# Suggestions welcomed for proposed French trip



## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

After failing, despite many attempts, to persuade SWMBO to cross the Channel in the MH, my brother has now agreed to accompany me on a short tour of Brittany & Normandy. We are planning to go on 19th/20th September from Plymouth to Roscoff & return on 26th from Caen to Portsmouth. We hope to visit our very elderly aunt at Pointe du Raz on the first day & also take in some of the Normandy beaches & the Bayeux tapestry as well.
First draft of our trip follows:

Date	Overnight stay	Ferry travel	Road travel	Visits
From	To	Times	From	To	Miles	
19.09 Redditch	Plymouth	210	
19/20.09	Plymouth 
20.09 Plymouth	Roscoff	08.00 – 15.20 
20.09 Roscoff	Pte du Raz	90	
20/21.09	Pte du Raz 
21.09 Pte du Raz	LOCAL Aunt Betty (?), Pte du Raz, and/or Quimper
21/22.09	Pte du Raz 
22.09 Pte du Raz	Dinan	190	Quimper or Dinan
22/23.09	Dinan 
23.09 Dinan	Bayeux (Courseulles)	130	Dinan or Mont St. Michel
23/24.09	Courseulles 
24.09 Courseulles	LOCAL Bayeux, Bayeux Tapestry, invasion beaches and/or Caen
24/25.09	Courseulles 
25.09 Courseulles	LOCAL 
25/26.09	Courseulles 
26.09 Courseulles	Caen (Ouistreham)	15	
26.09 Caen	Portsmouth	08.30 – 13.15 
26.09 Portsmouth	Redditch	150

Any & all suggestions as to route, Aires, ferries, etc., welcome. I'm intending to book the ferries through the Caravan Club, unless anyone has a better idea. The plan is to overnight in Plymouth, any suggestions as to where to stay? I've used the CC site at Plymouth Sound before but somewhere nearer the dock would be preferable I think.
This will be my first trip abroad in the MH. I have taken a car to France before but that was in 1977 & 1966, so any general advice welcome also. 
Thanks in advance for any help.
Michael.


----------



## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

Wot no ideas at all? 8O 8O 8O


----------



## MrsW (Feb 8, 2009)

I can give you a code that will get you 10% off the fare but whether the CC give you more I don't know!

You can park on the quay at Plymouth overnight if you are on the daytime ferry but may need to wait till the night ferry has gone (if there is one). 

Don't cram too much into your trip - make sure you have some days to just chill or you will be cream crackered when you get back.

If you are self-contained then aires and France Passion sites are good and very cheap or free.

Enjoy the trip!


----------



## nickoff (Oct 11, 2005)

Change the Mrs. :-D

Nick.


----------



## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Once you get into Normandy / Britainy you will find lots of things to see. Interesting littkle towns and some very nice people.
As previous do not try to cram too much in.
There are years worth of holidays over there. Uncrowded roads to start with.
Dave p


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Didn't see it before Michael.

First suggestion, ring up Camping Cheques and ask about the (apparently) huge discounts they have on several Western Channel crossings. You have to buy 3 camping cheques as well, but Portsmouth to Cherbourg (for example) is £228 return. Other routes may be similarly discounted.

More later. I still owe you one for telling me about Abacus! :wink: 

Dave


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Sorry you have not had an answer.

You havent much time on that trip but I can give you a couple if tips for Dinan and the Normandy beaches.

Dinan and Port Dinan (the river bit below the town) are lovely. Even better if you can get there market day in the town. The Aire down at the port is pretty grim though, noisy and I think a pay and display. Just a mile or two down the road is a very quiet Aire at Taden and if you want to ignore the no camping sign there is a terrific wild spot on the river Rance just another mile further on. You can walk or cycle very easily (about a mile and a half along the river to Port Dinan)

For the Normandy Beaches we have stopped a few times at Longues Sur Mer which is the largest intact Gun Battery of Hitlers Atlantic Wall. You can crawl around the guns and just beyond on the cliff top is a terrific stopover over looking the Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches. Just down the road is the American Cemetery and Museum which is free and well worth a morning or afternoon visit. Arromanches 3 miles down the road is a centre for all things WW2. There is an Aire right in the town but its always busy and very cramped. We parked outside last time in the main car park next to the Aire which was empty.

