First time in France (again)
Hi all, I put my first post here a few weeks ago, we were thinking about about a first time short break in France in September this year. Advice was generally a few days are not enough which we have taken on board and have had to cancel that thought, basically we have just about run out of holiday days from work to make it worthwhile with what other holidays we have booked.
We are now looking at around 10 days in France as part of a 14 or 15 day holiday next year, I try to avoid school holidays so the lads I work with that have children can help themselves to those weeks. We are not anti kids but we like a bit of peace and quiet when we are away, real life is hectic enough.
I will be boring everyone to death with what sound like silly questions I am sure first time abroad travellers feel are important.
My first question is when is it peak times in France, we are initially thinking of June to first 2 weeks in July any one with thoughts and experience of this time of year or should we thing earlier or later.
My second is related to the first and would we need to book at that time, I read a lot here about how easy it is to camp over there compared to over here. We will probably look at 1 site for 5 or 6 days and stay at Airs the other days (I am looking forward to trying them after what I have read).
My third is has anyone any experience of Benodet and recommendations for camp sites, there is a club affiliated site there with lots of good reviews also any Airs up to 100 Miles or so around Roscof preferably near a beach. You may as why Benodet (my other half did), well I went there from school about a hundred years ago and you have to start somewhere and that seams as good a place as any.
No doubt I will have other musings I will look for advice about but we are still at the planning stage at the moment and cant book anything until much later in the year even next year. We are thinking of Plymouth to Roscoff ferry, we will be in a moter home so would like to be near towns or public transport as much as possible.
Many thanks
Roy and Bev
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I can only answer some of your questions.
French schools will break up for the summer holidays in 2018 on Friday 6th July. Before that you will not need to book anywhere, but after that the seaside sites and the full-on holiday parks will start to fill up, but the simpler inland sites never need booking .
The CampingFramce.com website lists 8 campsites in Benodet and 64 others within 15 km. - all shapes, all sizes and all styles. Take your pick. Aires cannot be booked at all but others will have to advise you on which ones are good.
Is that a start?
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PS I would simply add that you just need two good guide books - one for campsites and one for Aires (or if you prefer get the same two lists in the form of mobile apps) - and just set off.
You don't need to plan for Brittany a year in advance. Unless you want to go to "famous " holiday parks in school hols you can decide as you go along, and make your mind up in an evening where you will go the next day. Most motorhomers (and some caravanners) do that.
Good luck.
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Eurotraveller's advice is spot on and I can't add much more really. You should have decent weather and the campsites will be at most half full. No need to book. Plenty of good sites to choose from in Benodet.
A good site near Roscoff is Camping Hortensias (http://www.leshortensias.fr/?lang=en ).
Benodet is an easy 2 hour drive from Roscoff. If you want to move on from there do try Lesconil (http://en.camping-desdunes.com/) but it depends very much what sort of holiday you are looking for.
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If you're going to book a Plymouth/Roscoff ferry then look at the offers made by the Caravan Club - they're obviously not yet available for 2018, but you may be able to make serious savings.
Like others I wouldn't book anything - after all if you arrive in Brittany to find the worst weather in a hundred years you would be pretty fed up if you'd booked sites for your whole stay. If you don't book you can just carry on in whatever direction has the best weather, and be sitting in glorious sunshine somewhere else.
We've almost always holidayed during May, June or September but last year spent much of July and August away in the caravan, and we had no problem at all finding sites even in what would be high season in France.
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Bev is it as long ago as this? My first introduction to a caravan was this one and my parents parked it in the orchard of a lovely farmer in Benodet!
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Thanks for the advice, I will make sure we return a few days before the French school summer holiday. I think we will probably book somewhere for 5 or 6 nights and have a few days on Aires
It is hard to take the plunge and just go. Hopefully after the first trip we will have the confidence to just get up and go when out of main season.
As soon as the sites and ferry are available to book we will take the plunge and get on with it
Many thanks and sure we will be on this forum again
Roy
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Bear in mind some Aires in popular tourist areas, coastal & towns can get full early & Aires are all different. As said previously you won’t need to book sites during June so can find a site without booking if the Aire is full. You might like to take a look at Keith Chesterfields Aires Videos on YouTube. Less traffic on the roads in France especially on Sunday & over their lunchtime. Club Ferry prices we also find are cheaper than booking direct with the ferry company. Good luck with the planning.
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We were in north Brittany in late May/early June this year and the Aires we saw were much busier than the campsites. Senior citizens in that part of France have gone for motorhomes in a big way and have largely stopped staying on many campsites - partly because Aires are cheaper, but mainly because Aires are usually in more convenient locations. The number of motorhomes where we were in May/June seemed to be about 50 for every one caravan. Apart from a few sites with British owners no campsites in Brittany need booking at that time of year, and ferry crossings can be had at a week or two's notice.
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