First trip abroad!! (1 Viewer)

[ToBoldlyGo]

I've booked our first trip away in April. It's just a week, and it's a taster really to see how we get on and whether I manage driving on the right ok.

All I've booked so far is the chunnel, could I have some suggestions as to, in say a 4 hour radius of Calais, of where we might go in terms of areas and campsites, some of your favourite places perhaps.

Marc

 

[Clarky]

So much depends on the sort of place you like and what you want to do once you get there.
Does it have to be a campsite or will an aire be OK?
Do you need electric hook-up?

Lots and lots of places within 4 hours of Calais but the sort of place that we like might bore you to death.

Richard.

 

[ToBoldlyGo]

Hi Richard

I'm thinking mostly of campsites but I would like to try an aire. We like pictueresque countryside, smaller rather than larger places, including sometimes flattish perhaps so we can cycle easily. We generally like hook ups.

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[Hymie]

The Breskens area in Holland is very flat, and a couple of hours from Calais by motorway, nice cycling and beautiful beach.

Hymie.

 

[ToBoldlyGo]

I should have said, for this first trip we're sticking to France. But thanks Hymie and I'll put that on our list for another time.

 

[f6c]

Just Enjoy keep the steering wheel on the kerb/gutter before moving off the next day look at the direction of the traffic

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[Lofty1]

Try ole plague about 10 miles from the terminal camping clarets right on the coast with lots of places an easy bike ride nearby

 

[ToBoldlyGo]

Thanks for that driving hint, seeing if I'm actually capable of driving on the right (I've never done it before) is one of the things I'm trying out.

 

[suavecarve]

If going to France and wanting to stay within 4 hoursish of Calais and first trip, i would be well tempted to head to Champagne region. I wouldnt bother with a campsite unless you have kids that NEED a campsite.
Once you have received all your recommendations then create another post for decent aires that you can get into easily, which are pretty, free and have facilities.
If you wanted to venture up to 8 hours then Alsace or Charente would be in the ball park. Charente would need to be weather dependant though i would suggest.
What date are are you off as we are tunnelling on 21st.

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[Speve]

If you google municipal camp sites there are loads of good sites at reasonable rates as well as the Aires which are great and cost nothing usually.
Most of all enjoy it

 

[suavecarve]

Just a few other questions.
Do you have batteries ?
Can they be recharged by solar ?
Kids ?

 

[ToBoldlyGo]

Thanks for the Champagne suggestion. We don't have children, we're pretty old. I had thought of Alsace but I didn't realise it was so far away. We go out the day after you.

If going to France and wanting to stay within 4 hoursish of Calais and first trip, i would be well tempted to head to Champagne region. I wouldnt bother with a campsite unless you have kids that NEED a campsite.
Once you have received all your recommendations then create another post for decent aires that you can get into easily, which are pretty, free and have facilities.
If you wanted to venture up to 8 hours then Alsace or Charente would be in the ball park. Charente would need to be weather dependant though i would suggest.
What date are are you off as we are tunnelling on 21st.

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[ToBoldlyGo]

Try ole plague about 10 miles from the terminal camping clarets right on the coast with lots of places an easy bike ride nearby

Thanks.

 

[ToBoldlyGo]

Just a few other questions.
Do you have batteries ?
Can they be recharged by solar ?
Kids ?

Yes I've batteries, but no solar. No children, we are semi-retired.

 

[hilldweller]

Bruges.

Delightful city with so much to see and great for cycling. Good aire near the station.

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[EX51SSS]

I'll second heading towards Champagne. Very picturesque and there's Aires and campsites on the way down. Have you thought about ACSI? Discount campsites (generally except July and August)
As regards driving on t'other side, it really isn't a problem. Once you leave Calais, it's generally motorway or big A roads, just keep to the right except when overtaking. Undoubtedly you'll get up one morning and drive on the wrong side. Just think that you, as the driver, need to be near the kerb as opposed to the crown of the road,

 

[Four of us]

We like Les Petit Andelys on the river Sienne. Its about 4 hours or so south, taking the easy toll to Abbeyville and then turning west. The town is lovely and there's a good campsite right on tne river and has a good cycle path. Its in the acsi book so might be worth considering. Its in a really pretty area, especially when the weathers nice!

 

[scousebird]

We are currently in Boulogne. Passed through so many times over 25 years but this time decided to explore. Wonderful medieval city with Chateau and cathedral and MH parking is tolerated in the car park there. There is a fairly large aire overlooking the harbour which is where we are parked atm. Also there is nausicca, sealife centre within walking distance of the aire.

Further along the coast is Le Treport with an aire up on the cliff near the funicular which take you down to the harbour. Working harbour with bars and restuarants.

And a little further again is the wonderful Honfleur. There is a huge aire here but it gets very busy, April shouldn't be an issue.

There is of course the D-day landing beaches, Arromanches has a nice municipal site in the town so you can walk down to the seafront and see the mulberry harbour and visit the museum.

Have I bored you to sleep yet?

