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

Hi all,

I’m sure it’s been covered before but I’m wondering about breakdown assistance. I drove through France two years ago and decided not to get it but driving to Germany with an infant in August and feel I should get it now.

We’re using Irish Ferries to sail to Cherbourg and driving to Germany ftom there. Trip is about 12 days. I got a quote of €200 from AA which seems excessive, car is 9 years old. I read previously Irish Ferries offers a discount but can’t see it as an option under ‘Manage Booking’.

Any advice?

Good review. Sorry to hear about the cleanliness and the weather. I stayed in Le Ruisseau in 2008 with a friend but it was only in a tent so can't comment on the mobile homes. Also, the weather was a bit hit and miss when we were there. We got roasted the first day and then it was cloudy for a few days which was welcome to be honest. Had a torrential downpour one evening. We were just about to buy our tickets for one of those bull-riding arena things when the heavens opened. We legged it to the car and were forced to sleep in it over night.

I think it's just the risk of the atlantic coast. Next week is going to be a scorcher all over France. I was looking at some locations: Nantes will be 40 degrees!, Toulouse 40, Bordeaux 40.

I agree with you on Biarritz; it's a lovely spot. Also, San Sebastian. I'd like to go back. The region around there is lovely too. I loved the Pyrenees. We saw some eagles flying by.

We were near La Rochelle in 2022, end of May. Weather was pretty good. Cool at night but warm and pleasant during the day. We went to the beach most days. It was actually very warm at times. One day it was a bit thundery so we did a trip down to Arcachon and booked a campsite for just one night backing onto Dune du Pilat. It was cheap enough and unusual to find a campsite that allows you to book one night only. It was actually quite cool cos you walk through the campsite and suddenly your way is blocked by a massive sand-dune. We went to bed around 11pm and all of a sudden all these school-kids arrived and started running around the campsite making a racket. It was like Lord of the Flies. Unusual for France because they're normally so strict about noise. It was the first Friday in June so maybe it was the start of the school holidays or something.

Anyway, about a month later, we were at home and saw the wildfires in France on TV. That campsite where we stayed for one night was completely burnt to the ground.

A quick survey of my trips to West Coast:

Biarritz 2008. As I said, mixed but very hot at times.

Brittany 2013 - mixed - very warm at times. It was 30 degrees when we went to Chateau Josselin.

Brittany 2016 - mixed - very warm some days. Most days acceptable - early to mid-20s

La Rochelle 2022 - mostly warm - mid 20s - the odd thunderstorm

2024 - Lit et Mixe (about an hour from Biarritz) - heavy rain forecast for the week so we drove to the Med!

So from my experience, you take a risk. It's never going to be 7 days of sunshine like Spain in my view. But the majority of the time, it's much better than Ireland and you'll probably get more sunny days than rainy. If you're a francophile, you take it on the chin and enjoy the place anyway. But if you're craving sun it can be frustrating.

I think I read that around La Rochelle, there's a bit of a micro-climate so it might be the best shot for consistent good weather. Whereas, you might think that by going further south you'll get more heat, it doesn't always work that way.

If you really want consistency it probably has to be the Med side.

Edit: also, if you go in July you've a better shot at more hot days than say May.

Our family’s rule of thumb re French summer holiday weather, after getting it spectacularly wrong one year in Brittany, is to avoid the Atlantic coast. Just a personal choice. Of course, it’s possible to have wonderful weather along there while visiting many lovely places & generally it’s a little bit cooler than closer to the Mediterranean, although that isn’t expected to be the case next week but we like heat. Close to the Med coast & usually east of Narbonne suits us very well.

"South of the Loire" is what I picked up for decent chance of good weather. fwiw the last 2/3 weeks the facebook memories of trips to the Vendee have come up over 3 10-14 day holidays - 2 x Le Littoral and 1 x Le Pin Parasol. Don't recall any full on wash out days, and maybe a couple of showery days. On the other hand the plentiful very hot days made us not regret going further south and inland, which was the plan had covid not got in the way!

Anyone ever turn up to Irish ferries with an undeclared roof box on the car? If so did they apply an additional charge? I don't see an option to update the booking. Might have to ring when the office is open. Thanks

You pick the height of the car at time of booking including the roof box.

3 options, up to 1.9m, up to 2.25m and over 2.25m. Some small cars/saloons would be less than 1.9m with a roof box. SUV/crossover would be up to 2.25m and larger 4x4's etc would be over 2.25m.

Yes exactly as I said.

Thanks for the heads up on the priority disembarkation

Just added it for next year. For the past two years, we always booked the Commadore Suite, just so we could get priority.

We decided next year, to revert to the normal room, and pray that the queues to get off in Roscoff wouldn't be horrific.

This makes everything much better

So I rang Irish Ferries as I couldn't edit the booking. Cost me €50 total to change car height to less than 2.25m.

You don't have to be there 2 hours but sometimes they start loading around an hour ahead but generally that's the lower deck and larger vehicles, then motorbikes, people with mobility issues, those with pets, cyclists , then everybody else. When it comes to cars this being Ringaskiddy specific observation the lane on the very right as you enter the holding area goes first and then it starts moving across row by row.

Are ships bigger than maybe the Dublin Holyhead or Rosslare Fishguard/Pembroke. Maybe a little but the Pont Aven is biggest, Armorique next and their Cotentin out of Rosslare to Cherbourg is small and really aimed towards Commercial drivers. The Irish ferries out of Dublin would be the biggest I think from Ireland, that also offers a club lounge which is a better offering than Brittany ferries as they don't offer it on the French routes. They have a commodore lounge but no hot/cold food/meals as such.

You can turn up an hour if you wished and still get on. Last on could sometimes mean last off but not always. I rocked up to Fishguard last year with 5 mins to cut off, was Premium booking, joined my priority queue and as I was about to turn off the engine we were starting to already board. True, I had premium so had priority but I was late because on that specific day I didn't plan well and was basically an idiot wandering around Barry Island.

You see if you miss a Irish sea ferry or the Le Shuttle then there's another one soon enough. Don't risk being late for a French ferry. There won't be another for days and days and even then it could be full.