Dunkerque Area

[TerryIvybridge]

We had hoped to go to Spain this year in July, but due to good 'ol cut-backs, we are having to think again.Maybe Dover to Calais and touring that area. Any thoughts please? Places to go, even good camp sites. I have no idea what this area has to offer, can anyone help please?. Advices and thoughts gratefully received, Thanks in advance.

 

[ValA.]

If you were going any other time than July, you could stay somewhere like Chateau du Gandspette, using Camping Cheques (£13.95 per night, including two adults, car and caravan, awning, electricity and one dog). July is peak period, though, and you'd have to pay full site prices which aren't cheap. There are other campsites around, though, which could be cheaper, but aside from Le Bien Assise at Guines, we haven't stayed on any of them.
Gandspette campsite has a pool, bar and restaurant, and if the weather is good it can be lovely. Very nearby is the Blockhaus at Eperlecques (where the V bombers were built and launched). Calais can be quite interesting on market day, and there are some cheap restaurants down by the quayside (though don't expect Gourmet Food - Le Coq d'Or is amongst the best). Then the nearest city is St Omer, with a good shopping area in the centre and market, plus the usual array of hypermarkets, the La Coupole bunker (WW2 historical museum), and the canals of the Marais. Cassels is a small hilltop town which makes a worthwhile short visit, Ypres is within a reasonable drive - and worth staying for the 8.00 pm ceremony at the Menin Gate, then there are the coastal area to the west of Calais, Wissant, Cap Gris Nez, Wimereux, and Boulogne is a nice little place. You're also within about an hour and a half of Bruges, and Lille - both definitely worth visiting, and I'm sure there are lots of other places.
It isn't an area of exciting tourist sites, but a couple could perhaps make up a reasonable itinerary and fit in as much or as little sight-seeing as you wanted. However, if you have children, you're perhaps looking for something more beach orientated and I'm afraid it's a long time since we had children with us!

 

[TerryIvybridge]

Thanks for your very comprehensive reply Val. We are just a pair of 60 yr olds(nearly) wanting to see something different. As stated, costs as they are, means that we need to look at all options. Would the area support a fortnight or so of visiting, like say, the Vende or further down the Atlantic side of France? if diesel prices keep going up, we'll be lucky to get over the Channel?..

 

[emmerson]

Terry, Herself and I spend time in this area every year, both outward and homeward on our Eurojaunts, and can heartily endorse what Val has said. The only difference is that we stay at Camping le Chaumier, at Buycheres, just outside St Omer. Very quiet approx 25 van site, with a great restaurant,and small outdoor pool. Nineteen euro per night.

 

[ValA.]

Hi Terry, I've never been to the Vendee, so don't know what's around there - we like mountains, deep valleys, and old villages - and most of our stays at Gandspette have been just for a couple of nights at the end of our holiday. However, we do like to get out and about - hence the list above, of places we've visited over all the years we've been going there (our first stay was in 1981)! To be perfectly honest it isn't an area I'd choose to spend two weeks in - but we've met lots of people over the years who stay at Gandspette for a couple of weeks and seem to have a perfectly enjoyable time.
Do you have to go inside school holidays in July, or could you contemplate earlier or later in the season? As I mentioned, an ACSI Card (www.campingcard.co.uk) or Camping Cheques (www.campingcheque.co.uk) make the whole holiday very much cheaper. Personally we like to get much further south, to find the sun, but we go outside peak season so what we pay out in fuel is more than saved on the cost of campsite fees. We have a diesel Mondeo which tows well, and yet is still economical on fuel. Last year (2010) we saved 10 euros per night on one of our campsites, 13 euros per night on another, by using an ACSI card or Camping Cheques (and that was compared to the June rate) - but the peak season (July) rate would be 42 or 43 euros instead of the 15 we paid in June! So a potential saving of 28 euros per night compared to peak weeks!!! It total we only spent £247 on 22 nights campsite fees - where in July we could have paid around £900 staying on the same sites!
There are plenty of Camping Cheque and ASCI sites in Spain, just in case you do decide that it's worth going further! There are also some lovely areas in inland France too, in case you don't want to go too far.

