France by car 2006.

Maybe consider Bénodet. It's a seafront town/village and quite pleasant. It's 10 miles from Quimper and there's a boat that runs up the Odet river from Bénodet to Quimper also. There are a number of campsites within a few minutes walk of the promenade in Bénodet.
 
Hi there,

If you're looking for a budget option - it may be worth checking out Celtic Link ferries at [broken link removed] I travelled Rosslare-Cherboug return for just €330 last summer - booked over a month in advance, single passenger.

Not for the delicate mind you - it's shipping ferry with very limited car spaces (no foot passengers), the ship is small and consequently a wee bit rocky! Facilities limited to a single bar and the eat all you like self service meals (included in price) are taken with the predominantly Russian crew canteen style... Plus I think I might have been the only woman on board and had an audience to see how I managed the uphill-reverse-parallel-park embarkment! On the plus side, I had twin cabin with ensuite all to myself, staff were really nice and there were none of the Irish Ferries industrial dispute related delays.
 
Thanks for the info. The celticlink ferries look very interesting. Just a question about the journey from Cork/Roscoff with Brittany Ferries. Is it a rough crossing? Sea sickness and all that?
 
Any of the crossings can be a bit rough, depending on the weather,
though this is less likely in summer time.
Cork/Roscoff shouldn't be any rougher, per se, than alternative routes.
Also, the bigger the ship, the less you feel, as implied by Noodles above.
In this context, the BF Pont Aven is probably slightly bigger than the IF Normandy. Make sure to get "Sea Legs" (or similar) travel sickness tablets at the pharmacy - they work every time for me.
 
I contacted customer service in Irish Ferries in mid October asking them when their brochure/ferry prices would be available for 2006. By the end of the month she confidently said. Still waiting.
 
To: Box The Fox + others if of interest

Stayed at the campsite L'Orangerie de Lanniron close to Quimper 4 star site for 19 nights last July. I only paid Euro 925 for top quality accomodation through a small unbonded operator.

If you are thinking of staying mid May you will practically get a new mobile
to rent as they were new to the site this year.

The site is fine and would be very quiet in May. Not a great site for kids
no water slides yet. The sun cannot be guaranteed ever in Brittany although this year was there best in the area for a number of years.

If you are interested the website address is [broken link removed]
and your contact is Jayne Wherry. I have stayed with her for the last two years and accomodation like hers can cost an arm and a leg with other operators. The mobiles are at the far end of the site and not near the reception area so might be too quiet.

I have no ties with the company other than a satisfied customer.

Daddy
 
I noticed that Aer Lingus have introduced a new route to Rennes in Brittany. I was able to grab hold of some flights at half the cost of car ferry rates. The other half will pay for my hotel accommodation. I hope to use Rennes as my base and use public transport to visit St.Malo, Dinan, Vannes etc. I also came across a very helpful and efficient mobile home operation at www.sandpiperhols.co.uk the contact is Mr. Peter Hitchin.
 
Hi there,

If you are thinking of Benodet, I have a mobile home there. 4*+ Campsite,
To make it easy try bonnevieholidays.co.uk and check it out!
 
To getoffthepot, RE

"Fly drive - did it this summer to Biarritz.
Ryanair flights 99c + tax"

can you recall date of booking and dates of flights?

Thanks.
 

A couple of years ago we went to France and we didn't book anyplace. We just drove into various little villages and checked out what was there and drove on if we didn't like what was available. It's not where you're going, but, for example, we were driving through the Champagne district and stopped in a little village - would have to look up the name as I don't remember now - but we found a little hotel run by a young couple. We stayed one night, had dinner - 5 course - nearly all the courses were food cooked with Champagne i.e. Champagne sorbet - and breakfast for €50 for the two of us. We'd never have found that without just driving along looking.
 
