I know you say you've decided on Hull Zeebrugge, but that's an awful expense to start with, especially as you say you're on a budget - it seems odd to spend so much on the ferry, and then try to cut down on the sort of site you want. After all you're going to be spending the holiday on the campsite, and only one night each way on the ferry! As you're going to have a long drive in France anyway, why not cut the cost by more than three quarters and do the short crossing from Dover?
Are you still looking for sites in Brittany? Again, why not do Picardy, or Normany and save some of the costs of the drive.
I've just costed up three ferry options:
1. Hull/Zeebrugge on Saturday 21st July outwards and Sunday 12th August home, 4 bunk inside cabin, 2 bunk inside cabin, at a massive £
785.00
2. Dover/Dunkerque (via Camping Cheques). outwards Sun 22 July at 14.00, return Friday 10th at 12.00 noon (these dates qualify for free caravan -
£115.00
3. Dover/Dunkerque (via Camping Cheques) outwards Saturday 21st July at 12.00 noon (afternoon sailings full), return Friday 10th August at 12.00 noon (free caravan on one sailing).-
£135.93
COPIED FROM THE CAMPING CHEQUE WEBSITE:
Your cheque order
3 Camping Cheques
Standard Delivery - Royal Mail Second Class
Your Ferry CROSSING
Change
Outward Crossing:
DFDS (Seaways) Dover to Dunkerque at 14:00 on 22/07/12 (arriving 17:00 local time)
Options / accommodation: : None Chosen
Return Crossing:
DFDS (Seaways) Dunkerque to Dover at 12:01 on 10/08/12 (arriving 13:00 local time)
Options / accommodation: : None Chosen
Vehicle & Passengers
Car (4.44 m x 1.8 m max) towing a Caravan (6.95 m x 2.3 m max)
4 passengers in total.
TOTAL PRICE
£115.00
Book Now
Going outwards on Saturday, and coming back Sunday cost a little more:
Your Cheque Order
Change
3 Camping Cheques
Standard Delivery - Royal Mail Second Class
Your Ferry CROSSING
Change
Outward Crossing:
DFDS (Seaways) Dover to Dunkerque at 12:00 on 21/07/12 (arriving 15:00 local time)
Options / accommodation: : None Chosen
Return Crossing:
DFDS (Seaways) Dunkerque to Dover at 12:01 on 10/08/12 (arriving 13:00 local time)
Options / accommodation: : None Chosen
Vehicle & Passengers
Car (4.44 m x 1.8 m max) towing a Caravan (6.45 m x 2.3 m max)
4 passengers in total.
TOTAL PRICE
£135.93
Book Now
But still a HUGE saving on the Hull Zeebrugge.
The last two quotes INCLUDE 3 Camping Cheques, which someone (me included) might buy from you for (say) £11/12 each! So your ferry costs you around £75.00 - £100- that gives you many hundred pounds more to spend on campsites, even allowing for extra fuel to Dover! Don't forget that the extra drive from Zeebrugge is about 100 km - so you could offset that against the longer drive down to Dover. These price are much less than the quotes directly from the DFDS website!
We live in West Yorkshire and do the journey every holiday. Yes, it's boring, sometimes there are hold-ups (but not as many as therre used to be) but the savings are enormous if you're on a budget.
If you went for either of these options then you could go back to looking at more expensive options for the campsites! After all, it's the campsites you're going to remember, not the ferry crossing!