Stop before or after crossing the channel?
Discussion
I'm planning my first trip in the van and will be leaving Keswick at some point on Sunday (15th January if it makes a difference). I am driving to Nantes so will stop overnight somewhere (no bothered by a short night). What's my best option?
- Drive to Dover early-ish, get a ferry around 7-8PM, and find somewhere to park in France around 10:30-11:30PM, or
- Drive to Dover and park up, get a ferry at 6AM and drive on from there?
I'd always wait till you get to France before stopping.The campsites are so much better there. The worse campsite I've ever been to in France was better and cheaper than the best I've ever been to in Britain.
Timing wise though, if travelling down from Keswick, I'd either drive over night to get onto the ferry first thing in the morning or take an overnight ferry direct into Britanny rather than the short Dover to Calais trip. That way you'll miss out the s
tty bit of France nearest to Britain.
Timing wise though, if travelling down from Keswick, I'd either drive over night to get onto the ferry first thing in the morning or take an overnight ferry direct into Britanny rather than the short Dover to Calais trip. That way you'll miss out the s
tty bit of France nearest to Britain.I travel regularly from an hour or 2 north of you to Le Mans, I leave 6am for a tunnel at 4ish and stop for the night around Rouen, assuming you're thinking of just parking up somewhere rather than a campsite I wouldn't fancy stopping anywhere too close to Calais myself. If you do want to stop this side the Drum Inn near the tunnel is decent.
I'm spending the weekend with friends in Keswick so I can't see me setting off until lunchtime, though it could be an early lunch... I don't want to take the ferry from Portsmouth due to the cost, in a motorhome it's £240 vs £50... Even with the extra fuel and tolls I'm not sure it's worth it.
My dilemma is that if I go for a ferry Sunday evening, since it's mid-January, am I setting myself up for a fall with delays on the road? If not I'd be happy to stop around about 12:00 to get away from Calais a little bit, and yes it would only be to park up overnight,
My dilemma is that if I go for a ferry Sunday evening, since it's mid-January, am I setting myself up for a fall with delays on the road? If not I'd be happy to stop around about 12:00 to get away from Calais a little bit, and yes it would only be to park up overnight,
Personally I'd have the stop UK side. That way,there's no deadline stress for arriving at the port.
From your end, you have lancaster - preston - manchester - 62 / 56 crap - pissing knutsford roadworks - stoke and everything around it - brum - a gajillion roadworks on the m1 - the m25 - that awful bridge - the m10 (is it M10? I forget)..
Anyways - which of the above is going to cuse a 30-40 min delay? 1? 2? 4? You can't leave a decent buffer without being sat in port for ages. Staying in the UK avoids that, and you can get nice and away from Calais on the next leg to avoid that worry too.
From your end, you have lancaster - preston - manchester - 62 / 56 crap - pissing knutsford roadworks - stoke and everything around it - brum - a gajillion roadworks on the m1 - the m25 - that awful bridge - the m10 (is it M10? I forget)..
Anyways - which of the above is going to cuse a 30-40 min delay? 1? 2? 4? You can't leave a decent buffer without being sat in port for ages. Staying in the UK avoids that, and you can get nice and away from Calais on the next leg to avoid that worry too.
Some Gump said:
Personally I'd have the stop UK side. That way,there's no deadline stress for arriving at the port.
From your end, you have lancaster - preston - manchester - 62 / 56 crap - pissing knutsford roadworks - stoke and everything around it - brum - a gajillion roadworks on the m1 - the m25 - that awful bridge - the m10 (is it M10? I forget)..
Anyways - which of the above is going to cuse a 30-40 min delay? 1? 2? 4? You can't leave a decent buffer without being sat in port for ages. Staying in the UK avoids that, and you can get nice and away from Calais on the next leg to avoid that worry too.
That does sound like the sensible option. I just have to get the ferry nice and early! From your end, you have lancaster - preston - manchester - 62 / 56 crap - pissing knutsford roadworks - stoke and everything around it - brum - a gajillion roadworks on the m1 - the m25 - that awful bridge - the m10 (is it M10? I forget)..
Anyways - which of the above is going to cuse a 30-40 min delay? 1? 2? 4? You can't leave a decent buffer without being sat in port for ages. Staying in the UK avoids that, and you can get nice and away from Calais on the next leg to avoid that worry too.
We headed to France for our hols last year. We're only based in Essex/Cambs so not as long a drive down to Calais but our plan was to spend an overnight at the Canterbury Aire and then board an early Ferry the next morning. We left Essex at 2pm and were at Canterbury by 4pm.
As it happened, we made it to Canterbury in such good time that we parked up and then considered why we shouldn't just head on to France. A few phonecalls later and we were rebooked on the evening ferry and although we arrived late in France (8:30pm), we headed an hour down the road to Montreuil where there was an ok Aire and spent the night there. This not only gave us a kicker in terms of being 1hr down the road but also didn't have to contend with loosing an hour with the time difference either. I'd definitely do the same again.
FYI - the Aire we used is here located at this reference - 50.459586, 1.759274 - stick it in Google Maps. Nothing Shows up but there are a number of level stands there now and if they're full, the car park itself is fine and has fresh water (EUR 2) and hookup (EUR 2) and toilet & grey waste drop. Montreuil is a lovely little town.
As it happened, we made it to Canterbury in such good time that we parked up and then considered why we shouldn't just head on to France. A few phonecalls later and we were rebooked on the evening ferry and although we arrived late in France (8:30pm), we headed an hour down the road to Montreuil where there was an ok Aire and spent the night there. This not only gave us a kicker in terms of being 1hr down the road but also didn't have to contend with loosing an hour with the time difference either. I'd definitely do the same again.
