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

Toots · 13-05-2026 10:02AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124463299#Comment_124463299

Their website is a bit short on details. Also no pictures of the cabins, so it’s hard to know what you’d be getting.

Baybay · 13-05-2026 12:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464358#Comment_124464358

I posted this in response to a similar query last year. Hope it helps!

Fann Linn · 13-05-2026 12:45PM

Thanks very much.

cscook · 13-05-2026 03:40PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124464358#Comment_124464358

Places to visit, I don't know about actually staying. We camped between Perpignan and Narbonne (LaPalme) a few years back in some weird microclimate. Got sandblasted by the wind on our beach trip, I think we'll stick to the west coast for beaches in future. There were a good number of surfers on the campsite. But would highly recommend Carcassonne. I think it would be lovely to spend a night in the town when most of the tourists are gone. We've visited two different ochre quarries in the region, I can't offhand remember the name of the smaller one which we visited when we were in the Alpilles but "Colorado Provencal" near Roussillon is well worth a visit. The Bambouseraie near Alès is somewhere we've now visited 3 times: even though my OH considers it overpriced he has been happy to return.

Baybay · 13-05-2026 04:38PM

The sandblasting was probably caused by the Tramontine winds. Surprisingly noticeable from Narbonne heading west & no great friend of sand, parasols or sunhats! One of our good French friends always says for good Mediterranean weather you need to be east of Narbonne as beyond that is too Atlantic.

tom1ie · 14-05-2026 09:30PM

Hello all, we are looking into booking a French campsite and ferry type holiday for 2027 but I really don’t know where to start as we usually fly to the canaries or Portugal etc.

We are 2 adults and 3 kids going from Dublin, some of the first questions I’m thinking are:

how long does the ferry take to get from Dublin to wherever in France? (Rosslare?)
Can you get 5 people in a cabin if it’s an overnight job?
If going at the end of June/ start of July would we have to drive far from the French port to be guaranteed good weather- ie sun and a good beach where the kids can brave the temperature of the sea?

Any help greatly appreciated!

bren2002 · 15-05-2026 05:20AM

1 from Dublin port, Irish Ferries is 18 hours on WB Yeats. Depart 4:30pm arrive 11am

2 not that I'm aware, max 4 unless you're adding a baby cot

3 you'd probably need to be south of La Rochelle to guarantee good weather on the coast, less far south of you're inland

ECO_Mental · 15-05-2026 07:52AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124468978#Comment_124468978

Regarding the cabin, we have 4 people so never tried, but when you are booking and put down 5 names it probabaly wont let you just have the one cabin but what people do is book one pullman seat to cover the extra person (which is cheap )then you can all stuff into the cabin. Just go online and try it.

Regarding weather you can never guarantee the weather no matter where you go but yeah the further south you go the beter and La Rochelle is good metric of where its sunnier. Beware going too far south like into Bordeaux etc it can get too hot..we had one summer in the Dordogne and it hit 41 Degs…but that was an exceptional heat wave..

I do think though the sea temp around La Rochelle and south is just that few degs warmer than in Brittany which takes the edge off..

Go for it…you wont believe how much more relaxed getting the ferry is then navigating the jungle of airports with security and dragging bags everywhere. Pack up your car with all the stuff you could ever need and the next time you touch it is when you are backing up to your mobile home.

Also dont fear the ferry and think its a wasted days traveling..it one of the best parts of the holiday..the kids will love the ferry also with the bunk beds and running around on the deck. There is also a great buzz on the ship as everybody is going on holidays, spotting land in the morning and watching the ship dock, all great fun..

Im hyped becuse Im going 12 days time, myself and missus going from Roslare to Bilbao and back to Cork from Roscoff

wassie · 15-05-2026 08:56AM

@tom1ie we did the ferry for first time last year with 3 kids and did exactly what @ECO_Mental posted above with regards to our booking. Took an inflatable mattress which I slept on so did the 5 of us nicely.

You may get away without booking a seat, but them just be prepared to pay for one at checkin if asked. Some posters have said they didnt need to.

And take as much food as you want onto the ferry. Dont be shy about it - no one will care. Some people took cooler boxes and car-fridges on board. We pre-purchased meals which did offer some value, but TBH we found the quality of the meals poor.

Best advice I got off this thread was to get a small portable fan as the rooms get stuffy with 5 people. I got one of these off Amazon.ie and it worked a treat. If you get a fan, make sure its balance between being as quiet as possible but still has decent airflow.

Remember to take an plug adapter in case the power points on the boat are EU plugs.

tom1ie · 15-05-2026 10:37AM

That’s great info thanks.
Are Irish ferries the only ones that sail from Dublin to France?
I was on the Brittany website and they don’t seem to do that route

oinkely · 15-05-2026 10:51AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124469879#Comment_124469879

Yes, i think so now. Stena stopped the france route i think (but that was from Rosslare). So Brittany from Rosslare to Cherbourg or Cork to Roscoff and IF Dublin to Cherbourg. Theres also a new service from Rosslare to NE france, can't remember the name - it's hibernia lines.