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[Clarky]

Our favourite aire is La Mailleraye-sur-Seine.
About three and a half hours easy drive south from Calais, part free motorway and part N roads.
Lots of space with marked out pitches right on the bank of the river with ships and barges plodding past. €6 per night but no hook-up at pitches (which is usual for most aires) apart from linking to the bourne at €3 per hour.

 

[suavecarve]

Just thinking about your cycling, and there are many nice cycle areas which are flat, but the marne and Seine east of Paris with the canal network are good. The other suggestions of going west up to the peninsula of cherbourg are good as well. More history that way and (slightly less prettiness is i may say so but there are still gems, Honfleurs, Jumieges Fecamp. Unsure of the cycling that way.
The question isnt which one are you going to, the question is which are you going to this time.
Have a look a the map, take into account toll roads (you dont want to be doing them IMHO) and have a rough idea, then post up asking for the nice aires.
The reason i say dont go for campsites is that you might be tempted to book, and again IMHO, you dont need to be beholden to making a certain place at a certain time. If you travel a little each day you should be able to recharge your battery or aires can be recommended where you can get some leccy.
It is unbelievably surprisingly easy (if you have a sat nav and knowledge of where the aires are (searchforsites, campercontact etc))
Mobile phone ????? need one of those smart phones with data

 

[suavecarve]

Thanks for the Champagne suggestion. We don't have children, we're pretty old. I had thought of Alsace but I didn't realise it was so far away. We go out the day after you.

I wont be hanging around unfortunately. I hope to be in Oradour sur Glanes (limoges) by the time you come over, unless i catch up with kip after a night shift at Montreuil sur mer

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[peterc10]

As a first Aire try the one at Neufchatel en Bray. Very similar to a campsite with marked out pitches electricity and WiFi. Next to a nice little town with shops close by.

After that try La Maileraye sur Seine and watch the boats go by, which is our favourite. Nice little French town with restaurant patisserie and small supermarket. After you have got used to that then try the chaotic Aire in Honfleur a few miles downstream. The town is picture postcard perfect and if you arrive early enough you will get one of the electric hook ups.

 

[namwaldog]

It might be worth having a look at the link below as provided by Jim. Roundabouts are the most daunting initially on the continent..

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/resources/keep-right-head-up-display.115/

 

[TerryL]

Don't book anything else and don't try to do too much.

Unless you go quite a long way south you won't get particularly warm weather but don't let that stop you exploring. For a first trip I would suggest heading south along the coast, stopping off wherever you like the look of. Try to avoid the motorways too, they're very good for getting somewhere quickly but miss out all the interesting bits. If you fancy a bit of history the Normandy beaches are worth a couple of days - start at Pegasus Bridge and work south.

Campsites will only just be opening so be prepared to use aires - municipals are usually a good alternative too. Best way to find them is with the Camperstop app if you're smartphone savvy, but very many are signposted anyway, just need to keep an eye out. Alternatively "All the Aires France - North" is a useful guide although it's not totally comprehensive whatever the blurb says.

Driving? Easy peasy, just do what everybody else is doing! Take care at roundabouts and turning left across traffic coming towards you - plan your exit first! Even after hundreds of thousands of miles I still remind myself.

But the most important bit is ENJOY!

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[two]

Just turn right and explore Normandy.
No need to book, just remember to turn around after 3 or 4 days.

 

[ToBoldlyGo]

Thanks Alan, that's not a search string I would have thought of, I was going to look at old Mmm and practical motorhome mags for campsites!

If you google municipal camp sites there are loads of good sites at reasonable rates as well as the Aires which are great and cost nothing usually.
Most of all enjoy it

 

[Four of us]

Finding somewhere to stop for the night is usually really easy in France. Campsites are well posted and so are the aires. We use acsi, all the aires, and campercontact but often the best places have ben found by accident. Just don't leave it until its getting dark or you're tired!

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[Lenny HB]

Forget get about using camp sites most will be closed in April in the north, a lot only open from May/June until the end of August.

 

[ToBoldlyGo]

Thanks Brian, I'll put Bruges on the list for another trip

 

[ToBoldlyGo]

Hi All

Just looking down the thread, thanks a lot
for all the suggestions.

I started writing a reply saying that we'd go off
to the Champagne area (we don't drink btw another
attribute I should perhaps have mentioned and then
reading of all your ideas I reached scousebird's
comments and fed Boulogne into the aa route
finder (I've no idea where anything is in France
at the moment) and see it's only 20 odd miles from Calaia.

Trouble is I read each suggestion and they all look good
and I can see I'm going to be touring all over NE France
in the week if I'm not careful

I can see I'm going to need to ponder this for some hours
but in the meantime Boulogne looks a pretty good campsite
if I'm going to book 1-2 nights to get started.

On the ACSI front can I book an ACSI site and then get the pack
at the campsite or should I buy it online now?

If I'm not going into cities am I right in thinking I don't
*need* a Crit Air?

Ooops just seen Lenny's comment that campsites won't be open
yet in April!

Marc

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