UK v france (1 Viewer)

Feb 16, 2013
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I know there are other threads running on this but thought this deserved its own as it's the opposite opinion.
Now anyone who has read my posts or met me will know I love my bit of England and would never dream of moving, but this last few days have been on a quick trip to France with a bit of touring UK before and after, started off around Margate area , all looked very run down and crawling with parking eye car parks , but thanks to park4night did find a place to park by the sea and a pub park inland.
But then going through the tunnel and on to gravelines it was like going home to the bars and welcoming people in the town, did a tour around villages and towns the next day , all easy travel and welcoming people everywhere.
But came back night before last and could only find a layby to stay at but then had the long trek to Poole to some of Julie's relations , what a difference to France, roads chocker dirty , potholes litter , then when we get there , going round and round , cars all over ,nowhere to park, mind-blowing.
Don't think I will ever tour UK in motorhome again apart from M1, M25 M20 to get out of the bloody place.
Why ever folks are saying they are stopping here this year is beyond me.
 

filopastry

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Horse for courses my friend. I prefer to say France is a den of inequity, full of frog leg scoffing garlic cycle riding yellow jacket anarchists. That way, more of "you lot" will stay your side of the water leaving this beautiful, diverse and mainly cheaper land to us to explore. "Avey vous un cuppa"and "can you ride tandem" ... the older farts will remember, the younger amongst us will simply shake their heads.

phil
 

Augusta08

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Je ne sais pas, however both have great character and merits. France is much more Motorhome friendly, and the weather is better. On the other hand you have to suffer the cheap wine and endless choices at the boulanger and fromage houses.

It's a difficult comparison, but the delightful thing is, it's not mutually exclusive, you can do both!!!

France for the summer months, then GB for the winter (when I'm in Spain) ?

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I know there are other threads running on this but thought this deserved its own as it's the opposite opinion.
Now anyone who has read my posts or met me will know I love my bit of England and would never dream of moving, but this last few days have been on a quick trip to France with a bit of touring UK before and after, started off around Margate area , all looked very run down and crawling with parking eye car parks , but thanks to park4night did find a place to park by the sea and a pub park inland.
But then going through the tunnel and on to gravelines it was like going home to the bars and welcoming people in the town, did a tour around villages and towns the next day , all easy travel and welcoming people everywhere.
But came back night before last and could only find a layby to stay at but then had the long trek to Poole to some of Julie's relations , what a difference to France, roads chocker dirty , potholes litter , then when we get there , going round and round , cars all over ,nowhere to park, mind-blowing.
Don't think I will ever tour UK in motorhome again apart from M1, M25 M20 to get out of the bloody place.
Why ever folks are saying they are stopping here this year is beyond me.
yours is an opinion of course chaser:love:
 

Chris

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I think France is shit.

Sorry to be rather blunt, but that’s my view.

Further, if it isn’t shit it is invariably closed unless you want to buy a loaf of bread:rolleyes:

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BRASH

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Never been to France and have no intention of doing so.

I did however, once have an eh....liaison with a French bird by the name of Monique, many years ago in Shetland of all places. That was nice:devil:;)
 

Anthea M

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I did say there were other threads at the beginning
Charlie we love France too and hate the English motorways whenever we have to get from A to B , but having Spent a 2 week holiday in Scotland this year after many in France we loved it , people were nice ,roads were a bit iffy( potholes ) but it was s holiday so went with the flow.

Saying all that we hope to be back in France later in the year .

I’m sad that many French towns and villages look like they have had the soul ripped out of them but I suppose young folk need to go where work , schools etc are.

Viva la France !( sorry Chris !???
 
OP
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Charlie we love France too and hate the English motorways whenever we have to get from A to B , but having Spent a 2 week holiday in Scotland this year after many in France we loved it , people were nice ,roads were a bit iffy( potholes ) but it was s holiday so went with the flow.

Saying all that we hope to be back in France later in the year .

I’m sad that many French towns and villages look like they have had the soul ripped out of them but I suppose young folk need to go where work , schools etc are.

Viva la France !( sorry Chris !???
Please don't think I knocking UK for the sake of it , I am solid English and support the dreaded unmentionable , just for years never been anywhere else but since having motorhome and touring France there is no comparison.
 

Anthea M

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Please don't think I knocking UK for the sake of it , I am solid English and support the dreaded unmentionable , just for years never been anywhere else but since having motorhome and touring France there is no comparison.
Charlie I know you aren’t knocking it,
And agree it’s a wonderful country will all its foibles just as you say not MH friendly , if you want to be a FLT like the French aire system not as easy here.?

I’m always grateful that we were able to buy our 1st van when we did and have had the best 10 years of adventures and traveling!
 
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Charlie I know you aren’t knocking it,
And agree it’s a wonderful country will all its foibles just as you say not MH friendly , if you want to be a FLT like the French aire system not as easy here.?

I’m always grateful that we were able to buy our 1st van when we did and have had the best 10 years of adventures and traveling!
Thing is until we got the motorhome and Julie persuadeing me to go to France I was as anti France as the worst on here, and used to come up with the old thing there is plenty here for me, but for any one who still says that I can only try to tell them what they are missing before it's gone.

