first trip to france in our motorhome

[regency]

As complete novices we are looking to spend 3weeks in france from beginning ofApril. We have a newly acquired Ford Herald Insignia 400RL 11 yrs old and we will be crossing from Dover to Calais. We are mere youngsters! early sixties but have a few minor mobility problems hence we will not be taking bikes. Therefore the campsites would need to be fairly near places of interest. We would appreciate any ideas of routes that we could take on our maiden trip.

[cronkle]

It does rather depend on what sort of things interest you.

 

You might find that the Loire valley suites you.

 

We have stayed at sites in Beaumont-sur-Sarthe, Saumur, Montsereaux, Amboise and Loche all of which are within ambling distance of the local town centres with their shops, chateaux and other interesting sights.

 

Further south there are sites close to the centres of Millau and of Avignon.

 

 

[mel wood]

Giving suggestions of where to go is difficult - we all have varying interests.

 

I suggest you start with a large scale Atlas of France and a good guide book. Identify an area which you would like to explore and which isn't too far to drive.

 

Regarding campsites; we and many others find the Caravan Club 'Camping Europe 1' excellent. Site entries are provided by members so you don't get 'campsite owners' spin'. (Be aware that some members seem to have some confusion between miles and kilometres when describinbg a site's location.) The book also provides very useful information about driving requirements etc in France.

 

When we first started touring abroad we used the Camping and Caravaning Club's Carefree Travel service to book sites, ferries and for vehicle and personal insurance. We are more independent now but still use the Carefree insurance.

 

Check out the websites of Camping Cheques and ACSI to find if any of the they use are in the area you wish to visit. In case you are unaware of these organisations I'll tell you that they both offer discounts on normal site prices in the period you are visiting. With camping cheques you have to purchase the 'cheques' in advance. With the ACSI scheme you buy a book of sites which provides a discount card for £11.50. Vicarious Books can supply this - again they are on the internet. You can save that outlay within a couple of nights' stay on some sites.

 

You should not need to book ahead during May for most sites.

 

Enjoy

[mel wood]

Regency - sorry I was thinking of May. When I re-read your post I notice that you are going in early April. The discount schemes probably don't apply over the Easter holidays. You will be able to find the applicable dates on ACSI and Camping Cheque websites. If you will be in France over the actual Easter weekend you may wish to book sites for those days in advance just to be sure.

[Solwaybuggier]

As well as sites, it might be worth thinking of using aires - firstly because they are very often close to town/village centres. Also you may find some sites in some areas not open when you go - maybe more of an issue in holiday areas in the South, if you go around Easter - but the Caravan Club guide mentioned does show year-round sites. Plus aires are generally cheap or even free (although obviously you don't generally get full facilities) - some do have electricity though.

 

France is brilliant for MHs though - go for it!

[kelly58]

France is a BIG country bigger than I imagined on our 1st M/H trip 3 years ago best advice is to get the English version of the French Aires and also the CC / ASCI camping site book both available from www.vicariousbooks.co.uk  also a good French road atlas or Michelin map there are so many different area's with outstanding beauty and places of interest we went to our local library and borrowed as many guides to the different regions we could and spent most of the winter reading  / looking at maps and then planning where to go having done 11 trips to France in the past 3 years we feel we have only scratched the surface  , but one things for sure once you have been you will wonder why you had not been and done it before we cannot wait until we go again towards the end of April go and enjoy good luck France is the Motorhome country.

[neilmac]

I would agree with the advice already been given regarding Aires. If you use them, and there are so many to choose from, you won't have to book too much ahead (you can't book at Aires anyway). This all means that you can stay flexible and just go where your fancy takes you.

 

Enjoy your trip :-D

[maggyd]

We have only been going for two years, the first time we did France and Germany we stayed at lots of Aires and a few camp sites, we have never booked a site and find it much moe relaxing over there than in this country :-S we have just booked the tunnel for this year in June.