Hello Brittany, You mentioned that you had a mobile home in Benodet? A lot of people are purchasing abroad for second home and investment. Is your mobile home based on a 10 year lease or something and are you allowed to let it out over the summer months? It seems that it might be an interesting way to have the best of both worlds without too much up front expenditure. Are your costs high? It's just that I had a mobile home in Ballincarrig in Brittas Bay for a number of years but found the costs/rules/regulations of the site very expensive and restrictive.
 
that time of year again.
i have priced the fly/car rental v fery and there seemes to be sfa in the difference.
plane costing circa 800 for the 4 of us, car hire 250-=1050, ferry 1159,
advantage of fly is flexable go and come and no long travel, ferry - no lugage problems. don't know whether to leave the flight booking for a while and hope they come down.
must do some searching for camp sites as well , wont be booking with keycamp etc anyway.
 
I said earlier-
If I had a choice I'd go with Brittany Ferries, but not having that option wouldnt put me off Irish Ferries, as long as I had a cabin and my own food.
Click to expand...

I have changed my mind completely since debacle at Christmas when 700 of us were told belatedly at Rosslare that the ferry was cancelled and it then took a further 5 hours to deal with all the customers, while fights broke out and some Eastern European travellers openly swigged bottles of spirits and became belligerent- all this around very young children and no security. There were no facilities for children, no meals or accomodation were offered- not even a hot drink. On the return trip the ferry was over 2 hours late due to a 'mechanical error', the state of the boat was appalling, it was filthy, the crew could not understand the most basic of questions ( language barrier), and once again fights broke out in the early hours of the morning, with no security in evidence. This time the fighters I believe were Irish, and if I got the accent correct, were from Dublin. Irish Ferries are in big trouble if this is the service they will be providing. I for one will not go with them again if at all possible. In future it will be Brittany Ferries for me or flying.
 
There is no comparison between Brittany Ferries and Irish Ferries.

We have used both.

On irish Ferries if the sea dosent make you sick the ever pervasive smell of diesel exhausts will.

The Brittany Ferries has a new world class ship more akin to a cruise ship than a ferry.

The good cabins have flat screen Tv ,DVD players, mini Bar etc.

Just no contest and prices similar.

What you lose in the driving time you make up in the shorter sailing time.
 
Sequoia park campsite, Marennes, France

Just wondering has anybody stayed in the above campsite. Going there with my husband and two children (ages 5 & 2) in August. Flying in La Rochelle Airport and am worried about available carseats. Booked our car throught Hertz and am hoping they will have suitable seats for my two children. Have never stayed in a mobile home and hope that it does not get too hot for kids at night. (mobile has not air-con.). Any advice you have regarding our holiday would be gratefully accepted.
 
Boxthefox,

Brittany Ferries by far the best. Cleaner, shorter sailing times etc. Worth paying the extra.

Are you a wine drinker?? If so, take ferry & car. The saving on the wine, beer, alcohol & cigarettes will make up for any price difference in fly/drive
 
Re: Sequoia park campsite, Marennes, France

We stayed in Sequoia Parc last June. It was particularly hot (and there were lots of ants) but as we had air-con so it was ok. August should be cooler. It's a large site with good facilities and a large pool complex. I thought it was ok but it is aimed at the Dutch and doesn't seem very French. The Aquarium in La Rochelle is small but good; there are some nice beaches on [SIZE=-1]Ile d’Oléron; Marennes is 5 mins up the road, there's a nice square, a E'leclerc and if the kids are stress a McDonald's with a play area. We went to a good Zoo and a Castle adventure (bring a picnic) thing which was good but I can't remember the specifics . . I had put together an outline itinerary using Google before we left; at the Reception in Sequoia Parc they have lots of leaflets on what's round and about.[/SIZE]
 
Thanks for all the advice. We have booked with Campotel and they have only 4 mobiles with air-con. on that campsite (fully booked for our two weeks). Do they have fans in reception that you can hire?
 
Don't know about fans but I'm sure you'd get one for €10 or €15 in the [SIZE=-1]E'leclerc. The site itself is probably better than my previous post might suggest, it's just that I've been on others which I preferred to this one.[/SIZE]
 
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