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

Tow

If another driver flashes their lights at you at a junction, it does not mean they are giving way to you...

juneg

Yes stugeron will make you sleep

josip

Get the headlight converters. It'll go against you if you're in an accident at night and you don't have them.

Driving on the right hand side is fine, but at roundabouts remember to glance left as you slow down not right. It takes me a few roundabouts to change over.

Don't bother with the sickness bracelet, they're gimmicks. If any of you have any history of travel sickness take the seasick pills before you leave port. if you wait until you're queasy it's too late.

juneg

MightyMandarin wrote: »

Did the ferry to France every year for like 10yrs as a kid. One thing my parents swore by was getting dinner before we went on board, and bringing the cooler bag with food for breakfast the next morning as the cafeteria was pretty expensive and not great at all.

Don't forget travel sickness tablets as you might get unlucky and have a rough crossing.

Thats my tip too.
I've no objection to getting a dinner on the boat but I draw the line at the expensive breakfasts.
Bring a cooler box of food for breakfast/ snacks. Mine will contain 3 bowls and spoons. A frozen 2l carton of milk which will be lovely and cool for the cereal, grapes,bananas, carton of orange juice or 1l frozen smoothie , multi pack of croissants or whatever.
I will have an extension lead and one continental plug for it. I'll have my little travel kettle, tea bags and cups and I'll be as happy as Larry.

Some people would bring a frozen lasagna or spag bol/ curry as an easy meal for the first night. You'll be busy making up the beds and setting up and its nice to have the dinner ready. A lot of the mobile homes dont have ovens so a quick pizza is out.

josip

Anatom wrote: »

I'll be up the road from you in Les Sablons at the beginning of July - our seventh year in a row... We'd normally use the Carrefour in Sérignan quite a bit.

I don't know how you manage the drive all the way down there though. How long does it take you?

We have always flown down (to Toulouse, Perpignan and Carcassone but Dublin to Rodez is our usual route) and hired a car there.

A fantastic part of the world!

We'll be calling into Les Sablons on the 5th and 6th of July.
We've only stayed there once before 2 years ago, but liked it a lot, especially the access to the beach.
We'll break up the drive down with an overnight in Camping Bel, La Tranche Sur Mer and this year 3 nights near La Gavernie in the Pyrenees for some hiking.
Hopefully the temps will be in high 20s/low 30s when we're there, at the moment it's forecasting mid 20s?

mikerd4

Currently en route to roscoff on the oscar wilde. Its very wet but the sailing is very calm.

54and56

mikerd4 wrote: »

Currently en route to roscoff on the oscar wilde. Its very wet but the sailing is very calm.

Enjoy it Mike.

Please share any good spots you find or things to do in and around LA Reserve with me when you get a chance!!

finisklin

It's miserable weather here. Outside Bordeaux, bring warm clothes and rain gear! Will be like this for next few days at least!

mikerd4

Weather was patchy alright driving to nantes today. Once we got to nantes it was lovely though.

Peckham

On the Oscar Wilde tomorrow and onwards to Le Bois Masson in Saint Jean de Monts on Saturday. Two weeks there, and then 4 nights in Domaine Des Ormes on way home.

Looking forward to opening a bottle of Burgundy on Saturday evening when the car is unpacked!

Weather looks settled next week thankfully!

wall

Do people go through Rennes or take the route closer to the coast through Vannes?

josip

Peckham wrote: »

On the Oscar Wilde tomorrow and onwards to Le Bois Masson in Saint Jean de Monts on Saturday. Two weeks there, and then 4 nights in Domaine Des Ormes on way home.

Looking forward to opening a bottle of Burgundy on Saturday evening when the car is unpacked!

Weather looks settled next week thankfully!

Me too
Is the 3:00 check in time observed by travellers or is 3:30 time enough?

josip

wall wrote: »

Do people go through Rennes or take the route closer to the coast through Vannes?

Will go through Vannes, we did in 2015 also.
Rightly or wrongly, I think the route is more regional and gets us away from the mainer roads.

Peckham

josip wrote:

Me too Is the 3:00 check in time observed by travellers or is 3:30 time enough?

See you on board!

People arrive up until the last possible minute! I'm the type who aims to get there before 3. They start boarding earlier than that, so it's not as if you're left sitting in your car at the port.

Too much stress cutting it tight, especially with roadworks on the way from Dublin.

We're planning on getting on the road early and stopping at Culletons for lunch. That's the plan anyway. Whether that happens is another story!

mikerd4

Not sure but someone might be able to help.
I have a french riad toll tag. It worked perfectly last year.

This year first toll we came to the tag didnt beep and we were issued a ticket from the machine. Next toll plaza we came to the tag beeped and away we went. Question is do i need to anything bout the ticket we got? Dont want a big fine arriving in a few months for doing nothing....

54and56

mikerd4 wrote: »

Not sure but someone might be able to help.
I have a french riad toll tag. It worked perfectly last year.

