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Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

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Hotpot
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Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by Hotpot »

The Mrs is winning the battle to go on a family holiday in France this summer and drive there. :|

5 of us going (kids 7, 5 and 2). Drive from Liverpool to Dover (7 hours?), stay over, euro tunnel to Calais early hours then drive to west of France (660kms/7 hours?).

Anyone ever done this? with young kids?

Any feedback before I reluctantly give in to the pressure to book.

Link to resort -

http://www.leclarys.com/campsitepoolvendee/

:D

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blahblah
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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by blahblah »

She is crazy :shock:

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by jpk »

if you make it onto the M6 without threatening death to everyone around you then you are doing well

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by blahblah »

jpk wrote:if you make it onto the M6 without threatening death to everyone around you then you are doing well
A tad pessimistic: I would say getting to the M1, or past Coventry :lol:

On the plus side we could have a sweep on the first Servoice Station, how many service Stations before the M25 etc :lol: :lol:

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by Knulpuk »

I have done the 7 hours in France bit.

I would throw a few euros at it and take the toll roads. It may ease the pain slightly - though I suspect after 10 hours or so you will be eating your own liver by a motorway service station.

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by unc.si. »

Pompey to Saint Malo might ease the pain slightly - would cut 3 or 4 hours driving out I think?

You're nuts though. It's basically going to mean spending the thick end of 4 days stuck in a car with young kids.

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by unc.si. »

Alternative destination?


http://www.dalmenyhotel.co.uk/en/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by blahblah »

Summary of brief descriptions:

blah: crazy
unc: nuts
jpk: possible death

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by Knulpuk »

Please dont do this trip - I am getting the heebie jeebies thinking about it :lol:

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by blahblah »

Just to add to the insanity of this idea: how far are you from the airport?

(Liverpool must be a few miles, and Manchester isn't that far away...)

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by Richt »

Our kids aged at the time 10 and 8 found it hard enough to cope with a car journey from Wiltshire to Cornwall (4 hours ish including a couple of stops).

Personally I think you are mad to do that trip with the children as young as yours are mate!

:shock:

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by Surprised »

4 days or so stuck in a car with kids of 7,5 and 2?
It will either drive you clinically insane or you will just drive the car into oncoming traffic to end the mental torture.
No matter how well behaved and quiet the kids are normally they will drive you mad in a car for that long unless you drug them with sleeping pills but that may be viewed as unlawful even though it's for the right reasons.

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by sted »

Been there. Done it. Wouldn't do it again. Kids aged 7 and 8. Brother in other car with 3 kids. Eurocamp or something.

We did stop over 1 night in Calais, 2 nights near Paris, 2 nights in the Loure Valley, 5 nights in Cote Savage (can't remember town)....I wouldn't fancy it in one go, and the drive back is much, much worse. You find yourself looking at planes longingly as you drive along.

To be honest, looking back, it was a good adventure.

It turned me into what I am today. :wink:

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by Moist von Lipwig »

on the plus side, if this goes ahead you will never lose an argument on what to do for a holiday ever again.

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by blahblah »

blahblah wrote:Summary of brief descriptions:

blah: crazy
unc: nuts
jpk: possible death
richt: mad
Surprised: clinically insane
sted: an adventure :shock:

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by Tricky Tree »

I concur with ALL sentiments but suspect this is the thread ender (and cancellation of holiday thoughts)
sted wrote: It turned me into what I am today. :wink:

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by murf »

Done it. Just avoid Paris if you can suss a better route. Parisian driving is horrible, rest of toll roads far better than UK. All miles better than going squeasyjet and take whatever luggage you can fit in.

I'd thoroughly recommend it.







......without kids.

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by WilBert »

Airfrance in July will set you back £150 from Manchester to Nantes. Worth every penny by the time you've taken petrol tolls ferry/tunnel and sanity into account.

You could look at cheap flights to Girona and go north of Barca. Some great coastline and Eurocamp options there and better weather.

Edit. Easy jet fly to Nantes from John Lennon for £104 in July.

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by sted »

You do realise that France is full of French people don't you?

Another nail in the coffin IMO

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by stuboy »

Brother in law and wife drove from North West UK to Spain last summer with 6 & 4 year old - and although love the kids, not the most angelic.

They loved it apparently. Didn't do it in one go though - split up the journey but positive they drove to Dover first day and then caught Ferry.

They then stayed at different campsites along the way till they got to Southern Spain. Think took 5-6 days to drive down, 12-13 days there, 3 days back.

Let me know if you want me to find out where in France they stopped off

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by Tacalabala »

I can remember going on a road trip to Birmingham and back with my dad and his friend and kid - by the end, all three of us wanted to kill that kid. I think there is a serious risk of permanent emotional damage to your children :-D As has been said though, there'll never be an argument about holidays again after.

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by admin »

Have you got a wide enough car so each child is at least an arm's length away from each other in the back?

Yes, I have 3 as well. And normally well behaved until it comes to sitting together in the back of a car unless they have plenty of space.

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by sted »

Image

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by blahblah »

sted wrote:Image
To Knutsford Services? :lol: :lol:

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by sted »

Are you taking a book to read?

Image

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by jimmy ching »

Think Plymouth or Portsmouth. That allows you a sleep on the boat before you hit the French roads. The West side of France doesn't have much traffic compared to England. Put simply, I only started enjoying driving when I moved over here in France.
Petrol price at the moment is 1.50€. Diesel slightly cheaper. No toll roads costs until after Nantes. The national roads are generally good, speed is good and you can get to see some interesting towns if you want to avoid the auto routes.
Infact just seen the location. It is only 4 to 5 hours if you take it easy from Roscoff. Do Liverpool Plymouth Roscoff St John. No toll costs. Carnac isn't far away, Vannes is a pleasent town. Nantes was a pleasure for me (Did it on a push bike though).
Haven't been to Pornic yet but it's said to be a popular resort with Parisians. The coast up to La Rochelle does have a good reputation here but I haven't been yet.
When looking at the ferry prices don't forget to add the tolls, petrol, extra eating on route etc when looking at Dover against Portsmouth or Plymouth to Roscoff or St Malo.

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by jimmy ching »

Use the michelin route finder when doing France. It is much more accurate at direction choices. The AA was sending you around the houses :lol:

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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by Mike_ »

You can borrow my villa if you like :?

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Hotpot
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Re: Driving to Holiday caravan/camp site in France

Post by Hotpot »

I agree with a lot of the comments posted so I showed it to the Mrs who dismissed all concerns and made some negative comments about the type of people who discuss holiday arrangements on an internet forum!

Cutting a long story short, the Mrs has now booked the holiday :roll:

So talk to me about the practicalities of the drive. Can I just take my car as it is into France with my current driving license? What about Insurance? Will my google maps app work in France? Do they do cheeseburgers for 99p/99c in le Francie? Anything else? :?

I know I should've looked into before booking, but whats done is done, just give me what I need!

:D

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