# How do YOU do it?



## sparky20006 (Apr 18, 2011)

Sitting here figuring out how to 'do' France next year.

How do you all go about heading for the sun?

Do you just get off the other side and follow your nose or do you plan it all the way and book into sites with pools and pay ahead etc.

My 18 year old and a mate or girlfriend will probably be coming so will affect things a bit but if its near a beach / river /hot etc they are usually ok.

What do you think?

Honestly, was it a mistake doing it the way you did or was it great?

Cheers

Paul

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## an99uk (May 12, 2005)

The only planning we do is the tunnel after that we just keep driving south-ish until we find summer.....

3 years ago we only reached the Dordogne before we found it, last year we drove down as far as the Med and still we didn't find it but heard that Calais was scortching....:roll:

This year we got down to Limoges before it was warm enough to slow down. 

It really depends upon how much time you have.


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## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

Apart from picking the date to leave and a general area, we just "go".. Locate aires and campsites as we go along..
France is a big place so lots to choose from. 

Some France experts may give better detailed advise soon but so far we have enjoyed everywhere we have visited in France..


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## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

Last year, our first MH holiday in France, we had spent weeks working out an itinerary of where we were going and where we would stay each night.
As it took us 8 hours to get to the Tunnel instead of the normal 4 hours the whole list went belly up even before we got to France.
From the first day to the last we just meandered around France and stayed at the nearest Aire to where we were by late afternoon and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
This year we planned nothing, just headed vaguely south west and hit the coast near to La Rochelle, and had an even better holiday. 
Just head south / south west and you'll pass plenty of rivers, find the coast eventually and hopefully plenty of sun.
Go with the flow!


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

sparky20006 said:


> How do you all go about heading for the sun?
> 
> Do you just get off the other side and follow your nose


Hi.

Yep that about sums it up. :wink:

ray.


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## alhod (Nov 1, 2010)

Why spoil a good holiday by planning? Like the man said, south'ish to south west (keeping well clear of Paris) and you can't go far wrong :wink: 
But then if you try south east'ish that's also good
Alan


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

We book the ferry and have a rough idea of where we're going ( ie south, east, west, Greece, Sicily, Croatia, Germany...) and then just go with the flow. We aim to do a maximum of 150 km per day and we usually find somewhere to stay mid-afternoon so we can explore where we've stopped. If we like it we stay another day; if not we move on next morning. Sometimes we go a lot less than 150km. Sometimes we leave home intending to go to-say- Sicily and end up in Spain because we've been side-tracked by people we've met on the way.

We usually decide where to go the night before but we don't always stick to it if we find somewhere tempting en route.

We once pitched next to a German van which was branded a "Bumblewagen" and this seems a very good description of what we do.

G


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## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

We've been to France 4 times in the motorhome and had a general aim each time but haven't booked sites or stuck with any rigid plan. Over time we've learnt to use: the ACSI Camping Card and accompanying book; All the Aires; and the MHF iCampsites app. We also do internet searches for possible sites beforehand (all part of the fun) and enter the most likely in our satnav.

First trip May 2009
We had a week and wanted to visit friends who'd moved to Picardy. Spent two nights with them, one night near Amiens, two nights south of Rouen at Pont de l'Arche, and two nights at Quiberville on the Normandy coast. This was a spontaneous practice run for our second trip, for which the ferry was already (unnecessarily) booked.

Second trip Sept 2009
Planned a holiday with friends who rented a house in a town on the river Cher. We stayed on a site close by for a week then, when this closed moved along the valley a bit for another week. Took three nights meandering back, the last night on our first aire, at St Valery sur Somme.

Third trip Sept 2010
Headed to Brittany, as I'd never been. Meant to get to the south coast but only managed an area around St Malo, Dinard, Dinan as we were enjoying it so much and didn't want to do more driving after the trek from Calais. Spent a few nights in the Quiberville area on the way back and used the St Valery aire again.

Fourth trip Aug / Sept2011
Wanted to visit the area (south Correze / north Lot) where John once had a house and we had many happy pre-motorhome memories. A different van with solar panel etc. enabled us to stay off hook up more and we used more aires and overnight parking as well as campsites. A few nights in the Loire Valley and a visit to Giverny on the way back. Used Cité Europe car park at Calais for first and last night.

