My teenage son lives in The Netherlands - Earlier this year, for the first time, I did the Harwich to Hook of Holland Ferry overnight with a cabin, which I felt was relaxing compared to my usual travel to Holland, which is Dover to Calais, or more common for us the Dover to Dunkirk Ferry and then driving through France, Belgium and Holland. I am split which is the best... I do like driving, we have a comfortable car (Jaguar XJ) and so the mileage isn't seen as a negative for us.
Hi. We're in the West Mids too and we go Plymouth to Roscoff on Thursday evenings on the Pont Aven. Embarkation starts from 7pm so there's enough time to wander around before retiring to the cabin. We get the Deluxe cabins as they have 2 single beds, a very comfy sofa bed and drop down bunk. It's a bit of a treat but I feel worth it (we do Eurocamp at the other end). My kids are 8 & 13. Breakfast served in the cabin at 6am the next day, arriving in port at 7am. Roscoff is really quiet so it's not a stressful drive at all to wherever you are going. This year we went down to Benodet so less than a couple of hours drive without caravan.
+Deborah Fairhurst hi Deborah, thanks for getting in touch. We enjoyed our crossing from Plymouth. I find each year, our travel plans evolve as the kids age you can be slightly more ambitious in distances you can cover and what they'll put up with! It's so easy to misalign your ambitions with theirs. Btw, love the idea of breakfast being served to the cabin! Thanks for watching. Andy
Useful hearing similar views for both options. We hope to go to France next year. We too 'discussed' the options and it turned into what is best described as a topical lively debate. Keep it up guys love the content and good topic. Thumbs up.
Without young kids, night crossing. With young kids, day crossing. There's nothing like a wee domestic at the start of your holiday.......lol. Hope you all have a fab time..........Andy.
+Andy sm Gray haha, indeed so. We made up and laugh about it now. The return "waiting" wasn't anywhere near as bad. We had a great time, shame to be back but hey ho. Time to plan another! Andy
We used to use Plymouth to Roscoff. Day crossing from Plymouth after stopping overnight nearby. We then stop on the docks until the next day (usually with a visit to the Red Cash for some wine.) On the way back it would be a night crossing and a cabin to give us a good shot at the run home to NE Scotland.
Wow, North East Scotland is a damn good drive to Plymouth! Fair play for doing that trek. Both crossings we had were good and better than I remember from Portsmouth but I've only ever done night crossings from Portsmouth and usually the quick boat back. Andy
Loved the discussion....! Your channel is very interesting tracking your progress with a caravan. We live in France with 3 kids (12, 11 & 9) and camp with either a tent or trailer tent. Personally I'm very tempted by a caravan though....! Keep up the great work!
+Richard Knight hi Richard, thanks for your comment. Much appreciated, where about in France are you? We love France and camping too, there's definitely a different feeling to camping abroad than in the U.K. Language is an obvious one but it somehow feels different! We love it. Well we're coming up to owning the Caravan for nearly a year now and can't believe where the time has gone. It's definitely been a good investment for us! Thanks for watching. Andy
MakeWayWithTheMorleys - we're down south near Perpignan and the Spanish border. One thing that worries me a bit with a caravan is what it's like at night following a hot day. Does it cool down much inside or can it be stifling at night?
+Richard Knight oh ok. We might be looking in that region for next summer! You have 3 options, you can buy an air con unit though this will reduce your payload. For us I'd not be too keen to do this as we need the payload and we're not in hot climates more than once a year currently. So can live with it. Alternatively, as long as there is a breeze, the 'van should cool down fairly quickly with windows open (each has a fly screen) though obviously only down to ambient temp. Or, take a fan to make a breeze :) However, I'm not talking from experience as the warmest we had in Brittany was only about 23 degrees! Andy
Got the night crossing in May, from Pompey-St Malo with cabin. No kids with us now, as they are in their 20's! Looking forward to it as we get a good few hours in St Malo before we head off to our first site about 25 miles away, plus a couple of nice Hypermarkets en route. The St Malo route is not cheap, but we weighed up the driving and fuel etc from Calais to Brittany, and thought pay the bit extra for the St Malo Crossing, (plus Portsmouth is nearer to us than Calais. Thanks for the videos.
