France possibly Spain

[Trotter]

Will have to Sit down & make a list of all required 'Hi Vis / Passports ' & everything else that we have to take

Travelling to France via Newhaven Dieppe. If you’re of advanced years, you get a sizeable discount by booking direct by phone. Every little helps.

 

[Burge]

Will have to stump up for the Train as Water Transfer is a NO NO with her indoors

 

[marchie]

Will have to Sit down & make a list of all required 'Hi Vis / Passports ' & everything else that we have to take

Chris,
I have a detailed Checklist, split between the mechanical side of the M/home and the Habitation Area; the specifics for Paperwork, covering Passengers (Passport, Travel Insurance, GHIC etc); and a separate Section for the Bikes (so we avoid @GMJ mistake when he forgot to pack the bike batteries). The Checklist is on my phone, and, as I pack each item, I place a Tick against it (we pack over the course of about a week). If you want to PM me with your mobile number, I can send you a copy of the Checklist, which you can tailor to suit your needs)

As far as the ferry crossing goes, have a look at Newhaven to Dieppe. You're over 60, so you and Mrs Chris will get a 20% Discount on both fare and a cabin (Shower, privacy and comfy bed) and the latter works out at £35-£50 net of discount. You have to book by phone because the 20% discount is funded by the Dieppe Chamber of Commerce and DFDS record the booking on a separate system, but there is an English speaking Booking Section, so very easy! Arriving in Dieppe at 0530 on the overnight crossing (invariably the cheapest fare) saves a lot of mileage, and gives bags of time to get clear of Rouen before Rush Hour. Or you can park up at the Carrefour Supermarket (about 1 mile from the Port) free of charge and head off the following day ...

Steve

 

[Burge]

Thanks Steve will send a PM

 

[Greengrass]

Don't worry about driving over there My first trip was Southampton to Cherbourg then drove down Barcelona to tip then down to Almeria for a reload for Milan reload Turin for the UK then out to Belgium tip and reload back to the UK Then got on a plane to Lanzarote Up till then never put a foot out of the UK And that was with a 40 ton truck

 

[HurricaneSmith]

If it's your first time on the continent, it might be worth placing a "Drive Right" sign on your steering wheel every time you turn off the engine. I still do it after over 50 years.

99 times out of a 100 you'll never need it, but just occasionally, you might be grateful for that reminder.

A customs officer poked his head through my window, saw the sign, and said "Good idea".

 

[witzend]

The Crit'Air anti-pollution vehicle sticker

Paris has become the first restricted traffic area in France. This means that all vehicles travelling in the capital must now carry a ‘Crit’

www.france.fr

this is worth getting only about 6£ posted to your home address and lasts for the life of the vehicle

next get a toll badge to allow easy use of toll roads save stretching out window to pay some toll booths you don't need to stop at all I use ATMB payment only for months used with direct debit

Also others have already mentioned CCP you can get your membership card delivered to your home address much easier that from the barrier outside the gate in France
Couple of other items we found useful over the years

Pardon our interruption...

www.ebay.co.uk

And

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[Marshman]

Just an additional comment returning to the original OP question. Might be worth investing in a pair of "snow socks" as an insurance measure to keep the Gendarmes/ Guardia Civil sweet. We got a pair for under £20 as I recall? Lightweight. No idea if they would work but only a small outlay.

 

[TJBi]

Don't worry about driving over there My first trip was Southampton to Cherbourg then drove down Barcelona to tip then down to Almeria for a reload for Milan reload Turin for the UK then out to Belgium tip and reload back to the UK Then got on a plane to Lanzarote Up till then never put a foot out of the UK And that was with a 40 ton truck

What was the plane? A Globemaster?

 

[Greengrass]

What was the plane? A Globemaster?

