# Help me plan a trip please



## EuropeanCampers (Mar 28, 2008)

I have about 9 days in August spare and hope to plan a trip to Northern France with my two children, boy of 13 and girl of 8.

Im working on a day each way from the North West, including crossing over by the tunnel. That gives us about 7 nights on the continent.

Id like to take them to Ypres, beautiful place, and show them a few of the war memorials and the Menin Gate, will be a great experience for them.

Beyond that, I have really no other plans or agenda.

What and where would you suggest taking in to complete a great little trip for the 3 of us?

Any suggestions, ideas and guidance would be very much appreciated.

Thank you
Gareth


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Tript to France*

Hi

I have stayed on the Chateau Gandspette site, Eperlecques about 20 miles from Calais. I liked it and there is a supermarket within walking distance.

Russell

Also, take a look at www.camping-qualite.com


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## greenasthegrass (Oct 27, 2007)

ok first of all Gareth - it takes us 5 hours if we set off mid afternoon to get to Folkestone (Chunnel) we are in Leeds. We get a later in the evening "flight" and get over in half hour and stay at Cite Europe 10 mins round the corner you can't miss it!

Would then do a shop at Carrefour then travel no more than 3-4 hours and stay at an Aire - get the Aires book.

This was our trip last year. We tried Arromanches and couldn't get in but it was the French Bank Holiday weekend we ended up staying on a motorway Aire - never again!

We then went right down to Loire valley and stayed 3 nights on a lovely site run by two scottish people have forgotten its name now but it was in the place where Voltaire was either born or lived.

We stayed at Mont St Michel or visited it I should say and stayed on Haliotis site which was the best ever site in France we went on.

We got right down to below La Rochelle and had the most fab holiday ever and are going again this year but down the other way to the Med.

OOOh am all excited now already and its only March doh!

Greenie


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## philjohn (May 29, 2005)

Hi,
If you are really interested in taking the young ones to Ieper (Ypres) the we stayed Camping Jeugdstadion, Leopold 111 Laan 16 8900, Ieper. About 10 minutes walk from the Menin Gate, popular site Facilities pretty good. http://www.jeugdstadion.be/index_english.htm

Phil J


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## SaddleTramp (Feb 15, 2007)

Hi Gareth,
Ypres is absolutely fantastic and I am sure you and your kids will be blown away with it, I concur with the previous site recommendation we also stayed there and it is a nice walk just down the river and terraced houses to the Menin gate, Whilst you are there you MUST visit the museum in the town square, it is very eerie at times, I also recommend going on a guided tour you will all find it very exciting, we were on one and ended up find shrapnel, Hand grenades, Bullets, part of a german helmet, There are many things to look at and I am sure you will soon spend a few days there, If you do get time there is always ARRASS (I think thats how it was spelled) Under the city there are many chalk mines where the British hid then all came out one morning, Fantastic.

There are many places, Just ask the locals.

What I will say is that you need to look for the Campsite because when we went the entrance was not on Leopold III Laan it was on Karelstev or something like that.

Just looked it up, The site is entranced via Karel Steverlynck Laan, It is next to the Sports centre.


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## aultymer (Jun 20, 2006)

One for the big kids:-

Click:- Wee train

There is a campsite round the back of a nearby Hotel.
Food was good but toilet/showers needed attention as they say.
Would go back tomorrow!
If you are interested I will look up site.

More will come to me I am sure.

With limited time and French holidays under way maybe south is going to be crowded.
We used free camping on a champagne house car park courtesey of France Passion. Camping was free but we spent about 200Euro on booze.

Monet's garden at Giverney is in the NW area as well

So many places - so little time!


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Hi Gareth

Saddletramp obviously doesn't know his Arras from his elbow! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Sorry Les, couldn't resist it. :lol: :lol: _(only one 's' at the end)_

I do agree with his suggestion of Arras though. It's one of the most interesting places in the region and has two huge squares right next to each other, both of which were flattened in the World Wars, and painstakingly rebuilt so you can't see the join. The underground caverns are well worth a visit too.

Very close to Vimy Ridge if you are into the First World War stuff. Look out also for the tiny little museums run by enthusiasts. You have to take pot luck on whether they will be open (it is France after all) but we stumbled upon one which was quite fascinating - and all the better for being small and "personal".

Hope this helps

Dave


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## SaddleTramp (Feb 15, 2007)

Zebedee said:


> Hi Gareth
> 
> Saddletramp obviously doesn't know his Arras from his elbow! :lol: :lol: :lol:
> 
> ...


