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Hi

I can help with the journey planning; have done edinburgh to france 4 times in last 5 years.  Tried various ways, but I'm not sure i could tell you the best way to do it. This will depend on several variables;

• where in France you are going
• how much money you have
• whether you want to spend more time onboard a Ferry or more time driving on a motorway
• how long your holiday is for
• DVD in back of car for kids!

There are others but thats all I can think of at the moment.

To cut to the point, this is what we now do.

Leave edinburgh at about 8/9pm at night. Arrive Portsmouth 5-6.30am next morning. time depends on how many and how long we stop at services on route.  Join ferry queue to caen, usually near the front (irrelevant), sleep in car for 1-2 hours, sail to caen at 8.15am.

At this point other variables come to mind; how many drivers, how easy do you find it to sleep!?  For me if there's time to get 2 hours sleep in the car I will.  Once on the ferry, I will sleep easily 4-5 hours in a chair on deck or wherever. Family are eating/drinking/watching film in cinema etc.

Arrive in Caen about 3pm. I've sometimes then driven a fair distance down to a campsite in the vendee, arriving about 7-8pm, 24 hours after leaving edinburgh.

This year I checked in at a Novotel in caen instead (best idea ever) and drove down to Vendee next day, one night lost from campsite/ or one less to pay for on campsite depending on how you look at it. Previously just cracked on and arrived just a tad jet lagged!

Have to say that most people I've described this to have generally said "Ugghh" but it works well for us.

Don't want to bore everone with other possiblities or how we get back but you can pm me if you want to discuss in's and outs.

All the above suits us/our finances/time wife finishes work on the day we leave etc.  If i had a spare 500 quid and could take 3 weeks off then i'm sure we'd do the Rosyth to Zeebrugge with at least one hotel on way from Zeebrugge to Vendee.  If you could still do a direct flight Edin to Nantes I'd def do that and hire a car there. etc etc.

Regards

fc

Quote: Originally posted by Val A on 05/8/2010

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On the subject of the A1, a mention that we live in Yorkshire, and rather than use the M1 which would be the 'logical' route south, we use the A1 and the M11.  Now that a lot of the roundabouts and hold-ups have been removed from the A1 south of here, it's generally a very good route south. 

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Quote: Originally posted by Val A on 05/8/2010

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(Oxter, when are you going?  We're doing a Sunday crossing this time, too - in the near future - and heading to wherever the weather is!)

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Sorry - been away in the caravan surprisingly enough.

We depart on the Sunday (22nd) but have a stop booked on the way down (holiday starts when we leave the door) and again at the port - sailing on 24th.  We'll be where the weather is too, but first decent stop is at Orleans area to try the (disused)canals in that area for cycling.  Will be around the Loire ish area and storing at le Serpolin - fairly near Saumur in wine country (it's in here and recommended as we have been there a lot) at the end of the hol near the end of Sept.  Might bump into you - it's a tiny country after all.