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My husband and I have only just decided why not try France for our main 2 week holiday in August - yes, we are probably the most disorganised pair on the planet.   Being reasonaly new to caravanning, the furthest we've ventured was the Ilse of Wight last summer - we've at least done the ferry crossing thing!

Neither of us have been to France before and have no idea where to go, how much its going to cost or even how we go about booking a site.  We have 2 children aged 12 and 5 so would like something near to a beach - other than that we'll make our own entertainment as no doubt the better sites are already booked.

Any help or prod in the right direction would be most appreciated.

Cheers

Claire

The right direction? Well, from Nottingham, you head for the A52, then South on the A1...Seriously though, I would visit your local library and get a few guide books for France, contact firms such as Eurocamp Independent and Select Sites for their brochures (you will pick up a lot of information about the major holiday areas, even if you don't want to use any of their sites). If you are a member of the Caravan Club or the Camping and Caravan Club, contact them and ask for their overseas travel brochures. It would be worth getting a good campsite directory, either the Michelin Caravanning Guide or the Caravan Club Europe guide (Volume 1 covers France).

For ferries, it would probably be best to head for Dover - from Nottingham, it is no further than the Western Channel posts, you should still find availability and it is far, far cheaper than the longer routes. Look on the internet for P&O, Sea France, Norfolkline etc. You can also find out masses of information about campsites and resorts by doing a few on-line searches.

Get yourselves a decent road atlas to France - Michelin is good, so is the AA.

Once you've sorted all this out, come back and ask on here and I have no doubt you will get loads more useful information!

Hi, its our first time abroad too. We originally decided on France but now we are going to Belgium, just outside Bruge.  Ferry crossing with norfolkline is £124 return with caravan (slightly more now as we booked early), this is from Dover to Dunkerque.  Then half an hour drive up the coast to Bredene.  There are absolutely loads of camp sites here, lovely beaches and sandunes, and most still have places available for August. Our camp site is costing about £12 a night.

Try this site for campsites.

http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/en/

Hello and welcome claire, you'll love france, everything about it is magic!  IMHO, Depending on where you are going i.e the loire valley, it might be not too bad an idea to check that they have vacancies for your preffered site! I would highly reccomend the Loire valley personally, so much to see and do we've been for 3 years and this year we're going to the coast for a wee change , to the vendee st.jean du monts. but as i said you will love france, just try and learn a wee bit of basic french..... it makes all the difference, i promise.

Bryan 

We did the Auvergne last summer, fantastic time in the gorges and rivers.  Beautiful scenery and extinct volcanoes galore.  Go for it!  We stayed at Camping Filature in Ebreuill.

Ali