Self drive eurocamp holidays...am I mad?

[MooMa83]

....with a toddler and 7 year old with ADHD?? We've just returned from a miserable and expensive weeks holiday in UK and I'm considering options for next summer that won't cost a gazillion pounds. I like the idea of self drive with overnight ferry but my husband thinks I'm mad. Has anyone else done this? What's the easiest route? I don't mind where we go, but I would like heat, nice accommodation, activities for the 7 year old and nice places to eat/visit. TIA

@Meredusoleil we're staying at La Rive. We booked in April but I'm pretty sure the sun release a new set of holidays every 3 months or so.

Thanks all, some great suggestions here to research. My husband has since reminded me that I get sea sickness....I'm assuming the boats are so big you don't really feel it, but has anyone had issues with this?

I have issues - yes. We use the car eurotunnel now and take the hit on the longer time driving to have the shortest route to cross the tunnel and to avoid me getting seasick, as my ear issues have got worse as I get older. One year on the catamaran was memorable when the sea was so choppy we had to cross at half speed! That was an exceptional crossing though with half the people on the ship being sick. One very lovely member of staff took pity on me and replaced my inadequate paper sickbag with a couple of large black bin bags 😂 🤢. Normally I just feel a queasy and standing on deck cures that.

My children get sick on the ferry if they don't take something, but they're absolutely fine if we remember the give them sickness medication. We horrendously forgot one time and felt awful as my little boy was very sick. If you're worried ask your gp to prescribe something, it isn't an issue at all if you have the right medication, definitely not a reason not to do it!

I get awful seasickness, as does DD1. We take a dose of Stugeron 15 two hours before travelling, which solves the problem. It also fixes our car sickness.

I'm currently at Eurocamp TerSpelgelt near Eindhoven, NL with DH and 2 pre/teens. It took us an hour to drive to Hull. Overnight ferry to Rotterdam - pizzas and cinema on ferry. Then about 90 mins drive on the Dutch side. Very, very easy. I say that, but I didn't do the driving on the left in a right hand drive car.

We are eurocamp/canvas holiday/siblu veterans of three decades. In fact we like them so much we are now going on this type of holiday without DCs.

We are south midlands and have been using eurotunnel since it opened. Early on we did a couple of longer ferry crossings but hated it as feeling cooped up with DCs (and it takes for absolute ever to feel like you are getting anywhere).

There are some great hotel chains in France if you need to make an overnight stop en-route eg:

https://www.hotel-bb.com/en
https://www.campanile.com/en-us/

Personally I would suggest for your first go that you go with one of the main operators such as eurocamp or canvas holidays. It gives you someone who isnt the campsite to deal with if there are problems. If you do decide to book direct with a campsite then do book the end of let clean otherwise you can get left waiting to be inspected before you can leave. If you book with eurocamp/canvas then you pay a damage waiver (£15) and dont need to worry about paying or claiming back a damage deposit.

I have just booked next year's holiday, 10 nights in Dordogne. Our route will be eurotunnel, Rouen (find this less stressful than driving round Paris), overnight around Orleans, next 10 nights on site. We do share the driving, taking a quick break every couple of hours.

Is this for next summer? I can't seem to get availability on any of the parks I have searched for, for August 2024. They all come up as closed!

Yes, June 2024. Booked through eurocamp. I notice that canvas are only registering interest at the moment. I think a lot of the campsites themselves dont open up bookings until closer to the end of the year.

We went to France this year in our motorhome. Our 2 kids are toddlers and we left from Scotland.

I'd personally opt for the Dover to Calais route as it's 90 mins and by far the cheapest out of all the crossings by a country mile. I actually don't really like ferries but 90 mins isn't long even if the crossing is choppy.

Be mindful of the summer Olympics in Paris next year as I imagine it will be a busy route.

Consider flying and hiring a car. The cost can be comparable if you go budget airline and book early. We've just had 2 weeks in France. Flew to Toulouse (£400) , car hire (£500). It would have been cheaper if we'd booked earlier. We only booked 3 weeks in advance. If we add up ferry, petrol, tolls abd overnight accommodation it's often not much more. When our kids were 6 and 10 we did this v abs took camping gear with us on the flight! Two big rucksacks with 2 small tents , sleeping bags etc. We bought a small camping stove at Decathlon as soon as we arrived and drove to a campsite with a pool , cafe, pizzas and lake for swimming. Spent a week or so there, plus a few nights in an airbnb. Worked well, kids loved it and in terms of cost was definitely comparable to a UK holiday.