Trip to France

[Shaun929]

Well bought our first motorhome back in August and have now decided that we are going to try out driving to France.
Having never done anything like this before and don’t really know anyone who as looking for as much help as possible.
We are looking at going for about 3 weeks in late July through August because of our daughter with school. We started at looking at these organised trips but none of them seem to run through the school summer holidays. So we are thinking of maybe driving down for a week, stopping at Disney on the way and ending up in the south of France for a week and then heading back home for a week stopping in various places on the way again.
I see everyone on the forum mentions staying in these airs sites do you just turn up or do you pre book them?
Will France be really busy at this time of year?
Looking to stay on a campsite for the week which has things to do, maybe a clubhouse type, restaurant, things nearby, etc looking for recommendations really.
Really looking for any help on things to do and look out for a complete novice family heading into France.
Thanks
Shaun

 

[Zigisla]

We have only been going abroad for the last two years. The first thing we found out when we went for the first time is how big France actually is. If you drive flat out for most of the day, you can reach the south and spend a week down there. But my advice is to take it easy and drive for a few hours taking the smaller villages in and living the relaxed life the motorhome gives you. Stopping and exploring is a great way to see the country and bin the campsites and use the village for entertainment. France is totally set up for MH ing and you will find many places to stop. Aires are the way to go to see more of the great places and most are free. Download the apps - Camper contact and or Park4nights and these will show you what the Aire costs and facilities and you just turn up, if they are full or not open, there will be another a few km away. My advice to others was the same as we got when we started and asked the same question - just go for it, explore and enjoy. France isn’t going anywhere and if you don’t get to see what you want, go again and again.

 

[SpeedyDux]

At the time when you are thinking of going you should check the Bison Fute website for traffic forecasts

https://www.bison-fute.gouv.fr/index,langen.html

and calendar



If you think UK traffic jams are bad when schools break up the French ones at the start of their hols are far worse!

 

[wingman]

@Shaun929
Touring France is a vast subject, but easy in bite-sized chunks. The best tip is to start planning NOW! Not just for where you’d like to stay, but the little things that will catch you out. Don’t panic, go overboard or worry too much, but it’s better to address your worries from the armchair at home before you go.

Start at the start. Am I going by Ferry, or via the Tunnel? Where is my first stop in France? Is my journey going to take me through a French town where I would need an emission zone sticker? Am I going to travel on ordinary roads, or use motorways? If motorways, what do I do when I reach a toll booth (Péage).

See what I mean?

Thankfully, all of the above can be answered months before you turn a wheel, but will make the first hours of your journey trouble free. You can then enjoy the ride and concentrating on driving.

Where does all the info come from? Three major resources; this forum, various App’s or books, and You Tube. There are loads of videos on You Tube, ranging from embarking on Ferries or the Chunnel, to the etiquette of using Aires.

As you particularly asked about Aires, remember that the word ‘Aire’ in French simply means Area. Hence, ‘Aire de Loisirs’ is a recreation area, an ‘Aire de Service’ maybe a Motorway service area. The Aire that you want is called an ‘Aire de Camping Car’ or similar signing containing the Camping Car phrase. They are mostly signed with a blue on white pictogram of a motorhome emptying waste over a grille. Facilities at Aires vary a lot, so it’s best to look them up in the resources mentioned above, or just ask on here.

All of us on here have had that first newbie trip to France. We all survived! So will you.

Enjoy
Regards James

 

[Four of us]

I think you'll find that popular campsites do get very busy during school holiday time so it's probably worth deciding your final destination then getting that booked in advance. You hopefully won't have to go too far south to get decent weather so maybe make the Loire or Dordogne your furthest point to avoid too much driving? There are so many lovely places in France you won't be short of ideas and lovely places to stop. In fact some of our nicest stops haven't been planned in advance. The popular aires do get busy but if you aim to arrive early afternoon it then gives you the rest of the day to explore and relax.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[MisterB]

how old is your daughter? that can make a big difference to where you want to go. if she is pretty independent it then most places will be fine, if she is shy, you might want to look at areas/sites where she can meet similar aged children who speak English. if children have a miserable holiday, you can be sure the adults will too !!

