Marseillan Plage
We are off to Marseillan Plage for two weeks at the end of July beginning of August and we cant wait. I think we have everything in place, We have just received our Emovis tag for the tolls so this should be easier than stopping and paying every time. We have got a crit air sticker from last year, I don't think we need it but we have it anyway. We are booked on a ferry pitch at black horse farm the night before the ferry. We sail on Saturday morning and we will stop mid way on Saturday evening and carry on Sunday morning to check in on Sunday afternoon. We have got European break down cover and insurance and all the usual kit you need for travelling abroad which is always in the car anyway. Hope the weather is beautiful for us.
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Have a safe journey. Your mid way stop at half way looks like Bourges or Dijon depending on the route you have chosen. Take care.
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Rich. You may be driving trough France on a 'Black Weekend' and I fear that you may have a very frustrating drive down
. We used to live near Beziers and know the area you are going to very well. We have done this journey many times, at all times of the year, solo and towing. Solo one stop but when towing we used to take 2 and a bit days to do Calais - Beziers; yes, it can be done with one stop but that was quite tiring. Sorry to start my post with this negative comment but better to be forwarned so you can plan accordingly. For any future trip why not consider doing what we and a lot of others do and get a late afternoon ferry and stay at a site near Calais hitting the road in France early (are you able to change your crossing?). I don't know if you have booked an overnight site but as all sites on the main routes will be very busy it may be prudent to book one that stays open lateMoving on. Although your Sat Nav may indicate that the shortest route is via Paris would always avoid Paris at all costs. The route we would always take was Calais - Rouen - Evereaux - Dreux - Orleans - A75 to Beziers. For your one stop there are sites at Vierzon and Montlucon; if you get as far as Clermont Ferrand go just south to Issoire. There is a convenient fuel stop at Nonancort at the roundabout at the junction of the N12 and N154; a Le Clerc fuel stop at Supermarket prices. Once you get to Marseillan Plage you will find an enormous sandy beach that goes almost all the way to Spain Enjoy a fish meal and a bottle of Pic Pol by the harbour in Meze, visit Sete. Go round the Noily Prat wine makers in Marseillan (mornings only). A drive inland up the Orb valley from Cessenon sur Orb (where we used to live) is a nice day out. You don't say what you want to on your holiday but if you want any more suggestions there are a couple of us on this forum who know the area well (Hi Val!)
You will have a lovely holiday in the sun.
Note. The Crit Air is valid for the life of the car.
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Rich, i realise you have everything planned but can you possibly cancel Black Horse Farm and change your ferry booking? If you can get across the Channel that first evening - and even do some way south too - it will make your two day 650 mile drive in traffic to the Mediterranean much more reasonable. Good luck.
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The advantage of stopping at Black Horse Farm the night before your ferry is that you don't have to worry about hold -ups on the M11, M25 and M20 and the worry of missing your booked ferry crossing. Stick with Plan A.
It's quite a journey you're planning with only one night stop in France. As you've got your emovis tag that will make the tolls a little less stressful - just make sure you head for the gates with an orange 't' or combination of green arrow and a 't'
I would suggest that you head down the A26 towards Reims then along and down to Beaune ( Camping Les Bouleaux at Vignoles) for your overnight stop. Then south past Lyon, Valence, Orange then follow to the route towards Nimes ( signposted Barcelone( Barcelona))
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Chasncath are of course right in their comments about using Black Horse Farm. However, I reiterate it is a 'Black Weekend' in France when most of Europe seems to be going to or from the south of France or Spain! They have given an alternative route which in pre A75 days we used to use. I stick by mine.
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I tried overnighting at Black Horse Farm once - left the site at 0700 Uk time, then 20 minutes drive to Dover, 40 minutes check in at the port, 90 minutes on the ferry, another 60 minutes changing clocks, and it was 1030 French time when we went ashore facing a long drive. Those who went across the night before were hours ahead of us. One lives and learns!
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The disadvantage is you are sitting waiting to go. We used to do this but find it better to go over the night before and get a site near Calais then you are straight off the next day instead of getting up at silly O'Clock to get the ferry, check in, get ferry then by time you get off in France the morning is mostly gone even getting say a 6am ferry.
Even easier now with a MH just go to an Aire or Cite Europe but the sites near to Calais will stay open later for you or leave instructions where to pitch.
The drive after an early start can be tiring also and you need to factor in breaks for nature/tea/lunch etc. and even doing 300 miles in a day is 6 hours without hold ups, even more if it is a black weekend!
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I'd second what's been said in the last posts - miss out Black Horse Farm, get a ferry the first evening, and have an early start next morning. Whatever you do that weekend it will be busy - but the Rhone Valley route, suggested by ChasNCath will probably be the busiest road in Europe at that time. The alternative using the A75 will be busy too, but you'll also save in tolls because a lot of it can be done toll-free. There would be nothing worse, in my opinion than sitting for hours in a traffic queue knowing that you've paid through the nose to use a 'fast' autoroute!
Have a look at the Bison Fute website, and especially the calendar for dates to avoid - and make a not of the website in future years when travelling to southern France!0 -
Yes Val, I was thinking about steering Rich to the Bison Fute site but as he has given himself just one night stop en route I considered it not a feasible option. Putting in late Jul down and early Aug back will turn much of South East quarter of France RED thus steering Rich to staying as far west as reasonable ie the A75 route. ET and Michael T have explained exactly why we get an evening crossing. When the kids where young we sometimes got the 07.15 crossing that meant up by 0545 latest, that went down like a bomb despite the excitement, then b'fast on the ferry and arrive Calais 1000 local (3 hours to do 0 miles!).