Spot at Longues Sur Mer Gun Battery http://goo.gl/maps/HnMxq










Wilding on the Rance http://goo.gl/maps/TaqIk









Taden (near Dinan) Aire
http://goo.gl/maps/QkZBL

American Cemetery Omaha Beach, Colleville-sur-Mer
49.35964, -0.85468

Hows that?


----------



## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

nickoff said:


> Change the Mrs. :-D
> 
> Nick.


Yes, well, somehow I don't think she'd like that idea :lol: :lol: :lol: 
I do have to make allowances, she does suffer from MS which is very limiting for her & stops her doing things she would dearly love to do if she was more able. Seriously, I would love to get her over the Channel, I am green with envy reading about all your adventures over there but she has dug her heels in & won't hear of it.
Ah well, I can always dream.
Thanks for all the responses, have to discuss with bro now & get sorted.

Michael.


----------



## drcotts (Feb 23, 2006)

Hi is there a reason why your going via portsmouth coming from crimson town like you do? 

It would be cheaper to go via calias and just tootle down the coast to Normandy unless you want to get to brittany as soon as poss of course but its only a days drive to the beeaches from calais but i know time is important. 

the aire at ouisetram (if i spelt that right) is often full so dont depend on it.

wonder why your dear lady is so against it. Possibly due to her MS so unfair of me to comment but if she was worried about stops etc its really not bad at all Still we all have our reasons i suppose.

Have a good trip anyway


----------



## TheBlade (Jun 30, 2011)

We love the aire at Audienne, which is about 15 miles from Pointe de Raz: right next to the marina, 200 yards from the delightful town centre, excellent walk along the estuary, and all for free.

Agree with Barry that the American cemetery near Omaha beach is a brilliant, moving and informative place to visit. We overnighted in their car park, near the cliff-top. We were on our own and nobody seemed to mind (out of summer-season). 

Jocelyn is another great place to visit if it's on your route. Superb quiet free aire near the centre of the delightful town. A real classic with a lovely chateau next to the river. On a practical note there's a laundrette in the car park of one of the two supermarkets on the edge of town, the one on the right as you go into town from the motorway. Get your smalls done while you load up with plonk.

Oh God, you've got me going now. Can't wait to go back.


----------



## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

drcotts said:


> Hi is there a reason why your going via portsmouth coming from crimson town like you do?
> 
> It would be cheaper to go via calias and just tootle down the coast to Normandy


Hi, we plan to go from Plymouth & return to Portsmouth so as to maximise our time in Brittany & Normandy. I realise that it would be cheaper to go & return via Calais but this would mean losing a couple of days in the chosen areas. Plymouth is easy from here, straight down the M5, so that is another consideration.
If we had more time we would go via Calais, probably through the tunnel, but the extra travelling time makes that not worthwhile on this trip.


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Its such a shame that your other half doesn't want to go abroad in the van. It must be awful for you both. I assume she come with you in the van in the UK. What are her main concerns about touring abroad? Its none of our business but perhaps there is something we could advise her on to ease her apprehensions. Please ignore this post completely if you don't wish to discuss it. I just feel for you both missing out on somewhere that is motorhome Mecca.


----------



## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

MrsW said:


> I can give you a code that will get you 10% off the fare but whether the CC give you more I don't know!
> 
> You can park on the quay at Plymouth overnight if you are on the daytime ferry but may need to wait till the night ferry has gone (if there is one).
> 
> ...


Thanks for that, the CC beats your 10% by £1!
We are self contained, two large gas cylinders (15 kg B + 13kg P) so shouldn't run out of gas! Main lamps are all fluorescent so should be OK for lighting too. Only one leisure battery but should be OK for a short trip even if we don't use hook-up. (Says he hopefully).


----------



## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

Zebedee said:


> Didn't see it before Michael.
> 
> First suggestion, ring up Camping Cheques and ask about the (apparently) huge discounts they have on several Western Channel crossings. You have to buy 3 camping cheques as well, but Portsmouth to Cherbourg (for example) is £228 return. Other routes may be similarly discounted.
> 
> ...


Thanks Dave, tried them but CC is the best price for what we have planned at the mo.


----------



## hogan (Oct 31, 2006)

The top car park at Arrowmanches has a 360 degree cinema showing scenes of the country side during the war and now, well worth a visit and only a couple of euros .
Lots and lots to see in this area.