don't get drawn into having to go 'south' for good weather. because you have a motorhome, you can plan (and start now) different routes to different areas and finally choose when you can see what the weather is doing. a lot of French people actually holiday (camp) inland, near rivers and lakes, where there are lots of water based activities and centres catering for the outdoor types. during the school holidays, lots of the popular destinations for free aires will be full, so look for those with plenty of parking if you want to use the free aires and plan to arrive early afternoon. if youre going for free aires, then look for those with some sort of activity nearby, whether it be a historical castle, beach, river rides, amusements, beaches etc. as you might not want to spend your holiday in a car park

I can highly recommend the park4night app and we also bought the 'all the aires' books last year for our first motorhome adventure in france, it really helped with planning, although we didn't always stay at aires in the book, there were some great ones in there that we did. in the end, we followed the French rule that says 'if it doesn't say on the sign you cant do it, then you can'

 

[Simon Meadwell]

If you heading to south you could try prairies de la mer site at port grimaud right on beach loads to do fabulous swimming pool watersports etc
Drinks at bars expensive but it is south of france. We stayed last year this year staying nextdoor at camping de la plage site right on beach over looking bay of St Tropez

 

[Grianan]

We’ve holidayed a lot at Fench campsites, albeit not yet with a motorhome - this year will be a first for us too.
However what I have noticed is that, up to about 15th July, booking is often not required. The latter half of July and August popular sites (swimming pools or by the coast) can be booked up already.
We usually go away first 2 weeks of July and have always found a pitch, even in holiday areas.
It would be interesting to here from folk who go away when you are planning to travel to see if you can just turn up.

 

[DDJC]

Having two boys with moderate autism, we plan our trips in advance. I need the certainty of a reservation, and during our caravan years, there were half a dozen times when i would rock up to join a queue to enter a site, and watch the rigs in front of me turn about and try somewhere else.

So, if you are going in high season, book early. Very very early. All my sites for August 2019 were booked by November last year, and even then two of the sites were already fully booked. Agree with Keades. We pick a final destination, then find a route there and a different route back. Then look for sites on the route. We need the security of a formal site, but there are many mohos parked up in Aires overnight

Echo what is said about Aires. But they vary. The closer you are to Calais, the more likely you are to get stand-up khazis and can be rather unpleasant. Elsewhere, there are some that you might want to stay at for a couple of days! The Aire at Passy Mont Blanc, is one such. See pic.

We tend to stop at Aire de Loisirs rather than Aire de Service as you will usually have more chance of finding space to stop. Having a toilet & a fridge on board, you aren't like those poor car drivers who are limited on where they stop. Park in the lorry area, because cars (especially Italians!) will block you in, and nip of for a 15 minute espresso! Happened three times now!

French roads are on the whole better than ours. Certainly the Peage are very well maintained. We love Italy, so unlike some people here, we tend to cane it the first two days and get through the Mont Blanc tunnel, then slow down through Italy and then wend our way back up through the Tirol or Switzerland.

We pay all tolls using the card with low commission rates. Check out MSE for the best options. Peage & Toll can add up and last year we racked up over £200 on a France-Italy-Austria-German-France trip.

Always use the tunnel. Quick and easy to get a motorhome or a 12m car/caravan onto the train. No grounding on the ferry ramp either. Bit more expensive and no discounts, but you save hours.

If you are stopping at Disney, then use the site at Jablines. Good for Paris (35 mins), Disney (10 mins), hypermarche shopping and the site itself is in a forest park with all manner of activities. Lovely people there too. It is one of my stopping points on this year's trip to Venice.

Not familiar with the south of France, furthest south I've been is the Dordogne and the coast south of Bordeaux. Very nice, but we like a mix of mountains, lakes, beaches, kulcher, rivers, walks, trees and city architecture!

 

[2bob]

oh the roads dont stay the same no and drive on the right

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[2bob]

this might help
for the tunnel

 

[suavecarve]

Others have mentioned the inland lakes and rivers.
Many plus points for staying inland at your time of holiday the main one being traffic both foot and vehicle.
There are numerous lakes and rivers and apart from the odd few they are free.
I temper this with aires are generally free in land or a small cost, certainly not more than 10 euros. the beach ones however are more expensive.
The non toll roads are also free.
Mt temptation, based upon my experience, would be to pop to the Alsace and Champagne regions and stop on aires having used the slightly bumpy but still free Belgian motorway and then fill up in luxembourg for cheap diesel.
I would definitely purchase a book called "Wild Swimming in France" and use that as a guide and take note of the Cascades du Herrison and all the free lakes around the Jura region. Spending some time in the Alsace should include Colmar and Eguisheim and several other outstanding villages. Lac du Der at Mesnil st pere puts you within a stones throw (in france terms) of euro disney.
That sort of itinerary will save you a fortune in cash, save you loads of time, see very interesting stuff for you and your daughter whatever age and give you a taster for future big journeys when you know what the score is as you will meet people who will impart knowledge over a bottle of wine at night.
Enjoy, whatever you decide