Hi John, thanks for dropping us a line. I've never done the St Malo crossing with a Caravan but it would be my preference, unfortunately though it is almost always the most expensive one to do! Happy holidays! Andy
Good points on this. I thought about this last year as well. This year we did 6 hours to Dover. Then stayed overnight. Next day 8 hours to Tours which was a big trek but was worth it. For us it's getting down from North East to Portsmouth for the leaving time is tough. I think 2019 I will go down to Folkstone with kids and then let my wife join later so can have day with them out of car and can use some up of their energy.
Fors and against on both crossing guys. We've done both and like Kate says the ferry is part of the adventure for the kids. Where in France are u. Hope the weather is good
The problem I sometimes have is that I'm used to spending a long time in the car (for work) and as such driving for 8 hrs in a day is not uncommon... With our kids, the idea of keeping them cooped up for that long would be a recipe for disaster! I didn't say in the video but if your sleeping anyway then why not be atleast on your way to your final destination. But it's sometimes fun just getting a reaction and disagreeing with the status quo :) We were in Brittany but got home early hours of this morning. We recorded lots of the trip so over the next few weeks we will be putting out vids of the trip. Stay tuned! Andy
We've only done it once (Portsmouth to Caen) and with a 2 year old and we didn't have the 'van then but night crossing worked well for us. Not sure about next year when we'll have the van and 2 kids....
Even in day crossings I recommend spending the extra £25 ( in day crossing)it’s so nice to have a shower and put your bags while you look round the ferry , and have a nap
Great video - we are going to Brittany this summer for the first time with our van. Just wondering whether you disconnect the caravan from the car on a longer ferry journey. Worried that it may drain the car battery. Cheers Andy
well yeah if your going for dover it doesn't matter just because of the fact that it's one hour but when i take the night ferry to or from corsica (where i'm from) a cabin is good if your with a family and your in a car but if your if you have sleeping bags or blow up matresses, you can set up a camp in the corridoors,
just found you on yutube geat videos last year we had six hr drive to pool and a cossing to cherboug we stayed on the car park at brittany ferry turminal at no cost, toilet and shower facilites are open all night i think most ferry port do the same might be worth a look,all the best ,mark
+mark hadfield cheers Mark! Good to know certainly. The Ferry we went on also had 3 showers in the toilets too, which I thought was good! Save having a cabin to get a shower and freshen up. Thanks for watching. Andy
We're off to France next year - probably Vendee. Coming from Manchester were in a similar dilemma - though obviously a couple extra hours on our journey. I don't think we could leave Friday after work (6pm) and get to the south coast for a night ferry or a campsite at a reasonable time to check in. How many nights have you managed to get in France and has that been altered by your ferry choice?
+CaravanningWithTheCrawfords from Manchester you're looking at 6hrs tow on a very good run to Plymouth.... meaning you'd be leaving home at midnight for the 8am sailing to be on the safe side. If you go for the evening sailing, I'd want to be on the road for 1pm I think. It took us over 5hrs to get to Plymouth campsite, we left around midday on a Saturday though. Vendee is roughly 3.5hrs from Roscoff at a guess, depending on where you're heading. Alternatively you've got the choice of St Malo, Cherbourg or Caen. There's not much in it between Cherbourg and Caen but travelling from St Malo will save about an hour atleast drive time. I've not sailed from Poole so can't comment there, Portsmouth is good with great access to and from the Motorway. I'd use the M6 toll to avoid Spaghetti Junction and you can hop on the M42/ M40 much easier. Last yr we went to France for 10 nights camping, our youngest was little so we didn't fancy 14. The trip we've just come back from was 12 nights in France and 1 night in Plymouth but it's not really affected the length of holiday we've had. Next yr we're contemplating a further trip but we'll probably do a vid around that and all of the things we have to consider around that. Thanks for watching, Andy
MakeWayWithTheMorleys Thanks Andy - I suppose we could leave midnight (ish) Friday night and get a day ferry, then we'd be sited up in France by tea time Saturday. To be honest though, I'm with you - I'd much prefer an overnight crossing. Thanks for the info, another brilliant video. ~ Ric
hey came across your clip very good to watch ive done the crossing abut 20 years ago and i cant remember if its the harbour or southsea or hard end can you tell me which one it is so i can get the correct one the last time i went solo was when disney world was opening and it was chocker with 1000s of kids i was goona ask aswell can you have a drink on board cause if i get a recliner i dont have to fork out for a cabin if its only me thanks
Hi Keith. The crossing we made in this video was Plymouth to Roscoff, we've also done Portsmouth to Caen overnight too. Portsmouth to St Malo is a nice crossing but often the most expensive in high season. All ferries have a bar so you can get a drink. My advice for sleep be it in a cabin or a recliner is to take ear plugs, in a cabing you get high frequency rattles and if you're like me it will drive you mad! Also, an eye mask wouldn't be a bad idea in recliners - they sell "sleep kits" on board. Thanks for watching, Andy
I can see the benefits of both versions of crossing. However I'm with Kate. Useful info guys. I notice your previous vlog showed a cadac being used in the awning with some ventilation, is this safe/recommend?
