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Val - are you the Val whose list is near the start of the "What Live Bands have You Seen ?" thread (started by Alphonso De Lard) If so we really do have more than a love of France in common, & I am incredibly envious... If not just ignore that !

That's a great story about the postman/your dad. My Husband is an Englishman but also has a lot of Welsh blood. Perhaps we are all related ! Hmmm. This is getting worrying now...  

Yes, that's me too!  I've seen them over a very long time though - perhaps you might not envy that!

Quote: Originally posted by Kabbes on 13/9/2009

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Quote: Originally posted by ayjay on 12/9/2009

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Centre parcs ticks all the boxes.

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Unfortunately Centre Parcs is only UK/Holland/Belguim so the weather is generally sh**e & you have to wear knickers, which is boring.


This site in fact ticks all the boxes.

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Center Parcs are in France & Germany too...

http://www.centerparcs.com/EN/GB/home

 

Quote: Originally posted by Daved2006 on 09/9/2009

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There seems to be a major leaning towards France by campers on this site and Im wondering why ? Dont get me wrong this is not a rant just my own personal experience and taughts, I drive for a living and sometimes that takes me through Europe. The first thing that struck me about France when I first drove there was the tolls I was shocked to the say least the prices are absolutely ridiculous. I know you can avoid them but that adds an awful lot of time to a journey. In general compared to somewhere that I really like, like Germany I find the people very unfriendly and unhelpful and the prices of food drink etc almost as the bad as the tolls,whilst in Germany very recently it was about less than 3 euro for  pint of beer compared to between 5 and 8 in France

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The obvious reasons first - France is closer, bigger, has regions (South Coast, Vendee) which are pretty much guranteed endless sun and is more geared up for camping. Now I love Belgium, for instance, but I wouldn't pay a huge ferry fee to sit in the rain there when I could do it just as well in Kerry !

As for the tolls and time taken to get to the site, a lot of people (myself included) view the journey as part of the holiday, stay off the autoroutes and use municipal sites. It might take a day or 2 longer, but it's a lot more enjoyable than hitting the motorway and not stopping until you get to your site. You see a lot more of the country, and stop in regions where people are likely a lot more friendly. Which addresses your other point too.

As for cost, until recently (maybe this year), France was seen as being the cheap destination, even going back to the days of the French Franc. This year, it definitely wasn't. It'll be interesting to see if more people choose Benelux, Germany and Switzerland over France if that continues. On the other hand, the prices may right themselves again.

Personally, I can think of nothing better than sitting in the evening sun on an out-of-the-way site somewhere in the Loire, maybe near Saumur, having visited a nice chateau.

Quote: Originally posted by Rachieb on 14/9/2009

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Quote: Originally posted by Kabbes on 13/9/2009

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Quote: Originally posted by ayjay on 12/9/2009

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Centre parcs ticks all the boxes.

---

---

Unfortunately Centre Parcs is only UK/Holland/Belguim so the weather is generally sh**e & you have to wear knickers, which is boring.


This site in fact ticks all the boxes.

---

Center Parcs are in France & Germany too...

http://www.centerparcs.com/EN/GB/home

 

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Quote: Originally posted by arthurdent on 14/9/2009

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Quote: Originally posted by Daved2006 on 09/9/2009

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There seems to be a major leaning towards France by campers on this site and Im wondering why ? Dont get me wrong this is not a rant just my own personal experience and taughts, I drive for a living and sometimes that takes me through Europe. The first thing that struck me about France when I first drove there was the tolls I was shocked to the say least the prices are absolutely ridiculous. I know you can avoid them but that adds an awful lot of time to a journey. In general compared to somewhere that I really like, like Germany I find the people very unfriendly and unhelpful and the prices of food drink etc almost as the bad as the tolls,whilst in Germany very recently it was about less than 3 euro for  pint of beer compared to between 5 and 8 in France

---

The obvious reasons first - France is closer, bigger, has regions (South Coast, Vendee) which are pretty much guranteed endless sun and is more geared up for camping. Now I love Belgium, for instance, but I wouldn't pay a huge ferry fee to sit in the rain there when I could do it just as well in Kerry !

As for the tolls and time taken to get to the site, a lot of people (myself included) view the journey as part of the holiday, stay off the autoroutes and use municipal sites. It might take a day or 2 longer, but it's a lot more enjoyable than hitting the motorway and not stopping until you get to your site. You see a lot more of the country, and stop in regions where people are likely a lot more friendly. Which addresses your other point too.

As for cost, until recently (maybe this year), France was seen as being the cheap destination, even going back to the days of the French Franc. This year, it definitely wasn't. It'll be interesting to see if more people choose Benelux, Germany and Switzerland over France if that continues. On the other hand, the prices may right themselves again.

Personally, I can think of nothing better than sitting in the evening sun on an out-of-the-way site somewhere in the Loire, maybe near Saumur, having visited a nice chateau.

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Hi Arthurdent some interesting and useful comments there. I certainly would prefer to drive a bit longer for guaranteed sun and I can see the attraction of spreading it out over 2 days and making the drive part of the holiday. I spent that past number of years wizzing around Europe for work and it certainly was a pleasure to take our first touring holiday this year and drive at our leisure. The south of France is certainly something that Im open to at some stage and I think it will be interesting to see where we end up next summer as Im quite pleased to see that folk are happy to drive long distance.