Devonboy said:
Can I ask what your preferred ferry / route is and travel duration getting to South Brittany?
Can I ask what your preferred ferry / route is and travel duration getting to South Brittany?
Wyrewanderer said:
For that area we do Portsmouth Caen, and then on via Rennes, Vannes to Carnac. Most of it is Autoroute or Route Nationale.
We love Brittany but did have one rather wet holiday there but most have been dry.
We have had rain on the Vendee and even down by the Spanish border although not to the same extent. You really need to be at the South of France to avoid the risk but personally I doubt the distance can be justified.
We have had rain on the Vendee and even down by the Spanish border although not to the same extent. You really need to be at the South of France to avoid the risk but personally I doubt the distance can be justified.
Our preferred routes are Portsmouth to St Malo out and Caen Portsmouth back, there is a ferry back from St Malo but not many sailings to choose from, alternative is Plymouth Roscoff out and back, we always go overnight and always book a cabin, gets you into France between 7 and 8 in the morning so effectively a whole day to get to your site, longest was St Emillion arrived at 6 in evening, but most of Brittany is reachable by lunchtime.
Brittany is also easy to reach from Caen and generally cheaper.
We did sail on this from Portsmouth setting off later then the St Malo ferry and passed St Malo on our way to the site with the ferry still coming in. Down side you get less sleep though.
We did sail on this from Portsmouth setting off later then the St Malo ferry and passed St Malo on our way to the site with the ferry still coming in. Down side you get less sleep though.
Raywood said:
But if they stay close to the port then an early morning sailing gets you to Caen in time to reach a site by early evening as it’s virtually all autoroute or RN.
Well everybody certainly has their preferred routes!
I’m not a good sailor and know I wouldn’t get any sleep on the overnight ferry so defo need a day sailing. At the moment we are thinking of either Caen or Cherbourg, stop overnight and visit the D Day beaches. Stay another night and drive down to the Brittany coast.
That way we can get an early start and make our final destination in plenty of time.
I’m not a good sailor and know I wouldn’t get any sleep on the overnight ferry so defo need a day sailing. At the moment we are thinking of either Caen or Cherbourg, stop overnight and visit the D Day beaches. Stay another night and drive down to the Brittany coast.
That way we can get an early start and make our final destination in plenty of time.
Wyrewanderer said:
Sounds a good plan. The D-Day beaches and surrounding area with the war cemeteries and museums are very interesting.
Just to add to things to see. At Ecausseville (Normandy but easily reachable), there is a WW1 airship hanger. It is now being done up as a tourist site, but we saw it before any work was done there. Its a truly amazing structure, used in WW1 by French Marine Detection Airships. During WW2, it was first used by the French Army (but not for long 
), then the Germans used it to repair tanks, latterly followed by the Americans for the same use, who also employed German Prisoners on tank repair.
In the hangar you can fly indoor with a small balloon (Aéroplume), hanging in a harness till 20 m height.
http://www.sbap.be/museum/ecausseville/ecausseville.htm
), then the Germans used it to repair tanks, latterly followed by the Americans for the same use, who also employed German Prisoners on tank repair.In the hangar you can fly indoor with a small balloon (Aéroplume), hanging in a harness till 20 m height.
http://www.sbap.be/museum/ecausseville/ecausseville.htm
When the weather is good, Brittany is very good, in the same way Cornwall is, and the coastline has many similarities.
Its not so much bad daytime weather, more that it cools a lot during the evening, so sitting out may well require a fleece or body warmer. There are lots of smaller bays and sandy inlets so there's plenty to see and do.
Its not so much bad daytime weather, more that it cools a lot during the evening, so sitting out may well require a fleece or body warmer. There are lots of smaller bays and sandy inlets so there's plenty to see and do.
chrisn7 said:
We love Cornwall so what you have described sounds like our type of holiday. Which area of Brittany would you recommend for the smaller bays and sandy inlets?
As for the weather, we’re not looking for 25c plus 17-22c is just great for us and it looks like most of the campsites have heated pools as well. Like you say, pop a fleece on at night or we can sit in the van.
I prefer the North Coast, from Roscoff heading west. For me, its much more Cornwall like.
Have a look around Mogueran and Le Curnic. Also the coast around Lampaul-Ploudalmézeau.
Have a look around Mogueran and Le Curnic. Also the coast around Lampaul-Ploudalmézeau.
