Calais to Vendee - drive in one day or stop off?

[MegBusset]

What it says in the title basically - planning next year's holiday already and thinking of driving to the Vendee. Is it doable in a day or better to stop off, and if so where? DC will be 3 and 5, we can stay at my mum's near Dover the night before for an early ferry...

When we looked into a longer ferry crossing in exchange for a shorter car journey, it made a BIG difference to the cost - can't remember exactly how much but it was several hundred and considering it didn't actually make the total journey any shorter we've gone for the cheap option . Personally I find anything above an hour on a ferry too much with young children because of the potential to run off/fling themselves overboard etc etc. At least in a car you can shout at them in the privacy of your own car they're in one place and there's less risk of travel sickness. Maybe I should report back in a month when we get back?!

Orienteerer - this is for next summer so no, nothing is booked. We're in Norwich so pretty much equidistant, time-wise, to Portsmouth or Dover.

Perhaps we should try somewhere less far, for our first foreign camping trip with the DCs (we were also looking at Duinrell, NL, as we can easily get a ferry from Harwich so hardly any driving). But oh god, I want some summer sunshine!

We've done it a few times now and prefer the Euro tunnel (eldest gets sea sick). We get an early crossing and push on to get to destination. The children see it as an adventure and I tell them to look out the window when on the train to see if they can see the fish - they are convinced they have seen some , but they are are not so gullible now.

We did it last year with an almost 2 year old and a 4 year old. It was fine. It's a nice drive and there are lots of good service stations or rest areas with picnic areas and clean facilities.
We put together a bag of goodies , new toys , books etc and got them out one by one to buy us more time if the kids started complaining.
We had been dreading it but it really was ok.
One of my good memories of last years holiday was sitting at a picnic table with the kids at a rest area with a baguette and a Camembert that we had bought from the service station shop. So much nicer than a crap meal at a Little chef or Moto.

I'd do it in one day, starting early, and with a good and proper stop for lunch at a nice restaurant (cheaper than a hotel!).

Ah yes, many memories as a child of picnics just off the autoroute, with baguettes and giant babybels and those giant red bags of crinkled crisps ("Look mum they're called chips!!"), and having a wee in a bush festooned with bits of old toilet roll, or one of those lovely hole-in-the-floor jobs...

I think the toilet facilities are much improved these days! Couldn't fault them at all even at the most basic rest area.

We've done it both ways, and there advantages and disadvantages for either.

But if it's for next year, you have time to make your booking. Personally, I'd go for a longer ferry trip and book an overnight one. And book a Commodore Class cabin (Brittany Ferries) or their equivalent - rather than just a cabin you get more of a suite, which means that once the DC are asleep you and DH can have somewhere more sensible to sit. They also have a double bed rather than you and DH having to sleep in bunk beds.

The DC always used to enjoy the ferry - it's exciting sleeping somewhere different - but you need to book them very early as the cabins get booked up very, very quickly. What happens is that everyone who knows they're going to France will book their ferry first, and then sort out their accommodation - so if you leave it too long, they will all be booked up.

The other thing I would recommend is that you search out a good hotel en route - which doesn't necessarily mean expensive in France - and find one with a swimming pool. Have a look at the Michelin red book.

Pack a separate overnight bag which is easily accessible in the car, and then you don't have to unpack the whole car.

I love, love, love holidays like this and I want to come with you!

If you break the journey up like this, it will be much more enjoyable for you all:

Overnight ferry, usually arrives at around 7am (ish) + 3 hr drive, with a stop for lunch and afternoon in the town you've chosen to stay that night.

Night in hotel

Day 2, another 3 hour drive plus lunch stop, arriving at your gite/villa/campsite in early-mid afternoon. (If you're staying in a gite/villa, most won't let you arrive until around 4.00pm anyway)

The overnight ferry from Portsmouth is fab but very expensive!! I've done it all ways to be honest if you can saty in Dover I'd stick with your original plan - you can stop for a longish lunch half way if you want but bung the dvds on in the back of the car and it's not that long a drive. The ferry won't really feel like part of the journey as you'll just be up - on ferry, have breakfast then start the drive - it'll be fine!! I've also done it stopping in Rouen but we ahd a long drive to/from Dover. the stop off was lovely but it does mean a lot of faffing about and the journey lasts 2 days. least on the way back when you get to Dover you can hand the dc over to your mum and crash out!! If you're going to the vendee make sure you go here - well worth the drive! And get Angela Bird's guide to the vendee!

It depends on where you go in the Vendée, but we can get to Calais in six and a half hours. It isn't a difficult drive.

St Malo is 3 hours.

When you are looking at price difference don't forget the tollls, it is 7,50? each way to St Malo, but 46,90? to Calais.

We are in the South Vendée (the best bit!)