Where have you driven to in France?

[Thomcat]

We are thinking of driving to France this summer with the 3 kids. My lovely PIL with my SIL are going to drive too so we can swap kids round a bit in the cars etc.

FIL has given me the task of researching it to start.

So I thought I'd ask you guys where you've been and have enjoyed to give me somewhere to start.

I was thinking of driving our own cars onto Eurotunnel and then going from there.

I love Brittany, the St Malo/Dinan area especially. And these have the benefit of being close to the ports, so you don't have to drive too far

Have always driven to the South Eastern corner of France around the Nice/Provence region. My mum grew up there and they have a house there now. It's lovely, maybe a bit pricey but if you stay away from the big resorts, St Tropez etc it's not too bad. Plus there are lovely mountains, lakes, it's just a short hop to Italy or Monaco if you want to gawp at super yachts. We've driven there in about 10 hours from Calais, the motorways are really good now you don't have to go via Paris (A26 to Reims/Troyes then A7 down to Lyon and Marseille, turn left for Provence turn right for Montpellier and Langeudoc - also gorgeous!)

We have driven to Bandol, which is very far south but we really enjoyed it. Pre DS though.

Brittany or the Vendee area, which is on the west coast. Lovely tidal beaches for building sandcastles and bodyboarding.

been all over france in the car, but best hols are on the south where headfairy says. Yes, pricie, but almost guaranteed fab weather and amazing scenery, great beaches and mountains, perfect.

Now we've got ds we're thinking about whether we still drive or fly. We flew down this summer but that was because we got a deal on the flight. I think the best way would be to drive through the night so ds sleeps the whole way and we don't have to deal with a bored almost 2 year old in the car (as he'll be next summer). Dh thinks we should split the journey up in to two four/five hour drives. Got a few months to decide yet

Bandol

we always drove through the night when the dc were tiny. we would stop for coffees on the way and could feel the warmth from around lyon in the middle of the night. It was fantastic. We would drive past the esterel mountains at sunrise and arrive for breakfast on the beach in st tropez. Amazing times.

Now we fly drive as we dont need to take all the paraphenalia of pushchairs and nappies etc that we did then.

Yeah, I favour the driving through the night thing, quiet roads, no extra expense of an overnight hotel, plus we can share the driving so the other can sleep and doesn't have to face the whole of the next day with toddler and zero sleep. It's so much easier when you have all the pushchair/travel cot/highchair crap with you, plus you can fill the car with wine and pate when you leave

Thanks. Have been to Bandol twice before actually, it's amazing there, I loved it. Once before kids and a second time when DD1 was 6 months old.

Now with 3 kids, DD1 will be 7 1/2 (but has SN's so not your average 7 yr old) and DD2 will be 3 1/2 and DD3 will be almost 2 (eeek!!!!), I think driving is the best option for us. Don't know how DD1 will cope with the whold plane thing, too risky imo, and she currently still requires a buggy on walks etc.

Right, well you've all kindly given me some good place to start looking at, than you.

If any of you are still around or anyone new posting, if you can remember how long the drive from Calais or the port was to your destination that would be great to now.

Thanks

Go to www.viamichelin.com - gives times, distances, tolls etc.

via michelin is a good site for directions. Options for different types of routes, toll prices etc.

LOL at x-posts

We have driven from Roscoff - Perpignan! It took over 2 days and ds1 was just 1.

This year we went from Roscoff to 60 miles the other side of Nantes; that was fine.

We normally get the ferry from plymouth to Roscoff and then drive from there, as we live in Cornwall.

Have been on the tunnel once before.

We drove to the Loire valley the summer before last. DS's were 5 and 2. Driving wasn't too bad - we has a dvd player in the back and my younger son slept quite a bit. We stayed in a French resort in Pierrefit? (not sure of spelling!) Weather wasn't brilliant but we had a great time and went on days out etc. I think that distance is OK with young children most of the travelling in France was on the toll roads. We avoided driving near Paris though - went via Rouen which is far better.

Last time we went, we stayed at a campsite outside Dol de Bretagne. We did the long crossing from Portsmouth to St Malo, so the campsite was about 25 minutes from the port . At the time, DD1 was 2.5 and DD2 was 6 months, and my DH doesn't drive, so I was ver' keen on keeping the driving time down. We're not really beach people, so preferred the pool at the campsite.

I think this hotel looks lovely and seems to be good value. Ile de Ré is lovely.

this year when we went our dc were 6, 3 & 4 months.

brittany normandy the vendee and the alps.

the latter was a slog and i wouldnt do it again, if you are not sea sick it could be best to take the ferry to brittany - if you look at the map of france its quite a drive from eurotunnel to brittany.
we have been to
carnac
carentec
fousenant
perros guirac
dol de bretagne ( this is great to get to for first time)

sablesd'onne and another one near there cant remember name

vendee has pukka beaches st jean de monts - great for kids - but quite a drive.

if you are planning to go in a mobile home i would suggest keycamp as a good provider with good rates.

if you are planning on going in aeurotent - i would suggest you look up 'venue' as they often do the same sites for much much cheaper, however no kids club.

Great thanks

This thread has made me all whistful for those days of small children getting all excited on the channel tunnel and stopping over in Dijon and Lyon and feeling the weather getting hotter as you get further south. Also the way the building change as you drive south, slowing taking on mediterrenian feel.

We have driven to the South (riviera), Brittany, Normandy, Loire Valley, Paris area, and the Alps.

It is all pretty easy.

Every area has its plusses and minusses.

Brittany is fab, but you can have British weather. The Riviera is great, but gets congested and is a long way from here.

We always drive down the the Languedoc. My parents have a villa down there are we have been doing this since the children were babies. We take the channel tunnel early in the morning, drive about two thirds of the way, stay over and then arrive around midday the next day.

If you want to find out more about the Languedoc, have at look at their website here as there is tons of info on what you cans ee and do there. They usually had an ad on the small ads here on mumsnet, but it just expired and my mum hasn't got round to putting on another one - will have to remember to remind her!

Normandy is great and often overlooked.

We've been to Brittany a few times, but to the south (near Guerande), and drive down from Calais over two days. We tend to stay somewhere like Rouen or Deauville overnight. We drive maybe 4 or 5 hours a day I think, but we do like taking the odd detour too.