France Ferry & Campsite info (use Search function) mod warning post 1

jay0109

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Was it just me or did anyone else notice a steep decrease in the number of UK registered cars on the campsites this year?

I couldn't get over the difference in Brit reg cars v's 2 years ago when I was last in France...they simply haven't traveled. It has to be Brexit and the original deadline of 29th March and all the uncertainty that was around over passports, customs etc for travelling to the EU they feared they'd encounter.
It ties in with the accomm deal I got for the campsite we stayed on - I figured it was because Eurocamp had panicked due to the low numbers of Brits who had booked with them by Christmas last year

Deeman83

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Whatever about the campsites themselves, both Eurocamp and Canvas are selling 2020 holidays now.
Was it just me or did anyone else notice a steep decrease in the number of UK registered cars on the campsites this year?

The UK regs were all from the NI/the North, .

Plenty of Scottish but very few English.
Obviously the brexit shambles and the exchange rates are having an impact but also the UK motorway network is in a total mess at the minute. Huge congestion all across the main routes.
Some english campers we know couldnt face driving down through England to get the boat.

Peckham

Deeman83 wrote:

Hopefully we will be back on the WB Yates from Dublin in 2020!

Guy in Cherbourg Wine place says it's going back to Rosslare next year.

Not sure how well informed he is!

darragh o meara

Peckham wrote: »

Guy in Cherbourg Wine place says it's going back to Rosslare next year.

Not sure how well informed he is!

Heard that myself and hopefully its true. I didnt find Dublin Port great to get in and out of this year tbh. I had planned on bringing the caravan with me this year which I'm glad I didnt ( Route home brought us straight through the city centre and Id rather not have to tow a caravan through there ) Rosslare was handy for getting in and out of for us and a lot of others that we know who travel every year, even a few Dub's!!

evolving_doors

SusanC10 wrote: »

We have booked with Eurocamp for 2020. But Italy so we are going to fly. Will be back again on the Ferry to France in 2021.

Must say that we liked the WB Yeats and Dublin is much handier for us than Rosslare.

What's good about the WB?

Going Dublin--> Cherbourg ourselves in a couple of weeks, any tips

First Up

darragh o meara wrote:

Heard that myself and hopefully its true. I didnt find Dublin Port great to get in and out of this year tbh. I had planned on bringing the caravan with me this year which I'm glad I didnt ( Route home brought us straight through the city centre and Id rather not have to tow a caravan through there ) Rosslare was handy for getting in and out of for us and a lot of others that we know who travel every year, even a few Dub's!!

The road has improved too. Enniscorthy can be avoided.

josip

First Up wrote: »

The road has improved too. Enniscorthy can be avoided.

As can New Ross next year for anyone coming from the south.

Stone Deaf 4evr

In a fit of madness, I find myself looking at sites for next year!

Anyone been to Le Serignan Plage, not far from Beziers / about an hour from Carcassone? Looks promising, and flights available from Cork which is always a plus for me. My Kids will be 10 and 7 at time of travel. -

Deeman83

darragh o meara wrote: »

Heard that myself and hopefully its true. I didnt find Dublin Port great to get in and out of this year tbh. I had planned on bringing the caravan with me this year which I'm glad I didnt ( Route home brought us straight through the city centre and Id rather not have to tow a caravan through there ) Rosslare was handy for getting in and out of for us and a lot of others that we know who travel every year, even a few Dub's!!

That would be a tough for us poor sods in the north.

The drive down to Rosslare is hard going from the north. Dublin is so close and handy for us, particularly when we use the tunnel.

flangemeistro

I noticed a good few Scottish reg and NI this year but what I couldn't get over and I never noticed on my previous 5 trips were the amount of Belgian and Dutch especially in Les Mouettes.

From the 10 or so sites we've tried it really is the bees knees and ticks all the boxes, going to do the last 10 days there next year instead of the last 7.

Not interested in traveling 7/8 hours for heat once it's high teens low 20s. We head three days of 37° in Les Ormes this year and it's just not enjoyable.

Think I'm going to give Les Ormes a miss as it's just a complete madhouse and they want you to pay extra for everything.

I really want to include Puy Du Fou for a few days next year so can anyone recommend well facilitated sites nearby along the same lines as Les Ormes and Les Mouettes facilities.

Thanks

Seth Brundle

flangemeistro wrote: »

I noticed a good few Scottish reg and NI this year but what I couldn't get over and I never noticed on my previous 5 trips were the amount of Belgian and Dutch especially in Les Mouettes.

I'm fairly sure that there's nobody left in NL during July!

Deeman83

flangemeistro wrote: »

I noticed a good few Scottish reg and NI this year but what I couldn't get over and I never noticed on my previous 5 trips were the amount of Belgian and Dutch especially in Les Mouettes.

From the 10 or so sites we've tried it really is the bees knees and ticks all the boxes, going to do the last 10 days there next year instead of the last 7.

Not interested in traveling 7/8 hours for heat once it's high teens low 20s. We head three days of 37° in Les Ormes this year and it's just not enjoyable.

Think I'm going to give Les Ormes a miss as it's just a complete madhouse and they want you to pay extra for everything.

I really want to include Puy Du Fou for a few days next year so can anyone recommend well facilitated sites nearby along the same lines as Les Ormes and Les Mouettes facilities.

Thanks

La Garangeoire is fantastic, like a smaller quieter Les Ormes.

vienne86

darragh o meara wrote: »

Heard that myself and hopefully its true. I didnt find Dublin Port great to get in and out of this year tbh. I had planned on bringing the caravan with me this year which I'm glad I didnt ( Route home brought us straight through the city centre and Id rather not have to tow a caravan through there ) Rosslare was handy for getting in and out of for us and a lot of others that we know who travel every year, even a few Dub's!!

