Sites in France 2 - 3hrs from Calais
hi people
can anyone recommend a site around 2-3 hours from calais? we are looking at going to france next year for a weeks holiday has to have good pool and other facility's will have to keep the 12 year old lad happy.
we would also like to book it through the camc aswell as the ferry
cheers
steve
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If you can bring yourself to cross from Poole to Cherbourg instead of crossing to Calais you have a bigger and better choice of sites on the Club's booking list. Camping Anse du Brick is only a few miles from the ferry port, Camping Le Grand Large is perhsps just half an hour's drive away and Camping Le Cormoran less than an hour. I think any of those might suit you and your family and all three can be booked through the Club.
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how long is the ferry journey??
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Poole - Cherbourg is a little over 4 hrs. There are other options from such as Portsmouth, to Le Havre, Caen, etc.
All depends where your journey starts, whether you see the ferry as part of your holiday or just a means of transport, what time you prefer to travel, etc.
I would agree that the more Westerly ports in France probably give a wider range of sites, in what I’d say is a more attractive landscape.
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i know what you mean its just the costs of them we are having a week in france them back to hillhead camc site for 1 week
i have 2 dogs so the journey accross i dont want to be on the ferry for 8hrs+ the dover calais is quick and cheap hence the decision to go from there + keeps the costs down
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Portsmouth/Caen can be as cheap as Dover/Calais if you get the right deal. There are lots of variables in what you are asking. The other thing is, are you returning to the UK then travelling to Hillhead if so then routes from Portsmouth or even Plymouth will be better than Dover. Ferries now have kennels for dogs. Buy using a longer crossing there are more sites with a much shorter drive than 2 - 3 hours. As mentioned by Eurotraveller earlier
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yes we are returning to the uk then travelling to hillhead
will the portsmouth/caen be as cheap even in august holidays??
cheers
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when do the ferry companies open booking for august 2019
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Many of them opened about a month ago.
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If cost is really the most important factor, then what about going to La Croix du Vieux Pont (offered by the CAMC) BUT go for the Spring Bank Holiday week next year and do it independently rather than through the CAMC? With an ACSI Card which is accepted there until the 1st July it will cost 19 euros per night for two adults, car and caravan, awning and electricity. You'll pay a supplement for your twelve year old but it has all the facilities you would need, lots of other English visitors, and is within your travelling distance.
Ferries from Dover to Calais will be cheaper at that time of year, too. There are lots of other sites available through ACSI too and they will have more pitches available. Then you could have a separate holiday at Hillhead in the main school holidays.
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From a cost effective point of view, you may find the Poole/Cherbourg the best option taking into account ferry/fuel costs. It's just a case of comparing Poole and Plymouth to find the cheapest option. Dover is about 270 miles to Hillhead, so that's £50 of fuel and a tedious drive. As has been said, the countryside around either of the other two destination ports is better than the Pas de Calais.
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If you are concerned about costs add up the price of pet passports and rabies injections before you go, ferry or tunnel fares for dogs (yes, they charge), what the campsite charges for dogs, and the vets costs for worm treatment and passport stamping before you come back. For two dogs my guess is over £300 but someone else can give you a more accurate figure.
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I don't think there is a universal answer to that. It varies according to campsite, ferry route and time of year. You need to get a quote for a combined ferry plus campsite package from the Club and then do the comparison.
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If you wish to go via Dover-Calais (or Dover- Dunkerque), Chateau du Gandspette at Eperlecques is a nice site and within your 3-hour limit.
If you have the 2018 ACSI guide, it is number 1266 on Part 2, page 41.
contact@chateau-gandspette.com
The GPS coordinates are: N 50 deg 49' 9" E 2 deg 10' 43"
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It's definitely cheaper if you're using an ACSI Card out of peak season than going in peak season through the CAMC. In April./May/June and then again late August/September you can get sites for as little as 13 euros per night. Camping Oasis, Barcares. is one of those at 13 Euros per night for two adults, car and caravan, awning, and electricity between 28-04-2018 - 08-07-2018 and then again from 01-09-2018 - 15-09-2018. (This year's dates, similar dates likely for next year). Extra for each child over five, but still a very affordable way of having a holiday. The site has a huge pool complex, newly refurbished sanitary blocks, with palm trees in the 'courtyards'. Walking distance to the beach, bars, restaurants and supermarkets.
OK it's not within the OP's brief of distance from Calais, but there may be other families reading this post who have no idea what bargains can be had outside of peak season for family camping and caravanning.
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Steve google ACSI then click on "inexpensive campsites" then France then Upper Normandie, or if you fancy going a little bit further down "Pays de Loire" there loads mate check out the reviews aim for a score of eight or more its a really good website..oh that's from dover Calais by the way..
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The other choice is don't go to Hillhead (expensive at that time of year) and spend 2 weeks in France.
This would justify the cost of ferry, dog injections, worming etc. if the break could be taken at the end of August then as ValD says you could use Acsi on some sites.
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Every year we have used Chateau du Gadspette as our last stop before home. It's a fabulous site with good clean facilities. Lovely pool and an affordable Restaurant. The staff are extremely helpful and the St.Omer is a very nice town.
Close to the site is the Blockhaus d'Éperlecques if you are interested in the war museums and memorials. There are also some nice beaches along the Cote d'opale.
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Agree. It's nice to see that someone else answered the OP's specific question. We found the people in reception very friendly and helpful. Would definitely visit this campsite again if passing on that particular route.
The Blockhaus d'Eperlecques is worth a visit. I have a photo of OH standing under a V1 bomb on its launching ramp. Made the daft mistake of saying I couldn't tell which one was the Doodlebug.
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Answered the specific question?
Gandspette is hardly 2 to 3 hours from Calais. It's 40 minutes inland.
And is it really worth spending the cost of crossing the Channel to spend a week at a Gandspette, look at the blockhaus and then come home again? I bet the 12 year old will be riveted.
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As frequently happens on forums, "advising" posters come up with non-requested ideas that they might prefer - in this case even suggesting travelling to other ports. The OP obviously wishes to arrive at Calais. As for 40 minutes, it took us considerably longer than that to reach the site from Dunkerque (similar distance as from Calais) - that's obeying French speed limits, and slower where traffic was busy.
Depending on how OP and family feel on arrival, and time factors for deciding how far to go before needing to get to a site for the night, Gandspette is a good stop-over campsite and offers a good choice for quickly moving on, or a couple of days in that location.
In reality, we do not know if this is the OP's first trip, or if landing in Calais is because he is going via The Tunnel. Also, unless they are going to spend most of the holiday travelling on the roads, one week does not offer much time for serious inroads into France.
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