This year first toll we came to the tag didnt beep and we were issued a ticket from the machine. Next toll plaza we came to the tag beeped and away we went. Question is do i need to anything bout the ticket we got? Dont want a big fine arriving in a few months for doing nothing....

Two things:-

1. You're very unlikely to get a ticket in the post.

2. You have a working tag so if the motorway sensor didn't pick it up once and you can show it was picked up all other times I don't think you'll have a problem.

josip

Chilly in the tent in La Rochelle tonight.
Should have packed another duvet.
Shoulda, coulda, woulda...

webpal

josip wrote: »

Chilly in the tent in La Rochelle tonight.
Should have packed another duvet.
Shoulda, coulda, woulda...

'Twas chilly on the terrace in O Connor Park today too, I know which chilly I'd prefer #5weekstogo

BlazingSaddler

What is the a/c like in the Eurocamp mobiles please?, does it keep the whole caravan cool including the bedrooms? Heading to La Baume next week and it looks very hot! Thanks

murt101

Irish Ferries won't say what movies are in the onboard cinema this week, are they new releases usually? Kids want to see Despicable Me3 and I'm hoping it will be on the ferry!

Quazzie

BlazingSaddler wrote: »

What is the a/c like in the Eurocamp mobiles please?, does it keep the whole caravan cool including the bedrooms? Heading to La Baume next week and it looks very hot! Thanks

It's based in the kitchen area, so we just kept the doors to the bedrooms open and we had no issues. If you left them open during the day, and closed them at night I think you'd still be ok

mikerd4

The ferry over had boss baby, guardians of the galaxy 2 for certain. Didnt see despicable me 3 but that was last week

micks_address

Hi folks,
We sail Tuesday night on stena-horizon from rosslare at 9.30

We have nothing planned Tuesday so can leave for the ferry at any stage. We are in North county Dublin.

Current thinking is we will have lunch pack the car up and head away around 2.30 from Dublin. That gives us yonks to get to wexford. Will fill the car with fuel somewhere in Wexford and we thinking of eating somewhere around 630. I've seen culletons mentioned?

What time should we aim to be at the ferry check in? I'd like to avoid queuing but may be inevitable.

Planning to bring overnight bag on ferry. Clothes change, travel tablets, drinks, shower gel and bin bags just in case.

The hope is we will stay up till after 11 and then hit bed and sleep till morning. Might be optimistic!!

Grab breakfast in the morning and then hit the cinema. The listing don't look great though with Moana and Monster trucks..

Anyone have any other suggestions for making the crossing easier?

Thanks,
Mick

54and56

micks_address wrote: »

Hi folks,
We sail Tuesday night on stena-horizon from rosslare at 9.30

We have nothing planned Tuesday so can leave for the ferry at any stage. We are in North county Dublin.

Current thinking is we will have lunch pack the car up and head away around 2.30 from Dublin. That gives us yonks to get to waterford. Will fill the car with fuel somewhere in waterford and we thinking of eating somewhere around 630. I've seen culletons mentioned?

What time should we aim to be at the ferry check in? I'd like to avoid queuing but may be inevitable.

Planning to bring overnight bag on ferry. Clothes change, travel tablets, drinks, shower gel and bin bags just in case.

The hope is we will stay up till after 11 and then hit bed and sleep till morning. Might be optimistic!!

Grab breakfast in the morning and then hit the cinema. The listing don't look great though with Moana and Monster trucks..

Anyone have any other suggestions for making the crossing easier?

Thanks,
Mick

You'll need to leave earlier than 2:30 if you're planning a detour via Waterford on your way to Rosslare in Wexford!!

micks_address

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

You'll need to leave earlier than 2:30 if you're planning a detour via Waterford on your way to Rosslare in Wexford!!

Sorry about that no detour planned..

54and56

micks_address wrote: »

Sorry about that no detour planned..

Thanks for not calling me out for being a smart ar$e!!

Your plan sounds fine. We did the same trip a couple of times and was always a bit worried about how we'd handle hanging around on board for so long the next day but whether it's the cinema or just watching stuff on tablets, reading books etc the time passes easy enough.

Culletons is always a good bet for food before departure.

josip

Also if you give the kids the same sea sick tablet we gave ours, you'll get 12 hours of solid sleep out of it.
"May cause drowsiness"...

average_runner

Just a warning about les charmettes. The new pool, gym and mini golf is not open.

So everyone is driving to the big complex but no parking room for them all.

New shop is open but the roads are very messy around the area.

saggycaggy

Do you have to pay extra for the cinema on the boat (say from Rosslare to Cherbourg)?
We've only gotten then boat once before but that was a quick trip over to Holyhead with the kids and I think there was a charge!

Thanks

Gavlor

saggycaggy wrote: »

Do you have to pay extra for the cinema on the boat (say from Rosslare to Cherbourg)?
We've only gotten then boat once before but that was a quick trip over to Holyhead with the kids and I think there was a charge!

Thanks

Yep, with Irish ferries you buy tickets onboard. About €7 each