Member Since: 10 Oct 2012
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 109
Trip to South of France Recommendations Please
Hello, I am after some recommendations. We are planning on going to the South of France with the D4 and Caravan the first 2 weeks in July. We will have our 2 year old Daughter with us. We are thinking of crossing Dover-Calais, can anyone recommend any good sites in the South of France. Also advise on how long to travel down and any possible stop overs on the way as well as good routes. Is there anything extra that I need to take to stay within French laws. Thanks in advance.
NJSSAm I Gammon or Woke ? - I neither know nor care.
2016 Discovery 4 Landmark
2011 Mercedes Benz SL350 (R230)
1973 MG B GT V8 - 3.9L John Eales engine, 5 speed R380 gearbox, since 1975.
1959 MGA roadster - 1.9L Peter Burgess Engine - 5 speed gearbox
Past LRs - Multiple FFRs, Discos & a Series I - some petrol, some diesel,
none Electric or H2 fuel cell - yet.
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23rd Jan 2018 5:57 pm
carroll493d
Member Since: 27 Jun 2017
Location: Alderton
Posts: 235
With regard routes, I use this site for my planning. Gives you toll costs and estimated fuel costs as well.
Member Since: 29 Jul 2017
Location: Ariege
Posts: 53
Try and plan around not being on the road for the 13th and 14th because it’s a national holiday and also falls on a Saturday this year and means Friday is a holiday too so can be a little chaotic.
Can’t help you with caravan stuff having never done it but it’s certainly massive down here for the Dutch and Brits alike.
Just be aware that it’ stays pretty hot at night by the coast. Autoroute is cheaper down the west side via Bordeaux and Toulouse rather than the standard Lyon route but obviously depends on your destination.2006 tdv6 s Cairns blue
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23rd Jan 2018 6:45 pm
Languedoc
Member Since: 29 Jul 2017
Location: Ariege
Posts: 53
And French laws require you to have a warning triangle, hi vis within reach of your seated position (seat pocket is normal place) and strictly speaking a spare bulb kit. The breathalyser requirements have stopped now and I’ve never heard of anyone carrying them anymore.
You must also carry your vehicle docs with you in case of a contrôle2006 tdv6 s Cairns blue
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23rd Jan 2018 6:48 pm
dubbs
Member Since: 18 Apr 2012
Location: Gloucestershire
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If you're doing the run to the sun on the Route de Soleil, you may want to invest in a Liber-t tag from Sanef. Could save you a few hours over the route down:
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8243
If you haven't got air con in the 'van take a portable electric fan to keep the youngster cool. Don't go without break down repatriation cover(AA), no disrespect to the D4 it can happen to any vehicle, I've had to make use of it twice in the past. You'll also need a continental type two pin extension cable for the 'van. Driving in France is a real pleasure compared to England although cities do get a little hair raising. Beware of stopping overnight in their lay-bys, they are like country parks compared to England, water in them is generally undrinksble(non-potable), stop over in a caravan park for safety.
Good tip; put a band of electric tape on the side of steering wheel to remind you which side of the road you should be on including when you come back, it's very easy after taking a break to forget It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
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It's a 2005 D3 - so good breakdown/recovery insurance is essential.
If you have a speed camera detection feature do read up on the law in France. Detectors can get you a big fine & possible confiscation, speeding fines are draconian.
Alerts of "danger areas" from a database are OK though:-
NJSSAm I Gammon or Woke ? - I neither know nor care.
2016 Discovery 4 Landmark
2011 Mercedes Benz SL350 (R230)
1973 MG B GT V8 - 3.9L John Eales engine, 5 speed R380 gearbox, since 1975.
1959 MGA roadster - 1.9L Peter Burgess Engine - 5 speed gearbox
Past LRs - Multiple FFRs, Discos & a Series I - some petrol, some diesel,
none Electric or H2 fuel cell - yet.
There are 10 types of people in this world: Those who understand binary, and those who don’t.
24th Jan 2018 9:02 am
al cope
Member Since: 08 Nov 2005
Location: Oldbury, WM
Posts: 10361
We stopped here in 2016: http://www.etoiledargens.com/en. Its a big site near Frejus but there were some big pitches towards the back of the site (towards the river), although access is a bit tight with a big twin axle. There is a free shuttle boat down to the beach (watch out for the nudest section). Its easy to then get into Nice, Cannes, St Trop, Monacco if you want to (we did all of them)
We did Dover Calais, then auto route staying north of Paris down past Troyes and Dijon stopping here, not far off the motorway:
Le Château de l'Epervière (REF : L12)
Rue du Château, Gigny sur Saone, 71240, France
It was a nice site, near the river.
From there south the motorway gets a bit mad past Lyon (crazy Dutchmen heading south at the end of July) until it splits north of Nimes (where it heads off towards Spain) but its a nice run south.
We really enjoyed it - wouldnt do it every year as it is a long haul, but every 3 or 4 years would be OK.
Al
PS just noticed - my avatar pic is off the site at Gigny Volvo XC90 B5 Plus Dark
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24th Jan 2018 11:16 am
GFOS31
Member Since: 10 Oct 2012
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 109
al cope wrote:
We stopped here in 2016: http://www.etoiledargens.com/en. Its a big site near Frejus but there were some big pitches towards the back of the site (towards the river), although access is a bit tight with a big twin axle. There is a free shuttle boat down to the beach (watch out for the nudest section). Its easy to then get into Nice, Cannes, St Trop, Monacco if you want to (we did all of them)
We did Dover Calais, then auto route staying north of Paris down past Troyes and Dijon stopping here, not far off the motorway:
Le Château de l'Epervière (REF : L12)
Rue du Château, Gigny sur Saone, 71240, France
It was a nice site, near the river.
From there south the motorway gets a bit mad past Lyon (crazy Dutchmen heading south at the end of July) until it splits north of Nimes (where it heads off towards Spain) but its a nice run south.
We really enjoyed it - wouldnt do it every year as it is a long haul, but every 3 or 4 years would be OK.
Al
PS just noticed - my avatar pic is off the site at Gigny
Thanks for all your responses so far the information is very helpful, I have driven in Europe many times in the past, but not with the Caravan, I used to Holiday in the South of France in the 70's as a Child with my Parents when my Dad would haul the Caravan down with his old Cortina. I guess the only concern we have at the moment is we are taking our 2 Year old daughter with us and is this trip a bit to long for her and should we be considering the Atlantic coast and crossing from Portsmouth to cut down the travelling. I don't seem to be remember it being a problem when I was a kid but I guess my memory of it could be wrong.
24th Jan 2018 4:33 pm
Languedoc
Member Since: 29 Jul 2017
Location: Ariege
Posts: 53
They are pretty resilient. I took my 3 year old from the Pyrenees to Edinburgh via Dover Calais in a 12 year old Peugeot 206 once.
He didn’t mind but I bloody did2006 tdv6 s Cairns blue
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24th Jan 2018 4:43 pm
geoffsnook
Member Since: 13 Jun 2014
Location: south wales
Posts: 3170
If you make it a part of your holiday then it's ok we have done Santandare and Bilbao just found the ferry very boring but my kids enjoyed the pool on the boat specially when the boat was rocking and the pool was moving to the sea swell lol Discovery 3 se gone
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24th Jan 2018 6:39 pm
Somersetjedi
Member Since: 01 Aug 2016
Location: Somerset
Posts: 29
Last year we spent a few night here https://www.camping-castels.co.uk/campsite/eperviere It was excellent and very accommodating, accepted large units like ours and very friendly management. Going to be doing the same this year en-route to Spain.
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