Your thoughts please

[2GB Racing]

Your experienced thoughts on this please, My son is getting married mid sept near Montfort Sur Argens in the south of France.
We have a recently purchased PPVC and although we spent five weeks and 2500 miles on a NC500 trip have not done a European trip as yet, we are both retired so no time restraints at all really, so can spend max time allowed if required on this road trip.
Option 1= Drive there and back, door to door = 838 miles direct goggle maps route + tolls then wind our way back home closer to the coast.
Option 2 = Drive to Portsmouth then ferry to Bilbao or Santandar at horrendous cost then drive to Montfort Sur Argens = 739 / 790 + tolls then wind our back home closer to the coast.
Any comments much appreciated as currently thinking drive it both ways.

 

[David and Sally]

On your info I would absolutely go Chunnel, drive there and back at leisure and enjoy the scenery and culture.

Down via The Vosges and back up the coast. Fabulous.

Some like the ferry to Spain but I find it boring and expensive.

 

[John Barrett]

I would not do Option 2 if you want to enjoy France. We kept our boat in Montpellier for over eight years and regularly drove down taking just two days from Portsmouth/Le Havre. Your destination is East of there, but you should have no problems taking a leisurely three or four days.
I would come back westward through Languedoc and up via the Lot Valley.

 

[Holly's mum]

Absolutely agree with David and Sally. Take the Chunnel and a nice leisurely drive there and back.

We never use the toll roads and take a more scenic route, as we like to enjoy the journey and have often found some lovely villages and attractions that we would never have found if we were on the toll roads.

We came back via the ferry from Santander when we did a trip to France & Spain 4-5 years ago, never again! Over a day stuck on the ferry! We would much rather drive back through France and come back via the Chunnel.

Which ever way you choose, I am sure you will have a lovely time

 

[suavecarve]

In your position I would be spending up to 80 days around there and taking 4 days to get there, 4 days back, 1 for the wedding and 1 spare just in case.

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[John Barrett]

We've stayed here a few times. English owned and you can catch your supper in the lake and they will cook it for you!
Idyllic.
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[Bessy765]

If you are a member of the Camping and Caravan club, you can get 10% off the tunnel.

 

[TUCANO]

I would be driving there and back in slowmo, ferry both ways also but that is just me, never in a rush and that's what the van is for.

 

[Holly's mum]

If you shop at Tesco, you can get 3 times the value of your clubcard vouchers to use against the tunnel crossing. That's we use our Tesco vouchers for most of the time

 

[2GB Racing]

Thank you all to confirm our thoughts looking forward to planning the trip now.

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[mitzimad]

france is just so easy get the apps on a phone search for sites park4 night camper contact you will never be more than 20 kms away from a place to stay Traffic is far less than here so its comfortable to just meander , you need refilable gas as you cant exchange english bottles in europe
Only planning you need is a ferry or tunnel booking

 

[autorouter]

If you've not driven in Europe before, I would be a bit less ambitious the first day or so, until you get used to it. It's easy, but you have to think about it, especially if not on toll roads, driving through the centre of towns and villages.

 

[2GB Racing]

Thank you for the additional comments very much appreciated, I fitted underslung LPG last winter with much help on here from Two on Tour and hopefully solar before sept, LeMans trips in the past so no issue with driving on wrong side / right side of the road.