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Campervan routes in France

Normandy and French Brittany in 15 days

QUICK GUIDE TO THE TRIP TO NORMANDY AND THE FRENCH BRITTANY


Below, we try to summarize our experience and trip to Normandy and French Brittany by motorhome

If you want to see the route of our 2nd trip through French Brittany with the 12 best destinations, access this post that contains its map and details:

 Post: 12 places you still do not know on a route through French Brittany by motorhome

Initial observation of the trip to Normandy and French Brittany

This motorhome trip to Normandy and Brittany is the second leg of a longer journey of 29 days and 4300 km (https://www.kucavana.es/disneyland-normandia-y-bretana-en-autocaravana/). The first stage had as its main destination Disneyland in motorhome, passing through Central France. You can see the previous stage here: Disneyland and Paris, a stop on a journey that will continue in Normandy

Days

15 days, August 2018

Ruta 

STAGE 1 of a 10-day trip to Disneyland going up through Central France (route here: https://www.kucavana.es/disneyland-en-autocaravnaa/) -> STAGE 2: NORMAND AND BRITAIN -> Quiberville -> Veules les Roses -> Etretat -> Honfleur -> Longues sur Mer -> Mont St.Michell -> Fougères -> Paimpont (Broceliande) -> Kervert (Elven) -> StSavinien-Le Mung -> Oloron St Marie -> Calatayud.

Overnight places 

Quiberville municipal campsite–> Veules les Roses municipal campsite in the camping car area -> Etretat in the Germanderie car park–> Parking behind Honfleur lidl -> Batterie de Longues Sur Mer car park–> Car de Mont camping area St Michell–> Paimpont camping car area -> Kervert beach municipal camping car area -> Oloron St Marie camping car area -> Calatayud motorhome area. All these places can be found in https://www.park4night.com/ with the Kucavana comment included on it.

Additional

1600 Euros calculated for 2 adults + 2 children, round trip, from Sant Pere de Vilamajor (Barcelona).

Tolls + gasoline approx. € 700 / Overnight areas € 112 / Tickets to museums or activities and souvenirs € 114 / Restaurants + supermarkets € 600.

Visits and activities outlined of the route through Normandy and Brittany by motorhome

STAGE 1 of 10 days of travel to Disneyland going up through the Center France (visits and activities here: https://www.kucavana.es/disneyland-en-autocaravnaa/), the starting point of this second stage of the journey through Normandy and Brittany.

STAGE 2: Normandy and Brittany by motorhome:

    • Quiberville (1 night)
      • Laundry day at the campsite and cleaning
      • Quiberville beach and promenade
      • Visit to the town
    • Veules les Roses (1 night)
      • Camping pool
      • Visit to the town
      • Beach and promenade
      • Stroll along the path of the smallest river in France
    • Etretat (2 nights)
      • Beach.
      • Visit to the town
      • Visit church
      • Cliff path and hermitage
    • Honfleur (1 night)
      • Visit town
    • Longues Sur Mer (1 night)
      • Visit to the German Batterie
      • Cliffs trail
      • Beach.
      • Visit town
    • Mont St Michell (2 nights)
      • Visit town
      • Abbey visit
      • Greenway by bicycle to the Mont around the river
    • Fougères (we do not spend the night)
      • Visit town
      • Visit church
      • Visit parks
    • Paimpont (2 nights)
      • Visit town
      • Abbey visit
      • Broceliande Trail, Merlin Forest
    • Kervert Beach (Saint-Gildas) (2 nights)
      • Beach
      • Trail through the dunes
    • St Savinien-Le Mung (1 night)
      • Visit town
      • Theme park
      • Climb on a boat from the Lake Miniature Port
    • Oloron-St Marie (1 night)
      • Bathing in the river.
      • River walk
    • Calatayud (1 night)
      • Visit town
      • Path around the river