I live in Dublin but find Rosslare far more pleasant, so I hope this rumour is true. I wonder if they would resume crossings to Roscoff.

Macy0161

Was a definite lack of UK people in la littoral in June compared to last year. But in fairness, a lot less Irish too, especially the kelair line.

They must have completely scrapped the daily sailings plan with alternate Dublin and Rosslare sailings then?

SusanC10

We found Dublin much handier. We are in North Leinster. Down the M1, through the Tunnel and at the Port in under an hour. Especially useful in reverse on the way home.

What we liked about the WB was it felt less crowded than the OW. Nicer Cabins (only slightly) and then the front-facing Bar on Deck 11 - really liked that.

First Up

Macy0161 wrote:

They must have completely scrapped the daily sailings plan with alternate Dublin and Rosslare sailings then?

Whose plan was that?

Treviso

Deeman83 wrote: »

La Garangeoire is fantastic, like a smaller quieter Les Ormes.

+1 for La Garangeoire - just back from 2 weeks there. Really great campsite. Already put our names down for going back next year for 3 weeks!

darragh o meara

vienne86 wrote: »

I live in Dublin but find Rosslare far more pleasant, so I hope this rumour is true. I wonder if they would resume crossings to Roscoff.

If I heard it right Roscoff is not suitable to berth the vessel. Could well be wrong though...

Seth Brundle

SusanC10 wrote: »

We found Dublin much handier. We are in North Leinster. Down the M1, through the Tunnel and at the Port in under an hour. Especially useful in reverse on the way home.

What we liked about the WB was it felt less crowded than the OW. Nicer Cabins (only slightly) and then the front-facing Bar on Deck 11 - really liked that.

We liked the quiet seating area on deck 11 starboard side (near the bar but not too near).
One of the best things about the new ship was the carpet which was nice and unworn. Also nice knowing that whilst in the cabin in bare feet, it was much less likely that someone had puked on it previously!

Macy0161

First Up wrote: »

Whose plan was that?

Irish Ferries!

Irish Ferries has published details of the new sailings schedule it will introduce following the arrival in mid-2018 of its new 55,000 tonnes cruise ferry W. B. Yeats currently being built in Flensburg, Germany.

Highlights of the plan will see a doubling in the number of summer sailings between Ireland and France – offering daily departures alternatively from both Dublin and Rosslare ports.

nirvana78

Treviso wrote: »

+1 for La Garangeoire - just back from 2 weeks there. Really great campsite. Already put our names down for going back next year for 3 weeks!

Add me to that list too, I've been there and it is really good. Personally I preferred Les Ormes but it is a very close second to that. Also have a look at Le Pin Parasol it's almost beside La Garangeoire.

MorganIRL

Deeman83 wrote: »

That would be a tough for us poor sods in the north.

The drive down to Rosslare is hard going from the north. Dublin is so close and handy for us, particularly when we use the tunnel.

Same for us in the west. Found it great this yr from Dublin.. reduced travel time. Saving on diesel..

First Up

It would have been nice if IF had stuck with the two ships, two ports idea. Presumably they decided the demand wasn't enough to sustain it, or maybe the screw ups with delivering the WBY changed the equation.

Heroditas

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Whatever about the campsites themselves, both Eurocamp and Canvas are selling 2020 holidays now.
Was it just me or did anyone else notice a steep decrease in the number of UK registered cars on the campsites this year?

Apparently UK bookings were down approx 60% this year in our campsite.

vienne86

darragh o meara wrote: »

If I heard it right Roscoff is not suitable to berth the vessel. Could well be wrong though...

You could be right - there is only one berth in Roscoff. When the WBY was announced, I assumed they would get rid of the Epsilon, which I think might be leased, but instead they sold the Oscar Wilde.

54and56

darragh o meara wrote: »

If I heard it right Roscoff is not suitable to berth the vessel.

I read this also along with an article (which I now can't find) from the Roscoff authorities stating as soon as they heard IF had ordered the WBL they offered to undertake works to ensure it could berth in Roscoff providing IF gave them a reciprocal undertaking that the WBL would continue to serve Roscoff but IF wouldn't give the commitment and eventually announced they would only be serving Cherbourg.

Personally I'd love if IF re-commenced a service to Roscoff from either Dublin or Rosslare.

talla

Strange that Roscoff can't handle it, its only 10 meters longer than the Pont Aven and just over half a meter wider.

kildarecommuter

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

In a fit of madness, I find myself looking at sites for next year!

Anyone been to Le Serignan Plage, not far from Beziers / about an hour from Carcassone? Looks promising, and flights available from Cork which is always a plus for me. My Kids will be 10 and 7 at time of travel. -

Serignan is nice as is Portiranges and Marseillan. Lots to do in the area and there’s also outdoor activities such as canoeing etc in parc haut Languedoc little bit inland from there.
Carcassone is a horrible airport and I’d have a preference for Montpellier but understand if you can fly from Cork rather than Dublin.

Deeman83

talla wrote: »

Strange that Roscoff can't handle it, its only 10 meters longer than the Pont Aven and just over half a meter wider.

Size doesnt always matter, its draft!

I.e. depth of vessel in the water, thats the costly bit as you will need to dredge the berthing pocket and channel to allow the bigger (deeper) vessels into the dock.

MorganIRL

Just wondering has anyone stayed at this site, www.campinglapinede.com, looking for nxt year at this place is just at the edge of our journey length. Haven't seen it come up before in the forum, and just wondering. Looks to have good facilities etc. TIA