In terms of cabins - we always book a 4 person inside cabin for 5 of us. Last trip that was 2 adults, 3 kids 16,14,10. I bring an air mattress and sleeping bag and sleep on the floor between the beds. Brittany have no problem with that, IF might insist you book a seat aswell, one of them did anyway. Inside cabin cause when they were younger the kids would sleep a lot later with no light getting in to wake them up.

We bring enough food that we don't have to eat in the restaurants - wife is coeliac. Coolbox etc, no problem. We cart it up to the lounge when its food time and have a nice picnic, never had any issues with that. Cereal and milk for breakfast. Camping plates and bowls etc can all be washed easy enough in the sink in the cabin.

CuriousCucumber · 15-05-2026 01:02PM

All these posts about the ferry have started to get me excited

7 weeks to go

Fann Linn · 15-05-2026 01:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124470301#Comment_124470301

Two weeks today heading to Dol with the wife and grandchildren for two weeks.

Probably more excited than the kids!

EletricMan · 15-05-2026 05:51PM

Booked the ferry recently, bit last minute as I was going to give this year a miss due having a new born last year but enjoyed it so much last year so booked again, car will be full to the roof this year 🫣 .

Didn't book accommodation yet, it's like 1200euro more than last year at the same dates, so I'm watching that daily in the hope it might drop 👀.

ECO_Mental · 15-05-2026 06:52PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124471127#Comment_124471127

youll be watching for a long while…when are you going? I wouldnt be waiting around too long. I did the same a couple of years ago and had to go where it anyting was available. Ended up having to stay in a hotel for a couple of nights as the one availabily in a park was for 10 days starting in the middle of the week. Worked out ok as we went to see somewhere differnent for those two nights.

EletricMan · 15-05-2026 07:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124471278#Comment_124471278

Mid August, every other week before and after mine is cheaper for some reason. Probably pull the trigger in the next week or two.

wassie · 15-05-2026 09:30PM

Your clashing with with peak-holiday season for the locals, hence the prices.

yiddo59 · 15-05-2026 09:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124469917#Comment_124469917

Hibernia Line will be sailing from Cork not Rosslare. Sailing to Boulogne-Sur-Mer.

ECO_Mental · 15-05-2026 10:56PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124471371#Comment_124471371

Yikees!! France and most of Europe shut down in August to go on holidays…book and find anything you can get now otherwise you will get caught out.

Nemanrio · 17-05-2026 06:11PM

Travelling to Pin Parsol from roscoff. Google maps is giving me 2 routes, any advice on which one to choose would be great please?

Route 1: Lorient, Vannes Pont Chateau, west of Nantes, Challans, Pin Parasol

Route 2: Saint Brieurc, Rennes, Bain de bretagne joining up with route 1 at west of nantes, Challans, Pin Parasol

Citizenpain · 17-05-2026 06:24PM

I’ve always traveled via Rennes going south . Came back the other one one year as we had a few nights in Carnac and didn’t think Road was as good .

McDonald’s at Alma in Rennes is also a handy stop as there is a park there

cscook · 17-05-2026 06:41PM

We tried Lorient one year to see what it was like but would definitely agree that Rennes is always our first choice.

Heroditas · 17-05-2026 10:10PM

Rennes Alma would be my preferred route also because you can stop and do a decent shop in the Carrefour there. We've stopped there to do a shop in the past on the way to our campsite

Jack0125 · 18-05-2026 10:19AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124476970#Comment_124476970

Rennes is preferable, did Lorient last year on way back (something was on in Nantes area) and its just not as straight forward.

CuriousCucumber · 18-05-2026 12:47PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124477669#Comment_124477669

Never stopped there before. Always went to the McDonalds about 10km before you reach Rennes, and then head to SuperU the next morning. Might be worth stopping off here. Thanks

redoctober · 18-05-2026 04:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124469498#Comment_124469498

Good advice on the cabin. A group of us went on Stena Rosslare to Cherbourg some years back and managed to get 3 adults and 3 kids I think into one cabin! The Stena beds are very generous compared to Brittany Ferries. Brittany beds are like one person barely. I'm going with a 2 berth cabin on way out and gonna have blow up mattress on the floor for myself this time for 2 adults and 1 child.

redoctober · 18-05-2026 04:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124470301#Comment_124470301

Going around the same time myself. 8th July. Cork Roscoff. Can't wait.

beggars_bush · 18-05-2026 06:59PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124471127#Comment_124471127

Wait until last week or two of August to travel and prices tumble. Can get great value on campsites

See can you move ferry dates to avail of cheaper accommodation

yiddo59 · 20-05-2026 03:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124479906#Comment_124479906

Couldn't agree more. The fall off is prices after the French go back to work in late August is huge. Well worth booking then if it suits.

TitianGerm · 22-05-2026 12:05PM

Folks were just back from Centre Parcs outside Paris and already looking to book for next year. We flew this year but strongly considering sailing next year from Rosslare to Cherburg and driving to Centre Parcs then which would be around 4.5 hours.

Has anyone ever done this route before and would be able to share some tips?

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

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