France 'camping' - ferry vs flying

frash

Not sure if this is the right place but ....

Just back from a holiday in France - the mobile home on the camp-site kind.

Got the (much discussed elsewhere) LD Lines ferry to Saint Naziare but considering flying next time.

Has anyone done both options & care to comment on the pros/cons?

Pros of ferry that I can see:
Kids can bring bikes/scooters/etc
Option to bring back a load of wine
No need to rent a car in France

Pros for flying
Quicker - no two nights on the ferry

Not sure which would work out cheaper

huskerdu

There is no one answer to which is cheaper. It can vary a huge amount depending on the time of year and the size of car that you need.

A few things that affect the cost of fly/drive

How much does the campsite charge to rent sheets/towels compared to the cost of bringing them in luggage

How fussy are you about the quality of sheets / towels as the ones from campsites might be poor


How many kids do you have and what age are they ? - the cost of hiring a car which can take 3 kids, two of whom are in carseats or boosters can be horrendous, especially in high season. If your kids can fit comfortably and safely in a Ford focus or similar, the cost might be more reasonable.

madness98

Hi, just saw thread on this. I'm going with family next week, we are going around Ireland by car for a week, then taking ferry to France (hopefuly), but still dont know which camp sites to go to. We are looking for one with a good restaurant, good accomodation (not tents), swimming pool (the more slides the better). If anyone has any info, please let us know. Cheers.

I think driving is a great experience for kids to see the country and we can take what we need as oppose to flying. The will remember it I hope and the ferry will be a new experience for them. They are 6 and 10 years old.

munchkin_utd

the "which would be cheaper" depends on what sailing you take, what the flight costs are, what the car hire costs are AND not forgetting how long you are staying.

But the car hire is a gigantic problem to start with, as if you intend staying for a long period then the €50 x 21 or 28 days suddenly becomes over €1000 euro just to start with. And if you need a bigger car, then you could be looking at €75 or more per day rental cost.
And then cost of flights would be 4 or 5 (or more with larger families) x €200+

When adding up the cost of a family holiday, you arent really adding, youre multiplying - and with 4+ bodies and 14+ days - things do add (i.e. multiply) up to be very big numbers.

And thats the advantage of the ferry.
Its dear, but the cost per person is not that massive and you can stay 10 or 15 or 25 days for no extra (added car rental) cost.

silverharp

we have done both with keycamp in France. Advantage with flying is being able to go to the South of France for the better weather and not a drive I'd enjoy. Got a taxi from the airport about a 100 euros each way and hired bikes on the campsite

loyatemu

if you're planning to fly, might as well go to Spain or Italy where the weather is generally better.

whippet

loyatemu wrote: »

if you're planning to fly, might as well go to Spain or Italy where the weather is generally better.

but spain and italy are different countries to France? If someone wants to holiday in France why would you suggest Spain or Italy?

loyatemu

whippet wrote: »

but spain and italy are different countries to France? If someone wants to holiday in France why would you suggest Spain or Italy?

just a suggestion - if I was going to France I would generally take the ferry for the reasons outlined by the OP.