Wifey has mentioned she fancies a trip to France next year in the caravan , this will be our first time abroad with the van so i am giving myself plenty of time to plan.
We will prob be spending 7-10 nights in France in addition to a couple of nights in the UK en-route and anticipate staying in the North / Brittany areas although as we have never holidayed in France before guidance on areas to visit would be appreciated
As there will just be the two of us ( and maybe the dog ) all we require are a site/s with good basic facilities,near to towns and villages where we can we sample local food, beer and wine after a hard days walking or lounging about.
Would appreciate any tips and advice on best routes , methods of crossings , places to stay and visit etc
Many thanks in advance
Jim
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Hi, I can't really help you with sites in Brittany as I've only ever stayed there with Eurocamp or the like, many years ago.
What we do is decide the area that we would like to stay in and either look at the campsites on here and then visit their websites, or put in "campsites near ....." into a search engine. You can narrow it down to near seas, towns, lakes, farms, etc. I would say that we have not been disappointed yet in a French campsite. And, unless you're in a very touristy area, like the South of France, you only pay when you leave so if you don't like the site, you can leave after a couple of days and you haven't paid in advance.
For your crossing you need to decide would you rather pay less for a shorter crossing, but drive much more (about 8 hours from Calais to Brittany), or pay more for a longer crossing, but not have to drive very far at all.
There are guys on here with much more experience touring France than me, but I'll give you my take on it ...
First off France is great - loads of beautiful, big nature, tonnes of interesting heritage, obviously great food, and there are fantastic campsites almost everywhere. It's not as cheap as it was but so long as you're not eating out all the time, it's comparable to prices here.
The driving is pretty easy (other than cities), and if you're travelling a distance the motorways are fast and relatively traffic free (if you avoid the big, busy days) making it less tiring than travelling a similar distance in this country. The motorway tolls can be quite pricey though - a good alternative is to take the slower N-roads, which can be fast if you're lucky, and there are always interesting things to see on the way, ... I like to do a bit of both, filling up on fuel when I go on the N-roads at the excellent out of town supermarkets (MUCH cheaper than on the motorways). A lot of people with caravans tend to stop the night before the ferry around Dover (it's by far the cheapest crossing point) making everything much easier for the drive into France.
I don't know Brittany too well, but I've heard The Vendee is very nice. We tend to get over The Channel and then head south for the weather. The first place we hit that we really like is Burgundy - it's not too far (4 or 5 hours), it's got lovely countryside, it's great for a bit of easy cycling, and the wine is superb.
I've used the campsite reviews on here with great success in the past. A quick and easy shortcut for choosing a site is to go by the star rating system, and if you want to get some good (and cheap) candidates without doing too much research you can narrow it down even more easily by going the camping cheques route.
Don't know brittany but I am confident its very nice as is Vendee, burgundy and Champagne. All without travelling too far. Not so keen on Nord pas de calais or Normandy.
We would normally travel further south as the weather improves but you don't have too. Driving is very easy though.
If going to Brittany you could get a ferry direct but this would be a longer trip and cost more. For pure convenience we always use the tunnel and we see more driving down. Some of the dover/calais ferries are cheaper though.
Unlike Pauline49 we have sometimes been disappointed with sites. They do need research just as in uk. Also unlike pauline49 we have always been expected to pay up front.
If you can go out of high season consider using camping cheques which can cut the pitch fee considerably.
What sort of holiday do you want - beach/country inland/mountains/hot sun - its all there.
------------- Steve
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Quote: Originally posted by jimbouk on 17/7/2010
Would appreciate any tips and advice on best routes , methods of crossings , places to stay and visit etc
You won't regret, Brittany is one of the most beautiful place in France. A bit like the best places in cornwall, but with more diversity between North/South and inland as it's much bigger.
My top 5 in Brittany:
1. The north west coast from Plougonvelin to Roscoff. With a sea being crystal clear and many white sand beaches, you feel like in greece islands, except that the temperature is much colder. The other massive advantage of this area is to be not (yet) too crowded with tourists. You will be able to park nearly everywhere. The only risk is the weather. Saint Pabu
2. Presqu'ile de Crozon
Just beautiful. 3 "cap" that draw a cross and allow stunning views on the sea (rough many times because of the powerful winds). The area is maybe a bit small for a long stay, but worth the trip! You will discover lagoons and typical britanny houses. Saint Hernot
3. Golfe du Morbihan
In south Brittany, an amasing gulf with many islands, a great place for dinghy sailing or kayaking. The main difference with north brittany are the temperatures (nearly 20c in the sea rather than 17c), but you can also expect much more tourists and a less tolerant policy with "wild" caravaning. Golfe du morbihan
4. Cote de granit rose
A peculiar place that shows the huge diversity of britanny's landscape. Can be really busy in august. Tregastel
Then, some research on internet will help you choose the best places to stay and to visit. There are many camping in this region and many events at summer time!
One thing to remember, Jim, is that usually you pay when you leave the site rather than when you arrive. This means that if you don't like the site or area you can go somewhere else.
Secondly, if you are going before mid July you will not need to book.
Brittany is great but as has been said above the weather can be stormy/wet on occassions.
DaveS
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If you are going outwith high season (July/August) it's worth having a look at ACSI (www.campingcard.co.uk) which can save you a considerable amount. The other bonus with ACSI is that all sites in the book are regularly inspected and are invariably of a high standard.
If you are thinking of taking the dog you should be thinking about getting his "passport" soon if you havent already done so. We took out dog to France for the first time last year and it was no problem.
I'm on day 5 of my French expedition, it's my first time as well, but I'm on my own.
The things I have found indispensable so far are my sat-nav & the french camp site guide book "Le Guide Officiel".
The sat-nav is a cheap one, but the only one in the family that had euro maps already installed. But it has done the job wonderfully. It doesn't list camp sites, but will find addresses, that's where "Le Guide Officiel comes in....
Le Guide is available on Amazon & is a must for anyone who wishes to tour France, it claims to lis all 11,000 sites in France, & although it's written in French there is a small multi-language part to explain how to read the listings, I guarantee you will not find a more comprehensive list of camp sites in France, & I would advise strongly against wasting your money on the Alan Rogers book.
Happy holidays, there should be a link to my blog in my signature, have a look for a brief taste of French camping.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
For a first trip of 7 to 10 days I wouldn't try to do too much or go too far. I think the Loire would be an option, plenty to see and do there. Alternatively, head east, Laon, Reims, Troyes, Epernay to look round the Champagne region with perhaps a day or two on a site within easy reach of Paris.
We went in June, around the longest day and had a wonderful trip..only as far as the loire, wonderful countryside, lots to see.. long sunny evenings..quiet roads.. get over there asap...you will be shocked when you return to England about the amount of traffic we get used to!
We stopped in municipal campsites often very cheap and good value for money!
Planning is lots of fun..
Lovely little campsite in Pont de Larche, on the bend of the seine and the river eure..riverside municipal campsite, next to a lovely little medieval town. Very reasonable..campning (tent 34 euros for 4 days!) there are electric hooksups free showers small campsite very quiet at night..stroll along the river, big supermarket within 5 minutes drive, does petrol...near Rouen..have reviewed it just waiting for the review to be published. There is also a lake nearby (10 mins drive) where you can swim cycle, sunbathe, or teleski (water ski on a wire!)
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: France for the first time