Rich. I hope we haven't upset you too much with our comments. Just be prepared for a frustrating drive down and back and make sure your Air Con is working
. Book your overnight stops each way to remove one worry and have a great holiday. I can suggest a couple of nice sites near Calais if you change your crossing to the Friday evening.0 -
I am worried that we may have put a damper on Rich's excitement illustrated in his original post. Rich, the posters here have done your trip many times and are very experienced continental tourers. We are also probably (?) retired and have more time for our hols that maybe you have. All we are trying to do is explain the options which we use from our experience gained over many years and also for others to benefit from them. That is what this forum is all about. You will have a lovely holiday in Languedoc do not be put off by our comments and suggestions; if you can make use of any it should ease your trip but if not, well just go for it
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Agree - I was always one for driving down and parking up for the night and an 'early' start but as you say, it then takes forever to get going.
Coming down from South Yorks we now set off 06:00 ish and aim for an early afternoon ferry (cos I can then have a rest) and then travel no more than 50 or 60 miles before our stop. Getting off early on day 2 is then easy.
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We take the tunnel for an early evening crossing then stay at http://www.lesepinettes.fr/en/ 15 euros per night just of the A16 so ideal for an early start.. Used to spend evening in site by Folkstone If you are going the non toll route be careful of speed traps around Orleans Toll free https://about-france.com/tourism/no-tolls-routes.htm.
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Hi All
Thank you for all you comments i'm not put off or dampened at all, we have been all over Europe so we are not new to it. We went twice last year were only in our 30's but my wife is a teacher so she gets the whole summer off and I am a project manager for a large construction company so i can work on the lap top when were away.
Last summer we went to Mamaia , Romania 2600km with three stops, we stopped In Belgium ( Liege ) , Austria ( Vienna ) and then Romania ( Bucharest ) and finally Mamaia. Same stops on the way back. We took the ferry on the night and we were so tired at the start of the journey we decided to do a morning ferry. Every body was laying on the floor of the ferry everywhere we walked it was an awful experience. Compared to that journey this should be a stroll in the park. I plan to go over half way to Cermont Ferrand this should be an easier second leg on Sunday morning.
I will take the advice of avoiding Paris as the traffic is a nightmare there, we had a week in Paris last October but we couldn't avoid it then obviously.
Thank you again for all the comments, its interesting to hear how others travel around Europe. When we retire we probably wont be trying to get the journey done in short times but while we are able we keep doing it.
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Rich, with your experience of traveling in Europe, I was surprised that you had booked your stay at Marseillan Plage before asking for advice about getting there. But you didn't ask for advice, did you? Just said you were going!
Marseillan Plage isn't everyone's choice , especially for just for a two week holiday and such a long drive.
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Rich, you didn't tell us you were that experienced in continental caravanning. Clermont Ferrand is over 700 ks from Calais. On the Saturday it will take you about 10 hrs towing legally, probably more with stops and delays. I would warn your overnight site that you may be a late arrival! Not towing, off season with a morning ferry we would stop at Orleans for a night stop, maybe you should look in that area rather than bash on to CF. However, your Sunday drive will be over the Central Massif with its glorious scenery and the spectacular Millau bridge. Watch for the speed camera in the tunnel on the A75, just past J52 (Caylor Services) as you drop down towards Lodeve, it is well marked but has a high hit rate
I once met a Dutch guy on a site near Vierzon who had spent the day there and was leaving late evening to drive overnight to the Med - Argeles I think. Equally, many years ago I met a Brit on a site at Argeles who was leaving late afternoon and driving overnight for a ferry the next day, he was much younger than us and there were 2 drivers.
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If you don't get as far as Clermont Ferrand there are sites south of Orleans, all the way south, but download Archies' Campings (free POI's for SatNavs) which will help you find the nearest site if you find yourself stuck in traffic somewhere. There is also an App which you can use on a Smartphone or tablet, but which has to be purchased - but then you get lifetime updates.
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We have just come back from Marseillan Plage. Actually we never planned on going there. We were on our way back from Spain and were on our way to a campsite in the Nimes area. However, it got so hot that we were reluctant to leave the coast and so we stayed a number of days at Marseillan Plage until it cooled down a bit.
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What is there not to like?
David
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I hope the OP gives us some feedback when he returns. I think what I like about Marseillan Plage is that there is not much there! It's just a small, unpretentious, French seaside resort. There is a very nice Motorhome Aire there right in the town. We have been to Camping Robinson a couple of times, its a bit further out on the other side of the river to most of the sites which are nearer to the town. You can walk or cycle everywhere on the level. The Canal du Midi is only a short cycle ride away. I don't mind the Cote D'Azure, infact out very first holiday in the South of France was at Port Grimaud. Loved the place, hated the traffic!
David
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You could try Beauregard Plage which is one of the other campsites in the town. The last time we tried to get in we arrived on 18th September but they were full. Lovely young lady on reception said we could stay on the car park to see what became available the following day but at the time we had a 7.5 metre motorhome and looking around at how the pitches were arranged, and would be free the next day, I thought we would struggle so went back to Robinson for the second time.
David
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We have visited Marseillan Plage a number of times in September in recent years and have stayed at Camping Beauregard Plage without booking in advance.
Last year they were full when we arrived but like DK experienced, we were advised to try the next day. We stayed at the excellent aire overnight (Marseillan Aire details) and the following day we were able to book a pitch at Beauregard for the last 12 days of the season.
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