 

[DerryW]

Some really good and useful advice and tips above. Shaun929 the best advice I can give having driven down through France and Spain twice last year is; plan the basics like your method of crossing the channel, the route when leaving the Ferry or Chunnel terminals and your first overnight stop. Don't try and cram to much into each day, and like so many others have said "France is a big country" don't think you're going to see it all in a 4 week trip, and finally make sure you have an old fashioned road atlas even if you think you have the best Sat Nav in the world. ENJOY!!

 

[Shaun929]

Thanks everyone for all the tips some really good ones for a beginner like us.

 

[Shrimp]

As above, take your time.
Use ‘Aire de Camping Car’ not ‘Aire de Repos’ the Repos is just like a motorway stop off, they are not safe to sleep in!
Weather should be fab & hot, you won’t need to go South in fact will probably be too hot down there!
Aires-just find one you fancy, (use either apps or the Vicarious books) turn up park, pay if needed, and enjoy. If you don’t like the Aire or it’s full.....move on to another one.
Aires are not campsites and technically you are not supposed to ‘camp’ on them, meaning no table, chairs etc., but we tend to go with what the French do, & a lot of Aires have some grass and even picnic tables.
Just wander along take in the sights and have fun, don’t try to do too much or it will turn into 3 weeks of stress and driving!
France is huge and you won’t see it all!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[138go]

You’ve had some great advice already. If I could just add some tips from our experiences?

We went to France the first time for three weeks. We only booked the Dover to Calais ferry. The first thing that hit us, was how vast France is! You know it’s big but in three weeks we didn’t get anywhere much, lol.

We went a similar time of year to you and found Aires and campsites with plenty of spaces.

The furthest we went was La Bernerie - en - Retz. We really liked it and stayed for a week.

We don’t use the peages much, as many free roads are just as good.

If you stay on Aires, pick the ones in small villages off the beaten track.

Enjoy.

 

[peterc10]

Having two boys with moderate autism, we plan our trips in advance. I need the certainty of a reservation, and during our caravan years, there were half a dozen times when i would rock up to join a queue to enter a site, and watch the rigs in front of me turn about and try somewhere else.

So, if you are going in high season, book early. Very very early. All my sites for August 2019 were booked by November last year, and even then two of the sites were already fully booked. Agree with Keades. We pick a final destination, then find a route there and a different route back. Then look for sites on the route. We need the security of a formal site, but there are many mohos parked up in Aires overnight

Echo what is said about Aires. But they vary. The closer you are to Calais, the more likely you are to get stand-up khazis and can be rather unpleasant. Elsewhere, there are some that you might want to stay at for a couple of days! The Aire at Passy Mont Blanc, is one such. See pic.

We tend to stop at Aire de Loisirs rather than Aire de Service as you will usually have more chance of finding space to stop. Having a toilet & a fridge on board, you aren't like those poor car drivers who are limited on where they stop. Park in the lorry area, because cars (especially Italians!) will block you in, and nip of for a 15 minute espresso! Happened three times now!

French roads are on the whole better than ours. Certainly the Peage are very well maintained. We love Italy, so unlike some people here, we tend to cane it the first two days and get through the Mont Blanc tunnel, then slow down through Italy and then wend our way back up through the Tirol or Switzerland.

We pay all tolls using the card with low commission rates. Check out MSE for the best options. Peage & Toll can add up and last year we racked up over £200 on a France-Italy-Austria-German-France trip.

Always use the tunnel. Quick and easy to get a motorhome or a 12m car/caravan onto the train. No grounding on the ferry ramp either. Bit more expensive and no discounts, but you save hours.

If you are stopping at Disney, then use the site at Jablines. Good for Paris (35 mins), Disney (10 mins), hypermarche shopping and the site itself is in a forest park with all manner of activities. Lovely people there too. It is one of my stopping points on this year's trip to Venice.

