# Is ferry best for first trip to France?



## 100021 (Jul 13, 2006)

Hi, just thinking of going to France for first time in our MH, having read several posts it seems that most people take the ferry. We wanted to go via the tunnel as 4 out of the 6 of us get terribly sea sick (not me - luckily) and one of our daughter's becomes hysterical at the mention of the word. Just wondered why this is, is it just that you live nearer to or are they some disadvantages that we don't know of going via the tunnel?

Also if we do go by Eurotunnel can you suggest any good sites that don't involve too much driving when you get to the other end? Are aires basically just places to park rather than actual camp sites?

Thanks

Roxy Lady x


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Funnels or Tunnels*

Hello Roxy,

Yes take the tunnel, if you can afford to. Book early enough and it is priced competetively. If you have tesco Vouchers £30 of vouchers should see you under the water as they are worth £120 with Eurotunnel.

Hope this helps?

Trev


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## 96088 (Aug 22, 2005)

clipster152 said:


> Also if we do go by Eurotunnel can you suggest any good sites that don't involve too much driving when you get to the other end? Are aires basically just places to park rather than actual camp sites?
> Thanks Roxy Lady x


Hi Roxy

Peejay wrote a very good guide to aires, it will answer all your questions and more you can find it >>>Here<<<


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## chapter (May 1, 2005)

its down to were you live? in my case its a extra 600 miles for me to take a short crossing so i cross on the south coast ports to cean/le havre or dieppe and they are all overnight so you are in france around 7.30 am so you have all day to find your 1st stop or camp site


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Depending on the time of your crossing I think, in the circumstances, I'd book a campsite for my first night in France . You won't then have to worry about finding somewhere or have the stress of worrying about a full site or not finding anywhere. You can then concentrate on enjoying the trip.
In future you'll realise you don't have to worry about these things !

We generally go on the ferry but have been on the train. It depends also where you want to go to in France. A lot of us like Norfolkline but they go into Dunkirk and that is right up north. It's very easy to get onto the motorway from both the ferry and the train in Calais - in fact it is quite hard not to. If you do want to try an nice aire and you are arriving in the afternoon then try Arques, a suburb of Arras. I can send details of the aire there.

G


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## BERTHA (May 21, 2005)

We have two younger children and we have, since getting the van, always used the train.

Reason being that we can get cheaper prices on the train if we travel off-peak but the problem with this is it is usually when the kids need to be in bed.

The other thing is if we travel on any of the longer ferry routes, which for us living close to Portsmouth this would be the case and then I begrudge paying for cabin, pre-cooked food when the van is sitting below decks.

At lease with the train, we usaully get the late train, we get the kids ready for bed and although they are normally awake when we board the train they are asleep when we get off.

We normally stop in the lorry park just as we get off the train in calais then I wake up early and get on the road while the kids are still asleep.

Depending where we are going I can clear the coastal region before the kids come around and we would pull in for breakfeast by around 10am

The only thing is if you are heading to Spain or S.W France I guess you can add on half a day extra in travel time to that from any of the ferry ports from Cherbourg to St Malo

H



.


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## 100004 (Jul 12, 2006)

The answer, as far as I'm concerned, is NO! Tunnel is just so easy and relaxing. Ok, cost may come into it, but it must all balance out with ease and lack of hassle factored in. Aires are nothing more than somewhere to park and toilets, in France, this means most times very clean and tidy. If you want a proper campsite /showers and toilets, and you can get there before 2200 then I relly can't praise highly enough Le Erables in Escalles. 20mins from the terminal and spotless facilities. How the hell do you get kids to sleep when you're going on a trip at that time of night?! H


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## Sagedog (Jun 28, 2005)

Chunnel all the way for us now, we get so fed up being on the ferry. Not to mention that we can cross with the help of Tesco vouchers for as little as £30 worth 8)


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

Hi all

Generally speaking it is all down to each and all of us and what we prefer.

There are no answers to these questions, we all have our own preferences. I personally have tried both the ferry and the tunnel and have no preference. Depending on our final destination I either book the ferry from one of the South Coast Ports or the Tunnel.

E.G. on Monday I leave here for Royan on the West Coast, I have booked from Poole to Cherbourg on the Mid - Day crossing arriving in Cherbourg around 06:00pm. I then travel to Le Peux for an overnight stop and start my journey south the following morning.

If I was for e.g. heading for A.N. Other destination I would plan my journey accordingly.

I am in the lucky position that I don't have to consider costs, I hate throwing money away but I plan my journeys to where my final destination might be.

There is no definite advantage travelling by either Ferry or Tunnel, either way is just a matter of preference, do what you want and I am sure that you will enjoy every minute of your journey.

My holiday starts when I close my front door, and ends when I open it again. In between both my good lady and I try to enjoy ourselves as much as possible. When things go wrong, as they sometimes do, we try to resolve the situation as best as possible and PLOUGH ON REGARDLESS, after all in a few months time these 'drastic situations' become a good laugh. 

Do what you have to do and enjoy yourselves.

Regards

Drew


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## Boff (May 10, 2005)

For us it is a very simple choice, the ferry:

I love boats. The bigger, the better. :wink: 
My daughter loves boats. The bigger, the better. And so far all our ferry crossings have been far too calm for her. I have told her the story when during my childhood (long before the chunnel existed) we once were on the last ferry to depart from Oostende before services were shut down because of gale-force winds. Us kids had a lot of fun...
My wife is not so fond about boats, but she loves the sea. 
And we all love the food at the self-service buffet.
For us it is the fastest way as we live in Utrecht, Netherlands. So if we want to go to UK, we have three ferry ports (Hoek van Holland, Rotterdam and Ijmuiden) within one hour's easy driving distance from home. Driving to Calais for the chunnel would take us one full day.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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