The best of the trip to Normandy and Brittany by motorhome

    • Normandy, toooodo, spectacular without a doubt.
    • The tranquility and beach of Quiberville, a little touristy place for Spaniards and instead spectacular. Ahh and where did we see a seal! bathing with us right next door!
    • The heated pool of the Veules les Roses campsite, which the children loved and we could access in the camping car area for a more than reasonable price.
    • Climb the cliffs of Etretat and eat some other delicious food on one of the terraces on the seafront
    • The batterie and the cliffs of Longues Sur Mer. Without a doubt the best place where we have stayed, there is infinite peace, a special place, to return without a doubt.
    • Mont St Michell for its spectacularity and its tides. Walk around it and bathe at low tide and its greenway by bike.
    • Fougères, a beautiful medieval city in Brittany full of beautiful parks and gardens.
    • The Paimpont camping car area is super quiet and great for children, with a soccer field and basketball
    • Lake Paimpont with its trails in the forest of Merlin, Broceliande. Ahh and the restaurant next to the tourist office, great everything and excellent value for money, what grilled skewers and what glasses of ice cream, the best the cappuccino lol!
    • Relaxing days on the beach at Kervert full of crabs at low tides and all kinds of fish and seafood, a show for the whole family.
    • The St Savinien-Le Mung Lake Miniature Harbor where you can drive beautiful mini boats.
    • The river with its little beach, next to the Oloron St Marie camping car area in the French Pyrenees, where life refreshed us in the heat wave.
    • Having motorhome areas so beautiful and with all services in France at super reasonable prices or even free, of course. France is the paradise of camping car and camperlife.

Worst of the trip to Normandy and Brittany by motorhome

    • The heat wave that caught us fully and made us anticipate the return, when we wanted to see more places in Brittany. Now with the Viesa installed it would no longer happen to us hehehe
    • Tolls
    • The mass of people from Mont St Michell during the mornings until approximately 18:XNUMX p.m. stampeded in brutal lines to catch the free shuttle bus.

TIPS FOR THIS TRIP TO NORMANDY AND BRITAIN BY MOTORHOME, WITH CHILDREN AND DOGS



  • General

    • Before leaving on a trip to cross the French border of La Junquera-El Pertús, look at the tweeter of Infoautopistas or transit or dgt, make sure there is no 18 km queue for controls, it can take 4 hours to cross the border only. If you go out to La Junquera before the 2 hours until you cross the border and you see Cantallops in its free and great AC area that the Can Pau restaurant maintains. Take the opportunity to pay tribute, drown the sorrows of the queues made and eat at the restaurant. It is spectacular and if it is not too late you can even take a dip in the pool and discover the Albera and Cantallops landscapes. Hopefully you won't run into the Tramontana, which is the worst there. Stay to sleep or wait until later than 01:00 in the morning (which is when the restaurant told us that the traffic begins to decongest) and before 7:XNUMX in the morning cross the border (there is no queue at this time ).
    • In French restaurants and bars it is very normal to ask for tap water as a drink, but bottled water can cost you 6 euros a bottle. They are also required by law to give it. So remember to always ask, and especially with children if you have to ask for water all day, "an cagaf do" (I write it as it is pronounced).
    • The prices of food in supermarkets in France are very similar to those in Spain, you do not have to fill the freezer of the motorhome with meat that you will surely find a better price even than in Spain. The fish is also great in France and similar tough, in addition to the coastal area you have spectacular seafood at good prices. Take only your whims and things that you like from Spain, like your favorite Serrano ham or sausage (we haven't found a better one out of that yet hahaha) along the way you will want to buy French beer, wine, cheeses etc. for sure 🙂 Use les Formules or Plat du Jour to eat in restaurants, they are a good menu of the day option that is well priced.
    • Be sure to try les Moules frites (mussels with chips) and oysters, they are the typical dishes of coastal Normandy and Brittany.
    • If you want to buy fresh fish on many Normandy beaches, fishermen get there first thing, a very good option. In Quiberville it is next to the camping and camping car area for example.
    • Carry most river slippers beaches, they are stone beaches during high tides (in the afternoon). Bring binoculars because it is not uncommon to see seals nearby swimming.
    • To visit Mont Saint Michell there is a long queue in August to buy tickets, or you see at noon around 13:30 pm to 14:00 pm that there is a little less queue or buy tickets online: https://ticket.monuments-nationaux.fr/Offres.aspx?anchor=information
    • You will not be able to bike to Mont St Michell, you will have to leave it before, you will see the signs on the greenway, about 400 meters before Mont, but you can take the free shuttle bus afterwards.
    • Mont St Michell Abbey is free for EU residents under 25 years of age and also for the disabled and unemployed. In addition, the first Sunday of each month between the months of November to March is also free for everyone. Plan your trip and you can save € 10 per ticket for each person.
  • If you travel with children:

