Camping trip France med coast - breaking the journey

[Allegrogirl]

Is it possible to get come sort of self catering option for just 2 nights to break the journey from Roscoff to the med coast? Planning on doing day crossings so will get to stop off point too late to put up the tent. Plus would prefer not to put up tent just for two nights.

I've done a search and 4 nights seems to be minimum for the big parks in August for Eurotents etc.

Have a look on Sawdays site.

Do they still have the Municipal Camping sites in a lot of the small towns? We used them a lot when I was jaunting around a few years ago. I remember using one near Bayeux for the day we arrived by ferry.

The other system we've used in the past is Formule 1 hotels, literally for the night. Means you can cover a lot more ground as we booked in around 10 p.m. and were out and off again by 8 in the morning.

Sorry, misread your OP.

I think a cheapo Travelodge type hotel for the first night is your way ahead.

We used a cheap hotel for the overnight when we drove down to Beziers last year. Cheap restaurant, and grabbed a load of croissants for breakfast. Worked a treat. Could find the name of where we stayed if you like, was just south of Orleans

I've been searching for B&B stopovers and have noticed a few B&Bs that also have a self catering cottage. They aren't what we are looking for so I haven't paid them that much attention, but would be just the thing for you! Maybe a google search on B&B Cottage might work?

Eurocamp and keycamp have some stop over sites where you can stay 1 night they have a section on site which has ferry ports and location with recommended spots inbetween

I second sawdays website, there are bed and breakfasts or self catering places for one night or more. Some do evening meals too.

Plus if you have a look on the booking.com websites (theres a few others) there is an option for appartments which finds apparthotels etc. I booked Lakehouse France near Tours but decided it wasn't in quite the right spot for us.

Airbnb is good too. BnB or self catering.

There are plenty of cheapo travelodge type things but they are pretty soulless and if you have little children you are stuck in a room together having to go to sleep at 8 o'clock.

Do you know where you want to break the journey? Check they have parking that secure so you don't have to empty everything out of the car.

www.eurocamp.co.uk/travel-options/holiday-parc-stopovers.html

If you just want a night with some self catering facilities, Suite Hotels -now I think called Suite Novatel (Accor group) might work. The room we stayed in would have slept 4 comfortably, ( though I have seen families with 3 younger ones arrive) has a separate bathroom, separate loo, highish work surface with microwave, kettle, fridge under and small kitchen basin, set well back away from little arms. There are only paper cups and disposable cutlery, and no pans. There are not many of them (mostly near airports or major cities). We book in advance and usually get a lower price. The one we stay at (near Charles de Gaul so no good for you) has microwave meals to buy, and other hotels with cafes etc on site. There is a small lounge/bar on site and WIFI. It is always set up for us, with the pull out bed for ds ready made up which is good if we are later arriving.

Some great ideas there, thanks. Will start checking these out.

We use to use formula 1 hotels when we did med (I was a teen with my parents!) also we went with euro camp ready erected tents and so took 2 pop up 2 man tents and did some nights in the municipal campsites too.

I Iiked both but it certainly was easier not having to erect a tent and find a bakers for food in the morning!

The only thing to consider is the traffic....after a disastrous journey down last year where we didnt get past orleans due to massive traffic delays so didnt reach clermont ferrand which was our planned destination we are slightly nervous about booking ahead.so many others had the same thing and lost their booking further south.we were driving through villages looking for somewhere to pitch overnight.we found somewhere only to be warned by local police that a storm warning for wind and rain was being issued.we were fine and it was such an adventure which we look back on but was rather stressful at the time

Have you already booked and paid in full for your ferry? If not, you might want to price up using Eurocamp to book the crossing and stopover nights in tents. I cancelled our BF booking (and sacrificed the £25 deposit) when I realised we could do this and have three stopover nights for £50 less than we were going to pay BF for the crossing alone.

I'm going to price up Eurocamp stopovers and ferry. I had assumed you would have to book your main holiday to use their stopover nights but will investigate further. Failing that an 'Apart Hotel' type of thing could work.

Many thanks for the suggestions.

I second Accor hotels for overnighters. They are a bit Premier Inn-ish so a bit soulless but they have different types for different budgets, from IBIS Budget (previously Etap) at the bottom up to Mercure at the top end. We usually go for standard IBIS hotels as they have ok size rooms and a decent breakfast. However, we stayed at the Novotel in Toulouse last year on the way down to the Pyrenees and that felt very grand by comparison and DD had her own double sofa bed (in theory - actually we all shared ours as usual ).

I am not sure but I think Formule 1 are a different company and they are even more budget than IBIS Budget. I think you share a bathroom (though I could be wrong).

Allegro, slight hijack but I wondered if you had worked out the Eurocamp stopover options. Having stumbled on this thread I'd also be interested in the ferry/stopover but not staying at a Eurocamp for the main holiday. What did you find out?

Mitherofluvlies, where did you stay near Clermont ferrand?

DD2 is starting school in September so I'm taking last week in Aug/first week in Sept to deal with settling and the first week of half days nonsense. So after my ambitious planning we're playing it safe for our first cross channel trip with DCs and doing a week in Brittany with day crossings there and back.

Hopefully if we all survive (the DDs are not good travellers, been abroad once since 6 year old DD1 was born) we'll push further into France next year.

I'm just very excited about leaving the country. DDs don't sleep when travelling plus childcare bill has meant UK based camping trips for the last 4 years.