# Hi there! So we are doing 3 weeks in France with 3 children this summer..



## lizabella (May 12, 2013)

<Waves> Any (ALL) advice welcome. I have a copy of the Aires book but am a bit scared by it all to be honest!
We are heading down to a friend's house in the Pyrenees from Calais but thinking of detouring down the coast by La Rochelle, then across to the Med up from Perpignan, then back up through Paris to Calais.
I'm excited. And terrified!


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## Elliejane (May 12, 2013)

Welcome.  Don't be scared, France is amazing in a van, but its also a big patch so don't try to do too much!   Aires are easy, as is wild camping.  

If your van has seen a lot of life don't expect it to cope to quickly with the hills,  especially coming up from S of France through the middle via Clermont Ferrand.  Fab scenery, but long hills!  

Have a fan time ... 

J


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## lizabella (May 12, 2013)

Hi and thank you for your reply. I'm sure I'll calm down in a bit! Just trying to get some plans, husband happy as long as he gets to drive the Millau viaduct (boys!)
Can I ask if anyone thinks that arriving in Calais and finding somewhere to stay overnight in Calais if we get there around 9pm (baring in mind we have the kids in tow, the youngest is just 1). We have a long drive down the UK to Folkestone so can't really get an earlier shuttle that day...


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## Makzine (May 12, 2013)

When are you looking to go?  if were here your welcome to stop overnight at ours and catchan early morning.

John :wave:


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## lizabella (May 12, 2013)

Wow thanks for your kind offer John  We are heading off at the end of July and we do have family friends who are not too far from tunnel so we'd inflict (!) ourselves upon them should it prove ridiculous to do it in one day. I guess there's just a part of me that wants the challenge haha. Are the aires around Calais a bit dodgy do you think?


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## rockape (May 12, 2013)

Dont be afraid,  it,s all so easy.  If you can try and clear Calais before you stop for the night.  Try Page 427 of the airies book, No 30 Quend plage les pins.


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## lizabella (May 12, 2013)

Thanks for your message and tip, I'll have a look at that now. We'll definitely avoid Calais then!


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## lebesset (May 12, 2013)

lizabella said:


> Hi and thank you for your reply. I'm sure I'll calm down in a bit! Just trying to get some plans, husband happy as long as he gets to drive the Millau viaduct (boys!)
> Can I ask if anyone thinks that arriving in Calais and finding somewhere to stay overnight in Calais if we get there around 9pm (baring in mind we have the kids in tow, the youngest is just 1). We have a long drive down the UK to Folkestone so can't really get an earlier shuttle that day...



driving over the viaduct at millau is a bit like driving through a tunnel ...the safety barriers are that high ; don't waste your money 

drive through the town [ you can stay at the aire near the gendarmerie ] , and go and visit the exhibition at the south end , plenty of parking space


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## fairytooth (May 12, 2013)

If you have a decent satnav, you will be able to download the Aires from here CAMPINGCAR-INFOS

And if you join this site as a full member you can get all the Wild Camping POIs from this forum too (this now includes many in France too now).

Have fun you will love it.


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## Elliejane (May 12, 2013)

*Millau bridge and Calais*

I nearly mentioned the bridge in my first post.... I'd say a must, even if you do it only once ... in both directions, and its amazing to see from the gorge below or from the hills around.  But then, I love bridges ...

We stayed in Cite d'Europe, just moments off the shuttle on both outward and return journeys this year with no problems, along with several other vans.


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## Skar (May 12, 2013)

We often arrive on the tunnel at that kind of time or later, parking at Cite Europe would be a good idea. The co-ordinates are 50.9359, 1.8112 the route is quiet and well lit and it takes no more than 5 minutes max to get there.

Personally I wouldn't dream of driving those kinds of distances with three kids in such a short space of time but each to their own!


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## Deleted member 919 (May 12, 2013)

One good tip is not to leave it too late in the afternoon before you park up as you will find a lot of aires get busy late afternoon so i would be looking around the 3pm mark.Have a look at my website a few links for France.


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## Miles2 (May 12, 2013)

*France in summer*



lizabella said:


> <Waves> Any (ALL) advice welcome. I have a copy of the Aires book but am a bit scared by it all to be honest!
> We are heading down to a friend's house in the Pyrenees from Calais but thinking of detouring down the coast by La Rochelle, then across to the Med up from Perpignan, then back up through Paris to Calais.
> I'm excited. And terrified!



Hi all, we are new to this site but have had a motorhome for a couple of years.  This is our first post, so apologies if we messed this up.

As has been said,  France is geared up for campers, the aires book is great.  Can highly recommend the Milau, we overnighted underneath, it was a great view lit up in the evening against a clear star filled sky.  Can also recommend the aires around Châtelaillon-Plage, Charente-maritime, Poitou-Charentes, France- copy and paste in google earth.  We parked at the south end right on the beach.