I did realise my mistake as I posted it but thought it will give some one a laugh, I was right

 

[RichardHelen262]

We are going to Spain mid march for a month we also go via the tunnel, you are quite welcome to tag along until you feel comfortable, which won’t take long, as it is far easier than the uk both for driving and finding places to stop.
Once you have done it once you won’t be able to wait to do it again.
As for tyres just buy some snow socks they are lighter, and less bulky than chains and also easier to fit

 

[GMJ]

What happens if We come across Snow with these Standard Tyres ? Do we have to wait till it's gone before moving or take Snow Chains are the tyres still Legal with Chains on ?? Thanks Chris.

It would be worth getting a set of snow socks to keep on board just for piece of mind. They are relatively cheap and lightweight. These are the other legal option alongside chains as has been mentioned. We normally travel down to Spain in the first 2 weeks of January and whilst we have seen snow, the main routes are kept clear. Travelling back through France in March has always been clear.

 

[Burge]

We are going to Spain mid march for a month we also go via the tunnel, you are quite welcome to tag along until you feel comfortable, which won’t take long, as it is far easier than the uk both for driving and finding places to stop.
Once you have done it once you won’t be able to wait to do it again.
As for tyres just buy some snow socks they are lighter, and less bulky than chains and also easier to fit

Thank you so much for that, will let you know , might be a little early as Wife packs in Work in March but much appreciated thanks Chris .PS. just to add do you book sites or just go

 

[Burge]

Just had a look on Ebay for Snow Socks anyone recommend any makes & do you have to purchase 2 or 4 ??

 

[RichardHelen262]

Thank you so much for that, will let you know , might be a little early as Wife packs in Work in March but much appreciated thanks Chris .PS. just to add do you book sites or just go

We have never booked sites we just go and make it up as we travel, sometimes it is the weather that determines where we go

 

[Rec]

You might find this interesting

Frequently asked questions about AutoSock

Frequently asked AutoSock snow sock questions. Answers to the common questions we get asked about AutoSock

www.autosock.co.uk

We go to Europe regularly via the tunnel....for same reasons as you! It is so simple, little waiting, straight on and off. If you miss the train or get there early, never had a problem being fitted on another train....never had to pay extra. I actually prefer driving the van in Europe ( not in cities though!) as the roads are clearer. Just be aware of speed limits ( we have a note on dashboard with km/mph limits, and our satnav warning re speed limits is also useful.) Aires are easy to find, most towns have a couple of spaces designated, as well as municipal sites. Go for it, it is more scary thinking about it than doing it!
If really worried, maybe do a day trip on the shuttle first, to see how you feel about the driving. Very cheap and can fill up in City Europe. We stop at Canterbury park and ride the night before, as very easy drive to tunnel from there.

 

[TJBi]

Thank you so much for that, will let you know , might be a little early as Wife packs in Work in March but much appreciated thanks Chris .PS. just to add do you book sites or just go

The majority of aires cannot be booked - just as you would seldom book a car park.

 

[Burge]

The majority of aires cannot be booked - just as you would seldom book a car park.

Was thinking more of did they have a Destination Target Site booked or if they just went on Spec to somewhere

 

[Trotter]

There is, or maybe was, a pair of Aires books available. One for the North of France, another for the South. I have elderly copies I still use. Thank you Tezza.
Handy for planning a route. But tbh , P4N would probably be more current. Personally, I carry on using the book.

But as others have said. Don’t worry about places to park for the night. They are so much more grown up about our mode of transport.
Go for it, and enjoy the experience. You’ll be kicking yourself for not doing it earlier.

 

[Burge]

There is, or maybe was, a pair of Aires books available. One for the North of France, another for the South. I have elderly copies I still use. Thank you Tezza.
Handy for planning a route. But tbh , P4N would probably be more current. Personally, I carry on using the book.

But as others have said. Don’t worry about places to park for the night. They are so much more grown up about our mode of transport.
Go for it, and enjoy the experience. You’ll be kicking yourself for not doing it earlier.

Thanks, Chris.