Day One – France in the Motorhome

Allo Allo!  

OK day one and first lesson has already been learnt – remember to set up your WiFi before you go away, which I completely forgot to do! Hence why this blog is a day late – sorry!

I arrived in Dover yesterday in plenty of time to catch my P&O ferry crossing to Calais. I booked the crossing through The Caravan Club and got a good deal – it actually works out cheaper than booking direct with the ferry company. The ferry crossing was smooth and I got to relax in the P&O lounge, which was very luxurious. 

As I was driving off the ferry at Calais in my motorhome that great feeling hit me – I’m in France, day one of my French trip!! The first time I toured in Europe I have to admit I did feel nervous, although it’s actually not that difficult. I still have to remind myself each time before I get in the motorhome that I’m driving on the other side of the road, but once I get going it feels perfectly natural.

I got to the site with no problems. The roads were good and luckily the traffic was clear. The Swift Bolero drives well and is very comfortable. I’m staying at Chateau de Drancourt, located near to St. Valery-sur-Somme. It’s a site on The Club network so you know it has to be of a good standard as it gets inspected by The Club every year. The site is approximately 70 miles from Calais, which is an ideal distance if you’re new to travelling in France as it’s not too far to drive but gives you a good chance to get used to driving on the other side of the road.

The site itself is very pleasant. It’s well maintained and clean and tidy. It has good facilities including a bar, well stocked shop, swimming pool (outdoors and covered), tennis, mini-golf, bike hire and a restaurant. It’s very lively and the staff are friendly and speak good English (not that that’s a problem for me)!!

I ended the day relaxing in a local restaurant, enjoying Moules et Frites and a nice cold glass of local wine.  

I have to say I am very much looking forward to the next few days and will keep you updated on my progress.