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

Starting to think early June was the best time to go

Now I just need to convince the schools of that 😬

We've started using the Aircon every night. Windows closed keeps the mozzies and other bugs out which helps too. Everyone just sleeps better.

Not sure I'd risk the website search function these days 🫣

We went out on the 12th and it was busy enough but came back on the Monday overnight ferry this week and it was really empty. They even had cars on deck 5 which is where they usually have trucks and caravans. Deck 7 was deserted.

Can't agree re the staff though. I find them very helpful and friendly. It's a tough enough gig and some of them hve been working on that route since I started going from Dublin to Cherbourg in 2019.

Yeah I can fully understand your view.

I guess my kids are a bit older so my view is a little different. I have very little interaction with staff bar the bar staff and the staff in the Lady Gregory restaurant but have found all of them very pleasant. My kids are happy enough to amuse themselves/read/explore the WB Yeats (we travel with friends) and we have a picnic each way so the cost doesn't impact us too much.

There definitely seemed to be a sharp drop in proces from last autumn to this summer though.

I'll add a few (travelled Irish Ferries):

French workers like strikes, build some flexibility into your schedule to accommodate this

If it's your first time, maybe try to minimise the driving to and from the ferry. I was quite nervous but found it to be a lot easier, however I'm also glad I didn't sign up for a 6 hour drive for my first time

If, like me, you're a bad sleeper then keep in mind you might not get a great night's sleep on the ferry. Factor this in when planning your driving, you might want to break a long drive up into smaller ones with a couple hours break in between (or even an overnight in a hotel if you're very tired). It's better to arrive late, alive and slightly poorer than not arrive at all

In general you can get anything you need in supermarkets there, but keep in mind they're selling supermarket quantities. You probably don't need 30 dishwasher tablets, a full tub of detergent powder or 1l of olive oil for a week's holiday. For some things it's easier and less wasteful to bring stuff from home

Get some mini cereals for the ferry for breakfast, buy a carton of milk from the cafe. Maybe consider a travel kettle and teabags if you're really looking to save

Bring bags of popcorn for the cinema on the ferry and lots of snacks for kids

The muffins on Irish Ferries are excellent though, worth treating yourself to one or three IMO 😁

Have a bag of essential supplies (toilet roll, 1 days worth of food, etc). French shops are all closed on Sunday and your ferry might get delayed

Bring some tea towels, oven gloves, bin bags, a chopping board and tinfoil or baking paper. Oil spray is also handy

Bring your pillows from home for some extra comfort while sleeping

Don't forget your medicines like paracetamol and ibuprofen (and kids ones as well). Grab a few OTC medicines for.... let's say digestive problems and bring them. Hopefully you don't need them, but you want them close if you do

If you have a cordless vacuum like a Dyson then it could be worth bringing it. Pretty sure none of the accommodations have hoovers. If yours has one of the mini floor heads (I think they're called pet tool) then that's a less bulky option than the full sized floor attachment

Maybe, obviously if you're flying you've constraints on luggage which is going to result in some priority calls being made.

I guess when you're taking a car there's a temptation to bring the proverbial kitchen sink since you've more space

I based the list on a bunch of things we wished we'd had on our last (and first) Eurocamps holiday. We made do without a lot of the stuff, for example by using one of the bath towels as a combo dish towel and oven glove

It worked, but it would have been nice to have some other options

We can't really fly at the moment anyway because my daughter has been having issues with ear pain and pressure changes make it a lot worse. It's difficult to book a flight ahead when you don't know when she'll have an episode of ear pain

I wouldn't really say the plane is easier or more difficult, just a different set of challenges. I find the whole experience of dealing with airports and airlines to be very unpleasant, like I'm suffering for someone's amusement and profit

There's definitely a dropping off point where flying is the only option, can't imagine driving to the south of Spain would go over well with the missus, and it's kind of hard to do a weekend break with 2 overnight ferry journeys

However I didn't feel inconvenienced by taking the ferry even if it cost me some time