First timer priority list
hi people
does anyone have a list of priority items that is needed to be taken when going to france for the first time
cheers
steve
Comments
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Much more seasoned travellers will have good/better advice, but apart from the ‘official’ stuff, the only thing I took was an extra hook-up cable, wired for reverse polarity. You might also want to consider taking a sufficient amount of gas, because as I recall, ‘Camping Gaz’ is all the rage over there. You don’t state where in France you’re going, but if you’re heading towards the south, some form of bug repellent would be a good idea. Hope this helps 👍
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Steve, Click OverseasHolidays at the top of this page - the useful information section there will help you.
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If you want to watch TV and have sky at home, take your Sky box and 80cm dish, you should be able to get TV in most of France. Get the free app called "Satfinder Lite" which will tell you exactly were to point your dish. Taking you TV and Dish is also a great way of keeping yourself occupied trying to set it up and will entertain your pitch neighbours watching you try for the first time.
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If you are going low season the ACSI card can save you a lot of cash, and generally no need to book in Advance. Their app. is very good.
We have found that French sites sometimes have limited facilities for waste water disposal. We no longer take a large Wastemaster to Europe, a bucket is much more versatile.
In the hopefully hot weather it is useful to cook and wash up outside the caravan. However a lot of places do not allow charcoal BBQ due to the fire risk. We find a cheap portable stove and griddle plate useful.
Also doing the washing up at the communal facilities is easy and can be quite a good way of having a chat to people and picking up some good tips on the surrounding area. Take a universal sink plug or use your own washing up bowls.
Part of the fun is learning what suits you and if you forget anything the French Supermarkets are very good and their prices for non food items are similar to ours. Take a spare three pin plug; as if you buy electrical goods in France they will be fitted with a two pin. Our toaster broke on the last trip and we got another while there.
Similarly you will find on some sites that an adaptor is needed for your hook up to convert to two pin type. Basically it is a short lead with French plug on one end and euro socket on the other---easy to buy on line here.
The advice in the first time travellers abroad thread is good.
Otherwise have fun!
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All the above is very valid. I would add plug adapter (UK 3 pin to French 2 pin), Bottle Opener and Duct Tape! Don't overload yourself with stuff! If you find that you have forgotten anything you will find that it will be available in France - including parts for such items as the Thetford WC and water pump (bitter experience
). A pre paid cash card and one of the cards that do not charge for overseas transactions will save you a few euros. Just remember that, especially if you are heading south of the Loire, you will spend most of the time outside enjoying the climate so take appropriate stuff. You will obviously take out the necessary insurances/breakdown cover and EHIC. Re gas, if you plan to use sites that have electricity you will find that 2 x gas bottles will easily do for several weeks holiday (We don't even get through one on a 4/5 week trip!) Have a great time in that lovely country.
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A dictionary and most importantly a sense of adventure.
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A proper book of maps is essential, eg Michelin Touring and Motoring Atlas, to give you the detail you may need in getting about. An 'indechirable' planning map is also very useful. (National 792). Local bookshop should have them.
p.s Avoid Rouen when planning your trip; came through there this morning and it's still awful!
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Many people (including us) 'avoid' Rouen by using the route down to Pont de l'Arche on the left bank of the Seine, which isn't a problem at all. So many people asked me for details that I did a PDF file of the route, with photographs of all the problem junctions/road signs, etc., and still have this available should anyone want it.
It does need updating in some respects - there are now some road humps, but we went through on the way down to France at the end of March, and on our return the weekend before last, with no problems whatsoever. There is also a nice campsite at Pont de l'Arche, for an overnight stop in a pleasant riverside setting.
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Ours doesn't. However, we make sure that we pitch with the 'fridge side' away from the sun and preferably up against a hedge or other shade and we choose a pitch which allows us to to do.. We store our caravan in France, and always use it there, and it's frequently much hotter than 25 degrees, but we've never had any real problems.
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are you heading south?....either way, safe journey
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you can avoid Rouen altogether by taking the D13 SE towards Pont de l'arch....
just route googlemaps or Michelin from (say) Neufchâtel en Bray to Pomt de L"arch and it shows this as the fastest route avoiding the congestion that is sometimes (currently) at the bottom of the tunnel, just propr to the 'slightly tricky' left turn that's required...
obviously traffic depends on time of day...
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Pont de Brotonne perhaps your alternative to Rouen on the way back
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I have fitted an old 12v computer fan to the inside of the external fridge grill. This is wired through the caravan to the 12v 'cigarette lighter' socket using corresponding plug on the end of the wire. This allows me to easily switch the fan on and off as required. Make sure the fan is running in the right direction to suck air into the void at the back of the fridge.
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Val, short answer, no....
i just asked google maps for the fastest route between those two places and it threw up the D13....
i 'street viewed' a couple of places and it looked like a great road...
obviously a little,more investigation might be required but on the face of it, this might well be an option...
Rouen traffic can be a bu**er....
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Yeah, I took off the grill and wired up a fan, directing it up as you say. It didn’t seem to make any difference. With that fridge, I could hear the thermostat kick in, it never got past zero. It could of course have been that the fridge was faulty or something, but it was fine under normal conditions. That said, the site in Royan seemed to be doing a roaring trade in mains fridge hire.
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Just to let you know, we've arrived safely at Quiberon. On a terraced pitch with a view of the Cote Sauvage framed by pine trees. Camp Municipal Le Goviro is quite busy but we didn't book. Check in tomorrow morning when the office opens; vans parked any way they want on irregular pitches; very non-CAMC; very French!
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Whenever we've been through (mostly Sunday) it's been fine on the 'Rouen route' but this time we were tempted to try the D13. The only thing that put us off was that we were meeting friends in Millau later that day and wanted to be there on time.
Perhaps we'll try it next visit in early June.
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Comeyras there is no re-sealing required at all. I have never yet had a caravan with a fridge that did not have removable grills. With my current Lunar there are two plastic 'screws' that are turned through 90º to unfasten them. The grills then come away. Replacing them is just a reverse of the procedure. Simples!!
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