Planning our French trips has got me thinking what we need to take with us based on previous trips. Something's we didn't take we required, other things we did not use. So this thread will hopefully get us set up and better planned and hopefully may help fellow craicers organise too. I suppose everyone is different and then again what applies to us will also apply to others too. Feel free to add your suggestions and observations.
For us (2 people and a dog) we found preliminary organising a very important factor.
1st of all the ferry booking;
We always sail Ireland-France direct so we tend to book the ferris early, in fact we have two crossings each way booked already for 2016. Always pay the extra €10 with Stena for the flexi booking as we tend to sail out with no plan on the return trip so the flexi booking is handy to chop and change the dates.
With a dog in mind we always leave ours in the MH on the ferry crossing as we find the kennels to be noisy, quite cold and stressful for quiet animals. You get to visit twice and walk/exercise the dog and of course feed her. She is content and happy on board. We only travel with a cabin as the 18 hour crossing will be tiring and uncomfortable otherwise and a good sleep on board with shower facilities is great.
Inoculations and treatments for the dog as well as passports need to be right, updated and current especially the rabies vaccine and required time constraints associated with it.
So to organising and planning the trip. For us, once we reach France the plan is easy.... there isn't one ! ..... We visit an area, if we like then we stay, if not the we move on. So the planning for the actual French part is relatively simple, that being guide books, maps and camping site info as well as the apps on the tablet.
We use the following and they are invaluable;
The "All the Aires" guides and maps. Basically a guide that lists a lot of MH stops ( over 3000) service points and overnight sites. It is laid out well, has the cordinates for the Satnavs and has listings of services and town features.
The other guide that is invaluable is the ACSI guide. This is a campsite guide that offers very good offers for "OFF PEAK" stays.... usually €14 to €16 per night including EHU, waste disposal, water as well as swimming pool use, showers and site facilities. We use sites once/twice a week usually for laundry and the pool is nice to have.
A good French road atlas is very useful, a good hi resolution and hi-detail is very useful. Personally, we use the AA French atlas 1:500000 scale or 4 1/2 miles to the inch scale. The atlas is used for "rough planning" and the general direction we take, to help decide if we use toll roads or not and the final destination detail.
Satnav.... We keep 2, buth updated to latest mapping. One with all the POI's on it, the other for the destination.
APP's on the tablet are really good...... in no particular order...;
Park4night
Campercontact
ACSI camping card APP
ViaMichelin
The APP's require internet connection, see below.
But before all this the MH needs prepping, getting all on board that is needed.... and more importantly leaving out what isn't needed !
So for us we take the following.
Clothes.... Take enough but not over do it, plenty of laundry facilities there.
Bedding, 2 sets of covers, one in use, one in laundry.
Medicines, both prescription and ordinary...make sure enough for your stay.
Also, mosquito repellent and bite treatment.
Footwear; ... trainers, shoes and croc type footwear is very handy.
Sunglasses, hats and items you personally use.
Items in the van:
Cooking items we take:
Whistling kettle, frying Pan, 3 pots, colander, coffee percolator, good knives, chopping board(s), cutlery, cups and glasses, corkscrew/bottle opener, peeling tools, gas oven lighter, selection of Tupperware type containers and we also have a 1.5 litre slow cooker which is useful.
Foodstuffs are personal but Irish/British tea bags are a must and we only take enough food with us for 2 days maximum and then buy fresh.
Other MH items;
Levelling ramps.
EHU leads, have a couple as some sites require long runs. Also an ordinary rewindable extension lead is a handy item on board. Keep continental plug adapters too.
A generator !... We have one but it stays at home, EHU & solar panels up to the job.
Water hose, we have a 10 metre one and make sure you take lots of water tap fitting with you. Hoseloc ones are best and take lots. I keep mine in a Tupperware box.
A large watering can !... Useful if you cannot get to service point to fill water.
A basin, handy to empty grey water if stuck on pitch and gets you away.
We keep a cheapy 1KW/2KW blow heater as well as a small oil filled radiator.
BBQ.... really good thing, but not all sites allow them.
Gas bottles.....so many different solutions, refillable is good... Just make sure your solution is workable and easily obtainable there. A full thread on its own !
A clothes line and pegs !... Plus a travel iron.
Inverter, PSW is best, ours is permanently wired in. Good batteries required and bigger is better, ours is 2x 115ah leisure type. All lights changed to LED type.
Solar panels..... Not necessary but really useful. Ours is 300 watt couplet to a MPPT and permanent off grid is no problem
Television (if you want/need it) ... Sattelite system and receiver. Automatic is good but our last 2 trips was a tripod and dish that worked a treat. Adding Snipe for next trip.
Have breakdown kit in van as well as hi-viz vests for everyone.
A couple of torches can be handy.
A couple of foldable chairs. ( and table for outside)
Bicycles, always have our bikes on the back and use them a lot.
Internet:
Lots of free WiFi in France but we like Internet where possible and to that end we use the "Three" UK network using the "feel at home" feature which allows roaming abroad. Make sure you get a data card and not a voice card as the data card allows tethering via a MiFi dongle. We use iPads and a laptop when there and it assists organising and researching so easy.
