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We aren't going Saturday but will be 3 weeks today!

We will be stopping for a meal at the Harvester in Fareham before our sailing. We have a cabin booked and are taking some disposable plastic containers with cereals, a frozen container of milk, some bananas and a couple of croissants and jam so that we can all have a decent breakfast in our cabin before setting off for the Loire. From experience food is expensive onboard and with the 5 of us, it would eat into our holiday spends in no time! We will splash out on a coffee but that's about it.

Claire

We are following you out on the Sunday. Last  year on the late night ferry, there were virtually no self service meals other than sarnies...at £4 each!

Definitely take some food of your own.

Lucky lot! We`re going on our first French trip on the 27th this month on LD  to Le Havre. We are really excited and the kids have made a holiday countdown calender similar to an advent calender.

We were too late to book a cabin which we would have liked ( kids are 6&7 ) and have settled for club class seats on the way out.

If anyone gets a chance to post a review of the crossing I would be grateful for any tips, I`ve picked up a couple already from this post and they all help. I`m a bit nervous about getting off in Le Havre and having no idea how to begin the journey on the other side. I`ve even thought about buying a Satnav to make it easier, I`m probably worrying too much but better to be well prepared

Hi Alice,

We've never docked in Le Havre before and will be arriving there the day before you....but I hear it's like all other French ports - well designed and signposted, so don't worry too much. Besides, being near a ferry port locals will be used to GB plated cars driving at 2 mph while they read their maps!

Have fun!

I`m quite confident that after a couple of hours I`ll be up to at least 2mph if all goes well !!. We almost booked for the day before like you as the savings were pretty good for travel on the Thursday compared to Friday but our site ( camping des isles, reviews anyone? )  preferred Saturday arrivals which isnt really a problem.

Just hoping that bright yellow ball in the sky reappears from behind the clouds covering continental europe this summer

Thanks Frogman. The camping-des-isles we are going to is in the gulf of Morbihan near to a place called Penestin so a fair way to drive but as we dock early we have loads of time to get there.

We dont have a sat nav and hope it isnt necessary as the via michelin maps/route planners seem really comprehensive compared to the ones we usually use in the UK.

Cant wait

Hi Alice--------Follow the Michelin they are good. If you are not used to France, they rely less on road numbers, and more on the next place on your route, so don't get hung up on numbers. Even worse in parts of Europe, they have changed the numbers on some roads, but that is worst in Belgium where they have two different names for the same town. Also in France, in the towns and villages, the road sign is often on the back side of the junction, and not before the junction like we have in UK. It's all part of the fun. --------Coming out of Le Havre, you do want the Pont Normandy which is the veer to the right, it is no problem, and the bridge signs as shown on Michelin are great, just don't be too fast with your veer off, I have known people take the first turn which is for Harfleur and the docks,---not good. Take care round Avranches, there is a 90 km stretch which gets abused by locals, and often there are mobile radar traps in the back of saloons parked at the roadside,  they do prop a warning notice a short way ahead, but if you are travelling solo it is easy to stray above the limit. If you are near the G de M try the boats which go to the islands Vedettes Verts it is a good day out,--if the weather is fine.. Hope you have a good holiday and you don't want to think about the way back, but the transfer from the Peripherique sud onto the A13 Paris on the return is tricky, it is a short transfer lane, no doubt you will be experts by then, but go easy at this point , and allow the possibility of an error, I've been doing it for 20 yrs and | still need to have my wits about me. Just at this point, there is a mamouth hypermarket called Mondeville 2, and if you can get in ,it is spectacular for shopaholics

The LD sailing is no problem at all.  We cabinned out and club class seats back - early evening landing.  Even if you have children I would acvise not sitting near the kids play area.  Some parents just dump them and walk away.  The noise level can reach unacceptable pitch.  Try to get a seat near the back (the kids area is at the front( very nautical)).  The food is fine, decent quality and not really that bad a price but there are not many of us to feed. 

Re landing in Le Havre - we had a SAT Nav but it wasn't necessary really, the route out is well sign posted.  We were more worried about the Sat Nav sending us round roundabouts the wrong way (it didn't, much to our relief).  BUT the SAT Nav gave me the opportunity to enjoy the countryside rather than worrying about exits!  I am the person who found herself in the middle of Nantes at 2 in the morning having missed the Periphique..... thank heavens for Gendarmes.

The hint I will share withyou is that the damn signposts don't always name the next big town on the road but the city at the end of the m'way.  Like getting on the M1 in Leeds looking for Leicester but it being signposted London..... Thus for us, we needed to follow Bordeaux,  for the Vendee.