First Trip to France

1. Type Camping St Malo as an internet search and you will get a list of 25 campsites in that area - but most motorhomers would move on from there to other places into the rest of Brittany, probably staying at motorhome Aires rather than campsites. That’s how things are over there.

2 Brittany Ferries will tell you when 2025 bookings open. 

You do not indicate where you are setting out from. Also there is a massive difference between ferry prices depending on which you use.

I am a fan of DFDS Newhaven to Dieppe - 4 hours travel time (So no need for a  cabin and the cost of that) and "seniors" can get a 20% reduction by phoning through to book. 

My two bookings for this summer (Me and a 6 meter van) are averaging just over £100 each way. N.B If the person booking is a senior you get 20% off the entire booking.

Standards aboard are perfectly OK and there are no major hold ups like the headline ones always on the news at Dover.

My first trip (end of July) I am staying fairly local to Dieppe at these two campsites:

This one a couple of kilometres inland from Dieppe's beach (Near enough for me to Ebike about with ease!):

https://www.camping-la-source.fr/

and this one at Le Crotoy

https://camping-les-trois-sablieres.com/

Le Crotoy is the only south facing beach on the Somme. Take a look at this:

https://www.visit-somme.com/somme-bay/le-crotoy-facing-directly-south

Hope that helps?

Chris

Hi Chris,

Thanks for that, we are located in Bath, so probably Poole, Plymouth, Portsmouth or Southampton might be the best ports for us.  I will have a look at the links you sent but thanks again.  We dont really want to drive to much in France as only going for two weeks of relaxation. 

Nicola

Nicola,

I have a 250+ mile trip from Bolton to get to Newhaven. 

I have used P&O (from Hull) and Brittany Ferries (from both Portsmouth and Plymouth) over many years in the past (when travelling by motorcycle). Brittany Ferries is largely a Rolls-Royce service but at a price. Horses for courses!!!

If planning for 2025 you have plenty of time to shop around and compare prices.

Enjoy the planning and feeling smug booking early!!

Chris

Nicola, I take your point about two weeks of relaxation, but honestly can’t think of one single place  or one single site in Brittany or Normandy which would hold my interest for two weeks.

I know you say you don’t want to drive far but I suggest you look at a Roscoff arrival and a St Malo departure, or a St Malo arrival and a Cherbourg departure. Mix and match with a few stops for sightseeing along the way from one ferryport  to another.

The driving is easy, the food and local cider are good, there are no motorway tolls and there are campsites and Aires are everywhere.

Nicola,

I have to agree about one place for two weeks. On my 15 day main holiday in September I plan to take in the Black Forest, Switzerland and then over the Alps to Lake Como.

Are you perhaps worried about driving on the wrong side of the road?!!!

You do not need to travel far for a change of scene.  By way of example Dieppe and Le Crotoy are about 45 miles apart.

Chris

Unlike the last two replies, we now tend to stay in one place for all or most of our trips to France. In the past we've adopted the two or three nights in one place then move on method but as time goes on this becomes ever more tiring.

Last year we spent 3 weeks on the municipal at Malestroit. A lovely site, a few hundred metres from a delightful mediaeval town and with lots of interesting places less than an hour's drive away. The year before we did something similar but at the municipal at Montoir sur le Loir. Another lovely site and interesting area.

We much prefer the relaxing feel of getting set up then just enjoying the ambiance rather than constantly feeling the need to move on. But chacun à son goût
as they say.

Even if only going for a couple of weeks I would want to move on a few times, particularly with a MH as it’s so easy. You don’t say what time of year you will be traveling, if outside of July and August you don’t really need to book anything, unless you want to be sure of getting into a particular seaside site. Can’t help much with sites as in recent years we have headed further south. Although we have stopped several times recently at the Municipal in Bayeux, from which the British Cemetery, museums, cathedral etc are all walkable. There is also a camping carpark Aire at Le Vivier-sur-Mer, just to the east of St Malo and close to a very nice restaurant. Plus another close to Utah beach that we have used. Thecamping car park Aires are  barrier controlled and as well as standard fill/dump facilities normally have EHU and a WiFi hotspot.

You mention St Malo. It is a crossing we like. We tend to regard it as part of the holiday, rather than just a means of getting there. The boat from Portsmouth leaves at 8pm and takes 12 hours giving ample time for a good meal and nights sleep. It is popular though and more expensive than there other crossings. A return out of the main holiday period will cost circa £500, plus whatever cabin you choose. Although if you return that way it’s a daylight crossing and you don’t need one. You could perhaps go that way, an easy drive from where you live for the evening boat and perhaps come back from Caen, stopping at a few places on route. Total driving distance 120 miles.

I think for Brittany ferries next years crossings are usually available towards the end of August, we booked ours for this year in October, so certainly available then.

No need to book months ahead on most routes. There’s availabiity for tomorrow’s overnight sailing from Plymouth to Roscoff 

The big plus of motorhoming is that you can move from site to site spending a few days here and there without the set up costs of a caravan. The downside, as eurortraveller will attest, is restricted off site mobility. You have to choose sites with walking, cycling or public transport access.

Having paid to cross the channel, you should try to be adventurous as possible. French sites will welcome you with open arms, and will let you in even before 1pm to get your custom.

If you want to stay near St Malo, look at camping longchamps near St Lunaire: we're moving there next week from our present site at Trinitie sur Mer, Camping la Baie, just 130 miles fro St Malo ferry.

Here's  a link  to a video I took at the beach today!

Trinity sur mer