France Ferry & Campsite info (use Search function) mod warning post 1

Presuming you have had a selection of grape varieties I’m not sure what to say! - I’ve been drinking a lot of rose. Most of the Cotes de Provence stuff is nice.

Maybe you’re thinking of muscat? It is very sweet but I find it is nice over ice for an apéro. I’m not sure you’d have it with a main course, dessert maybe.

A vignonier could also suit.

Otherwise maybe try some of the dessert wines.

The Black Wolf in Blanch does good food and is handy enough to the M50. The Great Wood/Wetherspoons in Blanch also is good for a quick, cheap family feed. Closer to the port, Kealys at the airport is good also, although can get busy at times, worth a call first.

Just a heads up that if anyone in France on Bastille Day (July 14th) there are usually fireworks displays in nearby towns. We were at one at the beach in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie while staying at Le Pin Parasol a few years ago, it was great and a lovely atmosphere in the town (we just asked them if there were any on as we had been at one in Le Sable D'Olonne another year while staying at Le Littoral).

I can't imagine what it must be like trying to get parking in Les Sables on the 14th July. 😂

just replying to my own question as it might be useful to someone.

Anyone familiar with the Red Bus wine supermarket in Cherbourg will not find an equivalent in Bilbao. We’re currently now in Ilbarritz, really good site actually. Small but pools are decent. Restaurant is excellent and staff are really nice.

There’s a particularly large Intermarche here. They have a huge wine section and they leave empty boxes for customers. I grabbed a load and used vivino app to scan the cheaper bottles and sniff out bad ones. Did two runs to fill 8 boxes and cover the floor of the boot.

Nowhere near as smooth as the wine supermarket but I’m happy to have 50 bottles in the car. Got a few expensive ish ones for Xmas.

i was outside one of those supermarkets a few years back and there was a Cork couple beside us pouring out 2 x 5ltr bottles of water on the ground. When I aked what they were doing he replied that he fills one of each up with Gin and vodka respectively. He said it saved boot space and avoided breakages!!

Loved Bonne Anse Plage one of my favourites and the town and surrounding area is fantastic, the cycle path runs next to the site and you can travel for miles and miles in safe off road paths. The town is only 10mins away on the bike and so are the beaches. Loads of bouncy castle places for the kids in and around the town and you can even cycle to the zoo which is in the town also. Great slides in the pool also.

Thanks for that! Good to hear people's opinions!

Brittany Ferries 2026 sailing schedule and prices are out now lads for France. Just booked two weeks in La Palace Gironde for next June taking two teenagers with us.

Has anyone any reviews or tips on this site as have never been to this location before.

Thanks.

I haven't gone yet on mine. Heading to the Dordogne in late August.

I normally book early so as to get choice of cabins . I did a comparison a few years back and the difference is negligible. I've booked this evening and pay it off in bits and pieces over the next 10/11 months.

Is there anyway of harvesting all the posts in this thread since the beginning? It's a trove of first hand information

On the way to bilbao at the moment on the Salamanca. While it's a nice new and clean ship I was expecting it to be a bit more spacious like the WB yeats. Seems a bit cramped.

We slummed it in the main food area. We didn't realise we needed a reservation in that restaurant!