2.5 weeks...where to go in France and any Tips (1 Viewer)

zen navigator

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Now in my 3rd season as a MH'er. So feel ready to venture out in the big wide world :winky:

So making plans to have a run down to France

I have 2.5 weeks to get there and back and the plan is to do max. 2 site\areas\regions.

At the mo, I am the only driver so that will restrict my time to get there. But was considering a.m start, with a big push to Dover and get to France and pitch up for the night. Then a drive to the chosen area\region.

Can any one recommend campsites\areas\regions. The missus and I enjoy a good walk, so a few hill walks or other trials i.e lakes etc. But if it can be combined in close proximity to a metropolis all the better. Nowt better than some fresh air and a short walk to restaurant\pub etc.

What should I be considering for this trek?

Gas. I guess 2 full gas bottles will do the trick. Plan B they have propane and are they same fitting as UK?

MH. Prep for the continent. Lights and GB stick and warning triangle. Yes?

Would like hear about people's experiences and top tips.

Dave and Sylvia
 

lebesset

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don't forget your driving licence/log book/ insurance certificate
french gas has the same thread as the calor 4.5 Kg dumpy butane if you are kitted out for that you won't get stuck , much cheaper than uk anyway though you shouldn't run out ...
pop into intermarche or giant casino and you can buy a 9Kg bottle for €1 + the cost of the gas

are you considering aires or campsites ?
 
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zen navigator

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Using 12kg/13kg Propane Bottles. But 2 full bottles is going to be more than enough, I guess. So is Propane diffent in France?

What is an Aire, I am sure if I google it, I will find out. So what are the pros and cons of Aires v Campsites?

Dave



don't forget your driving licence/log book/ insurance certificate
french gas has the same thread as the calor 4.5 Kg dumpy butane if you are kitted out for that you won't get stuck , much cheaper than uk anyway though you shouldn't run out ...
pop into intermarche or giant casino and you can buy a 9Kg bottle for €1 + the cost of the gas

are you considering aires or campsites ?

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lorger

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Hi
Our first trip to france in the mh (had been several times in tent and caravan) we drove down through Belgium into Lux and Germany stayed a few bights in Germany then headed towards Malbussion in franche comte it has a lovely aire 4euro bakers van each morning pizza van some nights stayed there for 2 nights then round the lake to a camp site loads of walking in this area.
After a few night in campsite we headed towards bourges via autun stayed at and aire here again on the lake and about 5-10 min walk from centre also had a lovely walk around the lake then we spent one night on a vine yard with france passion they just happened to have a free buffet and wine tasting night which they invited us to. once at bourges we spent a couple of nights at the municipal site then head back to brugge for a couple of nights before ferry stopped in france passion on way to brugge.
It may sound quite a distance but counting our 500 mile round trip to ferry we only did about 2000 miles abroad.
Dragged on a bit but hope it helps
Also need a spare pair of glasses if you need them for driving
camping card international is a handy thing.
also your medical cards cant think what its called just now
i would buy an all the aires book and would reccomend france passion.

Cheers Gerry
 

lorger

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Hi Dave

Aires come in all shapes and size the main ones are rest areas for camping cars/motorhomes they are normally on the edge of a village or town and range from free to few euros anight as i have mentioned above we use them and some are really nice with local bakers coming round in the morning and some are just a quite car park for you to stay the night.

France passion which i mentioned is a book you buy for about £25 this gives you a tear membership. They are free parking spaces for m/h at place like farms ,vineyards , resturants they let you stay for the night free and in return you have a look at their produce we have never felt under pressure to buy anything but have bought some great jam,cider,wine and honey on ones we have stayed at.

Hope this helps feel free to ask more
Gerry
 

mick noe

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we love the dordogne area with a couple of stops in aires on the way down, then use the acsi book for cheap sites.beautiful scenery, another nice area to try, the gorge du tarn nice old villages canoeing cycling etc. in both. we cook all meals in van (including bread and fryup most mornings) and use way less than 1 6 kilo bottle over around 17 days ..............ENJOY:Smile::Smile:

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iceni

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Hi Zen
For a first sortie I would suggest a run down the normandy coast and into the north of brittany. There are plenty of aires there a lor overlooking the sea of beach. Plenty on the outskirts of towns and villages so you can nosey round. You can even park on the beach overlooking Mont St Michelle

Some folks like camp sites but they are expensive compared with uK and so we love the aires. They usually have water and elson and some have electric. None are more then 6-7 euro a night if they do charge and lots dont.