Hi Paul, I get Kate's opinion - it is a lot to ask the kids to sit for hours on end but at night they're asleep anyway so you might as well be travelling nearer to your destination IMO. If it was only the two of us to think about we'd be away all over Europe covering thousands of miles! We were really pleased with the crossings we had for this trip, both were great and the kids got chance to run about on deck and be entertained at the Cinema and the onboard magic show. Re the CADAC, I had both if not 3 windows open at times and it was windy so there was a draught. I don't foresee much danger in that.... Of course theres risk but minimal. The awning we were using is not that airtight! The other thing, you have a vent for the cooker and fridge that goes directly into the awning, which according to our owners manual should not cause a build up of Carbon Monoxide... Both by the way were not running off gas! Andy
MakeWayWithTheMorleys - we don't have kids so could entertain any crossing and can see the benefits of both crossings. Only asked about the Cadac as I'm planning on buying one and an awning and would do the same as you have, if safe. Thanks for taking the time to respond and of course make the vlogs 👏🏻👏🏻
No problem at all Paul, I like putting the vids together. Kate is gradually warming to the camera though I'm still not sure how much :) It's nice for us to keep memories of trips away and glad sharing those trips is vaguely useful/ interesting :) We love our Cadac, I'd go for the Safari Chef if it's just the two of you. Save yourself the money and weight to carry! Andy
Thinking of going next year but taking the train. Drive from the north west down to Dover area and spend the night, next day over to France and drive to campsite, approx 6hrs. Two teenagers both with I phones and earphone. What do you think?
+Mark Twaits Hi Mark, not an easy one to answer in a few lines.... depends where you want to get in France. 6 hrs will get you a good distance even towing, mile munching is easy on French motorways too. Work out your fuel range and then see where you can quickly divert off the motorway to get fuel in a town, you'll save 20 cents a litre! Every big town will have a several big supermarkets with garages. A few years ago, we drove to the Alps down the eastern side of France on the Péage, it cost roughly £100 each way in tolls and that wasn't towing... I'd recommend the Alps, the views are incredible. Ski lifts on the mountains still run and you can hook your mountain bike on the back of them, so you can tear down (the best bit) and hitch a lift back up! Hope this helps, if you've got any specific questions, drop us an email. Andy
Thanks for the info. we went to Cornwall this year and it took 12 hours, my thoughts are, it would be easier going to France. I will let you know of the outcome.
+Mark Twaits wow, 12hrs. I can see your reluctance! The run down to Portsmouth is normally pretty good for us. It's 160 miles from our neck of the woods. That would be my preference to the tunnel but there's quite difference in cost of ferry than train. Let us know what you decide. Andy
Mark Twaits we went to the vendee for about 6 yrs in a trot. The first yr we took the cheaper ferry option from Dover to Calais. But the money it took to get there with tolls and fuel we decided to go Portsmouth to Caen the following yr. the ferry crossing was dearer but we saved on fuel and tolls also a shorter drive. The crooks of it is that if ur heading to the Atlantic coast in France then it doesn't matter where u cross it roughly costs the same dollars one way or another. Apart from st malo which is a pricey crossing
+greg lewis glad to be of help Greg. I wasn't sure whether it would be all that relevant as I guess everyone's circumstances are different. Both in terms of who you're travelling with and how far you are from Port in the U.K. Thanks for watching, Andy
I hang my head in shame.... Well it depends on a number of things, how far you've got to travel to the Port to get the Ferry and then how far you've got to travel to your final destination on the other side. If you've only got a hop, skip and jump like we did, then arriving mid afternoon isn't a problem but any further than a 4 hr drive and it get's a little more challenging with little ones! Thanks for watching Dawn! Andy
Have you ever done the tunnel? I first did it on the motorbike a couple of years ago and was well impressed! We may consider for next year depending on where we plan to go. Andy
MakeWayWithTheMorleys We always do the tunnel (8th year) travel from Milton Keynes, usually an early train get to France 10 am and get to our camp site Loire Vally around 4pm. This was the first year we had a caravan decided to get a 10.20 pm train and stayed overnight at a service station (Baie de Somme) about an hour into France. There is caravan stop area, felt really safe had breakfast in the morning filled the car up and arrived at the campsite around 1pm. Stress free journey.
