Caen / Sarlat la Caneda
Hi all,
We've booked a afternoon crossing from Portsmouth in June and may well stop overnight at site in Ouistreham. I am aware of Bay de Somme services if traveling from Calais but if I decided to drive off into the night off the Ferry are there any suggestions of similar places to B-d-S to pull in for a few hours en route to Sarlat ?.
We intend calling into see our old neighbours at Concourson on return trip and stopping on Port at Ouistreham overnight before our morning sailing back to Portsmouth.
Happy caravanning.
Comments
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We are doing the Caen crossing in Apr/June and are using Riva Bella site at Ouistreham in both directions, as personally I think you get a better nights sleep than the docks, and safer than an Aire. There are apparently parts of the site where you can stay hooked-up, if you want an early start on the way down
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Although we've stayed at the Riva Belle coming back I feel that to arrive at 10-pm and leave 7/8-am is expensive. I too wouldn't fancy stopping over in an Aire but would be interested if there is something like B.d.S.
Happy caravanning.
NB: lagerorwine, not much choice over there but coming from Yorkshire I'd have thought your choice would be Riggwelter. LoL.
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No, there is nothing really comparable with the services at Baie de Somme.. There are the usual small unstaffed rest areas, with no fuel and no restaurant, on the motorway as you run down to Le Mans. But as far as I recall the first large service station is the one on the northern edge of Le Mans and in the daytime it was a jumble of lorries and caravans, parked rather haphazardly. A better alternative might be a supermarket car park at Argentan or Alencon if you really want to save a few euros.
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But 42 euros for an overnight in July/August for a couple with two children over ten years old.
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If you are using the Autoroute then you can stop at any Aire and there is no reason why they should be any less safe than Baie de Somme. If staying overnight (which we have done many times when I was working) then it is best to choose a pèage (not a free section) and choose one with full services. It will be well lit and you can usually use the showers in the service station. Better than a car park and in my opinion safer than a Motorhome aire in a town.
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if you intended to drive a few hours once off the ferry you would nearly be there as said before use a motorway services just for a few hours kip. i drove from Calais to Sarlat in a day in was very long but can be done very tiring and would not do that again. i now always stop on the way down for a couple of days so i get to see more of France that way. have a great holiday
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Still considering staying at Riva Bella but don't wish to drive all the way down the next day. So taking a cabin on the afternoon ferry can rest up after driving from Leic's and shower before leaving the boat refreshed. Have found on google earth a couple of Aire d Services on the A10 at Chatterault or Poitier.
Have in the past towed many more miles than should have done pulling 'vans back from Sassenburg and even once from ours at Doue la Fontaine to Wassmunster ( Gent ) under nine hours.
Happy caravanning.
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We often cross on the afternoon sailing to Caen. For the last three years we have stopped at the Aire Pays d'Argentan. This is a full service aire with fuel and café. It takes about one hour from the port. We usually park in the car spaces under the lights right outside the café. There is normally plenty of space so this does not inconvenience others. We refuel in the morning and then off towards our ultimate destination of the Dordogne. However, I suspect there may not be so much space on Sundays when the trucks are not allowed to travel.
We use Riva Bella to overnight on the return - now much improved from its previous dismal condition.
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Not tried Riggwelter, but looks a bit high alcohol for me. I do like other Black Sheep hand pulled though.
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Stayed at the BofS a couple of times no problems. Alson stayed on services around Orleans where caravan parking spaces are separated from trucks and are positioned just in front of the shop/cafe, but for the life of me I can't remember the name
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They also on the caravan club site voucher scheme, so a good way of using them up and getting good ferry price. It's not a bad site at all if you turn left after the barrier,
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