France help

[Kathrynandpaul]

When I used to go to France with a Caravan it was mostly to the area that you are going to.

I found that the easiest in terms of driving was Portsmouth to St Malo as it then put you on a straight run down with some non Toll routes. Night Ferry meant that sites could be driven to in one go.

Cheaper option was afternoon Ferry from Portsmouth to Caen then drive until about 11.30pm before overnight stop in a Service Aire after passing Avranches, wasn't another one until Rennes.

Not much driving difference from Cherbourg and Caen Ports.

Yes St Malo was our preferred route but only just got the van last month so too late booking as all cabins were sold out, hence the slightly less straight forward journey. All booked now out to cherbourg, home via calais I couldn't weigh up paying over £520 for a route home that wasn't ideal anyway wheh we could go via calais a few more hours drive but cost £20 with club card voucher... Thanks for the advice though we will definitely try St Malo next year!

 

[Keitheeweithee]

Hi I wonder if anyone can offer any insights. I am torn with route planning! I am planning on us (2 adults, kids 9 and 5) getting the ferry portsmouth to cherbourg on 25 May, and stay at either vendee or il de re. Then travel home on 3rd June. We could get 4:30 ferry home from caen for £520... Or go from calais and use club card vouchers so costing virtually £0. I am torn on the driving, it will be our first time in France. I can't decide whether the less driving is worth the money or not. My 2 kids won't do the whole 7 hrs to calais we need at least 1 night stopover, so I am thinking about 1-2 nights somewhere over half way to calais to make it worthwhile setting up (we are in a beach and will need to pop up the awning to store stuff to be able to sleep) . Any insights or recommendations for sites we could enjoy a couple of days in Northern Region? My head is fried trying to work this out so any help very welcome! Thanks all

Although it can be a bit expensive (but no more possibly than a hotel) I would recommend the overnight Brittany Ferries Portsmouth-Caen route rather than a hotel. Lovely big ships and with nice 4 berth ensuite cabins and very relaxed (roughly 2300-0700) timing especially on the return from Caen (when the time change works in your favour for a good nights sleep) it means that going out you can start early from the port, drive leisurely and reach your destination early and on the return have the whole day to reach the ferry terminal in good time, and another full day for getting home. French run so very nice wines to buy on the return too! Driving in France is very easy generally especially using the tolled autoroutes (easy payment by credit card or with a Liber-T contactless tag). Be aware that some normal (N) roads used to be pleasant but can be very busy with traffic avoiding the tolls!

 

[Baldrick]

There’s a really picturesque village just off the A28 called Broglie, perhaps three hours from Calais, the Aire there might be just what you’re after. It has just undergone improvements according to the French site Park4Night in case that helps your return journey.
Happy Advanture’s!

 

[kp64zl]

We are thinking of hotel in Rouen for 1 night actually - hotel is a good idea for a one nighter. Thanks

Rouen is nice

 

[Amarillo]

Hi I wonder if anyone can offer any insights. I am torn with route planning! I am planning on us (2 adults, kids 9 and 5) getting the ferry portsmouth to cherbourg on 25 May, and stay at either vendee or il de re. Then travel home on 3rd June. We could get 4:30 ferry home from caen for £520... Or go from calais and use club card vouchers so costing virtually £0. I am torn on the driving, it will be our first time in France. I can't decide whether the less driving is worth the money or not. My 2 kids won't do the whole 7 hrs to calais we need at least 1 night stopover, so I am thinking about 1-2 nights somewhere over half way to calais to make it worthwhile setting up (we are in a beach and will need to pop up the awning to store stuff to be able to sleep) . Any insights or recommendations for sites we could enjoy a couple of days in Northern Region? My head is fried trying to work this out so any help very welcome! Thanks all

Our boys are 8 & 9, and we have a strategy for sleeping in the van for overnight stops without putting up the awning.

We have a way to extend the multiflex to 1.0m deep. We clear the luggage from above the multiflex onto the bench seat, the boys sleep on the multiflex and we sleep in the roof. It is much easier now the boys are out of child seats.

 

[Kathrynandpaul]

Our boys are 8 & 9, and we have a strategy for sleeping in the van for overnight stops without putting up the awning.

We have a way to extend the multiflex to 1.0m deep. We clear the luggage from above the multiflex onto the bench seat, the boys sleep on the multiflex and we sleep in the roof. It is much easier now the boys are out of child seats.

Yes I saw someone else do this. How do you set up the multiflex? It sounds a great way to do it. Thanks!

 

[Amarillo]

Yes I saw someone else do this. How do you set up the multiflex? It sounds a great way to do it. Thanks!

With the bench seat positioned on the rails to make the bed (but in the bench position) and the multiflex in the rear most position I made three half height crates from plywood to slide exactly in the gap, and two more to sit on the three. I also made a full width folding table (380mm wide 1500mm long) to sit above the five crates, exactly level with the top of the multiflex.

This creates a bed base 1.0m x 1.5m.

 

[Kathrynandpaul]

With the bench seat positioned on the rails to make the bed (but in the bench position) and the multiflex in the rear most position I made three half height crates from plywood to slide exactly in the gap, and two more to sit on the three. I also made a full width folding table (380mm wide 1500mm long) to sit above the five crates, exactly level with the top of the multiflex.