Have fun planning the trip.  We are heading to the alps for some cycling and then down into Provence


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## lizabella (May 12, 2013)

Wow, I'm overwhelmed with brilliant advice! Thanks guys! 
I know we must seem like nutters with 3 kids in tow, but bless them, they are used to the long haul 

Hubby is a bridge fanatic too (Elliejane) so all the info about Millau is fantastic, thank you all.

So the Cite d'Europe gets thumbs up then? (Ta for coordinates Skar) I've been past there before and it looked very new and swish, but aires book is saying too close to the tunnel for safety? Guess there's always a small risk of theft wherever you are... 

We do have a decent sat nav fairytooth, so thank you for that link. I will definitely consider joining as a member as this site has answered most of my major worries in about, errr, 4 hours haha


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## weekender (May 12, 2013)

We are doing the same trip!
We are crossing Portsmouth-Caen, I bought the one way crossing cheap at £115 but it cuts out the run out to Dover and the drive down from Calais (and the tolls)
We are also using the Aires for the first time, I was specifically warned not to use the motorway Aires but town Aires are good and safe.
Also-popular Aires with limited space can also get full by mid-afternoon I am told


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## OwnedbyCollies (May 12, 2013)

We always stay in Wissant for our first night (and often our last night too!).  It's only 10 minutes along the motorway straight off the Tunnel.  It's a lovely little seaside town with a great beach.

You wake up in holiday mood immediately and begin the first day with a short stroll into town for a lovely walk on the beach (or the prom if the tide is in!) and some warm croissants and a baguette or three to set you up for the drive ahead.

The Aire is free but only has grey and black dumps, no fresh water, so make sure you are loaded up before arrival or call in at the Ferme d'Horloge in Tardinghen for water and waste for 3 euros on the way back to the motorway.  

If Wissant is full we usually stay at the Fond de Sombre (a few hundred yards up the road) - part of the Tardinghen Aire and 5 euros for the night and use of the water and waste at the farm up the road.
:dog:


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## Elliejane (May 12, 2013)

*Bridges*

Pont de Normandie (over Seine nr Honfleur) and the one over the Loire at St Nazaire are pretty amazing too! :wacko:


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## herecomesbod (May 12, 2013)

Heya! We did our first trip abroad last year, we did France, south east Spain, Andorra, Monaco, Italy and back up the east of France! We had a great time, took 5 weeks. We only took 4 of our kids with us, but our youngestonly has the mental age of 15 months. Most of our status were in Aires with a few nights in campsites, we had just plucked up the courage to wildcamp on our return journey...  Then Broke down and had to be towed back to Calais!! Just about to book this years jaunt!!!! Can't wait! Only 4 weeks this time, And another teenager less!! Go for it, and relax about staying overnight anywhere that feels right!!


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## lizabella (May 13, 2013)

Thanks for all your tips guys. I'll look into Wissant, Ownedby, you're really selling it there 

Weekender, oh cool that you're doing the same! But how in the heck did you get a crossing that cheap?! I was thinking of 'cutting off the corner' but couldnt get anywhere near that price...

Herecomesbod, fantastic, hope your journey ends well this time 

Elliejane, We've done the pont de Normandie twice! I'll tell hubby about the other one though, thanks, he's pretty much happy for me to sort out all the details as long as he gets some extreme engineering in there


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## rockape (May 13, 2013)

Elliejane said:


> Pont de Normandie (over Seine nr Honfleur) and the one over the Loire at St Nazaire are pretty amazing too! :wacko:


 Honfleur is alway a good stop for me as its handy for the town, but usually packed out.


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## Deleted member 25439 (May 13, 2013)

Main CP in La Rochelle worked for us.  Its in the aires book and there is a footpath down to the sea.  It is a longish walk though (30 mins)


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## Neckender (May 13, 2013)

Frances said:


> Main CP in La Rochelle worked for us.  Its in the aires book and there is a footpath down to the sea.  It is a longish walk though (30 mins)



There's another aire in La Rochelle, where the bus terminus is, included in the price are tickets for the little yello electric bus that takes you down into La Rochelle and back as many times as you want.

John.


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## carolinemoon (May 13, 2013)

rockape said:


> Dont be afraid,  it,s all so easy.  If you can try and clear Calais before you stop for the night.  Try Page 427 of the airies book, No 30 Quend plage les pins.



Sorry to jump in on this thread...we're coming over on the tunnel and will arrive about 7.30pm (local time) We're happy to drive for a couple of hours before parking up for the night then heading towards south west France the following day.  Would your suggested stop be ideal?


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## rockape (May 13, 2013)

carolinemoon said:


> Sorry to jump in on this thread...we're coming over on the tunnel and will arrive about 7.30pm (local time) We're happy to drive for a couple of hours before parking up for the night then heading towards south west France the following day.  Would your suggested stop be ideal?


This is a 0ne street town with the road leading to the sea, pay at the machine ( i think its 7 euros) about 2 mins from the sea . Stayed there 6 weeks ago ,nice and quiet, but as others have said , as the season moves on it/they will fill up, but i think that you will still be ok. Go for it.  Remember that faint heart never won fair maiden.


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