Been to Cornwall once a few years ago to a Park that Parksy recommended , itself was lovely and if yous remember it rained the full 2 wks !!
So when it comes to France , give me a 5 hour drive any time for heat & less chance off rain B)
So when it comes to France , give me a 5 hour drive any time for heat & less chance off rain B)
The rain is my worry. With two teenagers the last thing I want is 2 wks of rain (not that anybody can predict or guarantee it)
A drive further south might be in order!
A drive further south might be in order!
Like many who have done France they will probably say the furthest south you go the better the weather , we have done pin parasol which is a good 10 hour drive we got two weeks off glorious sunshine but 2 nights off torrential rain , 3 years ago we done the Dordogne and we got spot on weather for the for 2 weeks which was a 6 hours'ish drive , i drive 8 hours a day so easy for me , but not for some .
In fairness, we have seen enough Grockles and Grockleboxes pottering around Dordogneshire to make it look like a Cornwall August.
How about using the Plymouth to Roscoff route instead of Poole ? won't be that many more miles from Lancs. and you will find the UK site probably less stressful. Roscofff is a much easier port to leave than Cherbourg and then you are already in Brittany..
The usual ferry is Amorique which is much new, spaciaous and more comfrotable that the venerable barfleur from Poole.
If you do use Plymouth, ignore the posted Ferry signs on the A38 from Exeter andgo to the last exit before the Saltash Bridge and follow signs to Devonport Dockyou. Look on google Earth andmaps and you will see you bypass all the main city centre.
I live in Somerset and although Poole is nearer than Plymouth, this route has been my first choice for some years.
The usual ferry is Amorique which is much new, spaciaous and more comfrotable that the venerable barfleur from Poole.
If you do use Plymouth, ignore the posted Ferry signs on the A38 from Exeter andgo to the last exit before the Saltash Bridge and follow signs to Devonport Dockyou. Look on google Earth andmaps and you will see you bypass all the main city centre.
I live in Somerset and although Poole is nearer than Plymouth, this route has been my first choice for some years.
As many have said before, the further south you go, generally the nicer (and hotter!) weather. We are regulars to Carnac - generally get 22-25 degrees in early August. The region is great and can highly recommend it - towing our old outfit there was never a problem.
The route and options are down to personal preferences - we've done the ferry to Caen and Cherbourg a few times but we now much prefer taking the Eurotunnel to Calais. Timing-wise to our destinations they are generally similar, but the tunnel is by far cheaper (especially using Tesco vouchers!) and departure/arrival times work better with when we want to get places.
We went to Argeles-sur-Mer (near Perpignan) last year (without the caravan) and broke the journey up over 2 days (may have needed 3 towing or 2 very long days). The weather was much hotter, but we did go during the heatwave last year so regularly saw 38-40hmy: . But the beaches and warm water were much nicer than the north!!
If we get another outfit before next summer we may look at the Vendee region as a compromise between travel time and seeking warmer weather!
The route and options are down to personal preferences - we've done the ferry to Caen and Cherbourg a few times but we now much prefer taking the Eurotunnel to Calais. Timing-wise to our destinations they are generally similar, but the tunnel is by far cheaper (especially using Tesco vouchers!) and departure/arrival times work better with when we want to get places.
We went to Argeles-sur-Mer (near Perpignan) last year (without the caravan) and broke the journey up over 2 days (may have needed 3 towing or 2 very long days). The weather was much hotter, but we did go during the heatwave last year so regularly saw 38-40
hmy: . But the beaches and warm water were much nicer than the north!!If we get another outfit before next summer we may look at the Vendee region as a compromise between travel time and seeking warmer weather!
We had a week of rain last time we went to Carnac, modest rain in the Vendee and rain in Biaritz so no guarantees anywhere. Most trips to France have been scorchingly hot though.
Carnac has always been one of our favourites ( not everybody's cup of tea ) but because of the Quiberon peninsular it enjoys a micro climate. we would normally go at the end of august beginning of September and enjoyed temperatures in the late 20's early 30's and really balmy evenings. We have been in the Dordogne and the Charante maritime and had horrendous thunder storms during the night.
It’s a lovely area. I had use of a sailing boat berthed on Belle Ile and the area within the Gulf of Morbihan is so full of interest that sometimes we would spend a week there. Vannes is a typical traditional city and the older area leading to the waterfront is a delight.
That area of Brittany is well worth exploring.
That area of Brittany is well worth exploring.
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