Seeing as I'd have to remortgage to get a chalet at center parcs in June, I've been looking at the french option. Found a nice park in the Vendee region. Anyone been? How practical is it for me to drive from Calais with two bored kids in the back? Not really driven over there apart from a booze run about 15 years ago and that was just to the English beer and wine shack in Calais port car park! Heard it can get a bit pricey with all the tolls these days.
0
Comments
Why not drive to Southampton, ferry to Cherbourg and cut the driving in France?
French autoroutes are great to drive on - generally empty and you can barrel along at 90 all day. On a journey like that, I'd break for the night in a hotel somewhere nice and it makes the journey much less of a strain, plus you see somewhere you'd never have gone otherwise. French hotels are pretty good value too.
We went from Portsmouth to Cherbourg by catamaran ferry (about 4 hrs), then stayed in a hotel's family room which was huge, decent and very cheap. Great food in the harbourside restaurants - Cherbourg's pretty. You then start the next day feeling good enough for a motorway slog.
It might be worth considering as an alternative crossing, as Cherbourg is closer to the Vendee than Calais by some distance, and unless you hate boats its much more of an adventure for the kids.
Following on from Idle Hans's post, what about stopping off in Reims? And then skirting around Paris to the south.
Alternatively, drive west from Calais to Normandy and do the D-Day beaches?
Camps I've been to have been great. Clean and lots to do for the kids.
Can do the drive in 6 hours from Calais if you use the toll roads. If the kids are toddlers then break the journey at a motel chain. If a little older in car DVD player will do the trick.
I went from the age of 9-16 and each one was a very good holiday. Highly recommended.
I think the furthest we went down was to the Dordgone and we stopped off at another Canvas site half way down.
As mentioned above, you could get a ferry to Cherbourg, St Malo or Dieppe (newhaven).
Would recommend these holidays
The toll roads are excellent as is the standard of driving. Generally no one hogs lanes and if you travel through the night all the better. Under €200 for 800 miles.
Also helps if you've got a big comfortable automatic with cruise control, and a nice car!
It's much better in a big car that you can sleep in when not driving, though there's no real benefit to auto - you never need to change gear anyway.
We went via Portsmouth to Caen, rather than Calais.
If you have an English holiday rep on site, give them any uneaten food you took out with you, particularly baked beans and cheese & onion crisps, they will be very well received :-)
3 kids, 2 adults, drove all the way, great roads, even the roadside restaurants are a la carte in some places, they know how to do it. Stayed over night both ways in French hotels. The kids were much younger and loved the place. Stayed in mobile home the second time. Excellent family holidays.
Eg.this might be the Carnac site referred to by a couple: http://uk.lesmenhirs.com/booking-mobilhomes-carnac/booking-mobilhomes.php
http://www.lagrandemetairie.com/en/
It's illegal to use any speed camera warning devices. That includes the one on your Sat Nav. Fine is up to 1500 Euro's apparently!!