Is it worth going to France for 1 week in van? (1 Viewer)

[Diane1969]

Hi, I'm just wondering if it's worth going to France for one week, could anyone tell us where we could get to and back in that time with say 3-4 stops? Looking at September .
Thanks

 

[The Cruisers]

Yes definitely. We went for the first time at the end of October for just 5 days. We used our Tesco vouchers for the tunnel - so in effect it cost us nothing. We stayed at a different Aire each night and visited the surrounding area/town.
Will have to start shopping at Tesco again as the vouchers are running out.

 

[Diane1969]

Not worth the expense of the ferry for only a week...

Come down to Devon/Cornwall and enjoy the cost of the ferry and hospitality down West..

I really want to visit Cornwall and have said I will now we have the van, but it's such a bad journey to get there I've never wanted to go in the car, probably not this year though as would need at least a week

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[Diane1969]

Belgium would be my choice as well..better food and beer for a start... More interesting towns as well.

Belgium is on my list of places to visit

 

[FIDGET]

Hi @Diane1969,
I'd go France every time, roads so easy to drive & less conjested that is avoiding cities / large towns , most car parks free , loads of aires a high percentage are free or very reasonable, weather (normandy-Brittany) as good as UK if not better , we spent 16 nights over there total cost £47 , that was 2 c/sites & 1 aire the rest was free.
Hope you enjoy what ever you decide.

 

[Diane1969]

Hi @Diane1969,
I'd go France every time, roads so easy to drive & less conjested that is avoiding cities / large towns , most car parks free , loads of aires a high percentage are free or very reasonable, weather (normandy-Brittany) as good as UK if not better , we spent 16 nights over there total cost £47 , that was 2 c/sites & 1 aire the rest was free.
Hope you enjoy what ever you decide.

Last time I dis 17 days in our motorhome when my daughter was 3, 13 years ago and we got it so wrong, * left ir to the men to wodk out) we were travelling to Spain, we had pre booked sites and severely underestimated the travelling distance , ended up having to use tolls that we weren't going to originally. What we thought would take 3 hours turned into 13 hours , my daughter cried most of the time and I was so stressed it was awful , I really don't want to make the same mistake

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[andrewjw]

• I really want to visit Cornwall and have said I will now we have the van, but it's such a bad journey to get there I've never wanted to go in the car, probably not this year though as would need at least a week

  
  From Bedfordrshire??
  
  And you are thinking of going to France for a week?!

 

[denisejoe]

Save his week and add it to his 2 weeks and have 3 weeks at christmas 3 times more fun.

Joe

 

[Diane1969]

• 
  
  From Bedfordrshire??
  
  And you are thinking of going to France for a week?!

You would have thought so wouldn't you! it was in the days before sat navs , we went with friends and really don't think the men had a clue which is why I traded my man in for a new model ☺ we didn't make it out of Calais without toll roads , actually visited some lovely places closer to this end and worst in South of France

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[Diane1969]

• 
  
  From Bedfordrshire??
  
  And you are thinking of going to France for a week?!

I really am the most impatient traveller but for some reason I don't mind the travelling in the van , think it's much more comfortable

 

[Diane1969]

Save his week and add it to his 2 weeks and have 3 weeks at christmas 3 times more fun.

Joe

Not in winter , I want the nice weather.

 

[Allanm]

We stopped at a small aire at Cerisy la foret when wanting to go to Bayeux (about 13 miles )
GPS L'Esque
49.198139, -0.931972
nice aire if a bit remote, free water when we were there, over a hundred sculptures by this abbey
View attachment 83104
View attachment 83106

We were there last year, we got free electricity too!
The abbey is worth a visit too.
If it's travelling you want, you can get to the med and back in a week! Failing that, there are a few nice places on the Somme coast or down the east towards Troyes. Just enjoy it.

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[FIDGET]

Hi Diane,
Get yourselves a good satnav that accepts the size of your vehicle & will take gps settings, set to NO toll roads. Get campercontact app on phone ( very good aire info) best to pay for full version.
We never do more than about 180 miles max a day about 4 hrs relaxed driving on french roads. Put your chosen aires gps in satnav ( job done) on aire by about 2 pm then relax. If in the event its full or not to your likening move to the next one.
ENJOY !!!!

 

[Lenny HB]

Go for it, cheaper and nicer than staying in the UK, as said the north coast of France is interesting, great cliff walks and of course all the D-Day beaches and museums loads to due, well worth the effort.

