# Routes for Our Honeymoon (France)



## Sizer (Jul 11, 2010)

We are going on honeymoon to France in our vw camper. We are looking for places to see and ideas of were to stay as cheap as possible. We have an approximate route and some ideas of places than can be seen here :

Our Proposed route

Our Honeymoon Blog

We did look at Aires but we do not have a toilet in our VW Camper so that may not be an option.

Any ideas, suggestions of sites, places to see or better routes would be greatly appreciated as I want this honeymoon adventure to be something we both remember for a long time!! A must are the huge Dunes though, as a keen photographer I like the look of them.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Hi and welcome to you both and congatulations !

You route is a lovely one and there is lots to see.

A possible way of overcoming the lack of loo is to do as many French caravanners do and carry a lidded bucket ( honest ! You see loads of them emptying them in the morning). An nicer alternative is a small Elsan portable loo which you can keep in a cupboard or even loose and empty where other motorhomers empty them at aires. They are well sealed so you will have no problems with smell.You can get some really compactl ones too- try Ebay.

The aire at Dune de Pyla is not cheap but there are - were when we were last there anyway- some rather scruffy loos which are open all night. Better ones- pay- are open in the day.

Because your route is favoured by surfers there are lots of free and cheap aires and wildcamping places all down the coast.

I you go on further down the coast there is a large aire at Biarritz though it gets busy in high season.

When is the big day ?

G

Edit: See-

http://www.outdoorworld.co.uk/kampa-khazi-camping-toilet-p-604.html


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

That sounds brilliant.

Glad to see there's still some spirit of adventure with young people.

Don't abandon the idea of using aires (very economical) for the sake of a £50 Porta Potti. 
It may not be as smart as big motorhome toilet facilities but if you're tight on pennies it can save you a lot of money in campsite fees.
Also remember that France is brimming with big supermarkets and Mc Donalds, all of which have pretty good toilet facilities.

Oh, and the route looks pretty good too.


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## Sizer (Jul 11, 2010)

Big day would be July 31st!...and as for the young thanks...although I dont think I qualify at 35, the Mrs does at 26 maybe!

We are both sooo excited, Ive had people say we should book this and that, some people thinking we're mad for going in a camper that nearly 40 years old but we are on a budget and like the idea of a new experience. I cant see us using a bucket, theres some things I can compromise on but thats just not gonna happen!!

We dont mind using campsites, in fact I think our first one at the moment is likely to be Camping Saint-Michel, 35 Route Du Mont, Saint-Michel, 50220 Courtils.

I have a couple of things we want to see noted, the tree with a chapel, the Micahels Mount, dunes but still open to new ideas as we are probably going to deviate as much as possible in order to see as much as possible.

This is Daisy :


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

We had our honeymoon camping in our car in Mombasa and Malindi and later travelled the length and breadth of East and South Africa with a very old split screen VW camper - and we had small children with us.

This is a cheaper and, IMHO, better alternative to a campsite at Mont St Michel:

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Campsites&op=display_results&csid=4151

G


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Keep the route secret, repaint vw or we will all be watching for you :lol: 

Dave p


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## lins (Sep 29, 2008)

What a cool van hope you both and daisy have a great trip.Congratulations for your big day.lin.


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## Sizer (Jul 11, 2010)

Wow, that looks really nice and €8, thats well cheap. But does it have a loo (yes Im obsessed but we cant be doing things like that in such a confined space....)

I do have the icampsite app, bought that today and has loads of sites I hadnt found on the internet so thats good news, especially if we can get away with around €10 a night, Ill be chuffed!

Obviously well need to do the odd campsite for showers etc but we dont really intend on stayin on site, we want to explore and experience new things. We have even considered a Naturist site just for the experience whilst over there.


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## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

Sizer,

Good luck with the honeymoon road trip - Sounds good 8)

We had a caravan honeymoon a few years ago and loved every minute of it.

We're heading down to the Vendee ourselves on the 31st July and will keep an eye out for you. France is a big place, but if our paths do cross on site, I will have a celebratory glass ready for you both.

Several years ago I was surfing in the Vendee area and moved north following a decent break when I got wiped out and ended up on a naturist beach by mistake -_ Really_ It was very liberating 

Ken.

ps. Confused about whether you're 40 (as per your profile) or 35 ?


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## Sizer (Jul 11, 2010)

Damn...dunno why it says 40...gonna have to change that!!

If you do spot us Im guessing we'll be hard to miss!

(Edit: It must have changed the date to 1/1/70 no idea why but sorted now)


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## rugbyken (Jan 16, 2006)

sounds like a great trip , some aires eg the one at nozay just before nantes do have loos , you can check the facilities on www.campingcar-infos.com ,also if your going to be out for 6 weeks an acis card would work for the last 2 week's and even for that short a period the saving would be worth the investment on some real quality sites


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## Sizer1 (Jul 11, 2010)

It seems my post was edited by mods so Ill re-write what I had put : 

Thanks for all the replies. I will keep looking for new ones but unfortunately I cant and am not willing to pay £10 to post on a forum created by the users. 

Without the kind people here and their experience this forum would not exist. I dont mind paying for extras if I need/want them, but Im not paying to use a forum that wouldnt exist without people like you/myself.

Im really shocked to find out you have to pay £10 just to use a forum!!.... its a first for me and I am registered on a whole lot of forums.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Hi and firstly congratulations!!!

