Last year we went from Derbyshire down to Dover in the night, (2.30ish set off from home, kids slept on the way) stopped at services on way down M1, across on ferry, stopped off a couple of times in France, arrived at Le Brevedent around 2.00pm. It was a good drive, down and we did the same on the way back, set off from campsite at 12 noon ish, went booze shopping in Calais, got ferry back around 6ish, drove back up M1 and home before midnight. Less traffic on our roads in night, didn't make much difference in France as main roads a lot less busy once you're out of Calais.
------------- Kate
Trailer tent, caravan and too many tents!
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We drive from near Edinburgh to Portsmouth to get the ferry. We like Normandy as a start/stop and loathe the orbital carpark that is the M25, so we never use the Channel ports.
With kids, it`s easier to drive down during the day (DVD player on non-stop!!) and take the overnight ferry than drive at night and have to deal with lively kids the next day when we`re dead beat. This year we`re towing the TT, so we stop near Windsor for three nights, give the kids a couple of days in Legoland courtesy of the Tesco vouchers and just make it part of the holiday. Easy drive from Windsor to Portsmaouth, get overnight ferry to St Malo and then along to Brittany for our first stop, less than two hours drive. We`ll be on site, set up and in the pool by lunchtime.
On the return, we usually end up at a campsite an hour or so from the ferryport (Caen this year), book an extra night then leave the site in the evening. For the £15 or so difference this gives us an extra day and none of the ghastly hassles of long last minute drives and hanging around ferryports. However once we roll off on the other side at 6am it`s head north and drive till we get home, turn about, with just a food stop. We`re shattered by the time we get home, but because it`s home we don`t care.
Works for us, but we`re not ambitious about distance in France, have extra days to spare and would rather we had less stress all round than push too hard.
We once set off from Royan at 7am for the 4pm ferry at Caen, off the ferry at 11pm then up to yorkshire - another 5 hours drive. The ferry was full to bursting so we laid under the stairs using our bags as pillows and had a bit of a cat nap, was absolutely shattered tho. Got as far as Sheffield before i had to give in and let hubby do the last hour - was getting dangerously tired. That was because we just wanted to have as long as poss on hols. Other times we have used aires for overnight breaks, and once we just pulled over at a service station somewhere on the A1 for the night.
Boulogne is a lovely town for an overnight stop, there is a formule 1 there you could use - only 20 euros-ish a night.
Thinking forward to next year when we plan to venture over the channel with our own stuff we will have a 4yr old and 16mth old so.. am thinking we'll get the night ferry from Hull to Zeebrugee (saving tesco vouchers) and make an occasion of it. Then stop overnight enroute to the Vendee at a nice campsite with pool and get to the vendee on the 3rd day. It does mean we'll spend 6 days travelling but we've decided not to push it and ferry and overnight stops as part of the holiday. Also means we can do our packing during day 1 as not leaving till mid pm and will get home mid morning so can unpack that day too. We'll have to see how it works out...
------------- From tents to trailer tents to a tin tent to an air tent to trailer tent and back to tin tent!
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Theres also new BB hotel on the outskirts of Boulogne that I used in May, cheap and although basic I had a good night's sleep and was refreshed for journey next morning.
Hi Greenhill, Doing just that this year. Hull - Zeebrugge - thank you Mr Tesco. We plan to be in Normandy for mid dayish and set up at the municipal site there - lovely restaurants in the town and a nice steady 3 hour drive on the following day, down to the Vendee. The only fly in the ointment is that we will have part of the drive on a Monday - when the lorries will be about.
I reckon the A1 is probably your best bet. I know it goes into 2 lanes at some points, but it always seems to keep moving, whereas the M1 - well less said the better.......
We've just come back (Sunday) - used the A1, then M11 both ways (Friday night down, Sunday morning back). No problems going down, easy journey, no hold-ups and got a ferry two hours earlier than booked, but enormous traffic jam on the M11 going back (we were lucky and came off at the junction before Stansted when the traffic began to build up -and went around by Saffron Walden and Cambridge). When we got back on the road there was very little traffic going North, and then a mile or two further on there were 3 huge police vans blocking the road going south, and a team of dogs plus a 'prisoner' van with the doors wide open, so we can only assume that someone had escaped and the police had stopped the traffic in both directions! Long journey back - but with a limping car (clutch and turbo) we were glad to get home at all. Car in garage now, for repairs to turbo, replacement clutch and gearbox so we feel we were very lucky indeed!
Hi everyone - just to say thank you for your feedback. We have now booked into the Ibis across the road from the port. It is a bit pricey but has secure car park so we can stash our camping stuff and duty free goodies safely. We also were able to change our ferry times to hit the M25 around 11/12 - your advice was great!
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This years driving will be Aberdeen to Gillingham for overnight stop (585 miles) then down into Dover for the ferry and on to Colmar (485 miles). On the way back we will overnight at Reims then to Calais for lunchtime sailing and up to Stafford (400 miles). Last stint home is 390 miles. It works for us.
Hi, I am driving down from Stirling in central Scotland to Portsmouth next Monday and was wondering if anyone could offer advice on timings, especially for avoiding the worst areas at peak time.
Our ferry is at 11pm and I thought it would be best to set off at about 9am to allow plenty of time for breaks/hold-ups etc ( just me and my 6 year old son). Does this sound ridiculous? I would be grateful for any suggestions!
nafniz - just put your route through AutoRoute and the route it suggests will have youavoiding the Car Park (aka M25). The timeing - driving only is 6hrs 15mins. I would suggest avoiding being around Manchester and Birmingham around 4-6 o'clock. Beyond that, I can offer nothing - Starting at 9 would/should get you down there in plenty of time.
Hi, thanks for that pennine, I will take your advice and avoid Manchester/Birmingham at peak times and will sit down with autoroute, map & work it out - should be great fun!
Just found out I'm getting to borrow my brother's big peugot estate car to drive instead of my little ford fiesta - yipee! should make travel and packing much easier!
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: realistic driving time expectations