FYI - the Aire we used is here located at this reference - 50.459586, 1.759274 - stick it in Google Maps. Nothing Shows up but there are a number of level stands there now and if they're full, the car park itself is fine and has fresh water (EUR 2) and hookup (EUR 2) and toilet & grey waste drop. Montreuil is a lovely little town.
I always aim to stop the other side but arrive early for the ferry and they let me on for free. On one occasion we got there 3 hours early and they offered us an earlier ferry for £20 and I said thanks but no thanks. Went round to our lane and the marshall said "why are you in this lane? Come on get on this earlier one"
chopper602 said:
If deciding to use an Aire, make sure it's not a motorway aire - not a good idea and a bit of a target for thieves apparently
You do have to watch yourself a bit in French aires. If there are 3 blokes in a car, which used to be my drop back in the 90s on climbing trips, you can stop anywhere the f* you like. If anyone wants to take on three blokes with ice axes, then come and have a go if you think you're hard enough. No? Thought not. These days the rules have changed, there's no longer 3 of us and it's worth having a think. If you happen to be 6ft tall and 16 st, and you have a 24" tommy bar in the van (it's for changing the wheel if I have a puncture officer, honest) then I can recommend having a kip in an aire. Most of the time there won't be any aggro anyway. If not, then find a campsite.I always aim to stop the other side but arrive early for the ferry and they let me on for free. On one occasion we got there 3 hours early and they offered us an earlier ferry for £20 and I said thanks but no thanks. Went round to our lane and the marshall said "why are you in this lane? Come on get on this earlier one"
Spuffington said:
We headed to France for our hols last year. We're only based in Essex/Cambs so not as long a drive down to Calais but our plan was to spend an overnight at the Canterbury Aire and then board an early Ferry the next morning. We left Essex at 2pm and were at Canterbury by 4pm.
As it happened, we made it to Canterbury in such good time that we parked up and then considered why we shouldn't just head on to France. A few phonecalls later and we were rebooked on the evening ferry and although we arrived late in France (8:30pm), we headed an hour down the road to Montreuil where there was an ok Aire and spent the night there. This not only gave us a kicker in terms of being 1hr down the road but also didn't have to contend with loosing an hour with the time difference either. I'd definitely do the same again.
FYI - the Aire we used is here located at this reference - 50.459586, 1.759274 - stick it in Google Maps. Nothing Shows up but there are a number of level stands there now and if they're full, the car park itself is fine and has fresh water (EUR 2) and hookup (EUR 2) and toilet & grey waste drop. Montreuil is a lovely little town.
That sounds like quite a good plan. I've booked the ferry for 6AM now but we'll see what time we get to Dover, I can't see us getting there much before 8PM to be honest, and that would get us in France rather late and finding our way onto an aire around midnight... Not ideal if you don't know where you're going!As it happened, we made it to Canterbury in such good time that we parked up and then considered why we shouldn't just head on to France. A few phonecalls later and we were rebooked on the evening ferry and although we arrived late in France (8:30pm), we headed an hour down the road to Montreuil where there was an ok Aire and spent the night there. This not only gave us a kicker in terms of being 1hr down the road but also didn't have to contend with loosing an hour with the time difference either. I'd definitely do the same again.
FYI - the Aire we used is here located at this reference - 50.459586, 1.759274 - stick it in Google Maps. Nothing Shows up but there are a number of level stands there now and if they're full, the car park itself is fine and has fresh water (EUR 2) and hookup (EUR 2) and toilet & grey waste drop. Montreuil is a lovely little town.
We're spending the weekend with friends we don't see often so we won't be keen on leaving at the crack of dawn, more of a late breakfast then go I think!
Alex@POD said:
That sounds like quite a good plan. I've booked the ferry for 6AM now but we'll see what time we get to Dover, I can't see us getting there much before 8PM to be honest, and that would get us in France rather late and finding our way onto an aire around midnight... Not ideal if you don't know where you're going!
We're spending the weekend with friends we don't see often so we won't be keen on leaving at the crack of dawn, more of a late breakfast then go I think!
We have stayed a couple of times at a campsite in a village called licques. It's about 20 mins south from the tunnel terminal.We're spending the weekend with friends we don't see often so we won't be keen on leaving at the crack of dawn, more of a late breakfast then go I think!
Alan L said:
We have stayed a couple of times at a campsite in a village called licques. It's about 20 mins south from the tunnel terminal.
AlanIs this the place you stay at...
http://www.pommiers-3pays.com/modulosite2/3pays-li...
Would you recommend it?
ta
oblio said:
Alan
Is this the place you stay at...
http://www.pommiers-3pays.com/modulosite2/3pays-li...
Would you recommend it?
ta
Yes that's the one, yes it's fine we have stayed a couple of times when coming back early the next morning, 20 mins from the tunnel and a small Carrefour about 2 miles awayIs this the place you stay at...
http://www.pommiers-3pays.com/modulosite2/3pays-li...
Would you recommend it?
ta
oblio said:
Thanks Al 
I'm planning a trip sown too the SoF at Easter so looking for somewhere to stop on the way back. I'll suss it out...
If you have an ACSI discount card it's 14 or 16 euro a night out of season, we are off to Sof end of April. We stop at Orleans a night, then Millau a night after that it's only about 80 miles,to Agde / Sete area. I'm planning a trip sown too the SoF at Easter so looking for somewhere to stop on the way back. I'll suss it out...
Alan L said:
oblio said:
Alan
Is this the place you stay at...
http://www.pommiers-3pays.com/modulosite2/3pays-li...
Would you recommend it?
ta
Yes that's the one, yes it's fine we have stayed a couple of times when coming back early the next morning, 20 mins from the tunnel and a small Carrefour about 2 miles awayIs this the place you stay at...
http://www.pommiers-3pays.com/modulosite2/3pays-li...
Would you recommend it?
ta
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