Help with first trip to Europe.. Please .... (1 Viewer)

Charlie

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Im a newbie
Be gentle we are newbies ..

Only had our van for a few weeks but are desperate to go over to Europe. Would really love to get something booked in the next few weeks.

We really haven't much of a clue where to start ! We did spontaneously jump in a large Transit van and head over to Germany many years ago when we took a bike over to the Nurburgring . Went ok but we got shafted on ferry costs as we did it with short notice.

Brittany is looking favorable as a destination . We just want to get away from the bloody awful weather for a few weeks.

So who or which ferry company is best to book with ? We have joined the Camping and caravan club but not sure if we can get discounts through them or mentioning them when we try to book ?

Truth is this is a bit daunting so would like to get stuck in and get the first European trip under our belts.

I think Portsmouth to St Malo might be better just now with the chaos at Dover. I think Portsmouth is easier for us anyway.

Thanks.
 
Mar 23, 2012
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We always found the cost a lot higher for the longer crossings so depends how big an issue cost is also we go shorter so its less time for the dog on his own. If you go after the end of the French holidays will be a lot quieter and make sure you try some aires.

David
 
Jun 11, 2011
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hya Charlie if you ring C & Cc you will get a good deal on the ferry or tunnel, from wherever, don't do it online as you can't haggle

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Charlie

Charlie

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Cost is always a factor. But at the moment Dover Calais is just not on the cards .

I have just looked on the net and Portsmouth is 80 miles closer to home than Dover and is just so much easier to drive to as we don't have to circumnavigate the M25 which is just horrendous !
 

JeanLuc

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Old Soldier

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If Brittany, or that side of France is your choice then Portsmouth is better than going all the way to Dover and then all the way back to the west.
If new to motorhoming then pick some nice campsites, there are loads to bre found on line but also try out an Aire or two.
Remember to drive on the right!!, get your fuel in supermarkets, take an electrical polarity tester and reversed polarity adaptor as well as a continental 2 pin socket adaptor. Learn a bit of French, certainly how to say please, thanks and good morning etc. Take some euros with you, good rate of exchange at the moment.
Unless you are in a hurry stay away from the payage motorways and use the A and B roads, you will see much more of France. Watch out for speed limits, breaking them can be costly as well as dangerous.
Main thing, enjoy yourselves, enjoy experiencing a different culture and join in the experiences.
Good luck. :happy:

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big map

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We are booked on the eurotunnel (preferred method of crossing the channel normally) for a crossing in a couple of weeks, however today I have priced up motorhome with trailer/car 2 adults and a dog on poole Cherbourg route for same dates and I was very pleasantly surprised by the cost. Some years ago car and caravan 2 adults and 2 children was over twice the price of they quote I got today. I think Brittany ferries are pricing more competitively now. Worth a look. Btw take bacon.
 
Aug 4, 2013
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Hya Charlie, think you will love it, we have done 3 decent trips to France /Spain since we got our first motorhome and going again soon. We have used Brittany ferries and last time the Euro tunnel - it was great and cheap in June but too much hassle for me just now, so our next trip is Portsmouth Caen.
We have found the roads mostly really quiet (except for first 2 weeks in August ! ). We do avoid major cities. Get yourself a copy of all the Aires from Vicarious too and maybe, if out of season, an ACSI card this would give you discount at some campsites.
For our first stop overs on Aires we looked for ones where several vans would be parked, just wanted safety in numbers, we also needed Aires that could accomodate a larger motorhome.
We have needed various water connectors on sites too! If I was you I wouldnt book too much ahead till you know how the weather is, Northern France has been cool grey and cloudy every time we have driven through. No need to take much food the supermarkets are great and great for parking/lunch en route.
 
Aug 30, 2012
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Our first trip was planned in great detail to go to south of France for 17 days
It went tits up south of Ruane and we never got past the dordoune
And we had a absolute blast
Personally as suggested above load up what you think you may need get the
all the aires book for France
book a ferry and just go and enjoy it
If you have forgotten dont worry something plenty of shops supermarkets to stock up
Make sure you fill up with gas as it could be a problem
if you have refillable bottles order a set of adapters (I did not but a kind sole lent me one )

Go now before you change your mind
 

donnkim

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The Cherbourg peninsular is beautiful. so many small aires looking over the sea.
I don't know how long you are away for but I would head for an area then settle and cruise back to the port.
 
