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Hi, please can anyone advise us of the average/approximate price that they pay for a trip to France with TENT/ TT please? I have worked it out to be around £850 with ferry plymouth to roscoff and staying in fairly local site to the port - July time!! Can anyone advise me if this is the average and whether it is essential to book a site before arriving at that time of the year or not?

Many thanks - Thrifties

we did dover - calais last June with caravan and all site fees (14 nights) and ferry cost under 350. didnt book anywhere , just turned up.

it will be busier in july so booking is probably a good idea.

We've holidayed in France for the past few years and for a 4 week holiday for 2adults and 1 child, crossing to Caen with EHU etc, the price has averaged at £900. (This with a Folding Camper). This year with a caravan and a 16year old, we're now paying for 3 adults - £1000 for 4 weeks - crossing  to Le Havre.  The cheapest crossing is Dover /Calais or Dunkirque and the fuel is cheaper that side of the channel.  The price on campsites near to the coast/port seems to be a little on the expensive side, we travel down to the Vendee and stay slightly in land.  Our friend with 2 children and a tent plus EHU are paying £850 for 2 weeks - you can tell the crossing ups the price.

We are going to a site North of Paris and campsite fees are around £200.  Ferry fees are £124 with norfolk-line, which includes the folding camper, but would be similar for caravan.

Brian 

We are going in June for three weeks, Hull - Zeebrugge crossing, 2 adults, sites and crossing £570, excluding fuel, in the past we have done Dover crossing 15 nights in France all paid for for under £300,   I've been packed for 3 weeks

Stu

We are doing 2 weeks in Loire on EHU with tunnel & site fees under £500 in August this year

We did Dover - Calais then drove to Marche, Normandy ... £324 (and we upgraded to first class ... nice treat).

We had a tent - no trailer.

We're going VERY SOON - and the total cost is £248.00 including ferry- Dover/Calais.  This included 12 Camping Cheques, and we've 2 left from last year.  We're going down through France on the A75 and as much free autoroute as we can manage, then non-toll roads, to the med.  Then to Cambrils Park to meet sister and family. We are away 17 days in total, so we'll have about £30 to £40 on top for extra site fees but we'll find ACSI sites for these nights, and obviously diesel, food and wine, etc. on top.  

If you go outside peak season, and book early with the ferry company, and can use Camping Cheque or one of the other discount site fee services, like Touring Cheque or ACSI, then you can get a two week holiday in France for much less than in England.   

Mine is as follows for 5 people in people carrier with trailer

10 days in Vendee in August   £ 175.00

Speedferries return  £ 78.

2 nights in Formula 1 hotel £ 100.00

Complete guess at fuel cost  £ 100.00

Tolls £ 60.00 (not decided on exact route yet)

Total £ 513.00  (site and ferry booked in January)

We booked with the Caravan Club last October, we go 10th July Dover- Calais, 20 nights in the Charente region, cost is £406, includes £30 for the dog.Red Penant insurance is another £143.

                   Jim

I think a camping trip to france can be as expensive or cheap as you want it to be. We (2 adults) are happy with Dover-Calias and 14 nights on a small,quiet 2 to 3 star site inland and a cheap hotel to break the journey each way. Our trip rarely comes to more than £350 with petrol and tolls, but if you want an all singing and dancing site on the coast with a western ports crossing and cabin then it will probably be 3 times that amount.

Carol

I have just booked with French life 2 Children 3 adults ==Plymouth to Roscoff

staying 11 miles from port and it was £1460 and  i thought that was cheap.

but now that ive seen how cheap it can be ill look around next year.

Eleanor

It's the same as any holiday. There are companies who will take the 'strain' off you by booking your ferries, campsites etc. BUT, they'll charge you for the pleasure. For the cost of sitting at your PC for a few hours, sifting through websites, it's far, far cheaper to book yourselves. There are more & more English speaking campsite owners (like us) which makes it easier to book, ask for directions, get your bearings locally etc.

As for the ferries, the prices for daytime travel are horrendous, but if you're willing to go on the night shift, then the prices come down dramatically! The Western crossings are traditionally the most expensive, as it's a longer sail, but even then, by booking yourselves with LD Lines, or Condor Ferries you can save £100's! Britanny Ferries are pirates as far as I'm concerned, over-priced and non-competitive.

Just do it yourselves next time, it's alot easier than you think, and you'll save enough to come again later in the year!

We're booked with camping & caravanning club for 8 nights end jun/beginning july at le brevedent.  ferry, insurance, camping card international, road atlas included.cost just short of £400 for 4 of us, car, roofbox and one very big tent!  I did cost it out myself and found I could have done it for about £50 cheaper but decided to go without the hassle.

Kate