French camping question

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Would be nice to know why you " Disagree"
Early booking Discount is available.
Ferry crossings do vary in price.
Cheapest is not always best.
Experience does count.
Advice is always useful whether you take it or not.
So the only thing left is my statement that I hope you enjoy your holiday.:Nailbiting
 
Cwoods1405 said:
Off to France in August for just under two weeks. Can't make up my mind on whether to book sites or just luck it! Any suggestions or advice as its school holidays over there as well. Want to make my way down to Bordeaux then come back. Nothing too exciting but it's a start!!
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Book sites ahead of time if you are going in August!
 
Horses for courses,

If you have children, unsure about wild camping, not want to risk Aires or being left by the roadside, want the comfort of setting off and knowing where you are going, then book ahead.

Ok for me, I'm sollo and well used to stopping in unlikely places, but even then I would at least book my first couple of nights until established in-country.
 
WelshGas said:
View attachment 10839
Would be nice to know why you " Disagree"
Early booking Discount is available.
Ferry crossings do vary in price.
Cheapest is not always best.
Experience does count.
Advice is always useful whether you take it or not.
So the only thing left is my statement that I hope you enjoy your holiday.:Nailbiting
Click to expand...
Hi Welsh Gas, I don't feel I agree or disagree, it's just different for different people, there is no right or wrong way, we each have to do what works for us.:happy
 
GrannyJen said:
I personally find my itinerary and places to stop being organised for me contrary to the principle of Cali ownership.

However I would not recommend my style of Cali ownership to anyone who likes to feel organised, safe and in control :shocked

Enough said that two months ago I set off for Margate and ended up in Belgium :(
Click to expand...
You should get your brakes checked Jen ..........
 
WelshGas said:
View attachment 10839
Would be nice to know why you " Disagree"
Early booking Discount is available.
Ferry crossings do vary in price.
Cheapest is not always best.
Experience does count.
Advice is always useful whether you take it or not.
So the only thing left is my statement that I hope you enjoy your holiday.:Nailbiting
Click to expand...
Welshgas
The reason I disagreed is as follows:
There is no early booking discount (currently) advertised on the Eurocamp Independent website.
I agree regarding ferry crossing prices differing but in my (25 +) years of camping I have generally found booking separately to be most cost effective. The Tesco deal for Eurotunnel is especially good.
I agree cheapest is not always best but here we are actually talking about the exact same campsites, and in my example nearly 50% cheaper.
As another poster said, different strokes for different folks.
Hope you enjoy your hols too
 
We went to the Caravan and Motorhome last March. The caravan club were promoting "ferry week".
What was a wisp of an idea became a reality there and then with a > 50 % discount on an expensive Ferry. This year, I will be ready for it as that sort of discount is hard to find.
 
I think I'm going to book as my other half likes good facilities. If it were just me I'd get in and go! Got another question about the cost of tolls? Driving down from Caen to the dordogne with a stop or two enroute. Anyone got a rough idea or where I can get some info. I want to make a bit of progress as we don't have loads of time. The joys of full time work
 
Zeebrugge to Hyeres cost us less than 80 euros ut more than 60 euro's
 
Cwoods1405 said:
I think I'm going to book as my other half likes good facilities. If it were just me I'd get in and go! Got another question about the cost of tolls? Driving down from Caen to the dordogne with a stop or two enroute. Anyone got a rough idea or where I can get some info. I want to make a bit of progress as we don't have loads of time. The joys of full time work
Click to expand...
Try the Sanef website, they have a calculator
https://www.saneftolling.co.uk/support/toll_rates
You can also get a liber tag from them to use the auto tolls
 
All booked now! Going to get a tag for the tolls and some practice trips in!! Can't wait!! Thanks again for the advice
 
We spent 3 weeks in France August 2015 with 2 kidsand and only had trouble getting a place in a campsite in the North Normandy towns approaching Calais on the way back - at the weekend. Otherwise, it was fine. However, we did do more than half of our tour at the numerous Aires, the best of which felt more comfortable than the worst campsites.
 
marshian70 said:
Out of interest, I priced up the site we are staying at next summer with Eurocamp Independent today. Came in at £1,165 for 16 nights, pitch only :sad. Direct with site I make it €1,189, at current ex rate around £850. :D
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Where is that? Seems more or less the same money as renting an apartment or house?
 
I agree, expensive for camping. No way I would have paid the Eurocamp Independent price. It is a site near Sarlat in the Dordogne - excellent reviews.
 
Quite eye-opening the charges some people are getting for camping in France. Just checked my log for last summer's road trip.

In France from end of July to end of August. Route was Calais to Carcasone 'ish.

All the sites we stayed on were municipals/ACSI type sites. All sites were 'on spec' and chosen from our sat nav, wherever we ended up, at 4-5pm each day (using the Archies Camping POI list). Only had trouble once finding a site that wasn't full and that was in Gorges du Tarn. Instead we ended up at the top of the Gorge on a municipal, which ironically, is possibly the best site we have ever visited.

Maximum charge was 24euros, minimum 6.23euros. Total site fees for the 32 nights at 28 different sites was 462 euros. Which worked out roughly at £11 per night.

Lot cheaper than staying at home :)
 
Staxtoncali said:
Quite eye-opening the charges some people are getting for camping in France. Just checked my log for last summer's road trip.

In France from end of July to end of August. Route was Calais to Carcasone 'ish.

All the sites we stayed on were municipals/ACSI type sites. All sites were 'on spec' and chosen from our sat nav, wherever we ended up, at 4-5pm each day (using the Archies Camping POI list). Only had trouble once finding a site that wasn't full and that was in Gorges du Tarn. Instead we ended up at the top of the Gorge on a municipal, which ironically, is possibly the best site we have ever visited.

Maximum charge was 24euros, minimum 6.23euros. Total site fees for the 32 nights at 28 different sites was 462 euros. Which worked out roughly at £11 per night.

Lot cheaper than staying at home :)
Click to expand...

My similar trip last year taking 10 days and going via Loire and Normandy coast cost me about 80 euro's in overnight charges, only three times without hook-up, always with water and toilet disposal facilities.

That said I am child free (for about the next three years)...
 
Archies App on your smartphone. Does not take up any room in campervan. My UK mob provider is Three with unlimited surfing. It does not cost me to surf when travelling, so Archies App is great as I can then access the campsite's Web address to contact them or make an online reservation.
 
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