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

judgefoozle

westgolf wrote: »

Excellent, just what I was looking for. Thank you.
Going Rosslare Cherbourg and Roscoff Rosslare coming back so it's a bit of a change from Cork Roscoff. Still nothing wrong with a change. Heading to Domain Des Ormes

No problem - that looks like a nice campsite. Try and check out Mont St Michel nearby if you have time.

Also, worth getting a punnet or two of strawberries/raspberries from one of the roadside stalls near Rosslare

The food on the ferry isn't great considering what you pay - but the kids menu was mash/nuggets/fish fingers for about 8 euro each. Adult meals about 11-13euro. Decent sized portions, but just not that enjoyable.

judgefoozle

I'm sure there's people here who book their holiday a year ahead - are there genuine savings to be made, or is it mainly to secure your preferred campsite? Anyone willing to share their experience?

Considering booking for next year as I know what dates we have free.

Juggler101

judgefoozle wrote: »

I'm sure there's people here who book their holiday a year ahead - are there genuine savings to be made, or is it mainly to secure your preferred campsite? Anyone willing to share their experience?

Considering booking for next year as I know what dates we have free.

We do June holidays, and book Eurocamp around the October bank holiday. Although if you wait til last minute, you can great value on June holidays in France. Also, there was a really great code posted on boards last year, so I got the 2017 holiday for a great price - 650 for 2 weeks with Eurocamp in an Espace, 3 bed, air con mobile. Of course, most people want July and August!!

Safrongirl

As the Tour de France will start in vendee next July and pass by the site we hope to go to we are booking already - spoke to the site and they expect full capacity because of the tour so I think it depends on the site and what's going on at the time - we are also getting a very good deal !

webpal

westgolf wrote: »

Yes.. Mobile, that must be the reason. Thanks

There is an option on mobile to use full site and it will always default to this. I find full site much better

judgefoozle

Juggler101 wrote: »

We do June holidays, and book Eurocamp around the October bank holiday. Although if you wait til last minute, you can great value on June holidays in France. Also, there was a really great code posted on boards last year, so I got the 2017 holiday for a great price - 650 for 2 weeks with Eurocamp in an Espace, 3 bed, air con mobile. Of course, most people want July and August!!

Thanks - was that the Sun newspaper codes, or something like that? I had just booked 2017 when they came up.

judgefoozle

Safrongirl wrote: »

As the Tour de France will start in vendee next July and pass by the site we hope to go to we are booking already - spoke to the site and they expect full capacity because of the tour so I think it depends on the site and what's going on at the time - we are also getting a very good deal !

Never even considered that - good to know

Juggler101

judgefoozle wrote: »

Thanks - was that the Sun newspaper codes, or something like that? I had just booked 2017 when they came up.

I think it was called a group scheme discount maybe?! I'm hoping someone will share something like that again this year!! I think it brought the price down by around €350.

Anatom

judgefoozle wrote: »

I'm sure there's people here who book their holiday a year ahead - are there genuine savings to be made, or is it mainly to secure your preferred campsite? Anyone willing to share their experience?

Considering booking for next year as I know what dates we have free.

We've booked already for next year. In fact, we'd booked about two days after we came back! There are a few families we've become friendly with over the past few years who go back to the same place each year, like ourselves (Les Sablons) and who, this year, had actually booked their 2018 stay the week before they left for their 2017 trip!

Sounds ridiculous to some people but there is a serious discount - of approximately 30% between early booking and loyalty discounts, so it really does make sense. Of course, it also ensures you get the type of mobile you want as well because we usually go for the first two weeks of July and once the schools are finished, the prices go up...

Anatom

k123456 wrote: »

Is anyone on this thread familiar with hiring a cruiser 4 berth on the Canal de Midi, how would it compare price wise with a similar holiday, cruising on the Shannon

I have looked at this a few times, but I cannot justify the cost. Three days on a smallish boat was going to cost north of €1,500 I think. I don't have any direct comparisons with the Shannon cruise set-up, but I do know that booking for a two/three-night stay on one of the nicer boats was just too much. I really want to do it, but my other half wouldn't stand for more than a two / three day stint on one, and the kids would bemoan the lack of a swimming pool...

saggycaggy

Any recommendations for the SatNav for travelling in France? We're heading Saturday week and want to get a decent enough one-yet not too expensive!

Thanks.

Quazzie

saggycaggy wrote: »

Any recommendations for the SatNav for travelling in France? We're heading Saturday week and want to get a decent enough one-yet not too expensive!

Thanks.

Use your phone.

Juggler101

saggycaggy wrote: »

Any recommendations for the SatNav for travelling in France? We're heading Saturday week and want to get a decent enough one-yet not too expensive!

Thanks.

somebody loaned us a Garmin of some description and it was brilliant! No worrying about phone coverage, or battery issues

54and56

saggycaggy wrote: »

Any recommendations for the SatNav for travelling in France? We're heading Saturday week and want to get a decent enough one-yet not too expensive!

Thanks.