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Allanm

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France is around 28 miles from England and culturally as far away as it can be.
If you expect France to be a French version of the UK, you will be sadly disappointed and I expect you will be vociferous in your condemnation of this beautiful country.
For those of us that understand and relish the difference between these two great nations, you will be rewarded with friendly people ( if you attempt the language) beautiful countryside, fantastic food, empty ( smooth) roads, better weather, great wines and stunning coastlines.
There’s a lot I love about the U.K, but there is a lot more that has made it somewhere I don’t want to live anymore.
There’s just one thing I don’t like about France, it’s difficult to get a decent cheddar cheese.

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Camping Gaza

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France IS shit so Oh Please! stay at home, it's all boll**ks what the poster above this post says. He's deluded.

France has crap weather, crap roads, a serious attitude to anyone whos not French, rubbish wine, food, absolutely everything.

Stay at home, Please, pretty please, dont come here you will HATE it. I know, I have the grave misfortune to live here.

Go to Spain instead, ( get ferry direct) much more your cup of Sangria
 
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Well

Were off on Tuesday 0400 ferry the exchange for euro is crap

Today we got 1€11c for £1 which is about average for the last 6 weeks
Yes we are st Twin Lakes - Yes the new owners are great and far more friendly than Garry :LOL:

As for UK v Fr

both have areas of roads that are rubbish
There is far less traffic on the RN than UK Motorways
the cost of fuel is about the same maybe cheaper in places
Gas refill for refillable systems IS expensive (90 cents a litre )

We have yet to meet anyone who refused to say bonjour whereas in the UK hardly anyone says hello to anyone especially total strangers

The temperature hasn't been below 24° in the day and 19° at night for the past 6 weeks (in the Med it was 39°most days)
 
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Today we got 1€11c for £1 which is about average for the last 6 weeks
Yes we are st Twin Lakes - Yes the new owners are great and far more friendly than Garry :LOL:

As for UK v Fr

both have areas of roads that are rubbish
There is far less traffic on the RN than UK Motorways
the cost of fuel is about the same maybe cheaper in places
Gas refill for refillable systems IS expensive (90 cents a litre )

We have yet to meet anyone who refused to say bonjour whereas in the UK hardly anyone says hello to anyone especially total strangers

The temperature hasn't been below 24° in the day and 19° at night for the past 6 weeks (in the Med it was 39°most days)
/
where is twin lakes ? near

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France is around 28 miles from England and culturally as far away as it can be.

Yes -- that always astounded me as a child that such a short distance could result in such a massive cultural difference. Then again I grew up south of the Humber and we thought the people on the north bank were a bit weird -- one for @minxy-girl there.
 

filopastry

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GB has some beautiful countryside, as does every country. After years in France and integrating as much as we can, learning and finding new foods, similar and totally dissimilar to the GB diet we followed for the first 55 years of our lives, I sometimes miss the following.

A. A nice pub with a choice of hand pulled ales.
B. Fish and chips, not the frozen rubbish but proper stuff : 1 vote for Billy Murgatroyd at Yeadon
C. Scones with jam and clotted cream
D. A good old chin wag. I speak rather good French, but, the mother tongue will always be the most at ease for a natter or a joke.

Which is best, neither, each has their advantages and disadvantages. Opinions are just that, some are formed on an informed basis, others on fear, misunderstanding or simple ignorance, whichever, they are opinions. I know where 'er indoors and myself prefer to be ... and we are there ... we hope, you too, have the very good fortune to live and play where you want to be and not simple where you find yourselves.
 
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Please don't think I knocking UK for the sake of it , I am solid English and support the dreaded unmentionable , just for years never been anywhere else but since having motorhome and touring France there is no comparison.
I'm pleased for you that you've tried France. Many (not all) on here that knock france havent actually done it.

The biggest benefits I find are:

1, The aires. I'm sat on one right now that is 100 metres from the beach with Seals basking on the sand bank. Its completely FOC and has some where to take on and dump water.

In the UK I would have to be a member of one of the clubs and have booked last year to be here.

2, The roads, I'm travelling on one of Frances busier roads today, I can predict with reasonable confidence how long it will take.
In the UK I cannot predict how long anything other than a local journey will take, with longer journeys regularly taking hours longer than they should.

What UK does better? The only thing I can think of is eating out, the choice of food in France is pretty limited, Creperie/Brasserie/Pizzaria.

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OP
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We only went on a flying visit, no more than 20 miles from Calais all the time which is the area most say is the worst in France yet it could have been a different world, not a car in sight most of the time and a lot won't believe this but we went in a couple of bars in different places and blokes come in shaking hands with everyone ,us included no bother what nationality, and take it from me , I don't speak a word of proper French but have never had any trouble getting what I want or anyone knocking me back because of it, mostly just have a laugh and get through to one another some how.
Here people have a job to talk to one another never mind someone forign.
 
Apr 22, 2018
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Uk is shit. I’m always counting down till the next time I can leave it. France is fantastic in comparison, I hope it doesn’t change too much and become another boring carbon copy like the rest of Europe.

But each to their own.
 
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We only went on a flying visit, no more than 20 miles from Calais all the time which is the area most say is the worst in France yet it could have been a different world, not a car in sight most of the time and a lot won't believe this but we went in a couple of bars in different places and blokes come in shaking hands with everyone ,us included no bother what nationality, and take it from me , I don't speak a word of proper French but have never had any trouble getting what I want or anyone knocking me back because of it, mostly just have a laugh and get through to one another some how.
Here people have a job to talk to one another never mind someone forign.
We love France but the talking to people thing in the UK is regional we went to Cornwall for a week hardly anyone spoke to us moved to North Yorkshire people do all the time one bloke waited at our gate as we were moving stuff no way was he going until we had a chat.....great

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