UKC

Travelling from the Peak to Font for a weeks holiday (walking, bouldering etc) next year (probably around May time).

We have two small children (one 3yr old, one 8 months at time of travel).

Does anyone have any experience of doing a similar journey and any suggested options?  

- drive to Kent - Ferry - Drive to Font

- drive to Kent - EuroTunnel - Drive to Font

- drive to Airport - Fly to CDG - Hire car to drive to Font

- any other options???

Any experience or thoughts from anyone who has done such a journey with two small ones in the car?

Cheers

I've done the trip many times, a couple of them with little'uns.

With children the ferry worked better than tunnel as it gave them some running around time. A couple of stops at the aires between Calais and Font worked well too. I'd avoid flying - too much hassle.

If you're camping go for Camping le Grez - it's a fair bit cheaper than La Musadiere, has nice little park by the river and is a short wander into the town in the mornings.

I'd broadly say, if you're crossing the channel by day, then take the ferry as the kids can run around and enjoy that part of the journey. Last year we timed it so dinner and wind-down was on the ferry, which meant they went to sleep when we got back in the car for the 3-4 hour drive to Font.

The drive the other side isn't particularly interesting - we've done quite a bit of Googling and there's not really anywhere conveniently half-way along the journey to stop for half-a-day, especially for littlun's.

It's not a rule as such, but certainly guidance for <1 year olds is no more than 2-hours in a car seat at a time if possible.

We have taken the tunnel previously but this was a full evening/night journey - left home (Surrey) just after rush-hour, on to the tunnel, then on to Font. Long, boring drive, but the kids slept the entire way. 

Last year, we did the evening crossing, then stayed overnight just outside Disneyland (lots of hotels in Marne La Vallee). You're only a 45-minute drive from Font then, but there's a fairly decent zoo nearby which we spent the day at, then on to Font in the afternoon for check-in.

You could also go by train but I suspect it would be much more expensive, and with the hassle of changing stations in London & Paris

I wouldn't attempt to drive that far in a single day with such young children. My kids would have fallen asleep in the back of the car and then stayed up all night, ruining the first few days of our holiday due to everyone not getting a decent sleep. I would plan to drive to the coast, stay overnight, take the ferry the next morning and drive on to Font the second day.

I used to allow for 1 hour of stops per 2 hours of driving time when my kids were still preschool age, because without fail one would need a nappy change or toilet break again within within 5 minutes of leaving the last services.

Last Feb we took the ferry from Helsinki to Travemunde (2 nights) and the drove around 1.5 h for a hotel. Then we took another break in Belgium. This meant that we broke the travel time in the car to 2, 4 and 5 h. Oldest kid was 2 and younger around 7 months. 

On the way back, we drove the whole way back to Travemunde (~11h), but had lots of breaks. 

If driving works, it’s great as you can take lots of stuff for the kids (bike for the older and so on).

This fall, we took a shorter trip to ’Bleau (1.5 weeks), so we flew. Younger kid was over 1 year though. Not as bad of a hassle as one might thought, but perhaps next time we’ll rent the pads from ’Bleau if flying. Direct flights to Orly helped. 

Yes, I have plenty of experience of such journeys with two little ones in the car. I'm sorry to say that my experience / thoughts are that [1] the entire trip will revolve around the needs of the little ones and looking after them, and [2] it's not a great idea because I personally like to focus on the kids when I travel with them and that takes most of the available time and energy

Sorry to sound so negative - others will think otherwise - but those are my experiences

Good luck

I am realistic.  The expectation is that the it will be a family holiday, but the boulder pad will get packed just in case.  The idea the wife and I had was to go abroad, and it made sense to go somewhere we were familiar with (hence Font).

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and thoughts.  Sounds like ferry is a good bet.  We have family in Kent, so we'll be making use of them for a stop-over on the way there/back.  

Good point about timings, which we hadn't got to yet.

Will be looking up the zoo - the 3yr old likes his animals.

Thank you

My kids are now 5 and 7, but we've been to Font six times with them since the oldest was born. We live in Sheffield.

Firstly, great choice. Kids love Font!

We find the best way to do the journey is to split it this side of the channel, especially with kids of your age. We AirB&B somewhere near Dover then get the ferry. If you're going to do it in a day then I would definitely go with the ferry option, for the reasons others have given.

There's always the drive through the night option, but that leaves one adult semi knackered for the entire trip and dreading the journey home. We did do it once from Sheffield - Cornwall and it worked out well.

Done this every year as our two have grown up, although starting in London the UK leg is short. 

Taking the ferry is good, breaks things up for them and the older ones can run around and burn off energy. Delays can be a pain and happen at random, usually at Dover IME.