Feb 22, 2011
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Do Aires have EHU ?

In my rather limited experience of just one motorhome trip to France last year, most do not have EHU, some do but they are usually claimed by the French / Dutch who are very keen to hang onto their supply !

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Easyliving

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Do Aires have EHU ?

It was our plan to have a solar set up installed at the end of the year but may bring that forward.

From our experience you don't often find aires with electricity available for every van as you would get on a campsite. There is usually a service point where you get water / empty waste etc and there is quite often a couple of ehu sockets. You normally have to pay 2-3 euros for a couple of hours of power, enough to charge your phones, laptop etc

As mentioned already, best to get All the Aires France from Vicarious Books for all the info.

Have a great trip, France is not called motorhome heaven for nothing.

Paul
 
Feb 22, 2011
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I`m planning a trip for Sept / Oct and like you don`t fancy travelling through Dover / Calais. So may look at alternatives of Portsmouth / Le Harve Caen etc.
Even thought of Isle of White as an alternative, never been but always fancied a visit.
 

wingman

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Hi @Charlie

Take it all in bite-sized chunks. It's too big a headache to think of it all. Do some brainstorming in the armchair, then distill the results into categorised lists. For example; think 'documents' firstly. You will need your driving licence, MOT, log book (V5) Insurance Cert etc. Photocopy them as a quick 'producer' for the Gendarmerie, but keep the originals on board in a safe place.

Then think 'vehicle'. There's always a debate on here about them, but I fit headlamp deflectors. You will also need to carry fluorescent jackets - one for each occupant. You can get a fine if you decamp from the vehicle in some circumstances without them. The RAC & AA websites have a good section on continental motoring.

Soooo, you can see there's a lot MORE to it than just thinking about what places to stay at!

I'm not an OCD type, but neither am I one of those 'kick the tyres and light the fires' types either.

A bit of pre-planning will ensure a good trip. Do an imaginary journey in your mind; what will I need? What happens when I get there? What happens on a toll road? Have I got enough gas? Suitable clothes? How will I fill up with fresh water?

Like I said; bite-sized chunks. You'll be fine!

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madgeD

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If you can get your solar panel fitted before you go it is very handy for keeping your batteries fully charged, and an inverter is very handy as well.
We use a mix of municipal camp sites and aires./ You do get aires with electric, places like Stenay and Mouzon, its a bit hit and miss. In Brittany at Mont St Michael site we also had to use our debit card to get in, they are becoming more common now.
Carrying a water container as well, we carry a 20ltr one to top up if your only staying overnight and don't like travelling with a full tank, a lot of sites have 1 eur for 80 ltrs and 20cent for 10lts.

We wished we had gone from a different port as we were caught up in the tail backs and operation stack when we returned 2nd July.

have a lovely time.
 
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Charlie

Charlie

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Thank you all for the solid advice. I am noting it I promise !!

Our MH has an under slung gas tank so I understand I need an adapter ? Is it just the one adapter for all of Europe ?

Also does our normal blue plug fit the hook ups in Europe ?

Maybe daft question but so relevant for us ..

I will get a solar set up sorted ASAP so that's one thing less to worry about.

Thanks again really appreciate the help ,
 
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france has to be the easiest place to use a motorhome with the aires theres always somewhere for the night just relax and go you will soon get the hang of it main differences are tolls have some change ready its often easier to pay cash some you take a ticket at the start and pay at the end some are pay for the next stretch as you start. often the machines have tickets and pay options at high and low level which is akward for the average motorhome so keep close to the machine as you drive up
almost all large bridges have a toll charge
some prepaid cards dont work on tolls so have a back up card or keep some cash
petrol most supermarkets have both pay at pump and manned kiosk you get the fuel and then drive up to the kiosk remeber to note which pump you used, again some cards will work some will not so try not to be desperate for fuel
aires if theres no barriers you either pay at a machine or someone comes around morning or evening if there are automatic barriers you pay to enter and need the ticket to leave
remember shop hours are different usually open early and shut for long lunch and a couple of hours after lunch they close again only in larger cities will you get late shopping#
costal aires can get busy rural ones less so
no one seems to get upset if your struggling with machines and holding up the traffic so dont get flustered
once youve done it all once youll realise its easy and will be sad when its time to come home have fun

