Hi we are travelling from Leeds to St Tropez in July this year and would like a campsite near Calais Tunnel to get a few hours sleep before we set south off early hours of the following morning.
we are due to get the eurotrain around 11pm into Calais.
We don't need any of the facilities other than shower & toilets - is there anywhere that anyone would recommend ?
Thanks
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We are going to lay up at the Baie de Somme Aire on the A16, though our arrival through the tunnel is earlier. This allows us the early, unencumbered start the next morning.
There are showers and toilets there and it is about 40 minutes down the motorway
The only very local campsite we have found where you can get access late on is Bien Assise at Guines, though we have never arrived as late as that. However you may consider it expensive for a few hours sleep and a shower. We use it when the ACSI discount applies.
Depending on the arrival time and the way we intend to head, we have either stayed at Baie do Somme services, or driven onto the Peage section of the A26 and slept in the services there. The larger services have toilets open all night, and have a shower you can use in the morning. However some people do not recommend sleeping at the services, the choice is yours.
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I'd consider Baie de Somme is in the 'wrong' direction for St Tropez unless you want to go down the A16 and then around western Paris (which can be complicated with a motorhome or caravan due to height restricted tunnels).
There is a municipal site in Calais - Old reviews only on UKCS
and more up to date information here Camping Le Grand Gravelot but I'm not sure how they are on late arrivals. Some sites have an area where late arrivals can park up. Others don't welcome late arrivals.
We used to sleep on the Aire near Ste Hilarie Cottes on the autoroute south - but these days with migrant issues I think these may just have been closed, so I don't think I would recommend this. Whilst no-one wants to scare-monger it's better to be safe than sorry. If you can drive further south then there are other Aires with toilets and showers (the larger well-lit ones with fuel stations and restaurants).
To be absolutely honest I think I'd try to get a late afternoon/early evening crossing if that is at all possible, and then find a campsite. There are several others which could be recommended if you were to arrive earlier.
We're from near Leeds (but over the border in North Yorkshire) so know the difficulties in getting from here to get a Eurotunnel crossing at a reasonable time. These days we choose to stay over at our sons and get a very early morning crossing.
Camping la Bien Assise is accessible 24 hours a day - basically you can just pull onto an empty pitch near reception and pay before leaving the following morning.
It's a nice site and a quick swim in the heated pool before setting off the next day is also worthwhile!
------------- "Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect."
As you come off train & drive out of tunnel complex you come to services on left. You should find room to park around the edge of that. It’s still within tunnel complex perimeter fence so safe enough.
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We also get a late tunnel on the day we break up from work so we wake up in france on the first day of our holiday and get ann early start to our destination.
We have used both Cite Europe Car park and Baie de Somme services when arriving around midnight and have managed a good night's sleep at both and importantly also felt safe. Although the area at Cite Europe is officially only for motorhomes there are often caravans there too.
------------- It's only an expensive hobby when it's parked on your Drive....use it, love it , live it.
http://www.camping.calais.fr/fr/
Camping Le Grand Gravelot
5 min from the tunnel, used to be the old unofficial harbor stopping site now all modern with new facilities.
Not tried it but recommended to me.
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Watching this with interest as we are also from Leeds and after trying different options the Eurotunnel evening crossing always suits us best.
After being cautious we bit the bullet last year and slept on both going and returning journeys at a large Aire last year. On route to the Vendee in the Baie de Somme region and returning from the Ardeche at a similar place. Big service station, toilets and showers, floodlit with people and hgvs coming and going all the time.
We have a dog who is soft as cotton wool but has the hearing of a hawk and hugely protective with a loud bark which did make me feel more secure. However in previous years we have travelled further before stopping and felt unsafe in unlit aires
stayed once at cite Europe. never again, far too noisy !
sacrilege BUT have you considered a hotel? my friends highly recommend the B&B chain, they park up with their caravan in the car park, get a good nights sleep in decent accommodation, which sets them up for the long drive (so they tell me!)
you may have a problem though if the train is delayed or you may be allowed to get an earlier train - which does happen!!! so try to have a couple of alternatives