1st caravan holiday with toddler and baby

[weestevieb]

Hi all,

I have just bought our first caravan and want to find some warm weather this summer. We have a toddler and baby so don't want to get too ambitious or too expensive. We plan to go for 2-3 weeks in the school summer holiday.

I have been looking on the CC website and on the internet but there's so much to choose from it's frying my brain!

Can anybody recommend somewhere suitable with appropriate routes/camp sites? I prefer places not too noisy or crowded and don't need loads of entertainment onsite.

Thank you for any advice offered, much appreciated.

Steve

 

[ValA.]

Hi Stephen - There are 11,000 sites in France, so I can imagine that looking for yourself, for the first time, would be a bit of a minefield

A bit more of a 'wish-list' might help with recommendations. Do you want beach? Lake or River? How far do you want to drive? Is budget a big consideration? What sort of scenery do you like? Do you want to be close to a town or village for walking into, or shopping?

Do you really need to go during the school holidays? This is the time when French sites are most crowded, and you can get some really nice sites outside of peak season for very little. Have you looked at the www.campingcheque.co.uk, www.touringcheque.co.uk, websites for instance, for details of the sort of sites you might get - and all for

 

[LesleyRussell]

If you are going in the summer holidays you may wish to stay more northerly. Mid to South France can (with the exception of the last couple of years) get quite hot and, unless you have air conditioning in car and caravan can lead to very niggly babies and toddlers. There are some nice sites near to Calais, Normandy and Northern Brittany either next to or close to beaches. As Val has said the first four weeks of the school summer holidays are extremely busy in France so the last two weeks in August may be less crowded. Let us know your preferences and we can suggest some sites.

 

[LesleyRussell]

Just noticed your posting on Plymouth to Roscoff run. You might be interested to know that Condor Ferries are offering a (free crossing for Caravan) until September on Sunday sailings only - Portsmouth - Cherbourg. You can get a return crossing (even in school summer holidays) for about

 

[weestevieb]

Thanks for the replies. Good food for thought. Having looked at other posts we have booked a Norfolk Line ferry to Dunkerque. We have 3 weeks and a day starting on 27th July.

We have to go in the school holidays as I'm a teacher. We also have commitments in the UK later in August. I will try and answer the questions you ask Val although failry open minded at the moment.

As we have 3 weeks I don't mind driving a bit further and doing it in stages. I thought 3 different places would be good maybe 5 hoursish apart, slightly more if necesary.

Budget is not a major issue. We are not on a shoestring but don't want to pay

 

[weestevieb]

Thanks for the replies. Good food for thought. Having looked at other posts we have booked a Norfolk Line ferry to Dunkerque. We have 3 weeks and a day starting on 27th July.

We have to go in the school holidays as I'm a teacher. We also have commitments in the UK later in August. I will try and answer the questions you ask Val although failry open minded at the moment.

As we have 3 weeks I don't mind driving a bit further and doing it in stages. I thought 3 different places would be good maybe 5 hoursish apart, slightly more if necesary.

Budget is not a major issue. We are not on a shoestring but don't want to pay

 

[weestevieb]

Thanks for the replies. Good food for thought. Having looked at other posts we have booked a Norfolk Line ferry to Dunkerque. We have 3 weeks and a day starting on 27th July.

We have to go in the school holidays as I'm a teacher. We also have commitments in the UK later in August. I will try and answer the questions you ask Val although failry open minded at the moment.

As we have 3 weeks I don't mind driving a bit further and doing it in stages. I thought 3 different places would be good maybe 5 hoursish apart, slightly more if necesary.

Budget is not a major issue. We are not on a shoestring but don't want to pay

 

[weestevieb]

Thanks for the replies. Good food for thought. Having looked at other posts we have booked a Norfolk Line ferry to Dunkerque. We have 3 weeks and a day starting on 27th July.

We have to go in the school holidays as I'm a teacher. We also have commitments in the UK later in August. I will try and answer the questions you ask Val although failry open minded at the moment.

As we have 3 weeks I don't mind driving a bit further and doing it in stages. I thought 3 different places would be good maybe 5 hoursish apart, slightly more if necesary.

Budget is not a major issue. We are not on a shoestring but don't want to pay

 

[weestevieb]

Hi, have fairly settled in Revin, Mosel and Colmar but need a ha;f way stop on the way back to the ferry. Any good sites please?

Steve

 

[ValA.]

Nice municipal site in Chalons en Champagne, near to the town for shopping, good grassy pitches, restaurant on site so if you arrive lateish you don't need to cook! Also another recommended municipal site in Epernay, also in the Champage region.