We are planning our first trip to France next Jul/August and have a few queiries, we are going to be travelling from Calais to Biarritz in the south of France.
Is there anywhere in Dover you can recommend for an overnight stop, our Ferry leaves at 8am.
Any tips for travelling in France, we were thinking of a stop over on the way down for a couple of nights too about half way down.
Thanks Shouby
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If you are travelling from Derbyshire the day before your easiest bet is to leave in good time & stop at a campsite nr Dover, there are local ones that cater for early ferry departures. You would probaley be wanting to leave the campsite 06.30ish.
If you are leaving to arrive Dover late evening nobody appears to object to caravan parking along the seafront nr the dock entrance. There will always be plenty of caravans/motorhomes parked along there at night but obviously there might be noise from drunks etc, its your choice.
For going thru France, plot your route then google the names of any towns where you might want an overnight stop, summat like 'Chartes camping municipal' this will lead you to the cheap(ish)camping municipal for the town, should be a map you can print off.
We are planning our first trip to France next Jul/August and have a few queiries, we are going to be travelling from Calais to Biarritz in the south of France.
Is there anywhere in Dover you can recommend for an overnight stop, our Ferry leaves at 8am.
Any tips for travelling in France, we were thinking of a stop over on the way down for a couple of nights too about half way down.
Thanks Shouby
If you are a member of the Caravan Club there is either Blackhorse Farm which is the nearest club site to Dover and geared up for 24 hour departure. Further out near junction 8 of the M20 there is Bearsted but that means getting up an hour earlier. Otherwise there are a few CL's near to dover. If you are not a member of the Club then Hawthorn Farm is close to Dover and again geared up for early departures.
Hawthorn Farm in Martin Mill is a very pleasant site and only a few miles outside of Dover off the main road to Deal. I'm not sure what the situation is these days about parking along the seafront overnight as there is alot construction work going on widening the road to the docks and Jubilee Way (my family live in Dover) - but maybe that'll be solved by July. There are two campsites in Folkestone, about 7 miles away, near to The Warren: one is a C&C club, the other is called Little Switzerland and great views out to sea. Basic but fine for a one-nighter.That's really easy to get to from the M20. You can find both on Google Earth if you fancy being nosey. If you leave early - very early - you could make Biarritz in a day. I did some years back, arriving about 7 p.m. and at least you don't have a tent to put up. A more leisurely approach might be best though. How about Saumur on the Loire - reasonable half-way post.
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We have travelled Dover to Dunkerque for the last 4 summers. As we live on Merseyside we, like you, have quite a distance to travel to get to Dover in the first place.
We have tried various combinations over the years as we tend to get quite early boats to give us a good long day travelling on the Continent. I would warn you that we find getting round the M25 takes longer than one would expect. That's the reason we twice ended-up overnighting at Maidstone Services.
This year, for the first time, we went round clockwise from the bottom of the M1 and overnighted at the services at Potter's Bar. We then found the clockwise route better but we did recommence our journey just before 6.00 am to avoid the rush hour. In the past we've tended to use the anti-clockwise M25 as my Father in Law lives near the bottom of the M40 and we, also, find that a pleasanter tow than the M6.
Site options we have used include;
Maidstone Motorwary services on M20. This services has about a dozen caravan-only parking spaces and overnight parking is about £16.00 per night. The spaces are well away from the lorry park so no noise from refrigerator lorries, etc. They are quite narrow spaces, however. Still we've stayed there twice.
Little Satmar Caravan Park, Capel Le Ferne. Last year we went a day earlier and overnighted at this park. It is close to Folkestone and near to the main A20 road. The staff were very friendly and gave us, some other ferry-bound folk, a pitch on a large grassy area which meant that had the option of staying hooked up. The site does not have any sort of barrier and we left at about 5.00 for the half hour drive to Dover.
Little Switzerland, Folkestone. This year we were very organised and manage 2 nights at this site. We were very impressed it is on the cliffs with lovely views from site cafe/bar across the Channel. The are no views from the actual pitches. The sanitary facilities are a bit tired and inconveniently placed but we use our own anyway. Only about 30 mins drive to Dover ferries and again no access restrictions so one can leave when one needs to.
I notice that you mention Calais. If you have not already booked your ferry I would strongly recommend the Norfolk Line from Dover to Dunkerque. Lovely newish boats and excellent prices. We paid £128 a few weeks back (via Caravan Club) for our 7.2 metre 'van, 4x4 and us 2 adults. This is LESS than we paid last year. It is peak time crossings (out end July, end August) and not in the middle of the night either. Sorry I just read your initial post again and noticed that you've already booked your ferry.
Very best wishes for your first trip to France. I'm sure you'll love it and you can get any advice you need on UKC - it has taught me loads.
Good place for mid France stopover is just about anywhere in the Loire Valley.
But look at Ste Catherine de Fierbois. Need to ask for a sunny site though, lots are in woods and very shady. You'd be able to pitch then dine out at the very good restaurant on site.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
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: Dover/ France Holiday
. How about Saumur on the Loire - reasonable half-way post.