    • Mont St Michell Abbey is free for those under 25 residing in the EU.
    • Take advantage of the free shuttle buses to go to Mont St Michell both for the round trip. With children it is a great option so that they do not get tired. They come out of the bicycle and car parking spaces. On the beaches of Normandy and Brittany, take some good rakes, buckets and shovels for the children, there are thousands of treasures of the sea that they will love hidden under the sands of the beach at low tides, they will love to make a collection of shells (live no, those please leave them poor little ones) that can then be dedicated and given to their friends.
    • The water on the beaches of northern Normandy is cold, so if you have small children, the best thing to do is take swimsuits or wetsuits, as I say, because yes or yes they are going to bathe hehehe
    • Take advantage of your children to write postcards and letters to their friends, it is a great activity of reading and writing practice for the little ones that is done very eagerly by them and it is quite a challenge to go buy the stamp, throw it in the mailbox, choose the postcard ...
    • Take some pieces of wooden construction or whatever and play when you can have them represent you with the pieces the trip of the day made or the entire trip for them, you will be amazed at everything they learn traveling! It is also a way to review and learn what has been lived for the whole family. Sometimes with questions they do not answer us, instead playing a great conversation arises.
    • Take letters from Uno or Djeco that take up very little space (our favorites for our 5-year-old son are Piratatak, Piu Piu, Virus and Bata Baf) to play with the family, for us they are great entertainment for queuing, for the beach (the one laminated is great) for free time and we like them to young and old.
  • If you travel with dogs:

    • Neither in the Abbey of Mont St Michell, nor in the free shuttle bus that takes you, will they let you pass your dog, but you can walk and visit Mont St Michell without seeing the abbey inside, your dog will have a pipe on the beach at low tide.
    • On the greenways, remember that if your dog goes with you, put hydrating cream on his paws before and after, but he will burn on the piece of asphalt there is.
    • If you want to visit churches, museums or do an activity like going to the beach, dogs are probably prohibited, in few places they are accepted in France or none better said, except on the terraces of restaurants and some inside if you have a small dog (this is not our case ).
    • If it is not hot we leave it with all the skylights open inside the AC and as the AC can always be in the shade, but if it is hot remember that you should never leave it alone in the AC.
    • On the beaches, always look for the ends and the boat area, dogs are not normally prohibited there.
    • Remember to put your name and your phone (with 0034 in front) permanently on your dog's collar, you never know if it can escape in an oversight and even if it has a chip, the international data exchange system does not work.
    • Remember to make the international passport for your dog to travel to France, you just need to have up-to-date rabies vaccinations and pay for it and your regular vet will do it on the spot.
  • If you travel to Normandy and Brittany with a motorhome or camper:

    • In Quiberville the municipal camping has an area for camping car for € 7,50, it has no services but it is in front of the beach, a much cheaper option than inside the camping that cost us € 35 (although in our case it was a mandatory option because we had a lot of clothes to wash and we had to do the laundry)

