Head Count! Who is off to France this year??

[jon_5062082]

Sailing Portsmouth - Le Havre 04 September returning 14 September. Not sure where in Normandy/Brittany going to stay yet. 1st time (and last )as well with P&O on this route but paid for the crossing with Air Miles. Lets hope they are as good as Brittany Ferries, which have previously used on all western channel routes

thought Brittany ferries had taken over P&O`s western crossings ??

 

[lorna2]

Hi Caroline

We're off on 22nd May for 4 weeks, crossing Portsmouth-Le Havre, we'll spend 10 days meandering down the Atlantic coast, ending in St Jean de Luz (just outside Biarritz) where we are helping to run a C.Club rally for 25 vans!

After that, up to the Lot et Garonne, 30 k south of Bergerac. There we leave our van on a farm to wait for us until we return in September to a rented farmhouse for a year-long adventure. We have spent half of the last few years in our caravan in France, so have taken the plunge & decided to spend a year there to see if we would want to move permenantly.

Having the caravan there means we can still take off around Europe, but start from 500 miles further south.

After leaving the caravan, up to Bologne, back by Speedferries....car + 2 people..

 

[Douglas1]

Hi, we are off 26th june to 17th july, travelling from glasgow, via the hull-zebrugge ferry, for 3 weeks in France. Visiting Champagne for 3 nights, Burgundy (6 nights), Dordogne (6 nights), Eastern Loire (3 nights), then calais for 2 nights to do the hypermarkets, then back from Zebrugge. We cannot wait, and hope the weather is better than last year's trip to Loire and Normandy.

 

[derek_5063055]

Hi Caroline,

2nd June Dover to Calais at 0600 to 22nd June 0015hrs. We're off to the Loire(don't know the site yet) and then a bit of Burgundy (again with no site booked.)

I suppose that lets the cat out of the bag that we're a couple of alcofrolics

 

[OldBean]

Hi Caroline

We're off on 22nd May for 4 weeks, crossing Portsmouth-Le Havre, we'll spend 10 days meandering down the Atlantic coast, ending in St Jean de Luz (just outside Biarritz) where we are helping to run a C.Club rally for 25 vans!

After that, up to the Lot et Garonne, 30 k south of Bergerac. There we leave our van on a farm to wait for us until we return in September to a rented farmhouse for a year-long adventure. We have spent half of the last few years in our caravan in France, so have taken the plunge & decided to spend a year there to see if we would want to move permenantly.

Having the caravan there means we can still take off around Europe, but start from 500 miles further south.

After leaving the caravan, up to Bologne, back by Speedferries....car + 2 people..

 

[ChrisH]

May 3rd Dover - Calais 08.15, returning July 6th 09.30.

Starting with 2 days south of Paris (visiting friends) then down to the Algarve for a month-ish (during which we do a quick EasyJet flight home to go to a wedding). Then back into France, taking it easy (no more than 300 - 350 miles a day), stay for 3-ish weeks near Sarlat, then potter up to Calais for a couple of days (wine buying and good lunches!) and pack the caravan contents as we have to put it in storage on the day we get home.

Packing now - can't wait!

Did the tunnel recently - it's easy peasy and remarkably simple.

Chris H

 

[Albert_5039897]

you might be on same ferry as us then , we sail about 5am on the 18th , P&O....

Hi Jon we are booked on the 4.45am see you there, mine's Wanderer

Albert

 

[Ellis_5063253]

Hi Lorna,

you're doing what we've wanted to do for some time but haven't been brave enough But this winter we have planned to go to the sun for four months but are wondering if living in France would be another option. Would love to hear your thoughts or anyone else's for that matter and any advice that you can give us as we've never towed abroad before and are wondering whether to have a trial run before October. As you said that's what retirement is about

Ellis & Celia

 

[Pete4]

I usual, we're going to France. But only to get to Spain.

 

[john_5061281]

Hi Going 26th july for 2 weeks sailling from dover.going to camping des 4 vents and campix (first time)

 

[Mike_5041089]

We've already been! Went to Switzerland - Jungfrau at Easter, through France via Dover-Calais, did the 600 mile trip in one day. French Autoroutes are virtually traffic free - just set the cruise contral at 65-70mph and steer - very boring, but high average speeds can be maintained due to the lack of congestion, however high speeds gobble up the juice when towing!

 

[john_5040735]

I go on the 21st July and return on the 8th August, travelling Brittany Ferries (Portsmouth/St Malo out, Roscoff/Plymouth return). We stay 11 nights at Les Ecureuils in Jard sur Mer (Vendee) and then 6 nights at Chateau Laniron in Quimper. Did exactly the same 2 years ago and had a superb time. This will be the first "me and her" have been on the continent without the "sprogs" - should be fun!! It will also be the first time that we have repeated a holiday - hope its as good.

Have fun you all!