+John Culley I love the tunnel, so quick and easy! For us though it's a bit of a pain to get to but if you leave early enough is manageable without too much stress. Sounds like you had a great trip! This year was our first year to France too with the Caravan and loved it! On to planning for. Ext summer :)
We went to France last summer. Even though we are only in Bristol we still opted to travel to Plymouth Saturday to catch the early Sunday crossing. Apart from that long wait to board and the early rise at the campsite it worked for us.Although we wouldn't get up so early to leave the site knowing what we know now. We returned on an afternoon crossing and traveled up to Bristol late in the evening luckily I had somewhere secure to put the caravan before going back the next day to return it in to storage. Horses for courses really what suits one wont suit the other.
You're quite right, what works for one doesn't always work for someone else.... I'm still of the opinion night crossings are better for us however there are some arguments that aren't worth having - this is one of those for me :) Thanks for watching. Andy
Having a Cabin does make that leg of the journey better, depends on the situation though. I prefer night crossing going over, as when you land you've all day to get to site instead of rocking up at 8pm with a Caravan, Tent or Motorhome to setup. Thanks for watching. Andy
My teenage son lives in The Netherlands - Earlier this year, for the first time, I did the Harwich to Hook of Holland Ferry overnight with a cabin, which I felt was relaxing compared to my usual travel to Holland, which is Dover to Calais, or more common for us the Dover to Dunkirk Ferry and then driving through France, Belgium and Holland. I am split which is the best... I do like driving, we have a comfortable car (Jaguar XJ) and so the mileage isn't seen as a negative for us.
Hi. We're in the West Mids too and we go Plymouth to Roscoff on Thursday evenings on the Pont Aven. Embarkation starts from 7pm so there's enough time to wander around before retiring to the cabin. We get the Deluxe cabins as they have 2 single beds, a very comfy sofa bed and drop down bunk. It's a bit of a treat but I feel worth it (we do Eurocamp at the other end). My kids are 8 & 13. Breakfast served in the cabin at 6am the next day, arriving in port at 7am. Roscoff is really quiet so it's not a stressful drive at all to wherever you are going. This year we went down to Benodet so less than a couple of hours drive without caravan.
+Deborah Fairhurst hi Deborah, thanks for getting in touch. We enjoyed our crossing from Plymouth. I find each year, our travel plans evolve as the kids age you can be slightly more ambitious in distances you can cover and what they'll put up with! It's so easy to misalign your ambitions with theirs.
Btw, love the idea of breakfast being served to the cabin! Thanks for watching. Andy
Useful hearing similar views for both options. We hope to go to France next year. We too 'discussed' the options and it turned into what is best described as a topical lively debate. Keep it up guys love the content and good topic. Thumbs up.
+Brompton Camper hehe cheers! Hope your trip goes well. Thanks for your feedback, very much appreciated :) Andy
night and day crossings solo all the way in my opinion u normally make a friend or 2 onboard its more of a adventure
Without young kids, night crossing. With young kids, day crossing. There's nothing like a wee domestic at the start of your holiday.......lol. Hope you all have a fab time..........Andy.
+Andy sm Gray haha, indeed so. We made up and laugh about it now. The return "waiting" wasn't anywhere near as bad. We had a great time, shame to be back but hey ho. Time to plan another! Andy
We used to use Plymouth to Roscoff. Day crossing from Plymouth after stopping overnight nearby. We then stop on the docks until the next day (usually with a visit to the Red Cash for some wine.) On the way back it would be a night crossing and a cabin to give us a good shot at the run home to NE Scotland.
Wow, North East Scotland is a damn good drive to Plymouth! Fair play for doing that trek. Both crossings we had were good and better than I remember from Portsmouth but I've only ever done night crossings from Portsmouth and usually the quick boat back. Andy
Loved the discussion....! Your channel is very interesting tracking your progress with a caravan. We live in France with 3 kids (12, 11 & 9) and camp with either a tent or trailer tent. Personally I'm very tempted by a caravan though....!
Keep up the great work!
