Eurotunnel 2023 dates and Aire/Site advice for first time in France

T

TOAD on Tour

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VW Grand California
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Since 2020
Hi All - we are planning our first venture to France next year in the van. It’ll be for 2 weeks as we both still work and probably mid June to avoid school holidays etc.
Does anybody know when Eurotunnel release next years bookings?
Also Ive been folllowing various funsters trips to France using Aires, sites etc. and wondered what the best way to search, view, book etc. Do I need to sign up to anything to be able to do this? I’ve looked at Apps like: ACSI, Camperstop, CAMPING-CAR etc.
Not sure on which direction we will be heading in, but initially thinking we’ll head west towards La Rochelle area. We don’t really want to be travelling every day and would like at least a couple of 3/4 day stay overs in the same place mixed with a few 1 night stops etc.
any pointers greatly appreciated!
we’ll be travelling in a 7.4m A class Adria. Currently has 2 x 110 Agm batteries, 2 x 11kg Gaslow bottles and 1 x 150w solar panel (is that enough solar?). We’ll happily pay for EHU wherever available mixed with the driving to hopefully keep things topped up.
 
You’ve got everything you need there. Just down load searchforsites, or Campercontact, head over to France and start enjoying yourselves.
 
La Rochelle area.
60B0DAEB-81E4-41AD-9FBB-0A869B9A1B40.png
 
Can't really help a lot in where you go, that's entirely your own choice, but one thing you don't have to worry about, is tunnel, two or three months before you want to go will be plenty soon enough.
Just one thing though if you are going for two weeks is don't plan on going too far, might not look far on a map but France is a very big place, and there are plenty places without traveling a long way.
 
chaser said:
Can't really help a lot in where you go, that's entirely your own choice, but one thing you don't have to worry about, is tunnel, two or three months before you want to go will be plenty soon enough.
Just one thing though if you are going for two weeks is don't plan on going too far, might not look far on a map but France is a very big place, and there are plenty places without traveling a long way.
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thanks Chaser, do you think La Rochelle is too optimistic? we certainly don’t want to be driving all day every day, I was thinking a morning train arriving in Calais around 10.30-11am and then 2 days driving (about 3/4hrs per day) would get us to La Rochelle area. We would then stick around there for a week before heading back to Calais.
 
La Rochelle will be ok. About 7 hours ish the quickest route. So a couple of days down, and a couple back will give you plenty of time there.
 
Chaser - I followed you recent trip to France…..Thought you would have mentioned Gravelines? Deffo plan on staying there on way home. 😜

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DDuffs said:
thanks Chaser, do you think La Rochelle is too optimistic? we certainly don’t want to be driving all day every day, I was thinking a morning train arriving in Calais around 10.30-11am and then 2 days driving (about 3/4hrs per day) would get us to La Rochelle area. We would then stick around there for a week before heading back to Calais.
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We have done months at a time before now, but three weeks ago we went for ten days and got as far as honfluer before turning round and found it far enough.
 
As I'm sure others will say, the go-to Apps for Aires are currently CamperContact, Park4Night, and SearchforSites. ACSI is great for those nights when you might need facilities not offered in Aires. And there is theSort-of-Aire organisation CampingCarPark. These are pay-for aires, but have a good degree of security mostly, there is almost always EHU, and waste disposal and fresh water top up. All included in a relatively modest price. There are many that don't like them because there are increasingly taking over (and improving) places that used to be free. And sometimes they can be a bit far from the towns/villages they serve, but certainly not the majority.

All of that is opinion; where I can offer insights, I think, is in regards to your question about your self-sufficiency. Our set up (also Adria of similar size) and our experience is that our 'reservoirs' are more than sufficient.

Firstly battery. We had half your capacity and in the worst case we were good for at least two days. That was extended by the solar panel, and there will be long days with lots of sunshine where you are going. Two things - your electricity usage will be different to ours, and we did exercise a bit of prudence in our usage. Except to say that I used our Nespresso machine twice a day! With twice our capacity I think you will be fine.

Out of interest I have switched to LiFePo, and have effectively doubled our capacity, and the rate at which it soaks up charge is amazing.

We have one 11kg Alugas bottle. It is so easy to recharge them I do not consider two necessary, though for peace of mind I fitted a TankCheck. There are apps that tell you the locations of places selling LPG, and they are usually accurate and up to date.

I hope you find the foregoing reassuring. There will be a whole raft of excellent information coming your way from the Funster community, I'll bet.
 
If going there, try popping over to Ile de re, small island just off the coast. Very nice place 👌🏻👌🏻
 
DDuffs said:
Chaser - I followed you recent trip to France…..Thought you would have mentioned Gravelines? Deffo plan on staying there on way home. 😜
Click to expand...
I think folks are fed up of me going on about gravelines so try to keep off it unless a specific question comes up but yes one of my favourites and you won't regret that.

