over night near channel tunnel

megsdad

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We are planning our 1st trip abroad in May and plan to use the tunnel.....does anyone know of an overnight stop near the tunnel. we have to travel down from northeast so cant do it in one go.
 
Get to France, only half an hour more to your journey. Far easier to overnight over there.
 
The Nailbox Pub in Folkestone is a ten minute drive from the tunnel. I've stopped there twice overnight without any problems but be aware they don't serve food. When asked nicely if you can park overnight they are very welcoming. Alternatively I believe you can still park on the Esplanade at Dover between 6pm and 8am for free, about a fifteen minute drive to tunnel. Other folk will have other suggestions mostly that you drive straight over and spend the night in France although that may not be practical for you as you are travelling down from the North East..
Happy travels,

Pat
 
We are going from Dover at the end of June and will probably stop at Canterbury. It's about 30 - 40 minute drive. Its at the park and ride and you get free use of the bus as well
 
User1 said:
We are going from Dover at the end of June and will probably stop at Canterbury. It's about 30 - 40 minute drive. Its at the park and ride and you get free use of the bus as well
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Same here, we travelled from Bishop Auckland in one day, parked at Canterbury overnight, but didn't use the water at Canterbury as it all looked a bit messy, and could have been used for anything.

Marydot
 
We regularly travel down from Middlesbrough and catch a tunnel crossing around 16.30 hours and travel to the aire at Argues which is about 45 minutes away from Calais and there is always room. It is situated by a lake behind the campsite. If you don't want to travel that far stop overnight at Gravelines which is 20 minutes away from Calais and is easy to get to, we have always been able to get a space.

We usually manage to get an earlier ferry than the one we have booked on, we just missed getting one two before our booked time last time we went.

Staying on the English side of the tunnel is the waste of a day of your trip.



Cliff
 
Cliffy said:
Staying on the English side of the tunnel is the waste of a day of your trip.
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Agreed - plus being on the Tunnel you can usually get an earlier one if you arrive early AND you can have a kip for half an hour on your own bed!!
 
Agree with Many posts

Deive dowwn use the tunnel. Then overnight.

Book the tunnel for say 6pm (or maybe later)

If you arrive earlier usually no problem to get on an earlier train.

We use a lovely little campsite for 10Euros (maybe + 2 for electric)
It is at Le Pont D'Oye about 20 mins fron Calais.
OR there are several free spots (eg Gravelines)

Camping Le Pont D'Oye 50.961685 2.049412
 
User1 said:
We are going from Dover at the end of June and will probably stop at Canterbury. It's about 30 - 40 minute drive. Its at the park and ride and you get free use of the bus as well
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Another vote for Canterbury, We've used it twice, travel there with empty water tanks and fill up for free, we drink bottled water and add milton tablets to our tank so not fussed if its not 100%, that said it all looked fine to me.
 
K9d said:
Another vote for Canterbury, We've used it twice, travel there with empty water tanks and fill up for free, we drink bottled water and add milton tablets to our tank so not fussed if its not 100%, that said it all looked fine to me.
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We use Canterbury as well and normally arrive a day early to make use of the bus into town, so Canterbury does benefit. Milton tablets are not a good idea as they are corrosive to stainless steel in the boiler, according to Truma, may take a 100 years, but there are other products available to cleanse tank.
 
I would also say Canterbury ,but as you are only then half hour away you have the options of going over to France depending on what time your arriving.It is also a 5-6 hour drive (without too many holdups) without stops from the north east or are you thinking of stopping on the way down. Also take into account the M25 car park.
 
We travel from Sunderland; leave at 5am/6am meaning traffic isn't a problem; Eurotunnel crossing at about 1.30pm and then overnight in France within an hour's drive giving us plenty of time to refuel, purchase fresh food etc and still not feel completely trashed on the first day. Oh, the joys of living so far North - that 6 hour journey to the ports! ��

No tapatalk or whatever - sent from my phone, sitting in a tshirt, drinking coffee in the sun at an Aire in the South of France.
 
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[QUOTE=ScamperVan Oh, the joys of living so far North - that 6 hour journey to the ports! ��


Oh I wish!! We live in the north east too but Scotland not England and the journey to the southern ports is a lot more than 6 hours.

Never mind we have the honour of living in the wild campers paradise with great scenery and endless places to wild.
 
K9d said:
Another vote for Canterbury, We've used it twice, travel there with empty water tanks and fill up for free, we drink bottled water and add milton tablets to our tank so not fussed if its not 100%, that said it all looked fine to me.
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We were there 2nd January last year, so maybe it was ready for cleaning after the New Year break, but we couldn't see any signs re 'Drinking Water only' etc.
 
Canterbury for us as well.

I seem to remember there only being 1 tap.

With it being so close to the Chemical Toilet Point i wouldn`t drink water from it.

I saw at least 2 people swill their cassettes out and virtually touching the tap with the cassette spouts :scared:
 
We drive down overnight from Redcar, and get an early morning Ferry or train. Then find an Aire for the day to recuperate, usually Veurne if we're going that way.
Just checked the Newcastle Amsterdam ferry and it costs about £100 more each way all in for when we want to go (end of June). So I might go out via Newcastle and return via Dover. Is it worth £100 for a nights sleep instead of a night driving?
 
Wooie1958 said:
Canterbury for us as well.

I seem to remember there only being 1 tap.

With it being so close to the Chemical Toilet Point i wouldn`t drink water from it.

I saw at least 2 people swill their cassettes out and virtually touching the tap with the cassette spouts :scared:
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So where do you fill up as what you don't see you don't know. I always give the tap a good cleans before using as I have seen cassettes put right up to the tap and even remonstrated with a French traveller who to be honest once he realised how stupid he was acknowledged and apologised.
 
If you do want stop in the UK go for Canterbury it is now extended and there is a huge new overspill area. Farthing Common is a bit out of the way on Stone street the Canterbury/Hythe road, on top of the escarpment of the Downs. NOT to be mistaken for the dumpy Services on the M2 which is Farthing Corner. sometimes confused with each other
I drove up to Canterbury from Dover just for a trip out to run the van, went into city for a shop and walk around then back to Dover and home.
I get withdrawal symptoms after a few weeks so go for a drive locally. Make a cuppa and back home.
Am I weird?
I must be I am on here.:wave:
 
shortcircuit said:
We use Canterbury as well and normally arrive a day early to make use of the bus into town, so Canterbury does benefit. Milton tablets are not a good idea as they are corrosive to stainless steel in the boiler, according to Truma, may take a 100 years, but there are other products available to cleanse tank.
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By boiler do you mean in the water heater ?

The heating system in my van doesn't isn't water based.
 
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