THE JOURNEY OF THE TRIP TO NORMANDY AND BRITAIN BY MOTORHOME


Day 1: Disneyland Paris - Quiberville

This motorhome trip to Normandy and Brittany is the second leg of a three-day, 29km, 4300-day trip. Here you can see the whole trip: https://www.kucavana.es/disneyland-normandia-y-bretana-en-autocaravana/
Therefore, our day 1 has as its starting point, Disneyland Paris. You can see the previous stage in this post: Disneyland and Paris, a stop on a journey that will continue in Normandy
After picking up the car and saying goodbye to the friends made in the Disneyland motorhome area, we headed towards the north coast of Normandy, a few kilometers from Belgium. We decided that the destination is Quiberville, a small town that we see is small and that has a camping in front of the beach.
It is hot and we want to bathe with the children, and we also have to go camping to do our laundry, we hardly have any clean clothes.
As the journey is not very long, we decided to put in the GPS that it passes through the panoramic route, which takes you through regional roads and not the highway. We stopped in a Carrefour through one of the towns that we passed. We buy supplies. A little later we stopped at a picnic area, rest area of ​​the regional road through which we passed. The area is incredible, for a provincial road, we eat next to some fields with cows on picnic tables in the shade. Just like in Spain we go, if it is not on the highway you will not find an area like that or joke. We add it as a picnic area to par4night: https://www.park4night.com/lieu/88909//neuf-march%C3%A9-4-d915/france/seine-maritime/Aire-de-pique-nique#prettyPhoto
We arrived in Dieppte, some friends have told us that it is very good, but when we enter we see that it is a big city with a lot of shopping centers and we decide that after Disney what we want is to go to a quiet town where there is not much to do more than watch peaceful sunsets on the beach playing with our children. So without stopping directly we go to Quiberville.
We go directly to the municipal camping of Quiberville, in front of the beach and its promenade. The receptionist is a charming woman, and speaks Spanish.
He tells us that he has not been able to practice Spanish for years, because Spaniards have not come to Quiberville, he asks us how we have known the town and everything,
she is surprised. And the truth is that we immediately realize that there is not a Spanish and almost no external tourism, only some Belgian.
The camping is expensive for us the truth is 30 Euros for the 4 and the dog, but the worst thing is that with that price only the plot enters without electricity, water or anything! Besides they charge us the electricity and the water (it goes with a coin), 40 Euros at the end ... and that is not all that you have to do the laundry 4,5 the washing machine (and does not include the detergent) + 2,5 the dryer … Come on, thank goodness that it is the only paid campsite we go to on the 29 days of travel!
The strongest thing is that the campsite has an area just in front of the camping car without services for 7,10 a night ... but of course we could not use any of its services ... I don't know if the washing machine, which is what we need, if they had left us ... I I think so… our fault for not asking.
Overall, after paying, paying and paying, hehehe, we are going to do the laundry, clean the AC and go for a walk and swim on the beach, while we learn things like how the tides work. We do not see signs of prohibited dogs like that that we bring Max, great because he loves the beach ... that does bite the water ... and of course salty water then will give us surprises of cagalinas, my goodness that show, I do not give more details!
Cenita and then another walk along the promenade, lonely and very quiet. Without a doubt, today we have all recharged batteries for more jogging and traveling.

Day 2: Quiberville- Veules-les-Roses

In the morning we just woke up and go to get the bread that is brought to the entrance of the campsite ... problemilla is until 9am and it is 9:05 am! The baker is gone ... German punctuality, more than French ...
Fishermen start selling fish on the boardwalk early in the morning too, a great option for eating fresh fish.
And after having a quiet breakfast we go to the beach again, it is a minute away so it costs little to come and go hehehe. The water is icy and full of algae, at high tide, so today the beach is rocky. We take a dip at mid-waist and incredibly right next to us to touch the shore we see a seal!
He leaves immediately, but we have all been especially excited to see an animal so beautiful, free and so close to us.
After playing for a while on the lonely beach and picking up sea sponges (dry, not alive) and precious shells we go back to the campsite. They let us go after eating without problem, so we take a shower, eat,
We pick up and at siesta time we leave, so that the children fall asleep while traveling and do not go chinchando all the time lol
We go to Veules-les-Roses, they say that one of the most beautiful villages in France, within the ranquin proposed by the French association of "les plus beaux villages de France".
We park the motorhome in the camping car area of ​​the municipal camping of Veules les Roses, which for € 15,80 we can use all the camping services, including its heated pool (basically we go for it, given how cold the beach water is. lol).
The first thing we do is go see the pool and take a bath. In front of the pool there is a fruit and vegetable stall, we took the opportunity to buy something, the price has nothing to do with what it would be in a place like this on a Spanish beach. We see on a poster that almost every day there is a different street vendor, depending on the day of the week. We also see that the campsite has some small animation, although it is not like in the Spanish campsites or by far (they offer a game of petanque or soccer basically).
We go to the motorhome for a snack and after that we have to go see the village and walk along the path of its river, the smallest in France, which ends up at the beach.
The campsite is on top of the cliff, there are 10 minutes going down, through some canyons and 2 bunkers from the Second World War. There are not very wide stairs, not very accessible to go with the little girl's cart, two children and a big dog, but we went down with beautiful views of the beach and its cliffs.
Once we got off we found ourselves on the beach promenade. There are signs of prohibited dogs, so although we wear swimming trunks, we undo the idea of ​​going to the beach and go straight to see the town and its river. Dogs will generally be welcome on this Normandy and Brittany motorhome trip, but not here 🙁
The walk becomes very pleasant, the town is beautiful and after buying pastries in a pastry shop, sitting on a bench in front of the river and eating them, an excellent plan is made with the children.
We return to the campsite for dinner. In this area we see that there are some Spaniards with a van, a couple from Navarra, they are the only ones who greet us (then we will meet during practically all the stops of the trip through Normandy a curious anecdote that will make us start conversations and friendship hehehe)