We had many holidays in France before the motorhome and now want to balance visiting favourite places with finding new ones. We've never booked a site in France but have never not booked in the UK.


Chris


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

when we first started going over the channel, we planned things quite tightly, and ended up trying to do too much, and too many miles. We've eased up now :roll: and tend to head for an area and wander about!. This September we looked at the weather and had plans to go to the Loire valley, but could be persuaded to go elsewhere if the weather was forecast to be good. First day we plodded down to Honfleur from Calais - if it was good next morning we would head along the coast towards Brittany - well the heavens opened that evening and next morning it was damp & grey. So off we went to the Loire, and spend a couple of weeks just pootlimg around - we still had some lovely weather and saw some lovely palces 8) :!:


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## MrWez (Sep 25, 2011)

We've got a similar dilemma.

Me and my wife would be quite happy touring, my teenagers hate it!

My teenagers would prefer it if we got off the ferry and stopped there for two weeks then pack up and go home (via the hypermarket)! I couldn't think of anything worse and feel I'm missing out on the delights that France has to offer so we have to compromise.

They'll tolerate short journey's to sites where we can stay for a couple of days before packing up however, we must spend at least one week in one place and that HAS to have a pool and be by the sea. I know it's the antithesis of touring but my youngest is too young to leave at home on her own.

You're probably thinking right now that I should have bought a caravan but I hate towing in spite of being properly trained in the dark art whilst in the military.

So we plan our holidays to keep the journey times as short and painless as possible and have somewhere pre-booked to stay.

Now once the youngest is no longer coming with us, the gloves are off and we'll be making it up as we go along - which is what we did before we had kids!

MrWez


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## MrsW (Feb 8, 2009)

We have done trips where we have booked every night (and kept to the plan) and trips where we plan just about nothing but just go where the mood takes us. Now we are living in France we just go where we fancy any time we take the MH away for a few days (not yet done a long trip since moving here - the builders are working here so we can't leave them for too long!)


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## Ozzyjohn (Sep 3, 2007)

Hi Paul,

I tend to agree with Mr Wez, our teenage lads tend to get a bit fed up with too much travelling - though the promise of a couple of days break here and there seemed to keep them happier. 

We have never pre-booked a site outside of UK - even in the height of summer. Aires are easy to get on to early afternoon - and there are so many of them. 

Once we get out of the tunnel the only firm thing on our plan is the date of the train to take us back again - everything else is up for grabs. 

In the words of the Simon & Garfunkel song, 
"I can gather all the news I need on the weather report". 


Regards,
John


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

We book the boat or tunnel, load the camping cheque card, get the current ASCI book and card, order the prescriptions and go for it.

When we drive out of Calais / Dunkirk decide whether to go right, left or straight on. First night look for the good weather forecasts and head in that direction. If dubious head South.

Too much planning spoils the spontaneity and the possibility of discovering places by accident.

Steve


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## UncleNorm (May 1, 2005)

Two signatures from folk on MHF:

Home is where the handbrake goes on;

If you don't make plans, they can't go wrong!! :roll: :wink:


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

The question is why plan. Usually planning provides a security blanket or gives yourself something to look forward to.
The problem is that if something really good crops up, you have to move on to keep up with your itinary. The second problem being that your target may not live up to expectations and you trip can fall a bit flat.
My daughter really wants to know where she is going to, her holidays are usually ok but this year her plans failed and she ended up travelling to several unexpected places. When she got home, her conversation was full of her adventures, good and bad but she enjoyed herself, which is what a holiday is for.
We tend to be controlled by the weather; not warm enough? Then move south.
Alan


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## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

- Buy these maps as they show the scenic roads edged in green.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/France-Nati...5040/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1321172230&sr=8-2
http://www.amazon.co.uk/France-Mich...7256/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1321172230&sr=8-7

- Get a France Passion, All the Aires and Acsi books for places to stay without having to book.

- Get a Carnet of 3 return tickets with Sea France as you dont have to book a return date. These last a year from the date you first travel and one can be given to a friend.

- Turn up at the Ferry and go.

- Plan you next days journey the night before over a glass of wine, to take in as many scenic roads as you can while heading towards the sun.

- Keep a Collins pocket French Dictionary in your pocket at all times when not in MH


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

We don't plan, we jut keep an eye on the weather forecast and wander towards where ever the sunshine is, Alan.


