As Bonnie Tyler would say ...... Lost in France

[merlin]

1 week in a gite max 7 hrs drive from Calais - any recommendations/ideas please?

Bump

a few clues would help...

what time of year? how hot do you want it? pool? coast? how many people? what ages?

brittany

Sorry Ponders!

End of July/August so as south as I an get in 6-7 hrs driving! 8 people incl 3 kids of 8, 12 and 12, pool, prob more rural than coast but not fussed - budget £1600.

Thanks Mousy but want to go quite South to be in with a chance of some sunshine!

Vendee? that's probably 7 hours

Poitou-Charentes would probably do you then - quite far south, inland but coast within reach if you wanted a day trip, otherwise all you want & usually quite reasonable

\link{http://www.homeaway.co.uk/search/refined/france/poitou-charentes/region:366/Facilities:pool/Sleeps:8/arrival:2013-07-27/departure:2013-08-03/maxPrice/1500/currency/GBP#sp=304\have a look at these}

Look on the Chez Nous website - they have an advanced search where you can put in your requirements. We've used them for years and my parents have for even longer and haven't had a dud one yet.

Thanks ladies will take a look!

Here? Just recommended on another thread. Last year we stayed here just outside Cognac. Coast is about 45 mins/1hour away.

Next Summer we have booked here near La Rochelle.

don't do it on a saturday as you will probably get 30 miles south of calais in that time during july/aug, espec if you are travelling south with all the french people

oh, excellent point, dreaming

\link{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Saturday_%28France%29\Black Saturdays}, merlin

def best avoided if at all possible but if you have to go then, look at \link{http://www.bison-fute.equipement.gouv.fr/diri/Accueil.do?langue=en\Bison Futé} (that's where the black bit comes from I think)

Lac de chalain, Jura, just about in that time.

oh yes

we went there when the kids were little, Lynne - it was at May half term, the weather was brilliant, we had trips out in the mountainy bits, & a couple of days to Geneva & went on boat rides there, it was a lovely holiday.

(but the day we left there had been torrential rain overnight & every single sink in the campsite had a large multi-legged squatter in residence. family ablutions were much curtailed that morning! )

Depends where you are travelling from, but if you are going to have to do the drive on a Saturday it is worth getting to Calais in the Friday night.

We haven't done the crossing on Saturday morning since having children. Now we go Friday evening after worst of rush hour so Tunnel at 9.30ish and stop in the Ibis near the Tunnel in Calais (literally 5 mins away).

Then leave at 7 the next day and you're past Paris before lunch. We've done the main drive on Saturday in July / August for about 12 years and if you can avoid having to do the crossing on the Saturday it's really not too bad.

Thanks for the tip ladies but we had already planned to do the tunnel Fri night and then drive for a bit before stopping over.

Do as much driving as you can on Friday night, the traffic is so terrible on Saturdays end July and August... . which isnt funny when travelling with young kids. 2 years ago we travelled as far as Le Mans on the Friday, then Le Mans to Charente on Saturday took 8 hours!!! (and that was with a toll tag!!)
The motorways were car parks for miles.

But we love France.. but really plan our travel carefully now!!

Have to say we have done that trip down to Charente/Dordogne region a few times on a Sat morning (having done the tunnel Fri night) and never hit any major problems- perhaps we just been lucky and this timwe'll get caught!

You could try www.vendee-vacances.co.uk It might be a bit over your budget though.

I recon on 6.5 hours from Calais. Use the Rouen, Le Mans, Angers route. Tends to be quieter. Avoid the A10 if possible.