Best Route For A First Timer

[Mark&Lyn]

Hi, we're plannning a first time caravan trip from Liverpool to Vienne in about 2 weeks. We've been advised by forum members that most French campsites will be closed but we will be visiting a few friends and hooking up at their places.

I'm thinking about using one of the longer ferry crossings and getting some sleep in a cabin in order to do the journey in two phases without needing to use any sites for a stopover. Have any members done similar journeys? What do people think of this?

With this being our first trip with a caravan I'm trying to minimise the amount of new things I need to do.

I'm also apprehensive of the whole embarking/disembarking thing. Are any of the ports offering longer crossings easier to navigate?

Many thanks.

Mark & Lyn

 

[Woodentop]

Assuming you are talking of Vienne near Lyons, its 387 miles as the cow flies from St Malo and 397 miles from Calais/Dunkerque., and the channel is much the cheaper crossing.

Having driven all over France I would go by Dunkerque. Shorter crossing and easier driving IME. From Dunkerque travel through Belgium and down to Luxembourg, then to Metz, Nancy, Dijon and Lyons. Motorways in Belgium (and Lux) are easy driving and above all FREE! Parts of the A31 south of Luxembourg are free and then the A6 to Lyon.

 

[Jcloughie]

I would agree with Woodentop. All doable but traffic can be a bit heavy in the urban areas. Like Nancy. Plan the route around Lyon. When I traveled North through there (solo), the Sat Nav took me through town along the river, with stop start traffic. There is an eastern alternative that might be better.

Re embarkation/disembarkation, all ports are similar. Easier than you might expect. Try some YouTube research. Also look at the Tunnel as a possibility. Good value with Tesco vouchers.

John

If you Google something like ‘year round caravan sites in France’. Might help.

 

[otherclive]

The French main cross channel ports are all easy to exit from as the through routes are well marked and put you onto good trunk routes. If you want to take more minor routes just plot your route from when you leave the ferry port. The ferry teams are also well used to embarking and disembarking caravans so just follow their instructions and don’t rush.

 

[Mark&Lyn]

Thanks for the ideas. It's the Vienne department (86) - Poitiers/Limoges area.

Starting from Liverpool I was thinking Dover was a bit too far east and more driving in France.

Has anyone done Newhaven - Dieppe?

Thanks

 

[Johnb]

Newhaven Dieppe used to be the cheapest crossing and as a youngster a 02.00 am crossing was cheapest of all.
No different to other crossings except its longer - 5 hours I think.

Would save you some drive time in France. Rouen, Le Mans, Tours and you're there!

 

[Woodentop]

As this is a first trip it is worth going to the WWII memorial at Oradour-sur-Glane which is NW of Limoges. Very moving.

 

[Mark&Lyn]

Thanks Johnb. Like I said in my first post, I'm looking to get a few hours kip in a cabin to save booking a stopover at this time of year. It's a 5 hour drive from Dieppe so 5 hours on board should be enough to refresh but what do people think of Portsmouth to Caen/Le Havre?

 

[Peterh590]

I always stay overnight in Portsmouth ferry port f.o.c. to catch an early morning ferry to Caen.Overnight ferry crossings never give you a good night's sleep and combined with the extra cost of a cabin make it expensive.

 

[Ern]

Why not find an overnight stop en-route between the ferry port and your destination. Take all the pressure off, save money on the short crossing (Caravan Club are doing a tasty price for the Tunnel).

 

[otherclive]

There was a site near Caen open fir late arrivals. So you could have a good nights sleep band do a full a days drive next day. Used to cater for those heading to winter Sun.

 

[Buckman]

We did the overnight to France once and never again. Neither of us had a good kip on the ferry due to noise from engine rumbling all night. It takes a couple of nights to get used to the noise to have a decent sleep.

 

[Peanut]

As we live in the area and have used the Newhaven crossing a few times, do the overnight one book a cabin, seats are not very comfortable, and people are always walking past. You don't say exactly where you are going, I do know a site open all year in Dept 16 its about 600Klm from Dieppe to Angouleme and a good road all the way, there is a lot of Aires that you could stop overnight in, some people prefer the security of sites though.

 

[bertieboy1]

Thanks for the ideas. It's the Vienne department (86) - Poitiers/Limoges area.

Starting from Liverpool I was thinking Dover was a bit too far east and more driving in France.

Has anyone done Newhaven - Dieppe?

Thanks

Dover is one of these places you never think your going to reach - just like Cornwall.Go straight down the country and leave from Portsmouth.

 

[otherclive]

I guess that you might need to assess the various routes including channel crossing costs, times and frequency. Some ferry routes aren’t yet operating at their pre pandemic frequency so you would need to check out your options. But I’ve often crossed Dover to Dunkerque ( used to be cheap) and found the ease of driving through France compensated for the slightly longer journey. But Caen, Le Havre routes are convenient albeit more expensive and less frequent.

PS OBE the OP are crossing from Newhaven tomorrow evening on the 2300 ferry.