Day 3: Veules-les-Roses- Etretat

Once we have eaten breakfast, we take advantage of the pool at the campsite, with which our children seem to have dreamed, and all of that. We eat, nap and collect to march towards Etretat.
In Etretat we go to the Germanderie car park, there are few spaces but at 16:XNUMX we have some free. It is a good place, since it is close to the city center and its beaches, it is also free (when the cars in front have to pay). In a little while there is no place, there is another Spanish car from a family who tells us that they have stopped here because the campsite was full, there are several cars swarming because they can not find a place.
We go to the town and back to the beach to see if the water is a little warmer here. We stand at one end of the beach where there is no dog ban. It is low tide and it is impressive how the rocks and caves of the cliffs can be seen, which later it will be impossible to reach.
Etretat is a show in itself, it is the typical Normandy picture and it is no wonder. It will undoubtedly be the star photo of this trip to Normandy and Brittany by motorhome. Its cold waters, too, are crystal clear and with its white pebbles they give it a beautiful turquoise color. No wonder they were beaches muses of great painters.
After the foot bath, the children did not dare to do more (it must also be said that it was cloudy to rain), we took a walk and on the seafront we had some nutella pancakes and the little oysters with wine that make the rain that begins to fall a minor anecdote.
Then we go to the car and on the way to buy postcards and stop raining. But when we get to the car it starts to rain really nice and already collected in the car we have dinner and watch a movie quietly before sleeping under the sound of the rain.

Day 4: Etretat- Honfleur

After breakfast we decide to climb one of the cliffs of Etretat and go towards the one with the hermitage at the top. It's a lot of air above the cliff, thank goodness that as it was drizzling we were wearing the raincoats.

We take the typical postcard photos of Etretat and Normandy and at lunchtime we went down to the motorhome.

We eat and after the siesta we move to Honfleur passing the Normandy bridge, where there is a line to pay the toll (€ 5,80). The bridge is spectacular, it crosses the Seine.

Arrived in Honfleur we go towards the motorhome area. It is a very large area, but it is incredibly crowded. We take the opportunity to empty and fill water and look at parking4night for an alternative. Right next to it, there is a free parking, we go there, it is behind the Lidl and there are a few ACs and vans.

We are going to visit Honfleur. Its old port and its streets full of people and life. We had some crepes and then we had dinner with moules frites (mussels with fried potatoes, the dish seems typical of Normandy).
To AC and to sleep 🙂

Day 5: Honfleur- Longues-sur-Mer

It has rained all night and the morning is still rainy. We go shopping for supplies and decided to go from Honfleur to Longues-sur-Mer to see the German Batterie. The journey through Normandy and Brittany continues in a motorhome.

