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Hi Just returned from our first camping holiday in France and it was great!  We're already looking to next year. We did really well with our crossing this year (which started the ball rolling) 241 with Speed Ferries at £19 each way. The only problem was the long journey from North Wales to Dover and then from Dover to Bordeaux. Considering the (cheap) Hotel stopovers(2 of ), petrol, tolls, meals enroute and the mountain of sweets consummed to keep the children happy we're considering whether the St Malo ferry would be the better option. I know it looks expensive but when all the other items add up I was wondering what other campers think? Next year we would be looking to go at the end of July/August again and we are considering investing in a trailer tent so we would probably have to pay extra. Has anyone else compared costs and come to a conclusion. What did you pay this years for the St Malo crossing and when should I be looking to book? Thanks for any help

we`ve always gone dover - calais just to save on the crossing. the driving is a bit tiresome and with the ever increasing fuel price and the extra time behind the wheel, this year i wondered if i had made the right choice , calais to the vendee. spoke to loads of people who went via roscoff , st malo and caen but they were paying treble the price that i did.

personal choice i suppose , wont be off to france next year but 2007 is hopeful , may try le havre if there is still a ferry running there.

We went Dover Calais this year - and then down to the Vendee.  Had we stayed in hotels it would probably not have been the toil it was.  Suffice to say never again - we will cross to one of the Western ports.  Also with you heading from North Wales, would it not have been easier for you to have headed for Poole, Portsmouth or Plymouth? The crossing is longer but it does get you nearer the area you are heading for and in less time than the drive would be, with less family stress, less fuel costs and hotel costs........ 

You pays your money and you takes your choice....

I used to use the St Malo crossing all the time, it was great I have only stopped using it as my choice destinations wouldn't make it viable any more, Used to arrive in france refreshed ready for a good drive.

But saying that I was looking a couple of weeks ago for crossing with the motor bike one way £220 a tad over the top I felt.

We have used the Portsmouth - St Malo route as it suited us the crossing is more expensive. The ferry leaves Portsmouth at 8.30pm and arrives at 7.30 local time, this ,we felt was ideal as you had plenty of time to get to Portsmouth and once on board you could have a drink before getting a good nights sleep for the trip down to the Vendee. On the way back as the ferry leave at 10.45 we had an overnight stop near St Malo which saved rushing on the day of departure. We also had a cabin both ways, although this did bump the price up it was well worth it. We would use this route all the time for going anywhere down the West coast.

 It does cost more but in our opinion well worht the extra money.

  Les

We used St Malo for a few years, but Speedferries are so cheap we now drive to Dover (from the South West). We set off early & overnight a couple of hours into France. When we went to St Malo we overnighted here: http://212.234.68.44/campings/ at the Camping des Ilots (a municipal), and walk back into the village for dinner. Everything else being equal I'd do that every time, it's a cracking campsite and you click into your holiday as soon as you get to the brasserie in the village.

And I'd definitely go that way if I was going to Bordeaux.

If you're going via Dover, this is a good overnight:http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/reviews.asp?revid=5429

You can tell I don't understand this "hotel" word, innit

We take a tiny tent for overnights and all pile in together.

Liz