Should we drive or fly to Vendee - worried about Ryanair

[Cazwa]

We are on the verge of booking a holiday at Siblu's Le Bois Dormant on the Vendee but can't decide how to get there.

I was all set to fly to Nantes with Ryanair and hire a car but have now heard so many horror stories about flying with them that Im debating driving. Is it do-able? We are travelling with a 2 and 3 year old so Id initially discounted driving as being hell on earth, but at least we'd have control about getting there, unlike being held up at airports for ages or flights cancelled.

my dh drove there last year with 3 dc's and hie mother. Took about 9 hours from Crossing and was quite pleasant.

myself and 2dc's flew and got train from Nantes, it's a bloody journey from Nantes, not quite as straightforward as it looks. We had to get 2 trains and 2 buses then walk at the end down a bloody long road, (when you are carrying 2 yr dd)

Driving would be better imo

sorry meant to say site is very nice and you get 2 for price of one as you have use of the other one up the road.

Have fun.

Train direct would be better

There have been some threads here recently about going by train

I hadnt even considered getting a train from Nantes, just presumed it wasn't possible. I also have visions of carrying rucksacks and both kids then collapsing in a heap!

Ive done loads of googling around sites and seems like Bois dormant is the best with toddlers, I really cant face a noisy butlins type place.

Liahegen66 - where did you cross at? Calais?

I didn't, I flew. Dh crossed at Folkstone on the eurotunnel.They disembarked at Calais yes.

Dormant is the quieter of the 2, we stayed at Boisson. Doesn't make alot of difference you have free range of both. Some beautiful countryside and cycle routes, we hired bikes with trailer, was lovely.

We think we are getting the train from Norwich to a Siblu site

I just need to work out the route & which site

Tesco Vouchers 'Rock'

Ooh, interested in train method now. How on earth are you working this out?

Hadn't realised we could use Tesco vouchers, Im going to rummage around for ours now!

Cant wait for holiday, its the last time we can go out of school holiday times before DD starts school in september so want to make the most of it.

look here

& this one I think

the train method was a pain in the arse to be honest, we got TVR to Nantes from Paris then had to wait over 3 hours for anothe train to can't remember where, that took an hour. Another smaller local train then a bus. Dropped off and walked rest, you could get a cab from last drop off point.

We arrived Paris morning and arrived on site 9pm. Knackered and dusty.

You'll have lovely time. Lots kids clubs if your dc's like that sort of thing and lots entertainment too.

I would rather hop across red hot coals to the Vendee, incorporating a cross-channel swim in the middle, than fly with Ryanair. Driving (or train) would be a shoe-in.

not a fan then mattsmith ?

mattsmith - thats the thing, long drawn-out drive, ferry, drive/or train with all associated costs or £180 return for 4 of us for 1hr25 minute flight...

Feel like we are dancing with the devil though

Go with Ryan air if you want, but keep your fingers crossed, your legs crossed and take sandwiches and drinks.

And don't (like my dim brother) buy Ryan Air vouchers to pay for the flights...

Constructively though, we drive to France frequently with DSs (now 5 and 3) and it is fine. No bother. They love the ferry , and then you get to have the car at the other end packed full of all the gubbins you (think you) need on holiday.

If it was me, I would def drive.

Have a lovely holiday!

Well in the end Ive taken this threads advice and gone for the ferry! We are going Portsmouth - St Malo and driving down in our own car.

Funnily enough the price of the ferry was practically the same as flights + car hire. So apart from the extra travel time I feel much happier we are not going with the shockingly bad Ryanair.

I looked at booking a flight with Ryan air - when I got to the paying bit they wanted an extra £40 quid for each flight ofr paying with credit card online - hmm well how esle do you pay?

I went by train two years ago and it was fab fab fab

no paying to sit together an extra £10 each seat - you automaticly get seats all together - how wonderful

no having to be at the train station 2 hours before (so that you have to spend money) 30 minutes before departure of train

no free luggage allowence - no paying £20 for each suitcase - its free and if your suitcase has wheels even better.

free transfere across London on tube if you have booked euro tunnel

lots of leg room

or sail poole cherburg - then it is three ours in car to vendee

Message deleted

I have flown with Ryan Air a couple of times, last time was last october.

If you treat it for what it is - like a bus IMO but inthe air - then it is fine and a cheap way of travelling.

They are cheap. There is no way round that. We looked at all the options. Even after paying for all the extras it was still much much cheaper.

We paid upfront for hold luggage and early boarding. There was 5 of us and we all got on fine and sat together.

They don;t charge for the toilets

You have limited hold luggage and MUST be under it. You have a fair about of cabin luggage so use it all.

Food and drink is dear on board but you can take your own no problem.

Think we paid by Switch, as not charged. And made sure we had insurance before hand, just in case.

We checked in online. You can do return flight from home before you leave too.