Dont forget travel ins, breakdown ins and your NHS card. Also check the photo part of your driving licence as this only lasts 10 yrs and catches a lot of folks out.
You will also need to carry a high vis vest in easy reach for you and passengers so tuck this under a seat or in th glove box. And a first aid kit and a triangle. dont forget beam benders for the lights.

we are off in june and cant wait

Phill
 

scotjimland

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As said, Aires are great,
this is my favorite site of French Aires .. HERE

you can also download the POIS for your sat nav..

also look for *Camping Municipal* sites, many towns have one.
These are fairly basic sites with EHU, toilets and showers, excellent value for money, around 12-15 euro, great if you are planning to stay for a few days to explore the area.
 
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motorhomer

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Most of france is wonderful!

For me the most spectacular place is the gorge du verdun in Provence. Yes its a bit south but it is do-able in 2 and a half weeks (we did exactly this 2 years ago). Its not quite the grand canyon but its really spectacular.

There is a car park in Castellane where you can stay overnight in the van, for 5 euros(I think) from where you can walk into the town to have a meal. Next morning head off along the gorge, you will find somewhere to stay at the end, no probs.

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For me the most spectacular place is the gorge du verdun in Provence. Yes its a bit south but it is do-able in 2 and a half weeks (we did exactly this 2 years ago). Its not quite the grand canyon but its really spectacular.



Yes indeed, if you want to have a little idea of the scenery then click on my user name and have a look at the album: Yannick Verdon/Toulouse.

Wherever you go , enjoy your holidays in France!!!:thumb::winky:


Amicalement


Frankie:Smile::Smile:
 

sedge

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Well we got back yesterday from 10 days in France, having mainly stayed on free Aires. This was entirely accidental by the way, we didn't look for free ones LOL :thumb:

We had intended to stay 2 nights on a certain campsite but after one night, when it had rained solidly since before our arrival to the next afternoon - we were well and truly bogged in and possess no breadtrays, but got out with the aid of a very nice chap with a van and a spade, so left and moved on to an aire on hardstanding LOL (the ACSI 15Eu a night didn't start at that partic campsite till 01 April so we landed up paying 26 Euros for that little privelege, complete waste of dosh LOL) :Angry:

After we got home, we realised that on only one aire had we needed to pay (all of 5 Euros) and we had had to pay for a token at one borne as we needed to both empty the loo cassette and fill up with clean water - another massive 3 Euros. Accommodation wise - by far the cheapest holiday we have ever had!!!! :thumb:

We used just over 2 x 6 kg gas bottles*, and bearing in mind it was freezing and the fire was on A LOT as well as cooking and the fridge (used the oven for about 4 or 5 hours over the holiday I'd say plus obviously the hob and grill, ate in every evening - again just because that's what we happened to do, plus I always see nice things I really want to cook myself, in French shops and markets!)

* We have Gaslow, and had one full bottle plus one nearly full one when we set off, and didn't need to refill until Monday.
 
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zen navigator

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Thanks for the tip Jim.

Had a look at the POI for Aires. Maybe its a case of wood and trees, but is there a place to download the whole POIs for the region rather than individual aires?

Dave

As said, Aires are great,
this is my favorite site of French Aires .. HERE

you can also download the POIS for your sat nav..

also look for *Camping Municipal* sites, many towns have one.
These are fairly basic sites with EHU, toilets and showers, excellent value for money, around 12-15 euro, great if you are planning to stay for a few days to explore the area.

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scotjimland

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Thanks for the tip Jim.

Had a look at the POI for Aires. Maybe its a case of wood and trees, but is there a place to download the whole POIs for the region rather than individual aires?

Dave

Hi Dave

yes, when you enter the site, look on the left column and click on

Telechargement gps , then scroll down , you will see the download for TomTom pois
 
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zen navigator

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Sorry about the delay in revisiting the post\thanking you for your kind replies.

Work has taken over the thoughts of getting in the van and leaving it all behind.

