France: Opal Coast

Dogsense

Dogsense

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May 5, 2014
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Leicestershire
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Beginners, got Doggy the van - March 2014
Advice Please.
Planing a visit to France - Normandie, Britenie and the Lorie Valey.
Fancy driving along the Opal Coast and to continue along the coast to Boulogne, Nolette, Dieppe, Honfleur and to Britanie.
1) Is it worth the effort?
2) Is the coast route suitable to drive an 8m MH (by novice drivers LOL)
 
You may want to check the spelling of your destinations ;-)


I have toured in an 8.5m and more recently a 7.5m MH.
You should not have trouble, width causes more concern than length.
Be reassured, each village has petrol/milk/bread/etc delivered by trucks bigger than yours.
 
Thanks Bladerunner. Spelling not my strong side.
Is it a route worth taking?
 
In my opinion.........

France is lovely around the coast Calais via Normandy, into Brittany (make sure you enjoy an assiette fruites de mer - plate of sea food) and down to the Loire. A very good introduction to France - don't be too fearful as long as you ride on the right everything else will take care of itself!

The coast Loire down to La Rochelle is pretty dull as the road is inland from the ocean and full of vacation tat.
Isle de Re is lovely but expensive. For your first foray, you are right to limit yourself to Normandy/Brittany.

I'd recommend heading for: http://lanniron.com and enjoy the Golf de Morbihan via the coast. Probably enough for the first trip.
I still recall the nerves/excitement of that first cross channel trip - enjoy!
 
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Thanks Bladerunner.
We been to France firs time with the MH last year, down to the South (Carcassonne, Agde) coast. Fount the expiriance quite easy, and rewording.
Now going to do the above route but wasn't sure how is the road there.
Appreciate the good tips for food and places. Any more tips?

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Will it be a reasonable to do it in 7-8 days?
 
I'm just a bit confused which way you are going. Boulogne is just outside Calais really, they are almost next door neighbours.

But Nolette I don't know - even appreciating that you may have spelt it a bit wrong. Whereabouts is it?

Anyway - you can certainly get as far as the other side of Le Havre on the coast road - but then you will have to go on 'virtually motorway' to cross the Pont du Normandie - which is a fantastic road as long as you don't mind heights. Honfleur is the first junction after the bridge, dead easy.

However if you don't fancy it, you have to drive inland to the bridge at Tancarville - about 100kms inland I think - there is no other bridge in between. In which case I suggest you make for the aire at La Mailleraye sur Somme - smack on the river. Literally ! Don't go too fast down the last bit of road else you'll be in it ..... and it's just a tad deep by there ......

There are good aires at eg Berck sur Mer, Le Crotoy, Fecamp, Honfleur and many many others along the way and after Honfleur.

Don't be in too much of a hurry - and don't bother too much if you get sidetracked if you see somewhere you fancy the look of that you hadn't planned on visiting this time - a few years ago we went just before Easter nad our first stop was Berck sur Mer - the Kite Festival was on, the weather was scorchio, the beach was it's usual wide golden perfection - and we stayed there a fortnight ! The place was humming and that was that !
 
There are some great places along that coast. Saint Valery-en-Caux between Dieppe and Decamp is a favourite of ours with a nice aire right on the beach. It does get busy though. Restaurant du Port and La Boussole are both worth a visit.

The aire at Honfleur is huge. I think it takes something like 200 vans. It's €10 per night and it has 16A EHU points although nowhere near enough if it's busy. There are loads of places to eat. Ignore the tourist places on Quai Sainte-Catherine and head into the town. We ate at Restaurant Le Bréard last time which was superb. Treat yourself and go for the big tasting menu (y)

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And dont forget if you use EHU in Honfleur someone may unplug yours to insert a spliter.
I saw 7 motorhomes working off one EHU

But its place not to miss
 
If it's that busy at Honfleur we don't bother plugging in at all. The solar can cope.
 
Love this MHF, so many generous Funsters Shering their good (and bad) experience to help others, thank you all.
Will appreciate any other tips please.
 

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