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## Suenliam (Mar 22, 2006)

I always book the ferry/tunnel well in advance - happily planning dates etc. as we speak. Usually get better rates the earlier you book (but not always).

I then plan east France or west France. Then the campsites - mixture of new and tried and tested. 

Planning is a most enjoyable way to spend the winter.

Then we get over the channel and all plans go out the window  

Actually we have been planning to go to Alsace/Lorraine for years and finally got there September last. And that's after many years of 2 x 6 weeks hols in the MH in France.

So to summarise - yes plan to your hearts content, but don't expect to follow it :lol: 

Sue


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

We are just back from a five month trip but I did do some planning. 

I spend a lot of time before we go on the Internet researching places we ate heading for, things to see and do, aires, stellplatz and wild spots etc even down to having a look at them on google earth. I save all the info on the laptop as PDF files I'm folders for each place we might go to. Our plans may change when we start travelling and some of the info may not get used but it's a quick off line resource.

Having the Internet all the time via vodafone data traveller and the repeat it wifi antenna has to have been the biggest benefit to planning this year as it enabled us to watch the weather via Zoover and when necessary move. It also gave us instant access to information as to what was around us to visit as well as being able to constantly post on here for information.

I never booked anything (we hardly use sites anyway) and even in peak season we still found quiet places.


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## ThingyFromWales (Jul 15, 2007)

Hello There


We go every summer in the school hols and have only once booked a site in advance.

We always book the chunnel with Tesco vouchers in advance.

We are armed with the Passion France, Aires and Alan Rogers camping books, as well as a really bad SAT NAV with poi's.

We follow usually have a loose plan and 'sort of' know where we are heading. French sites seem to be much better set up for campers 'en route', many keeping pitches especially for this reason. 

When we first started camping in France we were a little apprehensive about the booking ahead thing, but experience and being armed with the camp site info has given us confidence that there will always be somewhere to stay.

Advice would be however, if you are at busy times in busy places (such as Brittany coastline in summer hols) get there early as possible to book a decent site as we have had a bit of a surprise before now when we turned up late afternoon. We still found somewhere easily and got there early the next day for a prize pitch.

Good luck and enjoy your time in France. 

We stick the teens in a pop-up tent! You know it makes sense! 

Debs


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

A bit of both,
Sometimes brilliant, sometimes not so good

Would love to be organised a bit , but hopeless with technology- so once we hit the road all plans fall apart

But in truth does it really matter, some of the best times are unexpected some of the worst excellent learning curves

The greatest problem and joy is the mad hound who travels with us

or do we travel with him 8O 8O

Aldra


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## Lesleykh (Apr 13, 2009)

Hi,

I can't add much to what others have said. We don't plan. We never have. Not for 30 years of camping in France, from the days when we hitched and took only what we could carry, through the days when we took a car and a lot more, to the joy of now having our van.

One thing to think about though, if your kids want waterside campsites you don't have to stick to the coast. There are many great river beaches inland, with campsites where they'll be able to meet up with other youngsters.

Also, if you are going to plan at all, look out for where there are village/town festivals. We took the niece and nephews to a great disco in the town square of Eymet this summer (yes, the place on the telly). There were lots of kids there and my teenage nephew got to dance with lots of girls!

Lesley


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

Too much pre-planning & by the first hurdle it goes belly up . . far better to [roughly] aim for the general area you want & see what turns up around the next bend - the only thing we pre-plan is the ferry date/time out & back !


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## simandme (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi all
What a great discussion...only a few things to add...

- preparation is the key to happiness. 
- have a few places in mind that you and the gang would like to visit (but not Paris on your first trip, unless you're feeling really brave :lol
- if you want southern France, use the autoroutes to get there quick.
- chunnel is brilliant (flexible/quick); ferries handy depending on where you want to enter/depart.

Get the books/map/gps/easy net access; a change in mind/weather becomes a chance for adventure and new surprises. Plus, when you're really tired at the end of the day it can be handy to know that you're close to a camp spot.

I plan and then when things conspire against us, I use the internet/big european atlas to plan the next bit. eg wanted to travel along the coast from Nice - thunderstorms followed us, so ended up at Corsica.

Ah do so love the exploring!! Better go... time to plan for next year...now where's my atlas?!


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