 

[Allanm]

As Lenny says above, WW2 stuff is easy to get to. Pegasus Bridge and museum near Caen and D Day beaches and museums ( Utah Beach museum is brilliant) are well worth a visit, you could spend your week there easily with plenty of aires to chose from.

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[Deleted member 29692]

Not in winter , I want the nice weather.

We had a week in February in Normandy visiting the D Day beaches and the weather was fantastic. Blue skies and sunshine every day.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

I don't agree with the people who say no toll roads ever no matter what though. We're usually on a limited time scale as well and the last thing I want to do is waste an extra day driving through random countryside and villages just for the sake of saving a couple of Euros.
We've got a Sanef Liber-t tag for the toll roads which just adds the charge to our account when we drive through the barrier. No faffing around with tickets or credit cards.

 

[Diane1969]

I don't agree with the people who say no toll roads ever no matter what though. We're usually on a limited time scale as well and the last thing I want to do is waste an extra day driving through random countryside and villages just for the sake of saving a couple of Euros.
We've got a Sanef Liber-t tag for the toll roads which just adds the charge to our account when we drive through the barrier. No faffing around with tickets or credit cards.

I like the sound of that , will look at getting one

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[Allanm]

If you drive to Caen from Calais you only really need to use one toll road ( Boulogne to Abbeville) and the difference in time is less than about an hour, saving you over €20 (more than €40 on a return trip). Do this a few times ( which we do going to Brittany) and the cost saving is significant.

 

[Diane1969]

I will just add I'm hoping to see some pretty villages and places with cycle routes and walks , I'm not really a museum person more about beautiful scenery, cafes, bistros and beaches. Relaxing by being active

 

[Deleted member 29692]

I like the sound of that , will look at getting one

https://www.saneftolling.co.uk

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[Diane1969]

https://www.saneftolling.co.uk

I did just read somewhere that our van is too big, only for under 3.5 tonnes

 

[Deleted member 29692]

I did just read somewhere that our van is too big, only for under 3.5 tonnes

So is ours. Don't worry about it.

Technically anything over 3.5t is meant to be Class 3 but that is aimed at commercial vehicles rather than camping cars.

Never ever been charged anything other than Class 2 when paying cash or card. If it ever does try and charge you Class 3 press the button, tell them you're a camping car and they will change it. With the tag you can only be charged class 2 as they don't issue it to class 3 vehicles so it removes even the possibility of it charging you the higher rate.

 

[Allanm]

I will just add I'm hoping to see some pretty villages and places with cycle routes and walks , I'm not really a museum person more about beautiful scenery, cafes, bistros and beaches. Relaxing by being active

My advice then is to stay off toll roads, some of the nicest places we have seen have been well off the beaten track, usually discovered when we have taken a wrong turn and gone off the main roads....

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[Diane1969]

So is ours. Don't worry about it.

Technically anything over 3.5t is meant to be Class 3 but that is aimed at commercial vehicles rather than camping cars.

Never ever been charged anything other than Class 2 when paying cash or card. If it ever does try and charge you Class 3 press the button, tell them you're a camping car and they will change it. With the tag you can only be charged class 2 as they don't issue it to class 3 vehicles so it removes even the possibility of it charging you the higher rate.

Thanks that's good to know

 

[Diane1969]

My advice then is to stay off toll roads, some of the nicest places we have seen have been well off the beaten track, usually discovered when we have taken a wrong turn and gone off the main roads....

I don't suppose you could give me some names of places please? I keep searching

 

[FIDGET]

I don't suppose you could give me some names of places please? I keep searching

Hi Diane,
Why not start a thread , France must see nice places !!

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[Allanm]

Get yourself the All the Aires book ( if you haven't already got it, or Camperstop Europe or Campercontact (as Fidget said), and a good road map. Have a good look at the aires around where you fancy and plan your trip in conjunction with a good book on French villages. ( Waterstones sell a few good ones)
We also have a book on French Markets ( Tarragon and Truffles) lots of info on villages and their markets. That way you get to see some of the nicest parts of rural France and you don't have to travel miles.

 

[Hotelman]

Yes yes yes, 2 days driving to ' the med' we are today in t shirts, shorts and flip flops and staying on an airs looking out onto ' the med', only one problem.....the bloody mozzies, but hey, it's worth the problem !

 

[Allanm]

Mossies get me anywhere I go, so it wouldn't bother me, I like the idea of shorts at this time of year though.......