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

Anyone know when the Eurocamp discounts (between 5 and 20%) begin to fall away? Apparently Yelloh bookings don’t go live until October so we’re trying to decide whether or not to wait until we see their prices.

Regarding booking directly with Yelloh, are they fairly rigid with check-in/departure days like Siblu, i.e. Saturdays only during high season?

Thanks. Can I just check what group schemes ones are?

I’ve tried and failed to search within post. Have done a few Google searches of boards with no avail.

cheers

Thinking of the Rosslare - Bilbao route next year to get us into northern Spain and southern France. My wife will be hard convinced though with the extra ferry time. Is it very noticeable?

We're planning it too but if you get the Friday night crossing, it leaves at midnight so you'd be going to bed straight away, getting up at 8 or 9 and then you have the whole day and night before arriving at 7 or 8am in Bilbao.

Contrast with Cherbourg where you still have several hours after breakfast before you arrive in the port. Bar the first night of sleep, the difference isn't that much

I guess it's a bit like a day stuck at home, if you can manage that and entertain yourselves without killing each other then it should be fine

Exactly. 😂 Lol

We found the top ones fine, although the crossing was calm so they didn't get tested! We took the Stena Vision on the way back, now their bed rails were totally useless, you wouldn't want want to be on the top bunk in rough seas. The ship itself though was great for the kids, shame its gone for next year.

The AA offer a discount code to their members for eurocamp.ie. If you are a member it's 25AAIE01 and it gave me a c€100 extra discount after current deal and loyalty discount.

I don't think they do on the Amorique - that's the boat that sails on a Wednesday. We've sailed on it a few times and the bunks are always down (on the Pont Aven they are folded up) - having said that I haven't tried to fold them back but definitely worth checking - I'd give Brittany Ferries a call to see if a cot fits. We haven't needed a cot when we've traveled on the Amorique but we have used them on the Pont Aven in both 2 berth and 4 berth cabins, the cots they supply are narrower than normal travel cots and they usually have them set up in advance for you.

What did you say when you rang them up?
"Hi, I've a booking made, and now I have a loyalty code I want to add"?

I've my booking for next year already made.
Not an AA member, but if I can get €100 off my booking, I'd be very happy

Edit

I jus went on to the live chat, and asked them to apply the discount code to my booking. They did it without any issues. Nice one

put a blanket over the bed rail so there’s no gap for the children.

I was in Les Brunelles in August. Fantastic, but entirely French in terms of kids club, entertainment etc. Approx 80-90% of the site was French holidaymakers, so to be expected.

I understand that there are a lot more Irish earlier in the season.

Thanks for the advice. Les Brunelles looks like a great site. I've booked it for 9 nights at the start of July, and will do les Ormes for a few nights at the end. I like a shorter drive to the ferry.

Making friends at kids club is now part of the trip for the kids, and they can hang out with them at the pool after, so they will be at least guaranteed that in Les Ormes. They got on fine last year mixing with French / Dutch speakers, once a staff member can help explain the rules of the games.

Back from France at last… Just to note for anyone looking Siblu site in le conguel quiberon loverly very nice, great to go late in September as not that busy. Pool was loverly and quite indoor one open only.. The restaurant on site was fairly bad alright so would not bother but town is close.. The other site Pont Aven dont even look at it, such an odd place even the kids did not want to go swimming there just weird…

Will you be hiring a car? I haven't been to that site myself but over the past few years I have been to Lourdes. It's okay for a day trip or if you want to knock it off the bucket list, but in fairness it's pretty morbid and rundown in my opinion. Full of tacky shops selling holy water, rosary beads and nuns and priests garments. Look at it as Knock on 'speed'.

The general areas surrounding Lourdes are actually very scenic and within 45 minutes you could be on the Col de Tourmalet or Luz Ardiden and other famous cols associated with the Tour de France. Or head towards Givarney and see beautiful villages within a stunning national park.

If you are set on flying into Lourdes and are considering hiring a car, I fully recommend using Luz Saint Saveur as a base. Plenty of fine sites within the towns limits and a very international feel to it with all of the different nationalities basing themselves there.

Depending on what time of year you go you could avail of cycling, moto cross , paragliding, hiking etc and in the winter skiing and other winter sports.

Myself and my wife stayed at Camping Airotel de Pyrenees and it has a two pools indoors and outdoor plus a small sauna/steam room and a small shop. Being just ten minutes walk from the main Square there's a large choice of bars, restaurants, boulangeries etc.

Enjoy your holiday.

One of the best camp sites we've been to. Great water slides even if the pool is a few degrees cooler than the west coast. Bathrooms are amazing and more like a hotel than a camp site. And then there are the wild rabbits, that aren't wild at all and are so tame you can even get close enough to rub them. And they're everywhere on the site. Head south to the mountains for some day trips, Pic du midi and another great glacial valley thay had a waterfall at the end of it. Lourdes is worth as few hours some evening if you want.

Thanks for the replies on les 3 valleys, ye have convinced us to book. I emailed them but bookings not open until November.. car hire very reasonable as well. Cheers.

It's part of the yelloh group. I book thru their app when using their parks..

Bit of a general travel question, does anyone know if any ferry companies or campsites accept prepaid debit cards?

I've got the offer of one in work as a tax free gift so thinking it might be useful for booking holidays

In theory it should work, but I think some companies can tell if it's a prepaid card and block it. So want to double check if possible

EDIT: I suppose I should ask if airlines accept them too

Has anyone dont a fly-and-drive trip to France.

Looking at flying into Paris Beauvais, renting a car and finding a camp site or two, around June/July.

Any recommendations for a first-timer with young children?

done it a few times. Best imo is fly to Bordeaux (choice of AL or Ryanair) handy 1-2 hour drive south to the Landes area. Not too hot, less crowded than the Med and beaches are fab.

Are you dead set on Paris? Distance from beach, seaside wouldn’t appeal to me.

I understand Ryanair will no longer be flying in or out of Bordeaux from the end of the month

We've sailed on it a few times, our car has always been inside but there is one deck where there are cars in the open at the front of the boat - can't remember exactly how many but possibly 4 or 5 rows of 3-4 cars, so maybe 20 in total.