Not familiar with the south of France, furthest south I've been is the Dordogne and the coast south of Bordeaux. Very nice, but we like a mix of mountains, lakes, beaches, kulcher, rivers, walks, trees and city architecture!

When most of us here refer to Aires in France we are usually referring to Aire de Camping Cars, i.e. Aires dedicated for the use of motorhomes. Aire de Service and Aire de Loisirs are different and are for use of all vehicles. Having said that you sometimes find that the Aire de Camping Car consists of several larger bays specifically marked for the use of motorhomes in a general car park.

 

[DDJC]

When most of us here refer to Aires in France we are usually referring to Aire de Camping Cars, i.e. Aires dedicated for the use of motorhomes. Aire de Service and Aire de Loisirs are different and are for use of all vehicles. Having said that you sometimes find that the Aire de Camping Car consists of several larger bays specifically marked for the use of motorhomes in a general car park.

Thanks for the clarification. For us, the overnight camping car aires are a no-go, due to the needs of the boys. We have to have a reservation at a campsite at the end of every leg of the journey.

 

[Four of us]

We had a really good holiday many years ago when our kids were young teenagers and we booked via Eurocamp, but taking our own trailer tent. We stayed in two main sites with a couple of stopovers and had a great time. We always found that if the children were happy and occupied then we were happy and relaxed! Good luck.

 

[WillH]

I understand the restrictions of school holidays but second half of July and most of August are very busy. We always booked when the children traveled with us, now we go earlier.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[MisterB]

Thanks for the clarification. For us, the overnight camping car aires are a no-go, due to the needs of the boys. We have to have a reservation at a campsite at the end of every leg of the journey.

I think you may be surprised by the quality of some of the overnight camping car aires. Some of them have just as much to offer as a municipal camp site. If you identify what you need from.the site and the area youre visiting then someone might be able to point you in the direction of a suitable camping car aire. We did a quick tour last year travelling from calais to the vendee, then the med, across to the atlantic then back up to the vendee then home. We found 3 or 4 brilliant stop overs that i would recommend, depending on what you need fir the boys of course !!

 

[DDJC]

We had a really good holiday many years ago when our kids were young teenagers and we booked via Eurocamp, but taking our own trailer tent. We stayed in two main sites with a couple of stopovers and had a great time. We always found that if the children were happy and occupied then we were happy and relaxed! Good luck.

Thanks very much. Need to explain a tad.
If I come across preachy or patronising, then I am sorry. It isn't my intention. Neither do I want to hijack this thread, so this is my only post on the subject.
The thing is, autism is a very individual thing. All ASD kids present differently. Without going into details, me and the missus (who are no further along the spectrum than most folk!) decided that the best way to support our lads was to foster an environment where all four of us have fun! Believe me it is far easier to deal with challenging behaviour when everyone is relaxed and doing stuff they enjoy. That means we swim in the Adriatic on a Monday and walk round Venice on a Tuesday with the promise of a swim on a Wednesday. Works for us!

So what we ALWAYS do is book. In France, Italy, Austria and Germany. We book 11 months in advance, or as soon as the site opens its website. And we always go for the A grade pitch size with EHU, water and drain if available. We don't yet do wild camping (although I want to) because there isn't enough certainty.

Their condition means they won't fly, but honestly? Not an issue. We all prefer to drive! It is our freedom. I guess all motorhomers are doing the same thing, for different reasons!

What I will say for any parents of ASD children out there, is that Italy trumps France as the place to be. Uber tolerant, very understanding and the food satisfies both Gourmand parents and colour-fixated ASD kids!!

 

[DDJC]

I think you may be surprised by the quality of some of the overnight camping car aires. Some of them have just as much to offer as a municipal camp site. If you identify what you need from.the site and the area youre visiting then someone might be able to point you in the direction of a suitable camping car aire. We did a quick tour last year travelling from calais to the vendee, then the med, across to the atlantic then back up to the vendee then home. We found 3 or 4 brilliant stop overs that i would recommend, depending on what you need fir the boys of course !!

Cheers Mister B, what is your recommendation for a guide to Aires for Camping Cars? We are toying with the idea of taking the boys down as far as Etna in 2020 and to do it three/three 1/2 weeks, we would have to seriously motor down there, using several overnighters. Any ideas?

 

[peterc10]

Cheers Mister B, what is your recommendation for a guide to Aires for Camping Cars? We are toying with the idea of taking the boys down as far as Etna in 2020 and to do it three/three 1/2 weeks, we would have to seriously motor down there, using several overnighters. Any ideas?