 

We have a few books ASCI and the Aires book are the ones we use the most. We also find our Tom Tom is a great help and quite honestly I wouldnt like to be without it (lol) as I am useless at map reading. As its your first time, any area you pick you will enjoy as its a very different experience the first time you go, just relax pick an area you fancy and head for it :-D you will see lots of camp sites on your travels and will probably inspect a couple before you decide to stay, just make sure you know where your first nights stop is going to be, and you will find lots of information on the Calais area in both the books Ive mentioned! if not just ASK. You will have a lovely time dont worry and you will see lots of Brits over there that are very helpful we found.

[Patricia]

Hello Regency and welcome to the forum where you will get lots of useful advice. With regards to Easter you should be aware that the schools break for two weeks depending on their area so that the school holidays actually cover six weeks. I think you will find that the ACSI card and the Camping Cheques are valid at many campsites over this period so it is doubtful that booking is necessary and of course they usually charge €20-25 for this service. Once you have an idea of which area you might be interested in you could contact the tourist offices for information or search the web. Many French sites have English sections, if not it will give you the opportunity to brush up your French! Most towns and villages in France have municipal campsites which are often quite good and reasonably priced. Hope you have a great time.

[Mel B]

Hi Regency and welcome to the mad house. :-D

 

Before going to France, try to have a good few trips away in your van to make sure all is well, you don't want to start trying to get things sorted when abroad. How you live in it for a couple of days is not the same as being in it for a few weeks so have a good think about what you'll need etc but remember that you can get most stuff in France ... even Cheddar cheese now!

 

As for France itself, as a 'novice' I would suggest Brittany as that is very much 'English' friendly and probably one of the easiest places to get around with little or no French language skills; it is also a lovely part of France and has many campsites and aires.

 

It will really depend on what the weather is likely to be doing in early April - sometimes it can be glorious other times freezing, in which case have a fall back of somewhere further south (you don't have to go right to the bottom of France though!).

 

The ACSI book and card is a very good way to get cheap camping on sites if you need it, we've used it and it can really save you an awful lot of money. We've never tried the Camping Cheques scheme as we can't see the point in paying up front for something we might not need as we rarely use sites because we find the aires are great.

 

Aires in particular are a very good way to get to stay next to towns and villages, as many are within a short walking distance of the facilities/shops and attractions etc and in some lovely locations too on the side of rivers, marinas, next to the beach etc.

 

I would also agree that having a sat nav unit, with the aires on, is a massive help as some can be a little challenging to find!

[Brian Kirby]

Just a few thoughts.  Northern France can be very cold in Early April and, if the weather is cold, it won't get much warmer until you are a low altitudes and South of Valence.  So: make sure the heater works before you leave home!

If you are unsure where to go, first ask yourselves why you think you want to go, and then go to your local library, get a French guide book, and see where you will find it.  That will help you decide where to head for.

Autoroutes are expensive for motorhomes!  Unless you want to travel quickly, travel slowly down the more minor "D" roads.  They are generally well surfaced, well signposted, and far prettier than the motorways.  They will take you through places, rather than round them, so you will travel slower, but between towns/villages they carry little traffic, and the driving is very relaxed.

The French, generally, drive A to B, and expect to do so as quickly as possible.  They will expect to be able to overtake you, and French law says they have a right to do so without being obstructed.  Just let them get on with it, it isn't personal, or anti-British, it is just normal, press-on, French driving!

French police use radar, and they hide!  Watch speed limits.  The French have become very observant in recent years!!.  Entry to towns/villages is signified by a name board.  Once past this board, if no other speed limit sign is visible, the automatic legal presumption is 50KPH/30MPH.  If there is a higher limit sign, often 70, follow that, but watch for a 50 sign further on.  Once past the town/village exit (signified by a name board with a diagonal black band across), unless otherwise indicated, the speed limit reverts to the national limit of 90KPH/56MPH on two lane roads (130KPH/90MPH on toll autoroutes, 110KPH/70MPH on most dual carriageways/non toll autoroutes, odd 70KPH/40MPH limits here and there (say near bad junctions), and 50KPH/30MPH (sometimes lower) within town/village limits).  Do be aware that dual carriageway means a road with a physical barrier separating the two carriageways: if the separation is only a painted double line, or if the road is a three lane job marked out for overtaking in alternate sections, the limit will be 90KPH unless otherwise stated.  Many of the French haven't caught onto this last bit! :-)  Also be aware of lower limits in the wet.

