Can't think where to go

missbiggles1

Another one with a flying phobia and another vote for going to France with your car.

warwicktiger

MortgageMamma wrote: »

Just looked at La Rochelle it looks beautiful! My husband really likes it too, we've never been to France and the journey doesn't look too horrendous. Is it expensive to eat? We'd probably drive to Portsmouth and get the Ferry over, we have a 7 seater 4 x 4 and like to drive about a bit exploring on holiday.

I live 2 hours drive from La Rochelle, almost exactly on the same lattitude (horizontal on a map!). Motorway drive time from Calais about 7 hours, peage (tolls) about 50.00 . Diesel today 1.04/ltr, petrol 1.25.
Old port la Rochelle you could eat in a different restaurant each night for a month! Prices vary (I talk euros), usual rules apply, walk away from the front and the price drops, set menus under 20.00 not hard to find, unless you are fussy ask for a pichot (flask) of wine rather than a bottle, usually 25 or 50 cl.

sandsy

We stayed a bit inland from La Rochelle for a week last year, followed by a week in the Loire. It was our first family holiday in France.

It's a lovely area and we very much enjoyed our visit to La Rochelle itself Ile de R! is also supposed to be stunning but we didn't make it there.

We got an overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Caen and a late afternoon crossing on the return. Driving was much easier than we expected, the autoroutes are great. I purchased a tag in advance to make tolls easier.

We stayed in a gîte which was part of a cluster of 3. Ate out some of the time - very reasonably priced for the quality of food - and self catered some of the time. We just pottered around the local towns, visiting markets, vineyards (kids were always offered soft drinks), chateaus etc or lazing around the shared pool, playing boules, just generally enjoying family time with no pressures.

It was very relaxing and we're returning to France this summer.

MortgageMamma

We've made a decision! we are going to France via channel tunnel as I don't like boats very much - yes I know I'm an idiot - we are going to St Jean De Monts for a week, then we are going to drive over the Pyrenees into Spain and have a few days in Barcelona. Or drive to Santander and explore that area. I've priced everything up to £3,200 inc accommodation and tolls/fuel and £1.5k spends minimum, but we have overdrafts of £2k if we need them (being self employed my income isn't steady as I would like it), and should have another £2-3k saved by the time we go for our little adventure. Kids are very excited now and so are we!


Thank you everyone for your suggestions, this is my first time in France so if its as good as it sounds I may get addicted

jackieblack

MortgageMamma wrote: »

We've made a decision! we are going to France via channel tunnel as I don't like boats very much - yes I know I'm an idiot - we are going to St Jean De Monts for a week, then we are going to drive over the Pyrenees into Spain and have a few days in Barcelona. Or drive to Santander and explore that area. I've priced everything up to £3,200 inc accommodation and tolls/fuel and £1.5k spends minimum, but we have overdrafts of £2k if we need them (being self employed my income isn't steady as I would like it), and should have another £2-3k saved by the time we go for our little adventure. Kids are very excited now and so are we!


Thank you everyone for your suggestions, this is my first time in France so if its as good as it sounds I may get addicted

Hope you have a great time

boatman

MortgageMamma wrote: »

We've made a decision! we are going to France via channel tunnel as I don't like boats very much - yes I know I'm an idiot - we are going to St Jean De Monts for a week, then we are going to drive over the Pyrenees into Spain and have a few days in Barcelona. Or drive to Santander and explore that area. I've priced everything up to £3,200 inc accommodation and tolls/fuel and £1.5k spends minimum, but we have overdrafts of £2k if we need them (being self employed my income isn't steady as I would like it), and should have another £2-3k saved by the time we go for our little adventure. Kids are very excited now and so are we!


Thank you everyone for your suggestions, this is my first time in France so if its as good as it sounds I may get addicted

There are many nice places in France where you are going, don't feel you have to go to Spain as well unless you want to spend more time in the car, take it easy! Think more about the time together rather than ticking off a million places.

missbiggles1

boatman wrote: »

There are many nice places in France where you are going, don't feel you have to go to Spain as well unless you want to spend more time in the car, take it easy!

There does sound like a lot of driving involved in this particularly for a family with 3 children with a wide range of ages..

enthusiasticsaver

A cruise? You can get some family orientated ones where there is lots for the kids to do and if you get one that does the Balearics or Portugal there is always somewhere in the shade to sit but weather is nice if you want a swim in the pool/sunbathing etc.

MortgageMamma

missbiggles1 wrote: »

There does sound like a lot of driving involved in this particularly for a family with 3 children with a wide range of ages..

They are used to a lot of driving, they travel from Lancashire to Nairn/John o groats and down to Cornwall every year. Its usually about 11 hours from here. We've decided to drive to Hastings and stop overnight there before going to Folkestone for the ferry, so it gives them half a day or so for a leg stretch a good meal and a bit of sleep before the onward Journey. Will do the same on the way back, stop in Eastbourne or somewhere. I used to live there so can reminisce.


Not sure about Spain myself may just do 10 days in France. The problem is my husband, he's got a lot of stamina for driving and loves our old 4x4 - he would drive us round Europe only stopping to sleep if he had his way it gets very boring.


Me, I'd prefer just to go to one resort, stay there, have a few drinks, walk around and get buses and taxis!