+Richard Knight hi Richard, thanks for your comment. Much appreciated, where about in France are you? We love France and camping too, there's definitely a different feeling to camping abroad than in the U.K. Language is an obvious one but it somehow feels different! We love it.
Well we're coming up to owning the Caravan for nearly a year now and can't believe where the time has gone. It's definitely been a good investment for us! Thanks for watching. Andy
MakeWayWithTheMorleys - we're down south near Perpignan and the Spanish border.
One thing that worries me a bit with a caravan is what it's like at night following a hot day. Does it cool down much inside or can it be stifling at night?
+Richard Knight oh ok. We might be looking in that region for next summer!
You have 3 options, you can buy an air con unit though this will reduce your payload. For us I'd not be too keen to do this as we need the payload and we're not in hot climates more than once a year currently. So can live with it.
Alternatively, as long as there is a breeze, the 'van should cool down fairly quickly with windows open (each has a fly screen) though obviously only down to ambient temp. Or, take a fan to make a breeze :)
However, I'm not talking from experience as the warmest we had in Brittany was only about 23 degrees!
Andy
Got the night crossing in May, from Pompey-St Malo with cabin. No kids with us now, as they are in their 20's! Looking forward to it as we get a good few hours in St Malo before we head off to our first site about 25 miles away, plus a couple of nice Hypermarkets en route. The St Malo route is not cheap, but we weighed up the driving and fuel etc from Calais to Brittany, and thought pay the bit extra for the St Malo Crossing, (plus Portsmouth is nearer to us than Calais. Thanks for the videos.
Hi John, thanks for dropping us a line. I've never done the St Malo crossing with a Caravan but it would be my preference, unfortunately though it is almost always the most expensive one to do!
Happy holidays! Andy
Thanks Andy and Kate for this vidéo ☺☺ i used to do nignt crossing from Portsmouth to saint Malo ☺ Gaëtan
Good points on this. I thought about this last year as well. This year we did 6 hours to Dover. Then stayed overnight. Next day 8 hours to Tours which was a big trek but was worth it. For us it's getting down from North East to Portsmouth for the leaving time is tough. I think 2019 I will go down to Folkstone with kids and then let my wife join later so can have day with them out of car and can use some up of their energy.
Fors and against on both crossing guys. We've done both and like Kate says the ferry is part of the adventure for the kids. Where in France are u. Hope the weather is good
The problem I sometimes have is that I'm used to spending a long time in the car (for work) and as such driving for 8 hrs in a day is not uncommon... With our kids, the idea of keeping them cooped up for that long would be a recipe for disaster! I didn't say in the video but if your sleeping anyway then why not be atleast on your way to your final destination. But it's sometimes fun just getting a reaction and disagreeing with the status quo :)
We were in Brittany but got home early hours of this morning. We recorded lots of the trip so over the next few weeks we will be putting out vids of the trip. Stay tuned!
Andy
We've only done it once (Portsmouth to Caen) and with a 2 year old and we didn't have the 'van then but night crossing worked well for us. Not sure about next year when we'll have the van and 2 kids....
Even in day crossings I recommend spending the extra £25 ( in day crossing)it’s so nice to have a shower and put your bags while you look round the ferry , and have a nap
Without doubt Oliver, we always try and get a cabin when we can. Andy
Great video - we are going to Brittany this summer for the first time with our van.
Just wondering whether you disconnect the caravan from the car on a longer ferry journey. Worried that it may drain the car battery.
Cheers
Andy
well yeah if your going for dover it doesn't matter just because of the fact that it's one hour but when i take the night ferry to or from corsica (where i'm from) a cabin is good if your with a family and your in a car but if your if you have sleeping bags or blow up matresses, you can set up a camp in the corridoors,
just found you on yutube geat videos last year we had six hr drive to pool and a cossing to cherboug we stayed on the car park at brittany ferry turminal at no cost, toilet and shower facilites are open all night i think most ferry port do the same might be worth a look,all the best ,mark
+mark hadfield cheers Mark! Good to know certainly. The Ferry we went on also had 3 showers in the toilets too, which I thought was good! Save having a cabin to get a shower and freshen up. Thanks for watching. Andy
We're off to France next year - probably Vendee. Coming from Manchester were in a similar dilemma - though obviously a couple extra hours on our journey. I don't think we could leave Friday after work (6pm) and get to the south coast for a night ferry or a campsite at a reasonable time to check in. How many nights have you managed to get in France and has that been altered by your ferry choice?
