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

Siblu allow you to book the specific pitches. You can search on the website but if you can't find 3 close together yourself then you could call them and they might be able to sort something for you all.

Sandaya allow you to book your plots/pitches as well for €30

Can anyone recommend nice accommodation that’s max 90 minute drive from Cherbourg. We are in a euro camp site and don’t like it. Mould in the cabin so I’m looking for a refund.

Curious, whats the site?

I assume no penalty points can be enforced on your licence as a result of paying the fine?

Just back from 10 nights in Pin Parasol and 5 nights at Domaine Des Ormes (DDO).

Pin Parasol is a very good top class campsite. The pool slides complex is excellent, best we have seen in our limited experience (Sol a Gogo/Mane Guerhue/DDO). We only went once to the pool facility in the other part of Campsite that we could only access after noon each day. It was an aesthetically nicer pool complex but not as much fun (with kids). The campsite, 500 pitches, had the pitches beautifully laid out with much hedging and internal roads dividing the place up that it felt very spacious. Lots of security there, walking the site at night (Was up with the heat one night). The shop was great for the basics. We were really happy to have brought scooters and would be bringing bicycles next year whether we back here or in DDO. Food and drink options were disappointing but I do give them a pass, especially when they got everything else right. The access/proxmity to the walkway lake is great and the restaurant by the lake is lovely. One other thing, Pin Parasol is rural. 10 mins to a local Super U and 20 mins to a Hyper U or Lidl which is a bit of journey as you will be gone well over an hour for a shop.

DDO's seemed like Las Vegas compared to Pin Parasol. The food and drink options were good, lots of seating on external patio's and common areas. Always activity around the bars/takeaway/reception/games room/food concessions. The pool slides complex under the doom is excellent. Slides, wave machine, lazy river, very good. We didnt go to the outdoor pool complex! The campsite, 700 pitches, had the pitches well laid out but not a spacious and private as Pin Parasol. Whats different about DDO was that they had many activities onsite, such as golf, adventure course, pony/horse trekking, climbing wall. Would like to have longer than 5 days here as it seems rushed, but will definitely be back again, even if its only as a place to spend a few days before the ferry home.

Lucky you- I’ve done that journey a number of times - I’ve really only stopped off at motorway petrol stops on that route which have been super- plenty of parking, toilets food outlets etc - there’s a number of them on route - I’d usually break after 2 hours and look out for the signs on the motorway in advance- you’ll see signs saying 20/30/40km so you can prepare - but sorry as to which one I just don’t have that information -

There's the Alma shopping centre in Rennes which is where you detour to head down towards Nantes. Good place to stop. Alternatively between Rennes and Nantes there's a very popular stop on the motorway with Irish cars at a place called Heric. There's a McDonald's and a play area for kids

On the subject of breakdowns, we broke down on the way to Cork, luckily we gave ourselves enough time but still only got in with minutes to spare. We were last on, the door closed before we even got out of the car. We didn’t think we would make it but BF were very helpful.

The Renault assist guy who was also very helpful said to ring the same number if anything happened abroad which I didn’t know as the car is under warranty.

Happy holidays all!, off to La Baume in Frejus iourselves n 10 days, hope the weather is kind to all!

The Aire de Vendee that you mentioned, maybe the link didn’t copy correctly. And actually what we didn’t see was that there was a separate restaurant out back. We only saw it after we ate.

Search functionality isn't great on the mobile version of the phone so I'm sure the information is in this thread but what's the situation on tolls when driving in France? How do you pay and when do you pay?

Viamichelin is also great for working out the cost of the tolls (and the route options).