1st France Trip - Top Tips Wanted!

[Splurt]

Hi all, I'm getting geared up and very excited now for our first trip abroad with the van.

We sail to cherbourg sunday the 6th of may and have four weeks to spend exploring. Basically my plan is to have as few plans as possible. I want to make my way down the atlantic coast and after two weeks (no matter how far or not far we've travelled!) turn and loop back up through the country. No motorways or toll roads, rural B roads as much as possible. Stopping at anything and everything that looks interesting!

I have my aires guide, france passion reg and michelin map. Also marking as many wild camping spots onto the map book as i can too so we should never be stuck for somewhere to stay.

Van has just had a good thorough service, timing belt and all, last week. Have breakdown cover. Have the french travel kit (hi vis, triangle, bulbs, etc etc etc).

Have the month off work and this months pay to blow on diesel, wine, bread and cheese!!


I think we are fairly well organised and ready but it is going to be a learning curve of a trip so any advice will be muchly appreciated:

-Must sees
-Must nots!
-General tips (cant think of any more bulletpoints with this hangover!)

Cheers

Ryan

[callanish]

Is beautiful part of the world and it will be hot so make sure your quarter lights open so you can direct breeze into your van. Beware ( that doesn't mean avoid) aires, scallywags have been known to rob ppl during the night.
La Palmyre zoo ( if you like zoos) is interesting as you can feed all the animals. You buy unsalted popcorn and the animals love it. The giraffes heads will come right down and take the stuff out of your hand... Quite an experience I can tell you. There are loads of WW2 relics along that coast if that floats your boat too.
Enjoy it is a truly fantastic place to holiday... Let's see the pics

[thechubbsdub]

We did a similar route last year. This website was useful http://www.eutouring.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Ralf85]

French phrase book and this year's Michelin camping book for when you want some home comforts like showers and on site take away food for when you want to spoil yourselves. A month is a great amount of time away. No rush and a perfect time of year. I'm jealous. Have fun.

Patrick

[shorehambeach]

You'll have a great time...we do this every year.

Here's a few top tips!

Use a few French phrases - they"ll love you for it !
If your electric hook up - take a euro adaptor !
If you see a supermarket that sells ice then BUY IT!
Some minor toll road exist are unmanned - have change to make to make it easy!
Some service stations are CARDS only at night.
Fill up before you get on the ferry/chunnel

The French are brilliant - its amazing how warm they are despite our apparent dislikes of each other ! A little French goes a long long way

Every village has a "Boulangeries" (bakers) are better than "Pattisieries" (cakes shops that sell bread) - cheaper and better bread.

French supermarkets are very well signed and there's lots of them!

French campsites are everywhere!

French cider is SUPERB!!

Take a European Tom Tom...

Have a fantastic time

[Ralf85]

That reminds me. In France once you put your card in, you press the green button first then input your pin code then press the green button again. This confused me at first as I tried to just input my pin then pressed the green button and nothing happened at the self service fuel pump. Just remember to collect your receipt once you have put the pump back in its holder.

Patrick

[Charlie1950]

A few years back my wife and I did something similar, staying no more than 4 nights in each area for a period of 3 months. Normandy Camping Municipal in Bayeux doing the WW 2 beaches, Brittany, down to Bordeaux then the Pyrenees along the South coast to Provence and up through the middle. We stopped just outside Limoges and a must see, (although quite poignant) is Oradour Sur Glane http://www.oradour.info/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Basically on 10th June 1944 the Nazis massacred the village and the village has stayed exactly as it was as a memorial and a reminder of what man can do to man.

If you're travelling up the middle of France the Millau Viaduct is well worth driving over too. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millau_Viaduct" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Whatever you do I'm sure it'll be great.

Drive safely,

Charlie.

[Bowton Lad]

Fill up before you get on the ferry/chunnel

That depends on whether your van is petrol or diesel. My van is diesel, so when I drive the 300 miles to Dover I don't fill up. I always fill up at a hypermarket in Calais it's much cheaper. On the way home I always fill up in Calais before catching the ferry.

[Charlie1950]

One more very important point and hopefully I'm not teaching you to suck eggs! If you intend using electric hook-ups, I would thoroughly recommend taking a polarity tester with you, as quite a few of the French sites have reversed polarity (live & neutral reversed). They cost very little to buy (£5 to £10) and they not only tell you the polarity, but also earth faults etc. If it shows reverse polarity all you need to do is reverse the live and neutral wires in your hook-up lead. Alternatively to save frigging about each time you stop at a different campsite you can make up an adaptor that has been wired up in reverse to take with you.