This creates a bed base 1.0m x 1.5m.

That's great thanks I'm going to have a look and see what I can do with ours for similar solution

 

[Amarillo]

That's great thanks I'm going to have a look and see what I can do with ours for similar solution

Here you can see the three lower crates and two upper crates. The middle lower crate takes two 907 CampingGaz bottles, and can be removed from the boot without disturbing the other four crates. All three of the lower crates can remain in place to make the full size Beach bed.


Here are my two boys demonstrating the size of the bed back in August 2018. Five years later they still fit, but it is a bit more of a squeeze now. The mattress is the four section Brandrup one, folded in half, but John Lewis would make up a custom size cot mattress if requested.

 

[Kathrynandpaul]

View attachment 106198
Here you can see the three lower crates and two upper crates. The middle lower crate takes two 907 CampingGaz bottles, and can be removed from the boot without disturbing the other four crates. All three of the lower crates can remain in place to make the full size Beach bed.

View attachment 106199
Here are my two boys demonstrating the size of the bed back in August 2018. Five years later they still fit, but it is a bit more of a squeeze now. The mattress is the four section Brandrup one, folded in half, but John Lewis would make up a custom size cot mattress if requested.

That's a brilliant solution, that would be perfect for my guys!

 

[Amarillo]

That's a brilliant solution, that would be perfect for my guys!

This is a scale diagram for 20 pieces of 12mm plywood needed to make two large crates and two trays from a single sheet of 8' by 4' plywood. You pay for the plywood and an additional charge per cut. My local timber merchant only charged me extra for the number of pieces (£20). In the end I used 9mm plywood (6mm would be almost as good). For the handles I chopped up a broom handle from B & Q. The neat thing is that flexible things in the large crates, such as a wetsuit, can be removed from the crate without removing the crate from the van.

The middle crate for CampingGaz is a ridiculous price:

Buy GasBoat 4116 Gas Locker 907 Twin from SOCAL Southampton

SOCAL Southampton stock the most comprehensive range of Gasboat Marine Regulators, cylinder adaptors and gas lockers. All available for Collection, Online or UK Delivery.

www.socal.co.uk

You could make a plywood one for a fraction of the cost.

 

[Kathrynandpaul]

View attachment 106211
This is a scale diagram for 20 pieces of 12mm plywood needed to make two large crates and two trays from a single sheet of 8' by 4' plywood. You pay for the plywood and an additional charge per cut. My local timber merchant only charged me extra for the number of pieces (£20). In the end I used 9mm plywood (6mm would be almost as good). For the handles I chopped up a broom handle from B & Q. The neat thing is that flexible things in the large crates, such as a wetsuit, can be removed from the crate without removing the crate from the van.

The middle crate for CampingGaz is a ridiculous price:

Buy GasBoat 4116 Gas Locker 907 Twin from SOCAL Southampton

SOCAL Southampton stock the most comprehensive range of Gasboat Marine Regulators, cylinder adaptors and gas lockers. All available for Collection, Online or UK Delivery.

www.socal.co.uk

You could make a plywood one for a fraction of the cost.

That's amazing thanks so much!!

 

[Amarillo]

That's amazing thanks so much!!

You will need to adjust measurements for 6mm or 9mm ply and dependent on the thickness of the ply used for the table that sits above all the crates. I used 12mm ply and think this is the correct thickness for a 1.5m long table. I used these legs, the 650mm variant.

Gemini Square Tube Folding Table Leg for caravans and motorhomes

Gemini square tube folding table leg in 660mm or 700mm, used in caravans, campervans and motorhomes.

www.rainbow-conversions.co.uk

The bar at the base of the leg is 500mm and you would need to trim 60mm of each side of both legs to keep it to 380mm - the width of the table.

 

[itsSteve]

Start off by looking at distances and driving travel times. Liverpool to Portsmouth is thirty-five miles less than to Channel Tunnel and at least an hour shorter time wise; Cherbourg to Ile de Re is one hundred miles less than from Calais, and about two hours shorter time wise. The ferry, of course, gives more time to relax, but is far slower and so it will not get you to your destination any sooner.

Either way, you will travel for a day to get to the coast and will need to drive either 350 or 450 miles through France, and both would be far better completed with a break halfway. The good news is that within half an hour of arriving in France you will have familiarised yourself with driving on the wrong side of the road and find the whole experience far easier than you ever expected; it is almost always easier and more relaxing than in England.

So, plan a stop in England near the coast, and plan a stop about halfway down France. One option is to pull over on a service station on the Peage (toll) autoroutes, where there are almost always designated parking spaces for campervans, and the tickets are valid for twenty-four hours, so parking overnight is both permissable and widely used. Alternatively, use one of the many Aires du Camping, easily found online, for free, or cheap, overnight campervan parking in many towns and villages.

So, tunnel or ferry? Your call, but with vouchers, one is so much cheaper. Hotels? Why own a campervan and spend money in hotels? If you have a good satnav and internet access, you will find France so much more campervan friendly than the UK. It's almost as though they assume we will boost the local economy, spending a few euros as we amble through the countryside ........