 

[lorna2]

Hi Lorna,

you're doing what we've wanted to do for some time but haven't been brave enough But this winter we have planned to go to the sun for four months but are wondering if living in France would be another option. Would love to hear your thoughts or anyone else's for that matter and any advice that you can give us as we've never towed abroad before and are wondering whether to have a trial run before October. As you said that's what retirement is about

Ellis & Celia

We have spent February & March of the last 3 years going through France, crossing Spain and then having 4 weeks on the Algarve, we have learned such a lot, thats really why we decided to go for a year.

If you want a chat about winter vanning abroad, we'd love to see if we could help you at all.

You could e-mail me on lornameg@tiscali.co.uk, look forward to hearing from you.

Lorna

 

[TheTurk]

Off on the 8th Sept for 4 weeks Portsmouth - Bilbao, for the first time on this crossing and then taking our time to travel back up through France stopping where we want but with the first stop after Spain in the Biarritz area. Finally returning via Le Havre.

 

[VonRyan]

Well

If your going to La Haye you will have a great time, we have been going since 1990. La Haye site is about 3/4 of a mile from the town with a good market on a Wednesday. Patrice who own,s the site speaks fluent English. If you fish take a rod a brillent fishing lake.We are there 1st and 2nd week in August. Catch up with us if you want,but if your want more info on the site just E.mail back and we will try to help.

Rob

 

[VonRyan]

We're going 8th August, Dover to Calais then a week at the C&CC rally at La Haye Du Puits in Normandy. After that we are going to Loches in the Loire, followed by a week in Peronne to see the first world war battle fields.

First time abroad with the van..............Can't wait!!!!!!

Please see posting on La Haye Du Puits I put earlier. Did mean to reply direct.

Rob

 

[alanlmc]

we are also going from wales on the 29 may to le havre from portsmouth, then down to jard ser mur on the vendee..been there for the last 3 years ,,brilliant area in june

 

[Ivan_5064847]

Hi Caroline,

We are of to France with the caravan for the first time after taking the plunge and buying a van last year. We will be sailing from Portsmouth to Le Havre and travelling down to the Vendee. We booked through the C&CC Carefree service as we did not know what to expect in the height of the kids holiday. WE can not wait as this is a 2 1/2 week practice run, because I want to take the wife and kids to Italy for 3 - 4 weeks next year. I spent my childhood growing up in Holland and have very fond memories of touring round Europe, especially Italy and Switzerland. Can not wait!!!!

 

[andyyorks]

Hi

Heading out to the Vendee 27th june, we are 1st timers & looking forward to it, hope the sat nav works ok

A

 

[lorna2]

How lovely this sounds - just what we'd like to do. If you have the internet in your French Farm do let us all know how you are going on!

Will be happy to keep in touch, its quite remote, so I should get good walking legs, walking to the breadshop. I have a breadmaker, but it would seem like some sort of heresy to use it.

We will have to show great restraint with the wonderful breads, pain au chocolat, those lovely fruit tarts......each holiday that we have in France we have come home heavier than when we went, ah well.

 

[Award1]

thought Brittany ferries had taken over P&O`s western crossings ??

You'll have seen in the press recently Brittany pulled out of the Le Havre route due to pressure from MMC/DTI whoever (government busybodies), and I'm am a civil servant, so I must be a govt. busybody as well

 

[mike_5041092]

I go on the 21st July and return on the 8th August, travelling Brittany Ferries (Portsmouth/St Malo out, Roscoff/Plymouth return). We stay 11 nights at Les Ecureuils in Jard sur Mer (Vendee) and then 6 nights at Chateau Laniron in Quimper. Did exactly the same 2 years ago and had a superb time. This will be the first "me and her" have been on the continent without the "sprogs" - should be fun!! It will also be the first time that we have repeated a holiday - hope its as good.

Have fun you all!

Hi John, We'll be at L'orangerie at the same time. We arrive on the Sunday before you for 14 nights. Our first time there but we had good reports from friends who visited last year.

 

[Stewart2]

Please see posting on La Haye Du Puits I put earlier. Did mean to reply direct.

Rob

Cheers Rob, Looking forward to it.

 

[Jan_5065553]

Hi there

Myself and Hubby (Alan) will be going Aug 25 @02.30am from Doverusing Touring Cheques . Not a bad deal, 10 cheques + ferry with an 8 metre caravan for the princely sum of

 

[john_5040735]

Hi John, We'll be at L'orangerie at the same time. We arrive on the Sunday before you for 14 nights. Our first time there but we had good reports from friends who visited last year.

Hi Mike, we stayed at lanniron 2 years ago and had a superb time. Granted, we were in the middle of a heatwave, but the site was very good - large pitch with e/w/d. Very quiet at night/early morning and a superb restaurant. Only dissapointment was the swimming pool - undersized for summer use, but clean/tidy etc. Lots of great beaches nearby and plenty places of interest.

Look out for silver Hyundai Santa Fe with Avondale Rialto.

Enjoy

John