2012 french holiday ?

[Deleted member 12539]

We have a Germany trip lined up for April, but have been considering/calculating a two week trip to Arzon France.
We have looked into costs, miles and hours to do Plymouth - Roscoff - Arzon or Dover -Calais - Arzon.

Cost wise (probably the important current issue), Dover -Calais -Arzon most likely will be the route.
Ferry - £140 return
Non toll roads - 420 miles (ish)
Duration - just over 7 hours if completed in one leg.
Fuel costs about £350 return trip at 25mpg

We intend to bimble and visit places en route - any ideas? Rouen will definitely be a visit.
Our route would probably be :

Calais, France to Camping Municipal de Port Sable - Google Maps

We will stay for a few days at this site too:

Camping municipal de port sable - ARZON, Morbihan - Brittany

Anyone been there?

 

[barryd]

You could do the Portsmouth to Cherbourg route. One way and go back via Calais. The reason I mention this is we did a five month Euro tour last summer and came back that way because we hadnt seen the Cherbourg peninsula and I also needed to stop of at Oxford on the way home. What we discovered east and west of Cherbourg was some superb wild camping spots which you can see on our blog Hank the Tank Motorhome website Summer 2011, scroll to near the bottom.

I think it cost £180 one way but was very fast. You could hop from there to Mont St Michel then on to Arzon. We did Arzon a couple of years ago and it is lovely. Stayed on a municipal but I dont think its the one in your link. It was from memory about £10 a night. The Aire is crap and £9 a night.

 

[steco1958]

Pray tell what the additional risks are ?

 

[witzend]

Hi re Arzon aire we stayed at this aire last summer and it was good. Pay at gate with credit card 6 euro, electric included 47.32.340 002.52.839 page 92 in aires book

 

[Deleted member 12539]

Thanks for the local info Dave, and to answer some of your questions and comments:

Q: Just out of interest, what made you choose Arzon?

A: Almost, but not quite a 'dart in a map'. Not a definite choice yet, but one that was chosen by the wife at random (and a little Google Earth search).

Comment: Vannes is so crowded that MHs are not catered for as they are elsewhere). Guérande is well worth a visit, as is St Nazaire. Cross the bridge into Loire Atlantique and see the colour of the roofs change from black to red!

A: Thanks for the 'heads up', we will take that into consideration.

Comment: The drive from Calais to Arzon is long and can be tiring and boring. We prefer to spend a little more on the longer sea crossings.

A: We prefer to spend a little less £ on getting there! Plymouth to Roscoff return calculated at £690.. I did mention that cost was an important issue. We would not pay that in fuel from calais to Arzon return.

Comment: I don't think your journey times are correct. It will take you ten hours for the Calais/Arzon run, it being 660 km. The cost of fuel is likely to be about 76 Euro one way with another 16 Euros for Tolls if you use the toll roads. If you add the essential rest stops, you are looking at a very long drive. From Roscoff the journey is much shorter - 4 hours, with fuel costing about 27 Euros.

A: Journey time is not an important issue, as I stated "we intend to bimble and visit places", this would no doubt include overnight stays. My "just over 7 hours if completed in one leg" comment could have been ommitted, as we would not be rushing anywhere.

Comment: I suggest looking carefully at ferry costs against the extra time and cost (and additional risks) of the Calais route.

A: We will do that. Ferry costs, especially if it is in the region of £700 return against £140 return. The extra time needed is all part of the holiday, however I am a bit concerned about the extra risks you mention?

As for limiting our travel once we get to Arzon, that should not be too much of a problem as we are very keen cyclists, and would only be spending 4 to 5 days on site.

Thanks again Dave for your information :cheers:

 

[barryd]

There are plenty of places to see on route from Calais. Aires everywhere and many free. I agree with you nearly £700 is a big chunk of holiday money. The only risks I am aware of when arriving in France, calais or anywhere is the tendancy in my case to overload the van with wonderful French cheese and cheap cases of Leffe Blond beer! I then end up behind schedule!!!

 

[barryd]

It was Arzon where I discovered Leffe at a lovely bar by the sea. I had two and didnt realise they were 9% and we had the scooter! Felt a bit wobbly on the way back and found out why when I bought some in the supermarket!

Stick to leffe blonde now at 6.6% as I can't make them last an hour. More like five minutes! Mind you I can see why the French nurse their beers in bars when you get the bill!