France Roadtrip ideas

[stuavo]

Hi all,

We take delivery of a new Ocean next month and have just booked the Euro tunnel for a 1 week roadtrip in France at Whit. It’s myself, my wife and our 14 year old son. Can anyone recommend any good sites/ itineraries that they have followed? We went to Britanny many years ago and have been to Nice and the cote d’azure. We loved everywhere really and are very open to suggestions. We could do with a decent site or place to camp near Calais as we will arrive at 1am. Thanks guys.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Not many campsites will let you in at 1am. An Aire de Service might work.
One of our favourite campsites is Le Brevedent in Normandy.
We’ve been to Brittany twice. Very beautiful but very wet. Never again.
Most recently we drove straight South and stayed at a site called Cosy Camp and loved it.

The book Cool Camping France is full of great sites.

 

[Corradobrit]

I think Le Brevedent reopens in May. Looks gorgeous though.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Hi all,

We take delivery of a new Ocean next month and have just booked the Euro tunnel for a 1 week roadtrip in France at Whit. It’s myself, my wife and our 14 year old son. Can anyone recommend any good sites/ itineraries that they have followed? We went to Britanny many years ago and have been to Nice and the cote d’azure. We loved everywhere really and are very open to suggestions. We could do with a decent site or place to camp near Calais as we will arrive at 1am. Thanks guys.

Just sleep in the Motorway Services & check into the site later.

 

[5i1ver8ack]

If you donlt fancy the motorway and want a quiet Aire, have a look here
Aire de camping car du Haut-Pont SAINT OMER

Aire Camping-Car Park · 24 Rue de la Gaieté, 62500 Saint-Omer, France

âââââ · Caravan Park

www.google.com

We've stayed here. Quiet. Out of the way. Easy for Calais. Cost was one Euro, but the ticket machin was broken.

 

[CALI FATE]

I would recommend heading along the normandy coast towards Honfleur / Deauville - you can stop anywhere along the route for cider / oysters / moules / muscadet / cheese / pastries / bread - the beaches are beautiful and you can pretty much stop / camp wherever you fancy - dont worry about camp sites just live on the beach for a week -

 

[Barbara]

Hi all,

We take delivery of a new Ocean next month and have just booked the Euro tunnel for a 1 week roadtrip in France at Whit. It’s myself, my wife and our 14 year old son. Can anyone recommend any good sites/ itineraries that they have followed? We went to Britanny many years ago and have been to Nice and the cote d’azure. We loved everywhere really and are very open to suggestions. We could do with a decent site or place to camp near Calais as we will arrive at 1am. Thanks guys.

Suggestion : Don't camp book your self in the ibis or ibis budget near the tunnel. the Ibis budget is card entry based on your credit card and assuming it has not changed a bunk bed above a double bed. Although I have not stayed there for a while but it used to be convenient for a early morning get away.

ibis budget Calais Tunnel sous la Manche

Between the Eurotunnel 5 mins away and the ferry 10 mins away, the ibis budget Calais-Coquelles (formerly an Etap Hotel) offers quick access to the Cité Europe shopping center (219 yds) and L'Usine Côte d'Opale Outlet Center (437 yds away). The Opal Coast

all.accor.com

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

I would recommend heading along the normandy coast towards Honfleur / Deauville - you can stop anywhere along the route for cider / oysters / moules / muscadet / cheese / pastries / bread - the beaches are beautiful and you can pretty much stop / camp wherever you fancy - dont worry about camp sites just live on the beach for a week -

Hi @stuavo Would also recommend heading further along the North Normandy coast than Honfleur and Deauville. Maybe as far as Saint-Vaast-La-Houge. Nice harbour there and amphibious boat trips to the island. Also a fabulous seafood shop and restaurant (Tomahawk). Loads of free camping spots and loads of WW2 history along the coast - Pegasus Bridge, Omaha Beach, Sainte-Mere-Eglise, Arromanches, Caretan (D-Day Experience is great), to name just a few - there’s loads. Bayeux Tapestry is worth a visit.

 

[Niborn]

I live in France a lot of the time and have passed through the North France area more times than I can count . My advice is to find a place which is not too quiet, a few others around for safety is a good idea, which also feels right for you, or drive on a bit a find a small village and a car park somewhere or of a field. No one will bother with you until well past daylight if at all. Have a look at the app Park4Night, it is excellent.
For the week's holiday ,we would go to Suisse Normande, it is lovely.
My wife comes from Brittany it is also lovely out of season if the weather is good, really horrible if it is raining, as it does much of the time. The best place in France is the Cevennes, especially in department 30, there are massive national parks and the possibility of real nature and river swimming as well as options to go to big beaches within an hour or two.