I know there is tons of other things and will add to this post in the days/weeks ahead and ask others to add to it too. Hopefully be useful for others thinking on a trip to France.
For us (2 people and a dog) we found preliminary organising a very important factor.
1st of all the ferry booking;
We always sail Ireland-France direct so we tend to book the ferris early, in fact we have two crossings each way booked already for 2016. Always pay the extra €10 with Stena for the flexi booking as we tend to sail out with no plan on the return trip so the flexi booking is handy to chop and change the dates.
With a dog in mind we always leave ours in the MH on the ferry crossing as we find the kennels to be noisy, quite cold and stressful for quiet animals. You get to visit twice and walk/exercise the dog and of course feed her. She is content and happy on board. We only travel with a cabin as the 18 hour crossing will be tiring and uncomfortable otherwise and a good sleep on board with shower facilities is great.
Inoculations and treatments for the dog as well as passports need to be right, updated and current especially the rabies vaccine and required time constraints associated with it.
So to organising and planning the trip. For us, once we reach France the plan is easy.... there isn't one ! ..... We visit an area, if we like then we stay, if not the we move on. So the planning for the actual French part is relatively simple, that being guide books, maps and camping site info as well as the apps on the tablet.
We use the following and they are invaluable;
The "All the Aires" guides and maps. Basically a guide that lists a lot of MH stops ( over 3000) service points and overnight sites. It is laid out well, has the cordinates for the Satnavs and has listings of services and town features.
The other guide that is invaluable is the ACSI guide. This is a campsite guide that offers very good offers for "OFF PEAK" stays.... usually €14 to €16 per night including EHU, waste disposal, water as well as swimming pool use, showers and site facilities. We use sites once/twice a week usually for laundry and the pool is nice to have.
A good French road atlas is very useful, a good hi resolution and hi-detail is very useful. Personally, we use the AA French atlas 1:500000 scale or 4 1/2 miles to the inch scale. The atlas is used for "rough planning" and the general direction we take, to help decide if we use toll roads or not and the final destination detail.
Satnav.... We keep 2, buth updated to latest mapping. One with all the POI's on it, the other for the destination.
APP's on the tablet are really good...... in no particular order...;
Park4night
Campercontact
ACSI camping card APP
ViaMichelin
The APP's require internet connection, see below.
But before all this the MH needs prepping, getting all on board that is needed.... and more importantly leaving out what isn't needed !
So for us we take the following.
Clothes.... Take enough but not over do it, plenty of laundry facilities there.
Bedding, 2 sets of covers, one in use, one in laundry.
Medicines, both prescription and ordinary...make sure enough for your stay.
Also, mosquito repellent and bite treatment.
Footwear; ... trainers, shoes and croc type footwear is very handy.
Sunglasses, hats and items you personally use.
Items in the van:
Cooking items we take:
Whistling kettle, frying Pan, 3 pots, colander, coffee percolator, good knives, chopping board(s), cutlery, cups and glasses, corkscrew/bottle opener, peeling tools, gas oven lighter, selection of Tupperware type containers and we also have a 1.5 litre slow cooker which is useful.
Foodstuffs are personal but Irish/British tea bags are a must and we only take enough food with us for 2 days maximum and then buy fresh.
Other MH items;
Levelling ramps.
EHU leads, have a couple as some sites require long runs. Also an ordinary rewindable extension lead is a handy item on board. Keep continental plug adapters too.
A generator !... We have one but it stays at home, EHU & solar panels up to the job.
Water hose, we have a 10 metre one and make sure you take lots of water tap fitting with you. Hoseloc ones are best and take lots. I keep mine in a Tupperware box.
A large watering can !... Useful if you cannot get to service point to fill water.
A basin, handy to empty grey water if stuck on pitch and gets you away.
We keep a cheapy 1KW/2KW blow heater as well as a small oil filled radiator.
BBQ.... really good thing, but not all sites allow them.
Gas bottles.....so many different solutions, refillable is good... Just make sure your solution is workable and easily obtainable there. A full thread on its own !
A clothes line and pegs !... Plus a travel iron.
Inverter, PSW is best, ours is permanently wired in. Good batteries required and bigger is better, ours is 2x 115ah leisure type. All lights changed to LED type.
Solar panels..... Not necessary but really useful. Ours is 300 watt couplet to a MPPT and permanent off grid is no problem
Television (if you want/need it) ... Sattelite system and receiver. Automatic is good but our last 2 trips was a tripod and dish that worked a treat. Adding Snipe for next trip.
Have breakdown kit in van as well as hi-viz vests for everyone.
A couple of torches can be handy.
A couple of foldable chairs. ( and table for outside)
Bicycles, always have our bikes on the back and use them a lot.
Internet:
Lots of free WiFi in France but we like Internet where possible and to that end we use the "Three" UK network using the "feel at home" feature which allows roaming abroad. Make sure you get a data card and not a voice card as the data card allows tethering via a MiFi dongle. We use iPads and a laptop when there and it assists organising and researching so easy.
I know there is tons of other things and will add to this post in the days/weeks ahead and ask others to add to it too. Hopefully be useful for others thinking on a trip to France.