We have only ever broken the leg in France for c. 45min break at an aire de service N. of Paris and another short stop just to the South just to get some snacks in. The last hour is painful more often than not.

 On the way home, they are usually so worn out from all the fresh air they mostly slept, or didn't seem to mind a long journey so much. 

Mine are 2.5 and 9months.  We leave Sheffield at kiddy bed time and drive to a travel lodge/premier inn type place near the tunnel entrance while they sleep.  Carry sleeping children to bed from the car when we get there.  Early train the next morning with a stop at an aire to break the journey on the way through France.

Get travel insurance or buy a reliable car before you go.  We didn't and had a 'mare last time.

So we've drove every year since my daughter was born and last year did with our second too.

As above I recommend the ferry, the kids can play around and they sail every hour so theirs no panic if you have some unexpected delays.

Personally I prefer to stay overnight at Dover and get the early morning ferry, that way we arrive in Font late afternoon, with a couple of stops around Arras and/or Assevillers.  

We usually stay at Camping La Lido and would recommend but have stayed at Grez as well.

Climbing wise with a buggy Isatis, Roche Aux Sabots and Bas Cuvier are probably your best bets.   

It's definitely possible but hard work for sure!

Full disclosure: I don't have kids...

We've driven from Nottingham to somewhere on the French/Italian border every year for the last few years and stay in Reims most times to break it up.  Leaving early from work on the Friday, down to Folkestone by 8pm, accross by 9:30pm on the train then you're tucked up in the hotel by 1am - not exactly arduous/late night, plus driving at night in France you can just set the cruise control and relax.  Get hold of a toll tag and you don't even have to stop for tolls!

With kids as young as yours they would probably sleep most of the way and just carry them in to the hotel at the other end. Maybe get a hotel near Font for the first night so you're not faffing about setting up tents in the middle of the night?

I am a great fan of the tunnel, its quick and very efficient plus cheaper if you have a higher vehicle. But somehow it doesn't feel like going abroad on the same way as a ferry did. Also getting out of the car and stretching your legs on the ferry is much more fun than sitting in your car on a train. 

Don't underestimate the journey to the Channel, from Sheffield that is always the worst part for me as it takes forever. Tbh by the time you've got to the airport and sat around waiting for the flight it's probably almost as quick to drive and as someone else said if driving you can take toys and other accessories which will make the trip easier.

Can't advise on the specifics of travelling with kids, just hope they are less prone to travel sickness than I was.

Another vote for the ferry, we've always gone with DFDS, they're usually cheapest and have soft play to gives the kids a chance to burn off steam.  

If you need a place to sleep overnight in France we've found Formula 1 to be the best (cheap) option.  Rooms are only meant for 3, but we smuggle the second kid in under a blanket.  Could take a sleeping mat so one person can go on the floor, but we usually have my wife and the 2 kids in the double bed, I go in the single bunk up high.

Have driven out to the Alps most winters since they were tiny (now 6 and 7).  Has always been fine, lots of audio books, stop when they need a break.  Have to confess we also weakened as parents, got them both a tablet (Amazon Fire) and let them watch films/games for chunks of the journey. 

Zoo du Bois d'Attilly - http://www.zoo-attilly.fr/  / https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g11761817-d2366388-Reviews-...

London Zoo it ain't but, by-and-large, the enclosures are good, the animals looked happy & healthy (no pacing except for the Serval Cat) and the play area was also good.

Another amazing discovery was the Isle de Loisirs at Bois-le-Rois - sunny days only, but lovely little beach, safe swimming, good playground, water-fountain play area:

bois-le-roi.iledeloisirs.fr

We have done your first option with an 8 month old (coming from Derby,  so the distance is similar either side of the channel .) We stopped for 30 minutes half way on each side of the channel in the car so that he wasn't in the seat over 2 hours at a time. We also stayed over the night in Kent in each direction so he didn't have to last more than 4 hours in a day and so we could keep night-time hours completely normal.  This worked well. We left home Friday afternoon,  got home Sunday afternoon the next week,  and had 7 nights (Sat-Sat) in Font. 

Thank you everyone for the great replies and advice. 

Feeling psyched for booking stuff now!! 

S

I've done most routes apart from flying and think one of the best is the overnight crossing from Newhaven to Dieppe. If you book a cabin for 4 it gives you a 4/5 hour break and a chance to sleep. Interesting drive from Dieppe via Rouen, Versailles and Every, shorter than from Calais, and you should arrive at about lunchtime.

Plus 1 for le Grez. Nice little village with small supermarket and bakery, with a delightful medieval bridge. Choices of climbing/walking within 15 mins drive