 

[Tony_5041742]

Interesting thread. We've always been inclined to use the likes of Ganspette as first night/last night stopovers on the way to Spain, Italy, South of France etc. However, last Whit we really fancied the idea of a break without all the travel time/cost of a long trip, and spent the entire week at Ganspette. OK we were lucky with the weather, which was great, but I think there was just about enough to do. You aren't far from Belgium, so we had some very nice trips to places like Bruges and Ypres. The kids liked the sealife centre at Boulogne too. But some other days we just got the bikes out and went for a ride, or a swim in the pool. We enjoyed the simplicity of the break, the way we looked at it we combined it with the £58 ferry deal Norfolk Line ran last year, so the cost of the holiday wasn't too different from a week on a CC site somewhere. If the weather was bad - not so sure, think you may run out of things to do after 3 or 4 days.

 

[Tobago]

Very interesting topic we've only used Gandspette and Bien Assise as first and last night stops, but we had friends who spent 2 weeks at Bien Assise and they found lots to do, but they are keen cyclists and spent a lot of time out and about on those. If staying at Gandspette, Epperleques is well worth a visit, also quite a few inteeresting little towns round and about. Or how about Normandy, not too far and Le Brevedent is a nice little site.

 

[DavidKlyne]

Having crossed the great divide (English Channel) there is always that temptation to head further into France. But as people have said there is quite a bit to do in the immediate vicinity of the Channel ports. We generally stay at Gandspette ot Bien Assise on the way out or on the way back, usually depending on direction of travel and I do wonder if I were to add up all the nights we have stayed at either site that it would show we have spent more nights on those two site than we have on anyother site in France!

David

 

[ValA.]

Same for us, David - a night or two on every holiday. For the last fifteen years we've had two holidays a year, so that's at least thirty nights, and sometimes we spend two nights there, so say thirty six nights, then ten years of one night per year. When we used to 'Canvas Holidays' or 'Eurocamp' we always used to spend our first night there, too, after crossing the channel, and sometimes our last night too - so perhaps another twelve nights. Once or twice we stayed at La Bien Assise, instead, so I make that about 58 nights in total! Definitely more than we've ever spent anywhere else.

 

[TerryIvybridge]

Well thank you all for your well thought out responses. It seems to have provoked some to post some food for thought. Due consideration to all will follow. Downside to our dates are we both work, at the moment, and have to "slot-in" where we can and we would have to travel 6 hours to Dover from Plymouth. Ferry prices from here to Roscoff seem pretty stable at the moment but still upwards of £600, so this together with fuel and camp site prices, even in July, is quite expensive. Oh hum!

 

[ValA.]

When we were both working we generally found it much easier to get 'slots' outside the school holidays, leaving those dates to families with children. There was generally little problem in getting two weeks in May or June, or again in late August or early September. I think you might be pleasantly surprised, too, how different campsites are early or late in the season - they can be havens of peace, generally just a few other mature couples, and sometimes on some sites, you can even have the place almost to yourselves! Bliss.
Obviously, when our children were with us we had to take holidays during school holidays, but these days when we can choose when to go, it's a much more pleasant experience - and that's aside from the huge savings to be made in low season.

 

[Woody3]

As was suggested visiting some of the WW1 areas around Ypres is very interesting but don't do too many - it can be very distressing (and I speak from experience.) The municipal at Ypres is good but gets full very quickly and can be muddy after rain but they do take bookings and speak good English (as do most Flemish speakers.).
Bruges was mentioned: if you are going to Belgium I would suggest rather go to Gent - a much nicer place - and with a very good municipal at Blaarmeersen next to the national watersport centre. There are interesting markets in Gent - especially Sunday morning when there is a flower market, a pets etc market, and a very good antiques/junk market all within easy walking distance. Blaarmeersen has good facilites, a bistro, a restaurant/bar, and the bus is only a couple of minutes walk from the gate.
From Gent, Bruges, Brussels, and Lille are all an easy day out by road or train. Also look at the coast towards Knoke - fine sand and loadsa money!
If you want to stay in France but not too far from Calais, consider the area around Brionne SW of Rouen. There is a very nice site at Le-Bec Hellouin which makes a good base for Rouen and such as Honfleur. Perhaps a bit of a drive but at least you will be into warmer country. Also look around Epernais in Chanpagne country - plenty to see there as well.