No Prob Mate, Actually I like your style (AAAAHHHH) I am going to remember that   :evil: :twisted:


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## aultymer (Jun 20, 2006)

Before you go check if any of your family are buried there. We went knowing that both my wife and I had great uncles buried about 20 miles apart having died 1 year and 1 day apart. Spookily we did not know that but arrived on the day at one and next day at the other. (our time of visit was governed by our return tunnel time) When we got home one of the family said 'oh so and so is there as well!!!' 
I don't think I will get my wife back to the graveyards - it was a sobering and painful experience and one which all gung ho types should be made to undertake.


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## mandyandandy (Oct 1, 2006)

We have 8 year old and did have teen son with us. I have found these books really useful for doing things that they will enjoy and we do to. 
http://tinyurl.com/ctmzpo

This company seems to be by far the cheapest, we also got the Brittany one too and some excellent places to vist in there.

Mandy


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## SaddleTramp (Feb 15, 2007)

Just to give you an idea of the type of experience you can find at the Menin Gate.

I have always had a deep interest in history and my best mate has too, The year before last we decided to take our wives with us for a couple of week in France, we said we would look at the cemeteries and if the wives wanted they could shop, We started off at Dunkirk and saw many many graves and war memorabilia the first week, we then decided to go to Ypres and the Menin Gate, We planned to stay overnight as the main "attraction"? was at 8 pm, This is when the towns Fire brigade volunteers play "Last Post".

The first day we arrived early in the morning and went for a look around town and viewed the "Meenenpoort" ie The Menin Gate, It is an experience in it's own right to see the names of 54,322 men and woman Just named what is more sobering is when you think that the reason those names are there is because no-one knows where they are, Then you see all the actual graves and put together with the names on the menin Gate, God almighty it must have been Hell 2 or 3 times over, By 7 pm we were feeling a Little?? Sad??.
Anyway at around 7:20 - 7:30 we made our way to the Gate, We were told to get there early as it would be full, They were correct, The crowds were growing fast but we managed to get a good position, At around 7:45 a small choir of Children took up position close to one of the Step up to the side walls, at 7:50 a group of veterans arrived and also took up position with the choir, right after that a small "band" arrived and also took up position close to the choir, At 7:59 three of the volunteer buglers "Marched" into the outer entrance of the Gate.

At precisely 8 pm they played the last post, I honestly have never been anywhere that has been so silent in my life, Not a Cough, Not a word, Not a Dry eye, Our wives who are totally not into this sort of things were openly crying, I could not hold my camera steady cos of the sobbing, But THEN the choir started and they sang of all songs "God save our Gracious Queen" THAT REALLY started everybody off I took a video of the crowd at that point (Not a very steady one) and I guarantee that I saw giants of men sobbing openly There were tissues and handkerchiefs in ALL hands, Then the laying of wreaths and it just continued, Now THAT night is the one memory that stays with me forever.

We stayed there the rest of the week and went to the Menin Gate EVEY evening at 8 pm, It was the least we could do.

The rest of the times we went were not like the first night because as we discovered later that was a special night, THEY WEREN"T WRONG.

Now we come to the effect it has had, I have always wanted to go to Auschwitz but I would not ask my wife to go because as I said "she isn't into this sort of thing" After that holiday both she and my mates wife suggested going to Auschwitz this year and they are both looking forward to it as much as My Mate and Myself are.

I am not going to say "Enjoy" it cos that would be the wrong word, But I guarantee neither you nor your kids will ever regret or forget it.


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## iconnor (Nov 27, 2007)

*Northern France*

The military cemeteries are quite a sight and very moving.
As you will be in Northern France I would also suggest a visit to the V weapons sites.....Le Coupole is sign posted from the motorway to Paris.


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## dinger (Jul 30, 2007)

*war tour*

Saddletramp......interesting what you witnessed in france.

last year we toured right down to Southern Germany and on the way back up decided to go to the Dachau museum , which actually is the camp
that was the model the Nazi regime used for the other 20 + camps that they had built

I cannot describe the feeling you get whilst walking around an area the size of a small town which only 65 years ago was the scene of so much
horror and depravation.

The most striking thing is that the buildings were made to last and look reasonably modern


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## AndrewandShirley (Oct 13, 2007)

At the side of Chateau Gandspette there is a wartime interactive V1 and V2 rocket site. Its a super day out and open all year round.

You can park overnight outside.

What are you interested in?

Seaside, War or just things to amuse you?

Mont St Micheal maybe too far along the coast?

Wot about walking up th Le Hauve bridges?


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## eddied (May 9, 2005)

Ciao, I remember my kids also enjoying a trip to Brugges/Ostend during our visits/transits Northern France/Ypres/Menin Gate etc.
saluti,
eddied


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