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Jan 28, 2008
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we was out for 15 nights last month and only found one site that had anything but the blue plugs and we had to use our two pin adapter http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CARAVAN-E...TORHOME-ETC-/161747441324?hash=item25a8e616ac
get the solar done before you go it takes the worry out of it all
we have an underslung tank and as yet weve never had to refill in france but you can get the adapters as a sethttp://Broken Link Removed
 
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Old Soldier

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Also does our normal blue plug fit the hook ups in Europe ?

Blue plugs are fairly common in France, particularly the bigger 4* sites but not everywhere. Make sure you take a 2 pin conversion lead that has a blue 16a femail socket on it so that you can plug your normal blue male plug into it.

Pete :smiley:
 
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Charlie

Charlie

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Blue plugs are fairly common in France, particularly the bigger 4* sites but not everywhere. Make sure you take a 2 pin conversion lead that has a blue 16a femail socket on it so that you can plug your normal blue male plug into it.

Pete :smiley:

Thanks .. Ordered already from the links kindly supplied above ...

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Cobweb

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Hi . As others have said France is very Motorhome friendly . We have managed without a solar panel for the last 7 years and can usually be OK for 2-3 nights without hookup or running the engine . Hookup in Aires is not as common in France as in Germany and is on first come first served basis . This time of year you should time your arrival anywhere popular before 12 especially campsites which can have a long lunch break of 2-3 hours at times. As ferries go it is peak time so that will be reflected in the fares ....last minute being most expensive . Wishing you Bon Voyage !
 

etap

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My daughter went Dover Calais today arrived early and caught an earlier ferry , what's all the fuss about ?
Etap
 
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JJ

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My daughter went Dover Calais today arrived early and caught an earlier ferry , what's all the fuss about ?
Etap

Information like that is no good to the media...

They only want to publish doom and gloom and disaster.

JJ :cool:

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Abacist

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If you are looking for good weather then Brittany is not far south enough! Bit like Cornwall, could be good but could be awful!

Personally I would prefer to be south of Nantes.
 

JackieP

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I'm taking the ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff early September and my plan is to tour Brittany if the weather is good and to move further south if it isn't. The ferry cost 100 euros more than Dover/Calais but I've saved myself load more than that by not having to drive the 700 kms from Calais. This is my first solo trip and I might be on the road for months or, if I just can't hack it, I'll be catching the ferry back again. Nothing is set in stone but, the thing is, I won't know until I go - so just do it. And, give me shout if you see me!

Best of luck whatever you decide.
 
Mar 23, 2012
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We haven't needed solar either probably because we onl stay a night or 2 than move on so battery getting charged all the time depends on what you want to do (also have no tv)

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DBK

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We too are off to Brittany via Roscoff early September but how long we stay there will be down to the weather. However, it can also be too hot going south, we melted in the Dordogne in late September a few years ago - very humid as well. So plenty of opportunities to moan about the weather in France! :)
 
May 7, 2011
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We too are off to Brittany 1st sept via portsmouth, bit expensive , but the time saved by not not going to dover & then dunkirk towards brittany & back again also diesel cost , I think is worth the extra. Brittany ferry with discount for 6.7mtr moho £330 return.
We use aires most of the time , with the odd municipal c/site . Vary rare to find aires with ehu but when you do usually the french have grab them. take a reverse polarity checker as several sites we have visited have been reverse & caused our fuse to blow.
 
Jun 22, 2012
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Vanbitz at Taunton for your solar panel, funster discount, own campsite and an easy drive for you down M5. Poole Cherboug with Brittany ferries is nice or Newhaven to Dieppe with DFDS, if one of you is 60 you get 20% discount by phoning.
ACSI book is useful but only if you are not leaving until end Aug/beginning Sept.
Don't understand the reverse polarity thing I am afraid, I have been told so many conflicting things and electric is a mystery to me but we never bothered in our old van as we had never heard of it and we have a new van now and someone said we didn't need it for this one. I do not know if this is true.
Loire nice in September often and not too far.

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