Just download this app to your phone then download the map of France over WiFi before you go and Bob's your uncle. You'll have very accurate up to date GPS based navigation with zero roaming data useage but if you have any sort of decent mobile plan here you'll have a very generous data roaming allowance in France which should enable you to use Google Maps for GPS which is better as the maps are constantly updated and critically it has traffic data allowing the app to reroute you to avoid long tailbacks. I found that feature really handy this year. We were re-routed at least twice both on our way from Roscoff to Bordeaux and on the way back as there were major roadworks and accidents which we could avoid.

judgefoozle

Re: Satnav - we just downloaded maps to use offline on Google Maps. Worked great and you can use your phone on Aeroplane mode with GPS on to save battery (and avoid any phone calls/texts from the "real/non-holiday world")

Instead of buying a satnav, buy a charger for the car or a portable battery charger - otherwise your phone probably might not last, depending on how long your drive over there is.

average_runner

Just booked La Carabasse for next year.

BailMeOut

Puy du Fou is well worth putting on your to do list of you are staying anywhere near it or ever better stay overnight in that area as you can only scratch the surface on a single day drip.  Incredible place - http://www.puydufou.com/

josip

saggycaggy wrote: »

Any recommendations for the SatNav for travelling in France? We're heading Saturday week and want to get a decent enough one-yet not too expensive!

Thanks.

If you do use your phone instead of buying a satnav, then with the budget you’ve saved, you should get a dashcam.
We drive a good bit around Europe and it provides serious peace of mind for me that if I’m involved in an incident that’s not our fault, then we have a record of what happened.
Otherwise you’re at a disadvantage due to language, familiarity with domestic traffic regulations, RHD car, police, etc.
I’m not saying that all of these apply in France, but some might, and all do apply across Europe.

saggycaggy

Great thanks for all the info folks-ii'll have a look and see what we'll do. A dashcam would be handy for away and at home I guess so I'll bare that in mind.
Cheers

SusanC10

BailMeOut wrote: »

Puy du Fou is well worth putting on your to do list of you are staying anywhere near it or ever better stay overnight in that area as you can only scratch the surface on a single day drip.  Incredible place - http://www.puydufou.com/

I second this - we went last year - highly recommend!

legohouse

SusanC10 wrote: »

I second this - we went last year - highly recommend!

I third this amazing place..
If you can get to see the night time show as well.. it's mindblowing

loyatemu

legohouse wrote: »

I third this amazing place..
If you can get to see the night time show as well.. it's mindblowing

the Roman Colosseum show (and venue) is incredible, as is the Viking show. Well worth visiting but you won't be able to see all the shows in one day.

Jpm123

loyatemu wrote: »

the Roman Colosseum show (and venue) is incredible, as is the Viking show. Well worth visiting but you won't be able to see all the shows in one day.

I'd fourth this. We stayed in the park for three days and it was amazing. Is well worth doing and all the shows are incredible

juneg

Jpm123 wrote: »

I'd fourth this. We stayed in the park for three days and it was amazing. Is well worth doing and all the shows are incredible

Where did you stay there?

Jpm123

juneg wrote: »

Where did you stay there?

We stayed in one of the park hotels. I think it was the field of cloth. They look like big tents. It was nicely fitted out with four poster bed a separate area with kids bunk bed and a pull out bed. We are a family of two adults and three kids

SusanC10

Sad to say that we are not going to France in 2018
Taking a break and heading back to Greece instead. But will be back to the Ferry/Campsite combo for 2019 Hopefully the new IF Boat will be in service by then !

aquarius10

westgolf wrote: »

How do I search this thread only ? The search function on the home page gives me results from the whole of boards ?

Going out from Rosslare this year having always gone from Cork. Looking for tips for a place to eat before the ferry. Also coming from Galway so any thoughts on route welcome

We live in Clare and usually head to rosslare via clonmel but someone else might advise better from galway.

We ate at Kelly's of Wexford before boarding the ship last year - food was lovely and as it was sunny we relaxed on the beach for half hour before we left - it was wonderful start to a great holiday.

westgolf

]We live in Clare and usually head to rosslare via clonmel but someone else might advise better from galway.

We ate at Kelly's of Wexford before boarding the ship last year - food was lovely and as it was sunny we relaxed on the beach for half hour before we left - it was wonderful start to a great holiday.[/quote]

Excellent, thank you. That would be a perfect start indeed instead of heading to the boat under pressure of time etc. Thanks again.

Quazzie

aquarius10 wrote: »

We live in Clare and usually head to rosslare via clonmel but someone else might advise better from galway.

We ate at Kelly's of Wexford before boarding the ship last year - food was lovely and as it was sunny we relaxed on the beach for half hour before we left - it was wonderful start to a great holiday.

Galway, Tullamore, Portlaoise, Carlow, Enniscorthy, Rosslare.

Straightforward route, and decent roads all the way with it being mostly (all??) either National roads or Motorway.

WicklowTiger

westgolf wrote: »

How do I search this thread only ? The search function on the home page gives me results from the whole of boards ?

Going out from Rosslare this year having always gone from Cork. Looking for tips for a place to eat before the ferry. Also coming from Galway so any thoughts on route welcome

I live in Wexford and travel to Galway a fair bit for work. Almost always quickest and easiest route is via Dublin M6/M4/M50/N11. Tullamore/Portlaoise/Carlow/Bunclody/Enniscorthy can be very slow unless you're on the road VERY early. Lots of windy stretches and tractors/trucks!