 

[Moonlight Motel]

We spent 10 weeks in France last year between Cherbourg and Bordeaux and we used a combination of Park4Nite and Google maps. If you select an area you want to visit on Google mps and search for "Aire de Camping" or campsites and all the facilities in the area are displayed. We also used Maps to zoom in and find potential spots for wild/free camping. The biggest thing that we learnt though was not to over plan and make it up as you go!!!

 

[rod_vw]

If you've only got one week just be aware of how big France is! In those few days you will only scratch the surface of this fascinating country.
Do some research into the things / areas that you would like to see within the distances and time that you have available. Don't forget the many and varying speed limits on French roads!

You may find this regularly updated website of some help - https://www.motorhomingfrance.co.uk/

Most of all get over there and enjoy it.

 

[stuavo]

Not many campsites will let you in at 1am. An Aire de Service might work.
One of our favourite campsites is Le Brevedent in Normandy.
We’ve been to Brittany twice. Very beautiful but very wet. Never again.
Most recently we drove straight South and stayed at a site called Cosy Camp and loved it.

The book Cool Camping France is full of great sites.

Thanks for your advice. Much appreciated. I will check out your suggestions. Stuart

 

[stuavo]

I think Le Brevedent reopens in May. Looks gorgeous though.

Thanks I’ll have a look at that

 

[stuavo]

Just sleep in the Motorway Services & check into the site later.

Good idea thanks

 

[stuavo]

I would recommend heading along the normandy coast towards Honfleur / Deauville - you can stop anywhere along the route for cider / oysters / moules / muscadet / cheese / pastries / bread - the beaches are beautiful and you can pretty much stop / camp wherever you fancy - dont worry about camp sites just live on the beach for a week -

Good idea thanks

Ah. I need to be there right now! Thanks

 

[rod_vw]

I hope that someone has warned you about overnighting on motorway services. Those places are the most frequent ones for break-ins and theft. My son was similarly treated some years ago on one of these parking places!
Go and find a nice Aire off the beaten track, often discoverable on Search4Sites and other similar websites.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

I hope that someone has warned you about overnighting on motorway services. Those places are the most frequent ones for break-ins and theft. My son was similarly treated some years ago on one of these parking places!
Go and find a nice Aire off the beaten track, often discoverable on Search4Sites and other similar websites.

Motorway services with fuel stations are well lit, covered by CCTV & often have police passing through. Park close to the shop or with the lorries and you shouldn’t have any issues.

Avoid the picnic pull-ins with no fuel station / shop.

 

[Tomato]

You only have a week so best do a D day beaches and seafood jolly. Use Michelin restaurant app. Don’t use first impressions or hunches. Photos from October 2021

 

[Tomato]

I live in France a lot of the time and have passed through the North France area more times than I can count . My advice is to find a place which is not too quiet, a few others around for safety is a good idea, which also feels right for you, or drive on a bit a find a small village and a car park somewhere or of a field. No one will bother with you until well past daylight if at all. Have a look at the app Park4Night, it is excellent.
For the week's holiday ,we would go to Suisse Normande, it is lovely.
My wife comes from Brittany it is also lovely out of season if the weather is good, really horrible if it is raining, as it does much of the time. The best place in France is the Cevennes, especially in department 30, there are massive national parks and the possibility of real nature and river swimming as well as options to go to big beaches within an hour or two.

Agree park4night good site/ app in EU

 

[calibusje]

Hello, great prospects for you, top! Enjoy your trip to France. You can see quite a bit in a week, but as someone said: don't stuff it full because France is big and you can always come back -several times. Someone said: Park4Night (French app) and this is indeed -for us- the best, especially for France. I wouldn't spend the night in a parking lot at a gas station, there are indeed cameras, but those bandits doesn’t seem to care about them. But this is my idea about it and you should feel for yourself where you want te park and/or sleep. We apply the following rule: if one of us has doubts about the safety of a sleeping place, we look for another; there are plenty.
Anyway, let's think about the fun things and start by following the route départementale 940 from Calais towards Boulogne-sur-Mer past Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Griz-Nez and stopping regularly along the villages and beaches. Tip: Atlantic Wall Museum - Battery Todt. In your week you can even drive further, direction Honfleur via Hardelot & Le Touquet Paris-Plage.
Even le Mont-Saint-Michel is feasible in that week and -again personally- worth a visit; first impression will be that it is incredibly touristy but look for the narrow streets and you will find a peace that you do not expect.
Eating and drinking is good along this route (local products) and going slow is ok.
Greetings

 

[andyinluton]

Motorway services with fuel stations are well lit, covered by CCTV & often have police passing through. Park close to the shop or with the lorries and you shouldn’t have any issues.