+CaravanningWithTheCrawfords from Manchester you're looking at 6hrs tow on a very good run to Plymouth.... meaning you'd be leaving home at midnight for the 8am sailing to be on the safe side. If you go for the evening sailing, I'd want to be on the road for 1pm I think. It took us over 5hrs to get to Plymouth campsite, we left around midday on a Saturday though.
Vendee is roughly 3.5hrs from Roscoff at a guess, depending on where you're heading. Alternatively you've got the choice of St Malo, Cherbourg or Caen. There's not much in it between Cherbourg and Caen but travelling from St Malo will save about an hour atleast drive time.
I've not sailed from Poole so can't comment there, Portsmouth is good with great access to and from the Motorway. I'd use the M6 toll to avoid Spaghetti Junction and you can hop on the M42/ M40 much easier.
Last yr we went to France for 10 nights camping, our youngest was little so we didn't fancy 14. The trip we've just come back from was 12 nights in France and 1 night in Plymouth but it's not really affected the length of holiday we've had. Next yr we're contemplating a further trip but we'll probably do a vid around that and all of the things we have to consider around that.
Thanks for watching, Andy
MakeWayWithTheMorleys Thanks Andy - I suppose we could leave midnight (ish) Friday night and get a day ferry, then we'd be sited up in France by tea time Saturday. To be honest though, I'm with you - I'd much prefer an overnight crossing. Thanks for the info, another brilliant video. ~ Ric
hey came across your clip very good to watch ive done the crossing abut 20 years ago and i cant remember if its the harbour or southsea or hard end can you tell me which one it is so i can get the correct one the last time i went solo was when disney world was opening and it was chocker with 1000s of kids i was goona ask aswell can you have a drink on board cause if i get a recliner i dont have to fork out for a cabin if its only me
thanks
Hi Keith. The crossing we made in this video was Plymouth to Roscoff, we've also done Portsmouth to Caen overnight too. Portsmouth to St Malo is a nice crossing but often the most expensive in high season. All ferries have a bar so you can get a drink. My advice for sleep be it in a cabin or a recliner is to take ear plugs, in a cabing you get high frequency rattles and if you're like me it will drive you mad! Also, an eye mask wouldn't be a bad idea in recliners - they sell "sleep kits" on board. Thanks for watching, Andy
It looks as though they are suspending the 'Club Voyage' scheme?
I have no idea but I won’t be renewing mine. Andy
I can see the benefits of both versions of crossing. However I'm with Kate. Useful info guys.
I notice your previous vlog showed a cadac being used in the awning with some ventilation, is this safe/recommend?
Hi Paul, I get Kate's opinion - it is a lot to ask the kids to sit for hours on end but at night they're asleep anyway so you might as well be travelling nearer to your destination IMO. If it was only the two of us to think about we'd be away all over Europe covering thousands of miles!
We were really pleased with the crossings we had for this trip, both were great and the kids got chance to run about on deck and be entertained at the Cinema and the onboard magic show.
Re the CADAC, I had both if not 3 windows open at times and it was windy so there was a draught. I don't foresee much danger in that.... Of course theres risk but minimal. The awning we were using is not that airtight! The other thing, you have a vent for the cooker and fridge that goes directly into the awning, which according to our owners manual should not cause a build up of Carbon Monoxide... Both by the way were not running off gas!
Andy
MakeWayWithTheMorleys - we don't have kids so could entertain any crossing and can see the benefits of both crossings. Only asked about the Cadac as I'm planning on buying one and an awning and would do the same as you have, if safe. Thanks for taking the time to respond and of course make the vlogs 👏🏻👏🏻
No problem at all Paul, I like putting the vids together. Kate is gradually warming to the camera though I'm still not sure how much :) It's nice for us to keep memories of trips away and glad sharing those trips is vaguely useful/ interesting :)
We love our Cadac, I'd go for the Safari Chef if it's just the two of you. Save yourself the money and weight to carry! Andy
MakeWayWithTheMorleys Cool guidance with the Cadac. Weight saving is important with our Tiny Pursuit and compact tug! Thanks for the advice 👍🏻
Thinking of going next year but taking the train. Drive from the north west down to Dover area and spend the night, next day over to France and drive to campsite, approx 6hrs. Two teenagers both with I phones and earphone. What do you think?
