Overnight at ouistreham Caen.

[The Leanings]

Hi all. We are coming home to Portsmouth through Caen next week and always used to overnight at the port for an early ferry in the morning. Has anyone done this recently? Would it be ok to drift into the port about 7.00 pm and lurk quietly? If not how about Cherbourg? Booking later , so any up to date advice is appreciated.

 

[Cwcltd]

We stayed at Luc sur Mer recently, and on the road to Lion sur Mer there were a number of aires at the roadside, with vans parked up. This being about 5-10 minutes from the port. At the ferry terminal (at the time) there was a heavy police presence, not sure if they’d be bothered by you parking up.

 

[marchugo]

Next to the entrance of the ferry terminal in Uistreham, there is a paid Aire Municipal, 12 euro. Just a parking, not very horizontal. Military police keeps a eye on the place, because of roaming fugitives.

Our Mastercard was refused, only the French Carte Blue was accepted by the paying machine.

Sleeping upstairs there was quite some noise from ferries arriving en departing.
Ideal place for early departing to UK though.

Don’t expect that the police will tolerate you inside the heavily guarded terminal area.

A few miles more south there is a camping Des Pommiers.

Regards from Amsterdam,

Marc.

 

[Azteccamper]

Hi all. We are coming home to Portsmouth through Caen next week and always used to overnight at the port for an early ferry in the morning. Has anyone done this recently? Would it be ok to drift into the port about 7.00 pm and lurk quietly? If not how about Cherbourg? Booking later , so any up to date advice is appreciated.

We did this in 2019 (pre-covid) but ended up staying at www.tohapi.fr just up the road. The number of immigrants about the place made us feel quite uneasy - the campsite wasn’t great either. The whole experience spoilt our final night a bit tbh.
So choose carefully where you stay and enjoy.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Next to the entrance of the ferry terminal in Uistreham, there is a paid Aire Municipal, 12 euro. Just a parking, not very horizontal. Military police keeps a eye on the place, because of roaming fugitives.

Our Mastercard was refused, only the French Carte Blue was accepted by the paying machine.

Sleeping upstairs there was quite some noise from ferries arriving en departing.
Ideal place for early departing to UK though.

Don’t expect that the police will tolerate you inside the heavily guarded terminal area.

A few miles more south there is a camping Des Pommiers.

Regards from Amsterdam,

Marc.

Regarding the card machine at the Aire. We have stayed a number of times in the past “ Pre covid” and used a Mastercard. Does it state on the machine that it will only take French credit cards? Seems a bit unfortunate for travelers from the UK and other countries other than France.

 

[marchugo]

@Ozzy Pete
The machine just didn’t accept our MasterCard when we were there. A friendly Frenchmen helped us with his French Carte Bleu, and I repaid him in cash.

Anyway, personally I wouldn’t go back there, as it’s only an ugly parking with skewed tarmac. For a night sleep waiting for the early ferry it’s a good place.

Marc.

 

[marchugo]

And I used the camping aire for biking to Caen, to le Musee du Grand Bunker ( just opposit the aire) and to the Pegasus Museum and Pegasus Bridge, 3 miles to the south of Ouistreham. All doable in one day if you start early.

Marc.

 

[scooter]

We've just come back via the same route although we stopped in the best western hotel I'm sure I read that if you have an early ferry you can park up after the last ferry has left the night before

 

[Ozzy Pete]

@Ozzy Pete
The machine just didn’t accept our MasterCard when we were there. A friendly Frenchmen helped us with his French Carte Bleu, and I repaid him in cash.

Anyway, personally I wouldn’t go back there, as it’s only an ugly parking with skewed tarmac. For a night sleep waiting for the early ferry it’s a good place.

Marc.

We have stayed there probably 3 or 4 times but it’s at night when the ferry gets in at 9.30. By the time you get off it’s gone 10 so don’t really want a lot further. We have noticed there is a free Aire just down the road a few miles so my try that one. Will do a bit more research.

 

[The Leanings]

Just to say we chose to go from Cherbourg at 12.00 midday and stayed at Granville a few nights before. This worked out easier. My friends tried to stay at the port at Caen overnight but had trouble getting in, it seems it was closed after the last ferry had gone.