If you weren't already aware I hope this is of use,

Charlie.

[ajess266]

Just wanted to say no tips, just have fun sounds great we are going over for a week without our van, we have a little house near Cognac, looking at buying a farm, who knows when we live there full-time we might be able to do wild camping! lol Look forward to hearing all about it on your return, have a safe fun trip, Allison

[Evsi]

Have a great time mate! We're heading to France in 4 weeks for the 1st time and we can't wait! We're not going the same route so i can't be of any help, but let us know how it went.

[Evsi]

Fill up before you get on the ferry/chunnel

That depends on whether your van is petrol or diesel. My van is diesel, so when I drive the 300 miles to Dover I don't fill up. I always fill up at a hypermarket in Calais it's much cheaper. On the way home I always fill up in Calais before catching the ferry.

Nice tip, thanks for that!

[haydn71]

Really quite envious. We're off to France for 10 days in August but a month! that would be nice.

Nice places I would recommend are Mont St Michel on the Normady/Brittany border.
Heading south, La Rochelle is nice or better still, cross the bridge onto the Ille de Re. Pleanty of campsites and the little town of St Martin de Re is a delight.
A must is the Dordogne valley. Lots of campsties right by the river. Lots of pretty little towns and villages. Sarlat is a nice if large town and the village of Domme and Rocamadour both musts.
If you want to go further east, the Gorges du Tarn is beautiful too.

Have a great time and look forward to some photos when you get back.

[California Dreamin]

Buy one of these: we found ours absolutely invaluable and it will last for several years...gives SAT NAV co-ordinates of THOUSANDS of CamperStops (just Campers).

https://www.vicarious-shop.com/Camperst ... 80000.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
or France only....All the Aires Sites....from the same supplier (a bit cheaper but cover individual countries)

Two high vis vests
Beam benders on your headlamps if R/H/D
GB sticker on the rear somewhere.
Two French APPROVED alcohol testers
Paying for a FRENCH PASSION sticker might be good (do a google)
Take a longish fresh water fill up pipe
Makes sure your spare tyre is pumped up and in good nick.
TURN OFF YOUR SPEED CAMERA WARNINGS ON THE SAT NAV (big fine if you leave them on)
Watch for the French Police close to port...first 2 hours of driving ..(they have a habbit of targeting Foreigners knowing they will be unfamiliar with road layouts and protocol) on the spot fines for going over solid lines etc.
Fill up at Hyper markets..much cheaper fuel.
Tell your insurance company you are going abroad and the dates (this is usually a stipulation)
Tell your bank you are going abroad, the dates and countries (otherwise you might find your cards stop working when they detect unusual activity)
Avoid Toll Roads.....this is not a race and the back routes are more scenic anyway.
Visit a Bolongerie twice a day...it is the law to eat french bread and croissants at leasr twice a day.....if you don't you will be shot!

Martin

[OXI]

I've been going to France every year since about 1990. The last 10 years I've used Irish Ferries Rosslare to Cherbourg or (better IMO) Roscoff. I live in Belfast.

I would say, buy the Rough Guide or Lonely Planet and read them every night to plan the next day or two.

All the above advice on where to go is excellent. Loire and Dordoyne are both lovely.

I hope you enjoy yourselves.

One more very important point and hopefully I'm not teaching you to suck eggs! If you intend using electric hook-ups, I would thoroughly recommend taking a polarity tester with you, as quite a few of the French sites have reversed polarity (live & neutral reversed). They cost very little to buy (£5 to £10) and they not only tell you the polarity, but also earth faults etc. If it shows reverse polarity all you need to do is reverse the live and neutral wires in your hook-up lead. Alternatively to save frigging about each time you stop at a different campsite you can make up an adaptor that has been wired up in reverse to take with you.

Regarding the quote above - and without meaning to offend Charlie1950, forget about this issue. It really doesn't matter about reverse polarity unless the fuse goes AND you poke your fingers where they shouldn't be after the fuse blows. It'll work fine with reversed polarity.
I'm an electrical engineer with 30 years experience (and a time-served electrician before that) and I don't check polarity and I don't even care if it's reversed. Just don't poke your fingers into electrical circuits if you don't know what you're doing. Relax and enjoy your holiday.

Frank.

If you weren't already aware I hope this is of use,

Charlie.