I'm travelling from Lancashire to France with my caravan, and wanted to stop over on the way down to Dover and also on the way back, overnight. I'm just planning on driving til I get tired then pull into motorway services and stay there for the night.
Does anybody know if you are allowed to do this?
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Why would you need/want to make an overnight stop travelling from Clitheroe to Dover? Even when towing it is not that far; you could drive down, do the crossing and then stay somewhere close to Calais before moving on.
??
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It's mainly for the way back got a 5.00pm sailing from Calais. I was going to find a site near Dover and stop over and drive back up north in morning. But was thinking I might try and drive for a couple of hours that night and stop off for a nights kip at service station, if you can do that, to make journey easier next day.
I want to avoid driving long distance on motorway in busy traffic, when towing caravan
On the way there I've got a 4.00 pm sailing on a sat. So was going to get up early and drive down in the day. But I'm thinking if I can stop over night at services, I might try and set off Friday night and get past brum.
Also my plan was to stay overnigt in Calais before setting off to vendee the next day. Any suggestions for staying in Calais welcome. I've read on forums that's it's ok to stay on the port itself.
I know Exeter services have a facility, but obviously not on you way back! However, if one does I;m sure more will be on to it. I have a friend that uses Exeter when they travel to Cornwall, I think she said it cost a 18.00 with a tenner breakfast voucher thrown in.
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Most services you won't have a problem. Park in the truck park out of the way . Its what service areas are for . All lorrys have to have compulsory stops and the ones with sleeper cabs arnt for show . Just don't start setting up your awning lol . A word of warning some services are hot spots for car crime especially the ones near ferry ports . If some one surgests a better place to park up like the truck stop mentioned above id consider it they usually have security and a breakfast deal that will be a pleasant surprise compared to the usual services over priced rubbish .
I've slept in British services an odd time, also found a travelodge room in desperation. We used to drive down, cross over, then sleep in services in France. Then we took to staying in Ashford Travelodge and crossing early morning for a good day's driving south. Now we always sleep in France, either way.
As someone has already said these places are hot spots for car/ caravan theft..you go for a meal/shower etc and come back to no car/caravan. Also it can be noisy, I hardly slept when we broke our journey in one of these stops.
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I would find a c.l or c.s site in my experience lorry parks at the services nearly always smell of wee and the ground is all sticky. I think it's because most times the lorry park is furthest way from the facilites either that or they can't be bothered go and use them.
I just know that some truckers will come back and get upity about this but thats what we have found.
we use one motorway services each year park up in the car park far cornner away from all services buildings leave car attached steddies down pay for night settle down for good nights sleep we always e-mail sevices manager first and ask if ok to stay th enight in car park rather then caravan bays
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Thanks for the info. We are now in France. I used the info in this forum and stopped off at Corby services at way down. No problem with security, and everything was ok, I should have just parked further away from motorway.
I will do same on way back, just drive until I'm tired or kids have had enough.