I think Campercontact would be best for you. Others like Park4night better, which I also use, but some of their sites are not the sort of places I would stay on, even for a night. Italy is good for motorhoming with lots of Sostas (their equivalent of Aires) and wild camping areas.

 

[Markas]

@Shaun929
Touring France is a vast subject, but easy in bite-sized chunks. The best tip is to start planning NOW! Not just for where you’d like to stay, but the little things that will catch you out. Don’t panic, go overboard or worry too much, but it’s better to address your worries from the armchair at home before you go.

Start at the start. Am I going by Ferry, or via the Tunnel? Where is my first stop in France? Is my journey going to take me through a French town where I would need an emission zone sticker? Am I going to travel on ordinary roads, or use motorways? If motorways, what do I do when I reach a toll booth (Péage).

See what I mean?

Thankfully, all of the above can be answered months before you turn a wheel, but will make the first hours of your journey trouble free. You can then enjoy the ride and concentrating on driving.

Where does all the info come from? Three major resources; this forum, various App’s or books, and You Tube. There are loads of videos on You Tube, ranging from embarking on Ferries or the Chunnel, to the etiquette of using Aires.

As you particularly asked about Aires, remember that the word ‘Aire’ in French simply means Area. Hence, ‘Aire de Loisirs’ is a recreation area, an ‘Aire de Service’ maybe a Motorway service area. The Aire that you want is called an ‘Aire de Camping Car’ or similar signing containing the Camping Car phrase. They are mostly signed with a blue on white pictogram of a motorhome emptying waste over a grille. Facilities at Aires vary a lot, so it’s best to look them up in the resources mentioned above, or just ask on here.

All of us on here have had that first newbie trip to France. We all survived! So will you.

Enjoy
Regards James

Just beware the 'aires de gens de voyage' as that will direct you to a traveller site..all towns over a certain size are required by law to have one!
Don't panic about fuel shortages and 'gilet jaunes' protests and don't think you'll be gassed and robbed if you stop at an aire on the autoroutes - all of which are free if not always in the loveliest places.
Be aware that while aires in towns and villages may be free to stop on, many charge for servicing water/ toilets and for use of EHU, typically 2€ for 4hrs.
They'll still work out cheaper than campsites though in the high season whenyou are proposing to travel.
Notice you haven't even mentioned Brexit...

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[MisterB]

Cheers Mister B, what is your recommendation for a guide to Aires for Camping Cars? We are toying with the idea of taking the boys down as far as Etna in 2020 and to do it three/three 1/2 weeks, we would have to seriously motor down there, using several overnighters. Any ideas?

we used the vicarious books as our 'base line' - that allowed us to plan where we were going and to find suitable aires that matched our needs. we selected 3 or 4 in general area we were going to in case we didn't like the look of them when we got there and so had alternatives. we quickly found out that some of the descriptions didn't do some of the aires justice and that if it looks rough from the photos, then it was !!! so from then on we only selected aires that looked good from what we could see in the photos (the photos are limited snapshots only). there are usually some books for sale second hand on ebay etc, but for the price its just as easy to buy brand new. they make planning a bit easier (or at least they did for us)

we then started to use the park4night app as we got a bit braver. we found that to be brilliant, it had up to date reviews so we got a better idea of where we were going. we didn't use any other apps, but I assume from reading this forum that they all offer pretty much the same information, so try them in the uk before setting off so you know what works best for you. park4night also gave us some brilliant picnic spots off the beaten track, we chose ones that mainly had rivers or lakes and most of them had small parks for children so they could let off some steam - though we didn't have any children with us, you might find it useful to pick similar picnic areas as opposed to the aires along main roads/motorways. the park4night app had all the aires shown in the vicarious books, but usually came with lots more photos and up to date reviews. I don't think I would rely on just one source for finding places to stay so don't limit your options by just selecting one and sticking with it.

I would troll through this forum (including the blogs) and pick out any recommended aires along your route, so you at least know what to expect and youtube seems to be a good source for blogs from motorhome users. there may be some on there that have travelled the same route youre planning. if youre looking for campsites and not just aires, then take a look at camping caravanning forums aswell as this one.

is it Etna in sicily youre looking at? that seems a long way there and back in 3 1/2 weeks??