+Mark Twaits Hi Mark, not an easy one to answer in a few lines.... depends where you want to get in France. 6 hrs will get you a good distance even towing, mile munching is easy on French motorways too. Work out your fuel range and then see where you can quickly divert off the motorway to get fuel in a town, you'll save 20 cents a litre! Every big town will have a several big supermarkets with garages.
A few years ago, we drove to the Alps down the eastern side of France on the Péage, it cost roughly £100 each way in tolls and that wasn't towing... I'd recommend the Alps, the views are incredible. Ski lifts on the mountains still run and you can hook your mountain bike on the back of them, so you can tear down (the best bit) and hitch a lift back up!
Hope this helps, if you've got any specific questions, drop us an email. Andy
Thanks for the info. we went to Cornwall this year and it took 12 hours, my thoughts are, it would be easier going to France. I will let you know of the outcome.
+Mark Twaits wow, 12hrs. I can see your reluctance! The run down to Portsmouth is normally pretty good for us. It's 160 miles from our neck of the woods. That would be my preference to the tunnel but there's quite difference in cost of ferry than train. Let us know what you decide. Andy
Will do and keep your vlogs coming , they are really interesting. a Big Thumbs Up
Mark Twaits we went to the vendee for about 6 yrs in a trot. The first yr we took the cheaper ferry option from Dover to Calais. But the money it took to get there with tolls and fuel we decided to go Portsmouth to Caen the following yr. the ferry crossing was dearer but we saved on fuel and tolls also a shorter drive. The crooks of it is that if ur heading to the Atlantic coast in France then it doesn't matter where u cross it roughly costs the same dollars one way or another. Apart from st malo which is a pricey crossing
thanks for the video really useful
gives me something to think about
+greg lewis glad to be of help Greg. I wasn't sure whether it would be all that relevant as I guess everyone's circumstances are different. Both in terms of who you're travelling with and how far you are from Port in the U.K.
Thanks for watching, Andy
I'm with Kate, I prefer a day crossing too, but then I haven't done a night one yet. We're too stingy for the extra cost.
I hang my head in shame.... Well it depends on a number of things, how far you've got to travel to the Port to get the Ferry and then how far you've got to travel to your final destination on the other side. If you've only got a hop, skip and jump like we did, then arriving mid afternoon isn't a problem but any further than a 4 hr drive and it get's a little more challenging with little ones!
Thanks for watching Dawn! Andy
Not a fan of ferry's - long crossing must be nights as the daytime drags. We did Dover Calais this year, which is long enough!!!
Have you ever done the tunnel? I first did it on the motorbike a couple of years ago and was well impressed! We may consider for next year depending on where we plan to go. Andy
MakeWayWithTheMorleys We always do the tunnel (8th year) travel from Milton Keynes, usually an early train get to France 10 am and get to our camp site Loire Vally around 4pm. This was the first year we had a caravan decided to get a 10.20 pm train and stayed overnight at a service station (Baie de Somme) about an hour into France. There is caravan stop area, felt really safe had breakfast in the morning filled the car up and arrived at the campsite around 1pm. Stress free journey.
+John Culley I love the tunnel, so quick and easy! For us though it's a bit of a pain to get to but if you leave early enough is manageable without too much stress. Sounds like you had a great trip! This year was our first year to France too with the Caravan and loved it! On to planning for. Ext summer :)
We went to France last summer. Even though we are only in Bristol we still opted to travel to Plymouth Saturday to catch the early Sunday crossing. Apart from that long wait to board and the early rise at the campsite it worked for us.Although we wouldn't get up so early to leave the site knowing what we know now.
We returned on an afternoon crossing and traveled up to Bristol late in the evening luckily I had somewhere secure to put the caravan before going back the next day to return it in to storage. Horses for courses really what suits one wont suit the other.
You're quite right, what works for one doesn't always work for someone else.... I'm still of the opinion night crossings are better for us however there are some arguments that aren't worth having - this is one of those for me :) Thanks for watching. Andy
oh and forgot to mention cabin all the way if u r not a seasick sufferer sitting next to a seasick sufferer in a lounge seat onboard can b rather grim
Having a Cabin does make that leg of the journey better, depends on the situation though. I prefer night crossing going over, as when you land you've all day to get to site instead of rocking up at 8pm with a Caravan, Tent or Motorhome to setup. Thanks for watching. Andy
Katie won mate! say no more!
+Ball family Adventures she may have won the battle but she hasn't won the war! :)