There's a group of us travelling to the Dordogne in August tent camping. We're looking to get a late tunnel crossing around 9/10pm on the Friday night and press South a couple of hours before taking a short layover, arriving early hours before finishing the journey the following day.
I've been looking for suitable hotels in the Amiens or Beauvais area. F1 or Premmiere Classe would be fine from a hotel facilities point of view as we'll be going straight to bed and heading off as soon as we wake.
But I'm a bit concerned about the safety of the 4 cars we're in loaded to the gunnels with everyone's camping gear and belongings.
Anyone got any experience, suggestions or advice of where to stay that the cars and our possessions will still be there after a short sleep!
Thanks
Burt
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Hi,
We’ve stayed many times at various hotels in France of the kind you mention with a full car, bikes & a trailer tent or folding camper. All the car parks have been gated & we have never had a problem
Burt, On the other hand …of the last five hotels in France where stayed overnight only one had gated parking and at the other four we used car parks open to the public. You must ask individual hotels what parking they have especially if you have kit in roof boxes or bikes on the car.
We have done this a few times in the dim and distant past, before we switched to a caravan, and we found a mixture of different car parks, some gated, some not. If I were you, I would use google maps to choose a few possibilities and then phone them or email to confirm if they have a gated car park.
The better route to the Dordogne is Calais Rouen Chartres Orleans which avoids Paris. On that route is Abbeville an hour from Calais with hotels there or you could continue to Rouen.
Or have your overnight in a cabin on a ship instead. Portsmouth to St Malo overnight ferry arrives at 8 am, then you can drive to Dordogne by tea time, Dearer but quicker and easier.
Post last edited on 20/01/2022 08:35:08
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Quote: Originally posted by Netherton on 20/1/2022
Or have your overnight in a cabin on a ship instead. Portsmouth to St Malo overnight ferry arrives at 8 am, then you can drive to Dordogne by tea time, Dearer but quicker and easier.
Having lived out here since 2018 that's now my preferred crossing when coming home to the Dordogne (family and friends are Warrington / Leeds / Sheffield so have a 4 hour drive down to Portsmouth).
Half an hour extra drive in France compared to Portsmouth - Caen, but 2 extra hours sleep before an eight hour drive home, and cabins on the boat are much better.
There's an F1 just south of Rouen which was secure when we stayed there a few years ago. IIRC it was the hotel Rouen louviers val de reuil. Right next to the motorway for convenience.
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Topic: Layover en-route Dordogne
via mobile 12/1/2022 at 10:33pm