There is a book called All The Aires (well some of the aires) in France here http://www.all-the-aires.com/images/france_compilation.pdf I think it shows if an Aire has a loo although I have never taken much notice as I have my own. Dont rule out the porta poti though as it will make it much easier. Fair enough if you dont want to number 2 in a small van but if you just need a number 1 then surely thats ok. (sorry to be blunt). Your route looks great. The Aire at Mont St Michel that Grizzly recommends I think may have a loo. It certainly has a building with sinks etc. Can anyone confirm this?

Just a bit of your route near Bayeux not far from Caen on the cliff tops is Longues Sur Mer which is an intact WWII gun emplacement. Right on the cliffs is a brilliant wild spot for camping but 100 yards inland opposite the tourist information is a car park and there is a loo there. You could camp on the cliffs or I have seen vans in the car park near the loos. If your into seeing WWII stuff this is an excellent place to base yourself at.

I notice your route doesnt include much of the coast of Brittany. If your into beaches and your going to Mont St Michel then just around the corner on the north coast of Brittany are some real delights. From Cancal and St Malo to Roscoff are some fantastic places. Even if you just do the bit as far as St Malo its wonderful and loads of wild camping or Aires.

Campsites in August will be busy as will Aires. Nearly every town has a municipal campsite at a much lower cost than a normal campsite and many are lovely.

You have a big advantage with a little VW as it will get under height barriers and open up all sorts of opportunities that larger motorhomes cant get to.

I would recommend you get a 20 litre extra water carrier with a tap to add to the small container most VW's have. We have 120 litres on board but still carry an extra 20 litre backup.

Do your research and this is the best place to start and you will have a fab time.

I love the VW's me and my pals were out in one last night for a wild Saturday night out on the town. We have been to 17 Scottish islands in it. I have a 6 berth myself but nothing makes me smile as much as when we go on a road trip in the old VW. Yours looks fantastic.

If I think of anything else I will post it.

Regards
Barry


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## Sizer1 (Jul 11, 2010)

Thanks for that, the link is spot on and will come in handy.

TBH the route was created by someone on another forum, we have no knowledge of France, 10 days and thats what they came up with. We probably wont stick to it to the letter but its certainly a good start.

We both like History etc.. and I love a good photo opportunity. We both love the VW and dya know, I have no idea how much water it holds...lol..best look into that!


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

Sizer1 said:


> It seems my post was edited by mods so Ill re-write what I had put :
> 
> Thanks for all the replies. I will keep looking for new ones but unfortunately I cant and am not willing to pay £10 to post on a forum created by the users.
> 
> ...


Hi

Your post was no doubt edited by one of the mods because you have created this duplicate account in order to avoid becoming a subscriber after using your five free posts under the "sizer" username. This is against the forum rules and therefore your duplicate account will be suspended, as will any further duplicate accounts that you create. By creating duplicate accounts you effectively defraud all the existing subscribers who have already paid to become subscribers and participate fully in the forum.


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## Sizer1 (Jul 11, 2010)

Text removed by moderators


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Sizer...we pay our £10 so that the excellent facilities on this site can be maintained. It's existance in cyberspace costs money: server fees, maintenance, site development so all the bells and whistles are there and so on. 

Sure, the users provide the content but without a platform we could not do that. Frankly the information we've gleaned and the friendships we've made from here over the years has been worth and saved us many many times more that the £10 per year.

I think you will find it a sound investment and hope you won't leave.

G


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Hi Sizer, pay yer subs.

The 'Route Touristique' down the west coast of the Cherbourg Peninsular (D650) is riddled with free airs that have toilet facilities.

Carteret, Barneville, Portbail, Lindburg Plage (dunes galore), Denneville, Pirou, etc. etc.

Ray.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Best tenner I ever spent Sizer. Im not very practical and have had so much advice and help on here so its been well worth it. The resources for touring France are endless and everyone is more than willing to go out of there way to help you.


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## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

""" LINK and help removed"...  
I just read the posters comment above about the £10 fee !!

Best £10 I've ever spent as well !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## vwwesty (Jul 30, 2010)

Hi there

I have just returned from a similar trip in our vw camper, so thought id let you know how we done

We came in through dunkiirque and drove all night to our first stop on omaha beach camping, and bagged a great spot overlooking the beech from a cliff top, we then drove to mont st michel and stayed the night in the car park right in front of the mont and by the sea










we then headed straight for la rochelle for a few days and then over on a ferry from Royan and drove to Montalivet and stopped for about 3 days to sample the delights of the great beach,
including the naturist beech that was joined to the euronat campsite. That was a great expeirience!!










A few more stops along the coast including the dune du pyla, ( a great place and we camped right at the bottom of it),










ending up in hossegor for 4 days & more beach! onto Biarritz ,then Lourdes, back to Biarritz staying on the Aire and then into spain.

A few nights in san sebastien and a night in Santander which is a fantastic town.

just over 2000 miles and not one fault with the van, possibly due to my rigerous maintenance regime

We came back to the UK on the ferry from Santander, and that was such a great end to the holiday.










We use a camping gaz toilet for when on the aires, and it fits nicely between your sink and gas cupboard as we have the same van layout as you. If we stay on a campsite it then goes in the awning.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

vwwesty.

Your van is fantastic! What a lovely example. A proper camper van. Sounds like a brilliant trip. I have so many happy memories of trips in the old VW.


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