 2, 4 or 7 days (bus, train, underground, with the exception of one or two lines).

Claye Souilly. Claye Souilly (10.560 inhabitants) is a small an d quiet place about 25 km from paris, well known for it's dynamism. More information: www.claye-souilly.fr

Disneyland Paris (10 km from Vaires). The magical world of Walt Disney with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Peter Pan and many others, is the largest amusement park of Europe. The park offers - divided over five 'lands' - countless attractions and shows. For more information see: www.disneylandparis.com. Note: a visit is only worthwhile for a full day.

Disney Village - For those visitors who cannot visit Disneyland Paris for a full day, it is nevertheless worth while to have a look, to catch the spirit of the park. There is a 'free' area with restaurants, among which you will find the famous restaurant 'Hollywood Planet' known all over the world, shops and a nice square illuminated with thousands of lights along the pond and ice-skating track 'Village Disney'.

Vaires sur Marne. Vaires sur Marne (12,000 inhabitants) is a small and quiet place about 20 km from Paris. It lies on the east side of Paris along the A4 motorway to Disneyland Paris. In the surroundings of Vaires, the "Bois de Vaires" nature area or the banks of the Marne are a nice place to stay. The Olympic swimming pool was recently built in Vaires, in old sand and gravel diggings, for the bid of Paris to hold the Olympic games of 2012.Parc Asterix (25 miles from Vaires).

Parc Asterix is an amusement park that is based on the famous ‘Asterix and Obelix’ comics of the duo Albert Uderzo and René Goscinny. The amusement park was opened in 1989 and is now one of the most popular amusement parks in France. There are no less than six roller coasters in the park, including a spectacular wooden roller coaster, 'Tonerre de Zeus'. Or try the 'Menhir Express', an exciting water attraction! Opening hours: Mon-Fr.: 10.00 – 18.00, Sat.-Sun.: 09.30 – 19.00. Note: a visit is only worthwhile for a full day. More information:www.parcasterix.fr