----------



## MrsW (Feb 8, 2009)

emmbeedee said:


> MrsW said:
> 
> 
> > I can give you a code that will get you 10% off the fare but whether the CC give you more I don't know!
> ...


Oh well, it was worth checking! If you only have 1 leisure battery you might want to look at a solar panel, even if only a small portable one to keep the power topped up.


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

You won't have a problem with all that gas Michael, and I ran a single 105Ah battery for most of 5 days last year before it gave up.

*Priceless hint* - which I got from Mark at AutoSleepers . . .

If you are mooching round a small area on Aires with no hook-up (_as we were _) and not driving far between stops, DO NOT switch the fridge to 12Volt when you move on.

It will stay cold for a couple of hours even in hot weather, but running it on 12 Volts robs the alternator of most of its output, so the Habitation battery gets hardly any charge.

Dave


----------



## alhod (Nov 1, 2010)

emmbeedee said:


> drcotts said:
> 
> 
> > Hi is there a reason why your going via portsmouth coming from crimson town like you do?
> ...


Brittany Ferries is a good decision - they definitely have the best boats and the best restaurants of any across the Channel. We have worked out several times that the extra cost justifies the saving in time and cost getting to/from Calais.

Perhaps your wife will mellow when she hears what a great time you had! My wife also has a chronic med condition and really dislikes travelling, except in the MH! 
France is so very different from the UK for MH'ing and am certain that she would find it a joy, but understand and respect her position so no debate.

Have a good trip and enjoy
Alan


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Zebedee said:


> You won't have a problem with all that gas Michael, and I ran a single 105Ah battery for most of 5 days last year before it gave up.
> 
> *Priceless hint* - which I got from Mark at AutoSleepers . . .
> 
> ...


Is that true? Brilliant tip if it works.


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

barryd said:


> Zebedee said:
> 
> 
> > If you are mooching round a small area on Aires with no hook-up (_as we were _) and not driving far between stops, DO NOT switch the fridge to 12Volt when you move on.
> ...


Hi Barry

Mark is the technical help chap at AutoSleepers Service Centre, and very good he is too. I asked his advice about fitting a second battery after I ran our single 105 flat last year, and that's when he gave me the tip.

Easy enough to do a calculation and check if it's true, but I can't be bothered. He has never given duff advice before, so I'm happy to accept this as genuine and accurate.

It's a situation in which you can't lose anyway. The fridge won't even begin to defrost in a couple of hours, and if it is not drawing power the habitation battery must be getting a bigger share. The only question is, "_How much difference does it make_?" and it's probably impossible to be very specific. If the vehicle battery was fully charged I would expect it to make a big difference, since the hab battery would get most of the available ooomph! Not such an advantage if the vehicle battery needed charging, since that would get the lion's share to begin with.

Somebody will do the sums . . . probably! :wink:

Dave


----------



## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

alhod said:


> Perhaps your wife will mellow when she hears what a great time you had!
> Alan


That's what I'm hoping! 
Only time will tell, but I can't get her to spend more than a fortnight away in the MH & then only with difficulty. She does enjoy the comforts of home, but was happy to spend seven weeks in the USA in 2011. I guess the bottom line is she doesn't enjoy motorhoming that much.


----------



## mr2 (Feb 26, 2009)

drcotts said:


> Hi is there a reason why your going via portsmouth coming from crimson town like you do?
> 
> It would be cheaper to go via calias and just tootle down the coast to Normandy unless you want to get to brittany as soon as poss of course but its only a days drive to the beeaches from calais but i know time is important.
> 
> ...


We do the route down to Brittany via Calais enjoying stops on the way eg Honfleur & St Valery en Caux. Oustreham is not only busy but very noisy being close to ferry terminal. We have not found Port of Dinan aire to be noisy but it has no aire services and is a very steep walk into town for your wife.


----------



## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

Update, now booked the ferries via CC & obtained travel insurance. Found my EHIC card in the safe. 
Next job, sort out the Nordelettronica NE143 electrical panel on the MH. Seems to have got even more cranky over the winter. Not too impressed with the Nordelettronica electrics fitted to this van, the battery charger has failed twice already. :x :x


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

emmbeedee said:


> Found my EHIC card in the safe.


Hi Michael

Just a thought - have you checked that it hasn't expired?

You don't get a reminder, and it has caught out a few people.

Dave


----------

