Camping cheques-check.Caravan club-check.First time to france-newbie looks for itinerary advice

[darlingbuds]

Hi everyone.
We have a bit of holiday due starting 24th or 25th september and think we will drive to dover,stay overnight,a site with a shower, then cross to calais? Then we are looking to have about week away in France, driving to sites using camping cheques,where should we go?
We like english flea markets,car boot sales and suchlike.We would enjoy visiting villages,as well as towns ,but first time abroad with this toyota hiace campervan and no shower installed yet.
Can you recommend camping cheque sites (have to order them today) and should I book direct or with caravan club.They have been very helpful when I phoned them,and gave me lots of tips.

 

[RayS]

At the time you are going - towards the end of season - there may not be too much difference between site prices with or without camping cheques. Not all sites accept them anyway. municipal sites may well be below the 14 or 15 euro mark.

Sorry I can't recommend any particular site as I don't use this part of France very much but hopefully other rreaders will be able to help.

 

[darlingbuds]

Ok thanks,I have booked the ferry now,dover calais,hope I have done the right thing.
I will hang fire before I decide about the camping cheques. I would like to be sure we have somewhere to stay,but I will wait for some more good advice.

 

[RayS]

At this time of year you should have no problem whatsoever in finding somewhere to stay. Many of us who visit France out of season never book ahead and have never had to sleep in a layby (NOT RECOMMENDED)

 

[darlingbuds]

i am looking at the itinerary builder on the french tourist board site.,first attempt it took me to
marquise,wimereux,boulougne sur mer,le touquet paris plage,le treport,le crotoy,abbeville,hazebrouck,calais.Is this mainly seaside,I am looking for villages and small towns too.Are there more charming places I should head towards? Is Rouen a nice town?Brugges,belgium??

Thinking about staying near the ferry terminal on friday night in dover, and on the return leg possibly.any suggestions?
How much cheaper is it if you dont use camping cheques?
Rough ferry price £64 return-with p and o,is that ok ish?

 

[darlingbuds]

thanks.Are aires the same as laybys,wasn't planning to,are they a safety risk?do I look to find the sites that are picturesqe or near a beach for example? Are there any books I could look at in the library? I want to go to nice parts of France.Which are the best roads? Am i asking too many questions!!

 

[Clubman1]

We are off to France on the 18th Sep for 4 weeks using ACSI card and Camping Cheques - our destination is somewhere near Royan/La Rochelle. However if you do not want to travel that far I would recommend Camping Haliotis at Pontorson on the Normandy/Brittany border. This is a camping cheque site, although as Ray S says late in the season there is little difference in cost between using Camping Cheques or paying in Euros. Camping Haliotis is an excellent site with clean modern facilities, you receive a warm welcome from ther english speaking owners, there is a supermarket within a 5 min walk from the site, Mont St Michel (sp?) is approx 5 miles from the site and other villages and towns are within driving distance (St Malo, Dinard to name but 2). This IMHO would be an excellent site for your first visit to France. If you are not a member of the CC or C&CC I would suggest a good reference book is the Alan Roger's Quality Camping and Caravanning Sites book, not cheap, but a useful tome and should be available from WH Smith's, Waterson's etc. My knowledge of sites in the Calais area is a bit scant but am happy to suggest sites a little further away if required.
Bon Chance!

 

[LesleyRussell]

You will have to check which sites are open as a lot close by end September and shops on site start to empty. If you head towards Abbeville from Calais you will have Ferme des Aulnes which is open til later in the year and Val d'Authie. More towards the coast at St Valery sur Somme is Chateau Drancourt. I think all of these take camping cheques. Close to Hazebrook is Chateau Gandspette, again camping cheques. There is also the option of Touring cheques, La Bien Assise by Calais takes these from 1st September. You may have to pay an admin fee when you buy cheques only and do not book a ferry crossing with these companies. If you have booked the crossing with Caravan Club you should be able to purchase the cheques with no additional fees. However, as has been suggested the municipal sites would be ideal if you want sites in the centre of towns and they are not usually expensive.

 

[Guest]

As mentioned do check that sites are actually open. Some are evn closing by the 20th September. The Campng Cheque book shows those.that are open al year but others have to be checked individually.

