Cheap Holiday in France

Homeagain

I have decided to take a friend of my DD (who is 15) on holiday with us. She is a great kid but her parents are really struggling financially at this time and will not be able to contribute in any way. Her friend has been having a rather bad time lately and I think a week away would be fun for her. Also it would be fantastic for my DD to have a friend with her. Unfortunately this means that an all inclusive overseas holiday (which we had originally planned thanks to the very helpful advice on this thread) is out of the question. I thought about taking a cottage/house in France and going across on the ferry with my car. This seems to be the very cheapest option. Can anybody suggest a good location (town), near the sea and reasonably close to Calais? I can then have a look at Tripadvisor etc to see if we can find anything. Perhaps someone can even suggest a good place to stay? Thanks everyone!

angelil

My (French!) husband is a better geographer than I am and I'm sure he'll be able to suggest one or two places. I'll ask him tonight

Homeagain

Thank you!!

Bob_the_Saver

Nicolafine wrote: »

Can anybody suggest a good location (town), near the sea and reasonably close to Calais?

Dover.............

Carmen

Hi
Some options here.

http://picardy.angloinfo.com/af/479/picardy-and-nord-pas-de-calais-self-catering-holiday-rentals-and-gites.html

joedenise

What about renting a ready erected tent or mobile home? The price generally includes up to 6 people and can be quite reasonably priced. Try Siblu or French Freedom - they tend to be a bit cheaper than Keycamp, Eurocamp etc.

Denise

Debt_Free_Chick

My suggestion would be to head towards Boulogne. The shopping is fantastic there, whether you go to a Hypermarket or shop in the town centre.

The beaches near Boulogne are also fantastic.Wimereux is a charming place.

zagfles

What about a campsite type place staying in a static caravan, this would likely be much more fun for teenagers as there'll be lots to do on site, if you choose a big one. Have a look at eurocamp, keycamp, siblu etc or book direct. They invariably have a BBQ with each caravan and most families seem to have a BBQ most nights which keeps costs down, and they usually have cheap-ish fast food like pizzas etc.

Chateau des Ormes in Dol de Bretange is a good one, you'd probably want to cross to somewhere like St Malo or Caen to avoid a longish drive (Calais isn't the only way into France contrary to popular belief!)

If it doesn't have to be France, have a look at Duinrell in Wassenaar Holland particularly if they like theme parks, water parks etc. It's not far from Rotterdam, you can get the P&O ferry from Hull if you live in the north which is superb and an excellent way to start a holiday...

zenmaster

joedenise wrote: »

What about renting a ready erected tent or mobile home? The price generally includes up to 6 people and can be quite reasonably priced. Try Siblu or French Freedom - they tend to be a bit cheaper than Keycamp, Eurocamp etc.

Denise

+1 for the static mobile. Some of our best holidays ever have been in French caravans. Camping in comfort, sur la continent. It doesn't get much better than that.

I guess you are coming through Dover, in which case you can sail to Calais or Dunkirk. It doesn't really matter which - they are only a few miles apart. Look for the cheapest deal. From that part of France you can easily slip across the border into Belgium. Two countries for the price of one, though you will be pushed to spot the difference.

Taking a friend for the offspring is an excellent plan, especially at that age. Shop carefully and stay away from expensive tourist attractions and I doubt it will add much more than £50 to the cost of the holiday. Picnics and barbecues are the way forward.

If the other girl's parents are truly skint you could absorb this yourself (and get more than your moneys worth) or you could give her parents some dignity and let them pay the difference. Only you are in the position to make that call.

You've probably not thought about travel insurance at this stage but we found a company that would accept a friend on family insurance - http://www.travel-insurance.net/. Double check with them to make absolutely sure and, of course, compare their quote.

zagfles wrote: »

Chateau des Ormes in Dol de Bretange is a good one, you'd probably want to cross to somewhere like St Malo or Caen to avoid a longish drive (Calais isn't the only way into France contrary to popular belief!)

Chateau des Ormes has a special place in my heart.

It was our first venture in taking the kids abroad. My wife didn't believe it was possible, but it opened our eyes to what can be done. It was the first year they opened to the public and everything was brand new. We even had to take the plastic wrappers off the supplied equipment. Two weeks for 6 people - £125, including ferry!!!

We have now been more than a dozen times and always start at Dol.

OP, I'm feeling slightly jealous .

Ankh

Normandie is a lovley area.

Try this web page for cottages http://www.gites-de-france.com/location-vacances-Normandie.html

Homeagain

Bob_the_Saver wrote: »

Dover.............

Very funny, in fact quite hilarious. Since when was Dover in France? You need to learn to read properly, especially at your age.