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chuns said:
As I'm sure others will say, the go-to Apps for Aires are currently CamperContact, Park4Night, and SearchforSites. ACSI is great for those nights when you might need facilities not offered in Aires. And there is theSort-of-Aire organisation CampingCarPark. These are pay-for aires, but have a good degree of security mostly, there is almost always EHU, and waste disposal and fresh water top up. All included in a relatively modest price. There are many that don't like them because there are increasingly taking over (and improving) places that used to be free. And sometimes they can be a bit far from the towns/villages they serve, but certainly not the majority.

All of that is opinion; where I can offer insights, I think, is in regards to your question about your self-sufficiency. Our set up (also Adria of similar size) and our experience is that our 'reservoirs' are more than sufficient.

Firstly battery. We had half your capacity and in the worst case we were good for at least two days. That was extended by the solar panel, and there will be long days with lots of sunshine where you are going. Two things - your electricity usage will be different to ours, and we did exercise a bit of prudence in our usage. Except to say that I used our Nespresso machine twice a day! With twice our capacity I think you will be fine.

Out of interest I have switched to LiFePo, and have effectively doubled our capacity, and the rate at which it soaks up charge is amazing.

We have one 11kg Alugas bottle. It is so easy to recharge them I do not consider two necessary, though for peace of mind I fitted a TankCheck. There are apps that tell you the locations of places selling LPG, and they are usually accurate and up to date.

I hope you find the foregoing reassuring. There will be a whole raft of excellent information coming your way from the Funster community, I'll bet.
Click to expand...
Chuns - thank you so much for the detailed reply and reassurance on what power, gas etc. we will have. I thought we would be ok. We are happy to pay for EHU, as we also have habitation air con, if the weather was particularly warm we may look for EHU sites.
 
Oh, I forgot to say, La Rochelle in June will be busy (and hot). We have used the campsite at les Minimes, Camping le Soleil and found it very good for going into town on our bikes. There is also Camping Port Neuf on the west side, a slightly longer ride. The bus services to both places are good, and you can take the ferry into town from the vast Marina at les Minimes.
 
Not always hot in June. 8F5360A6-CAB5-435B-99B4-08706C3CC55A.jpeg

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chuns said:
Oh, I forgot to say, La Rochelle in June will be busy (and hot). We have used the campsite at les Minimes, Camping le Soleil and found it very good for going into town on our bikes. There is also Camping Port Neuf on the west side, a slightly longer ride. The bus services to both places are good, and you can take the ferry into town from the vast Marina at les Minimes.
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Great, will take a look at those you suggested. I did download the CampingCar App and signed up. Do you have to pay as somewhere it was asking for €80 for a: Le Pass Etapes? is that just a card with preloaded credit for accessing their sites? or that may have been user error on my part!
 
Les varennes is a nice little acsi site on il de re.... 5 mins walk to a superb beach and not too far from le Bois village. il de re is a cyclists dream..flat with a network of cycle paths that covers the island. One of our fav places ❤ the bridge is quite expensive , but you only pay one way. Its free to come off the island.
 
If you do your weekly shopping at Tesco make sure you save up all your clubcard points to help pay for the Eurotunnel

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DDuffs said:
Do you have to pay as somewhere it was asking for €80 for a: Le Pass Etapes? is that just a card with preloaded credit for accessing their sites?
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I think the card was 5€, and anything else is as you say - a preloaded credit. They always try to encourage you to load it with more than you might want to - just ignore that and add what you are comfortable with. My philosophy is to have one night plus one 'in the bank'.

I believe you can get the card at the entrance to their aires, or have one sent to your home for before you leave. Any problems, just call, they all speak excellent English.
 
chuns said:
I think the card was 5€, and anything else is as you say - a preloaded credit. They always try to encourage you to load it with more than you might want to - just ignore that and add what you are comfortable with. My philosophy is to have one night plus one 'in the bank'.

I believe you can get the card at the entrance to their aires, or have one sent to your home for before you leave. Any problems, just call, they all speak excellent English.
Click to expand...
Great, thanks 👍
 
Thanks to everybody who replied, really appreciate all the advice, recommendations! Wife and I really wish we’d not booked and paid for our 2 weeks in Corfu this September now! Booked it late last year as we have significant birthdays this year and we vowed to never get another MH when we sold our Frankia ( not new) back to the dealer due to all the hassle we’d had with it, so we booked a villa etc. in Corfu only to buy our current Adria in January and wish we had the time this year to cross the channel! Hey ho, have to wait till next year now and stick with a few more long weekends in Blighty this year…..
 

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