But just returned form a long ish weekend in Bala and my thoughts have now turned back to the trip and the planning starts now.

Another question...

Which is the best crossing to the continent - cheapest and/ or just a good crossing for getting the other side.


Gerry, I will definitely look at that France Passion. Sounds a good scheme.

Jim, thanks for the links to Aires.

All of you tips and experiences, I will inwardly digest and see what comes out the other end :whatthe:

Dave
 

lorger

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Hi Dave

If your looking for cheap ferry crossing then dover-calais we have used both norfolk line and p&o both ok but though norfolk line where slightly better you can get crossings for under £100 depending on time and daye also if you have tesco vouchers then you can use them for the tunnel which we did last year.

Gerry

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We did 4 weeks - Our route was
france.JPG


If that is a similar route that you want to do, look at http://www.doyourdream.co.uk/trip-reviews-and-details/trip-05-france/review-of-france-pt1-trip/ as that will detail some areas, aires and spots.

Also got useful tips here: http://www.doyourdream.co.uk/planning-preparation/hints-tips-research/ which may also help.

Some mentioned above here too so hope it helps.
 

Denny

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Hi Dave,
We too are in our 3rd season with a motorhome, we specifically bought a left hand drive so we could spend loads of time in France which we love.
You will find that wherever you go motorhomes are welcome and whether you stay on sites or aires ( NOT MOTORWAY SERVICE STATIONS ) you will absolutely love it.
France is just so relaxing and so civilised !
The loire is very interesting, Amboise in particular. A walk through the lovely town to 'LE CLOS LUCE' is recommended to visit Leonado da Vinci's home and view his inventions.
I would suggest that if you drive by a ALDI, NETTO or LIDL it is well worth while stopping to stock up with very inexpensive wine etc. They offer great value, better than the warehouses !
Don't worry about covering great distances first trip, just travel on the normal roads, not the Autoroutes, and enjoy France.
Bon Voyage !
Denny. :thumb:
By the way we always cross via Eurotunnel it's stress free !
 
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zen navigator

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Ta for that, going to get some quote over the next couple of days.

Although, the missus has thrown a spanner innit. Shall we do a Germany(mosel\rhineland)\France circuit. So thinking, which route and now which port :cry:

Hi Dave

If your looking for cheap ferry crossing then dover-calais we have used both norfolk line and p&o both ok but though norfolk line where slightly better you can get crossings for under £100 depending on time and daye also if you have tesco vouchers then you can use them for the tunnel which we did last year.

Gerry

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zen navigator

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Thanks Guys,

Had brief read of your blog, and found it very informative and interesting.

Many thanks.

Dave

We did 4 weeks - Our route was
france.JPG


If that is a similar route that you want to do, look at http://www.doyourdream.co.uk/trip-reviews-and-details/trip-05-france/review-of-france-pt1-trip/ as that will detail some areas, aires and spots.

Also got useful tips here: http://www.doyourdream.co.uk/planning-preparation/hints-tips-research/ which may also help.

Some mentioned above here too so hope it helps.
 
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zen navigator

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Yeh, now gathered Aires are not Service Stations. Quite impressed with Frances setup for Motorhomes. Clearly they are streets ahead of us Brits :Sad:

One of the dilemmas is what kind of mileage to do. As I am the only driver, I dont want to be driving long distances, but want to visit the good places.

Thanks for the tips.

Dave



Hi Dave,
We too are in our 3rd season with a motorhome, we specifically bought a left hand drive so we could spend loads of time in France which we love.
You will find that wherever you go motorhomes are welcome and whether you stay on sites or aires ( NOT MOTORWAY SERVICE STATIONS ) you will absolutely love it.
France is just so relaxing and so civilised !
The loire is very interesting, Amboise in particular. A walk through the lovely town to 'LE CLOS LUCE' is recommended to visit Leonado da Vinci's home and view his inventions.
I would suggest that if you drive by a ALDI, NETTO or LIDL it is well worth while stopping to stock up with very inexpensive wine etc. They offer great value, better than the warehouses !
Don't worry about covering great distances first trip, just travel on the normal roads, not the Autoroutes, and enjoy France.
Bon Voyage !
Denny. :thumb:
By the way we always cross via Eurotunnel it's stress free !
 

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