Ireland, UK, France: Ferry Ports and surroundings

peasant

.

peasant

HappyDancer wrote: »

Hi,
We are heading to France via Dover this coming June. We hope to arrive in Dover after travelling across the UK at around 8pm and sail the following morning at 9am. There are a number of campsites available to camp for the night and we are looking for recommendations as to what is the best option -to park up in one of the sites or park up on a road near to the ferry terminal/town?
Cheers

sunchaser wrote: »

If youcome out of the ferry terminal and head up along the main road you can take the first or second turn to the left and you will find plenty of parking but it is disk parking after 0800 hrs in the mornings.

HappyDancer wrote: »

Thanks Sunchaser
First time through the port............

Bessa wrote: »

You can also stay at the Maidstone services its not far from the Port. If its Calais you are heading for with P&O they would put you on the next Ferry when you get to the Port, and there is an Aires at the Port of Calais.

sunchaser wrote: »

If you google marine parade Dover on Google earth you will see where you can park in Dover or as the other contributer said you could try catching an earlier ferry, although some of the ferry operators now will put a charge on an earlier sailing. You will have to make that decision, but there is plenty of parking at Calais Port at the departure area and you also have the Aires at the entrance to the port. But if you arrive in the dark, I would be staying in the port area as it can be difficult for somebody who has not been there before to find it unless you have GPS.

quoted from thread on main forum

peasant

There is (or was about 4 years ago) an overnight spot right at the ferry terminal. At the last roundabout before the terminal (or the very first one coming out of it) there is a very narrow road (Turkey Shore Road) going off to a signposted parking spot. This leads you to a fenced in (and potholed) parking lot right next to the terminal. This is lit all night and in the middle there is a machine where you can pay ...can't remember how much, but not exorbitant.
Not nice, not quiet, but safe-ish and very handy when you drop off the late ferry and don't fancy driving on

google maps link: http://maps.google.ie/maps?hl=en&safe=off&q=google+maps+holyhead&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Holyhead,+Gwynedd,+United+Kingdom&gl=ie&ll=53.312314,-4.624059&spn=0.001843,0.005659&t=h&z=18

Mountainsandh

I'll drop this here although this is not exactly in the Ferry port : Cherbourg.
On arrival we drive 40 minutes to Le Kormoran, a brilliant campsite by Utah beach with pool and all sorts of great things for kiddies (little goats, ponies, bouncy castles...). There's a pub/cafe for the grown ups and take away pizzas and a shop.
There are supermarkets on the way too.
Ideal when you're just in with the family, and we stop there on the way back too.
The nearby village is Ravenoville Plage for GPS.

OuterBombie

I take it this is the spot:

http://www.lecormoran.com/eng/

Thanks, might come in handy when we hit the tarmac in France at the end of August :cool:

BTW, anyone know any nice spots down between Rennes and Nautes, on the road south?