 

[darlingbuds]

We are off to France on the 18th Sep for 4 weeks using ACSI card and Camping Cheques - our destination is somewhere near Royan/La Rochelle. However if you do not want to travel that far I would recommend Camping Haliotis at Pontorson on the Normandy/Brittany border. This is a camping cheque site, although as Ray S says late in the season there is little difference in cost between using Camping Cheques or paying in Euros. Camping Haliotis is an excellent site with clean modern facilities, you receive a warm welcome from ther english speaking owners, there is a supermarket within a 5 min walk from the site, Mont St Michel (sp?) is approx 5 miles from the site and other villages and towns are within driving distance (St Malo, Dinard to name but 2). This IMHO would be an excellent site for your first visit to France. If you are not a member of the CC or C&CC I would suggest a good reference book is the Alan Roger's Quality Camping and Caravanning Sites book, not cheap, but a useful tome and should be available from WH Smith's, Waterson's etc. My knowledge of sites in the Calais area is a bit scant but am happy to suggest sites a little further away if required.
Bon Chance!

thanks,a quick check on via michelin shows pontorson 4hours 17 minutes,so i will be putting that in my itinerary possibly. read a few reviews,one said they were taken over in june,have you been since then?

I am going to put pontorson,manche,normandy into my itinerary plan and see what it comes up with,althoughneither mont st michel or pontorson are in the list of places.

keep the suggestions coming!!

 

[darlingbuds]

As mentioned do check that sites are actually open. Some are evn closing by the 20th September. The Campng Cheque book shows those.that are open al year but others have to be checked individually.

thanks ,i have now checked and pontorson is open until 6th november

 

[darlingbuds]

You will have to check which sites are open as a lot close by end September and shops on site start to empty. If you head towards Abbeville from Calais you will have Ferme des Aulnes which is open til later in the year and Val d'Authie. More towards the coast at St Valery sur Somme is Chateau Drancourt. I think all of these take camping cheques. Close to Hazebrook is Chateau Gandspette, again camping cheques. There is also the option of Touring cheques, La Bien Assise by Calais takes these from 1st September. You may have to pay an admin fee when you buy cheques only and do not book a ferry crossing with these companies. If you have booked the crossing with Caravan Club you should be able to purchase the cheques with no additional fees. However, as has been suggested the municipal sites would be ideal if you want sites in the centre of towns and they are not usually expensive.

Thanks.Strangely enough chateau drancourt is the only french site i ever tent camped at many years ago.
What are municipal sites,where do I find them?

 

[ValA.]

I'd try to do it the other way around - find campsites which are open, and then plan your itinerary around those sites - going out on visits from the site to the places you want to visit. As has been previously mentioned, lots of campsites may not be open then - so there's little point in having a place on an itinerary if you're not actually able to find any open campsites nearby!! France is very different to England and most campsites have a very short open-season.
The Camping Cheque directory is available on line and can be used just like an on-screen book - and you can check out exactly which sites are open on what dates, then plan your interary around them.

Check out the following website http://www.brocantesfrance.com/ for details of Brocante sales or Vide Greniers - both variations of our car boot sales and which may help you plan where to stay.

 

[darlingbuds]

I'd try to do it the other way around - find campsites which are open, and then plan your itinerary around those sites - going out on visits from the site to the places you want to visit. As has been previously mentioned, lots of campsites may not be open then - so there's little point in having a place on an itinerary if you're not actually able to find any open campsites nearby!! France is very different to England and most campsites have a very short open-season.
The Camping Cheque directory is available on line and can be used just like an on-screen book - and you can check out exactly which sites are open on what dates, then plan your interary around them.

Check out the following website http://www.brocantesfrance.com/ for details of Brocante sales or Vide Greniers - both variations of our car boot sales and which may help you plan where to stay.

wow that's a great help,I will get a map out and work out where these sales area.I may not use camping cheques yet but I do need to check who is open.My husband is currently saying he doesnt want to drive a long way so it looks like normandy is out.
I may have to concentrate on brocants around pas de calais,picardy,nowhere too far.hmm..

 

[LesleyRussell]

You asked about municipal and how to find them. I am sure there are other ways but I usually google the town and find the tourist information site. This then gives a list of campsites in that area. If you are looking to call at Le Touquet there is a municipal site by Etaples which has received some good reviews.

 

[RogerB]

If you do stay at Halitosis be sure to take plenty of mouthwash - Listerine is meant to be good! lol

 

[darlingbuds]

he he..