The French have recently built thousands of roundabouts all over the place, and use them as much for traffic calming as an aid to negotiating junctions.  In almost all cases traffic on the roundabout will have priority over traffic entering, as in UK.  However, the default rule in France (and much of Europe), is priority on the right which, on a left hand traffic roundabout, results in priority to traffic entering the roundabout.  Haven't seen one for years, but I believe a few still exist, so keep a sharp look out for "Vous n'avez pas la priorite" signs! 

French practise at roundabouts is variable, reflecting at least three variations in what people have been taught, and the acquired practise of those who passed their tests before the roundabouts were built!  Standard UK signalling and lane practise is now taught, but that means only the most recently qualified drivers are familiar with it!  A few even practise it!  Others go rigidly all the way round in the right lane even if turning left; few indicate that they intend turning left on approach; few indicate right to leave the roundabout; some indicate right turn as they enter the roundabout, then switch to left turn to go round, and then right again to leave, and most don't indicate at all.  It's all such fun!! :-)

Also, do be aware that in a few towns here and there, the priority on the right rule still obtains.  This gives traffic emerging from side roads on your right the priority.  This will not be signposted.  An absence of road paint across the side turning will, probably, be your only clue, or the person in front of you suddenly stopping!

However, traffic densities are generally low, and driving much more relaxing than in UK - except around 12:00 mid day and again at 14:00, when they all rush home for lunch and back again to work.  The French generally work fairly close to home, and the competition to get home first is intense!  Going back to work, for some reason a little less so.  :-)  Near any town, at these times, you will notice the increased tempo.  It will pass, and may just signal a good time to stop for your own lunch.  Enjoy!

[jww]

I would second the suggestion of going to the Loire - we had a great trip there last year though my husband also suffers mobility problems.

 

We stayed on aires around Saumur but found that we could park the van in the huge parking beside the military academy. I think it has a sign saying no motorhomes, but we were directed there by the tourist office, and though we parked there during the day over 3-4 days, we never had any problem.

 

In Amboise the aire is right next to the campsite - the campsite can be better value!

[Randonneur]

What no one has

 

Brian's post would have put me off setting foot in France so although everything is new to you just relax and enjoy yourselves. France is a very relaxed place away from the Cities.

[nanou052]

Hello Regency (and everyone), I'm a newbie myself, French (living in Ireland), and planning 2nd trip to France this summer (we rented MH last year, own our own now, yippee).

Just a little tip, when a campsite claims to be close to town/the beach/a castle... we have found that in France and Italy, it wasn't really always the exact truth. So what I did last year to ensure it was indeed within walking distance of any amenity, is to double check online with google maps.

Simply go to Google.fr, enter the name of the biggest town closest to the spot you want to go.

You should have a view of a google map coming up in your google results.

Double click on this, and enter the specific village/town/campsite you are looking for (I like using the "Itineraire" search on the left, you can evalutate the distance to the nearest town that way).

Once you get a street map of it, click on the satellite option, on the map window, and zoom in. France is pretty much completely covered with close up satellite images, so you should be able to find and view the campsite from above in minutes.

It can take a while to get used to judging distances from above, but I find that if I compare it to my own home's area satellite picture, it makes it easier.

I do this systematically now :-D

 

Here is an example of a campsite I've been checking out for our summer trip :

http://maps.google.fr/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Rue+de+la+Piscine,+63140+Ch%C3%A2tel-Guyon+(Camping+Le+Clos+de+Balan%C3%A8de)&daddr=Clermont-Ferrand&geocode=FZmavAIdm_YuACGb6hISrL8Huw%3BFRCBugIdsggvACkHhS5_3Rv3RzEib6A4YDCUOQ&gl=fr&hl=fr&mra=pe&mrcr=0&sll=45.895708,3.103491&sspn=0.434869,1.347198&ie=UTF8&ll=45.91534,3.078114&spn=0.001698,0.005262&t=h&z=18