Avoid the picnic pull-ins with no fuel station / shop.

If its quiet we have always preferred to stop at one on the Peage, most crooks won't want to target somewhere that they have to pay to exit with the associated risks of being stopped, also avoid those that are near major cities.

In normal years, in July / August, once past Paris you can struggle to find a space overnight at any type of motorway stop, they tend to be full of cars with people asleep in them. If its that crowded you would be very unlucky to be the one out of hundreds of vehicles thats targeted.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Hello, great prospects for you, top! Enjoy your trip to France. You can see quite a bit in a week, but as someone said: don't stuff it full because France is big and you can always come back -several times. Someone said: Park4Night (French app) and this is indeed -for us- the best, especially for France. I wouldn't spend the night in a parking lot at a gas station, there are indeed cameras, but those bandits doesn’t seem to care about them. But this is my idea about it and you should feel for yourself where you want te park and/or sleep. We apply the following rule: if one of us has doubts about the safety of a sleeping place, we look for another; there are plenty.

Park4Night is great App but the OP said that they were arriving at 1am in the morning so there is not much chance to check if it seems like a safe place with family onboard wanting to sleep, and if the intended stop off is full upon arrival then you need to drive further to find another spot.

We have always stopped at Peage services when arriving early hours in Le Mans enroute to the West Coast, but agree that motorway services are not the place to spend your entire family holiday.

 

[calibusje]

Park4Night is great App but the OP said that they were arriving at 1am in the morning so there is not much chance to check if it seems like a safe place with family onboard wanting to sleep, and if the intended stop off is full upon arrival then you need to drive further to find another spot.

We have always stopped at Peage services when arriving early hours in Le Mans enroute to the West Coast, but agree that motorway services are not the place to spend your entire family holiday.

Hello, yes, I have read that they arrive at 1am but I meant to use the app all other days of their trip; When we come back from the UK, we drive home at any hour: Bruges, Belgium. That is why I have no great tips for a decent site or place to camp near Calais, sorry. But do you really want my opinion on staying overnight in your Cali close to Calais? Do not do it! Drive on.
Still, I think you can use the app to look for a first place to sleep: you arrive in Calais, look for a place via the app (and therefore also read the reviews about safety, we always do) and so you can certainly have a good idea of your possible sleeping place and/or continue driving. But hey, everyone has their own idea about this, isn't it? By the way, if we all had to do the same, the camper places would be full so ok for me for sleeping at gas stations (but I won't do it).
Greetings
Calibusje

 

[calibusje]

If its quiet we have always preferred to stop at one on the Peage, most crooks won't want to target somewhere that they have to pay to exit with the associated risks of being stopped, also avoid those that are near major cities.

In normal years, in July / August, once past Paris you can struggle to find a space overnight at any type of motorway stop, they tend to be full of cars with people asleep in them. If its that crowded you would be very unlucky to be the one out of hundreds of vehicles thats targeted.

Very good that you look at it that way, but I for myself would still watch out at night at an air on a péage: there are many burglaries and other things that are not kosher. Those with bad intentions come at night and are often on foot… they only need your wallet and/or wifes handbag. Their car could be on a little road next to the péage, just after a field or little bush; no need for the péage for them.
Each does what they feel most comfortabele and safe with but I don't do it. My father got robbed while sleeping in his motorhome at an air at a gas station together with all others which stood there! That is why I cannot recommend sleeping at an air or gas station at a péage because of those true events. I do understand people see it as safe (and spread the word around) because they never heard of the bad things that happen at night at airs at péages or don’t believe the rumours…. but are they rumours or not? Anyway, I’ll take my chances in small villages to overnight.
Yet a reflection I made years ago: the thefts at night happen unnoticed and usually through the front doors (even the French police says it). That is why - wherever I am with our van to sleep - I certainly never leave my wife's handbag in the front and keep my bank card separate from my wallet during the night. Also some cash reserve money is hidden somewhere as a backup should we loose the rest. Also, when one of us doesn't feel safe, we move on and find another place to sleep. It are just ideas, do with it what you want but above all feel safe because traveling should also be very relaxing.
Travel and sleep safe!

 

[WelshGas]

Solve the problem, sleep in UK and take early morning crossing. I believe it is possible to sleep at Euroshuttle terminal if you arrive later for early morning crossing.