overnight stop

JPOSH
JPOSH Forum Participant Posts: 131

We are touring early may with caravan.

The Problem we have is having to book an early hours dover calais crossing as not sure what time I Finnish work . With a 6 hour drive to dover we are looking to lay up somewhere the other side not too far from calais .

Heading towards belgium for Germany .

Any suggestions would be very welcome 

 

Comments

  • DianneT
    DianneT Forum Participant Posts: 521
    100 Comments
    edited January 2016 #2

    As you are travelling to Germany Le Bien Assise would not be out of the way 15 minutes from the Tunnel.  Very Secure well kept ACSI Caming Card Siite,  Otherwise if you want to travel down the A16 into Belgium just before Brugges on the Right hand side
    of the road is Kleinsands ACSI CC Site, have never stayed there but  know others have and they say it is good.

    Hope this helps.

    DianneT

    www,joysofeuropeancaravanning.co.uk .  .

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,831 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #3

    JPOSH, what time of day or night are you likely to arrive at Calais? 

  • JPOSH
    JPOSH Forum Participant Posts: 131
    edited January 2016 #4

    JPOSH, what time of day or night are you likely to arrive at Calais? 

    Write your comments here...probably looking at after midnight maybe 2 or 3 am

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,831 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #5

    At that time of night it's sounding like a supermarket car park.

    We used to stay in Calais in days gone by - the beach front car park, the petrol station car park at the exit from the tunnel grounds, Cite d'Europe car park, Auchan supermarket car park - we have used them all in the small hours of the morning. 

    But with the migrant situation as it is these days you may want to get clear of Calais and Dunkirk, and off the motorway too, and find a supermarket car park a bit further out. Maybe Carrefour at Bray-Dunes before you cross into Belgium? 

     

  • JPOSH
    JPOSH Forum Participant Posts: 131
    edited January 2016 #6

    I may just try to find a cl that will let us arrive about 11 pm then have early ferry next day .

  • JPOSH
    JPOSH Forum Participant Posts: 131
    edited January 2016 #7

    Failing that 

    Bite the bullet and pay top dollar at black horse

  • KenAndKathleenReay
    KenAndKathleenReay Forum Participant Posts: 61
    edited January 2016 #8

    We have a Motorhome, so, not quite the same situation as a Caravanner, but, in your situation we would either use Black Horse CC site, or, cross channel and drive to the Aire at Gravelines (if we are heading North or East), or, (if we are heading South) drive to the the Aire de Somme services, near Abbeville, ignore the prevailing advice and stay at the services. There are always several other Motorhomes and Caravan Units there, so, we never felt unsafe. 

    I know Aires are meant for Motorhomes only, but, you would be arriving dead of night, if you left sharp in morning, I would have thought you would have no problem.

  • JPOSH
    JPOSH Forum Participant Posts: 131
    edited January 2016 #9

    We have a Motorhome, so, not quite the same situation as a Caravanner, but, in your situation we would either use Black Horse CC site, or, cross channel and drive to the Aire at Gravelines (if we are heading North or East), or, (if we are heading South)
    drive to the the Aire de Somme services, near Abbeville, ignore the prevailing advice and stay at the services. There are always several other Motorhomes and Caravan Units there, so, we never felt unsafe. 

    I know Aires are meant for Motorhomes only, but, you would be arriving dead of night, if you left sharp in morning, I would have thought you would have no problem.

    Write your comments here...we have stayed overnight just by one of the peage plazas just outside calais a good few years ago now. Someone mentioned to me about the waiting area at the ferry port as it is patrolled by security. Not sure if this is still an
    option

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,673 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #10

    We have a Motorhome, so, not quite the same situation as a Caravanner, but, in your situation we would either use Black Horse CC site, or, cross channel and drive to the Aire at Gravelines (if we are heading North or East), or, (if we are heading South)
    drive to the the Aire de Somme services, near Abbeville, ignore the prevailing advice and stay at the services. There are always several other Motorhomes and Caravan Units there, so, we never felt unsafe. 

    I know Aires are meant for Motorhomes only, but, you would be arriving dead of night, if you left sharp in morning, I would have thought you would have no problem.

     

    Anyone can stop at an Aire on the motorway.

  • magnet
    magnet Forum Participant Posts: 157
    edited January 2016 #11

    if you are not tired i would drive for an hour or two and rest in at busy motorway aire then drive on after a few hours sleep. for me having done the late night frerry crossing and driven though the night,the best advice i would give would be to stay at
    a site near dover as you say you have a 6 hour drive to dover plus your days work you will be knackerd. have a another day off work and get a ferry pitch . so you can rest this side of the channel before your ferry crossing.

  • ValDa
    ValDa Forum Participant Posts: 3,004 ✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #12

    The first two service area along the A16 autoroute to Belgium (presuming you are taking the autoroute in that direction) are both 'rest areas' rather than fuel stations.  However, it may be that your planned route into Belgium is the A25 towards Lille.

    Perhaps if we knew the route you were planning to use it would be easier to suggest somewhere safe along that route.  However, with an arrival time of 2 or 3 am you're not going to get a great break after such a long drive, and then a late crossing.  I would
    be inclined to stay on the British side, and get a really early start.  That way you get a good rest and will probably not lose much 'journey time' on your first day.

     

  • allanandjean
    allanandjean Club Member Posts: 2,401 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #13

    From Camartheshire you are looking at app 300 miles so it will be 6 hours without any stops, most people towing will average about 50 MPH.

    If you leave at 6pm,and add in stops en route, its likely 7.5-8 hours, then add an hour to 'check in'  and board at Dover, 90 minutes to cross,30 minutes to get off and going........it all means that you will likely be very tired and not hitting the road
    in France till app 5AM!

    I very much sympathise as we are in Cornwall and have tried a number of options,drive up to Dover area and stay on a site,Black Horse twice,drive up in the evening/night and get ferry, as you are thinking of, and drive up in the day and get a ferry that
    arrives at app 1900,or later if we know we can still get into the site. All come problems and we have in the past picknicked on the M25 wiating for it to clear!

    We travel from Plymouth wherever possible and if going to Dover would take longer and add in a night en-route so that I was able to get to Dover in the afternoon as that way I can, hopefully, avoid the worst traffic on the route especially the M25.

    As mentioned Chateau du Gandspette is a very good site and very handy if travelling from Dover, especially to Dunquerqe.