Right after lunch and nap the afternoon clears a bit and we go out to see the Batterie, three canyons and several well-preserved underground WWII bunkers under wheat fields and on spectacular cliffs overlooking Arromanches beach . The visit is completely free and is always open.
The place breathes a special serenity, something magical difficult to explain ... it is a haven of peace, where one day there was a lot of noise and pain. It's a place that makes you

think, reflect ... For us it has been the place that we liked the most of the trip, perhaps it is something personal, we love modern history, or perhaps it is the place or it was the moment and context, after so much rain and wind ... But We will be back for sure.

You can sleep on the edge of the cliff, with spectacular views and where going down we find the beach and where there is a well-equipped path for cycling or walking along the cliffs between wheat fields. When it rained again and it was so airy, we decided to sleep in the more sheltered parking lot of the batterie.
We walk along the cliff path between the wheat fields and when it rains again we go to the AC to have dinner and sleep.

Day 6: Longues-sur-Mer-Mont Saint Michell

After a very quiet night in Longues, we set off towards Mont St Michell. Longues is undoubtedly the favorite place to stay on the whole trip through Normandy and Brittany by motorhome. We highly recommend it.
We park in the camping car area closest to Mont St Michell (€ 15 per night). It is like a campsite, with large pitches with grass and all services. It is right next to the greenway that leads to Mont. A greenway that runs next to the river, which gives it a unique flavor.

We are eager to set foot on the road with the bikes, so we eat quickly and we head towards the Mont, the essential of this trip through Normandy and Brittany in our camper.

Halfway there is a girl with a bike and a cart from the Tourist Office! A pleasant surprise. She also speaks great Spanish. He has just helped us plan our stay on the Mont and also the following days in Brittany. Chocking on maps and information hehehe Great!

It took us about 15 minutes to reach a point that tells us that we should leave the bikes. At this point we chain the bikes. It is 1 kilometer to Mont. You can walk or take a free shuttle bus. Today we choose to go on foot. There are photos that we could not take by bus. On foot we savor the impressive views of Mont.

We arrive at the Mont and we feel like walking around it. We make our way into its sea. A dry sea, at low tide at this time. A sea full of hidden treasures and quicksand.

Then we went to wander. We are looking for a creperie and we have the well-deserved chocolate crepe with a glass of wine (€ 27). Cheap is not.

On the way back we bought some postcards, we continued practicing reading and writing with Arnau.

This time we take the free shuttle bus, to finally take the bikes and make the way back to Kucavana. Arnau endures like a champion.

Once in the motorhome area, the party continues. Arnau and Anna make friends with two little Italians. Anna and Pietro will be two great friends of my children to remember this trip through Normandy and French Brittany with our motorhome.

Day 7: Mont Saint Michell

Breakfast, a bit of play with the new Italian friends and today it is time for a full exploration of Mont Saint Michelle.

Thank goodness we go without a cart for Anna, since the whole Mont is upstairs, downstairs. Especially for the visit to the Abbey. We visited the Abbey (€ 10 adults, children free). For another time we will look to go a first Sunday of the month that is free.

The visit is worth it. La Abadia is beautiful. But, above all, the views it offers are unmatched. There are so many people. It is the only thing left over to be in a magical haven of peace.

At lunchtime, we do it in one of the many restaurants with a noon formula, as they say in France to what our menu would be. It is all very full, so we end up entering the first restaurant that they tell us there is a place. The menu is € 19 for adults and € 11 for children. We eat the typical mussels with fried potatoes (moules frites). We are getting the taste of this dish hehehe.

After eating we continue to stroll and stroll through the alleys of Mont. And since they were hungry (ironia), we are going to have a good chocolate crepe with ice cream. Thank goodness that with the «cagaf do» (tap water) the bills are less painful hehehe

After enjoying the Mont, we go back to the motorhome area to write postcards, wash clothes, write in this newspaper and do more things about a life that is already completely normalized on the trip.

The curiosity of the night is that again for the third time we met the couple from the Basque van, very nice, whom we greeted again sharing anecdotes from the trip.

Day 8: Mont Saint Michell- Fougères- Paimpont (Forest of Brocéliande)

Today we start the day with the collection of the beach bar. Quickly we have everything collected and before 11 am we are in Fougères. The first typical medieval town of Brittany that we are going to see on this trip that we are improvising through Normandy and Brittany in a motorhome.

Fougères is near Mont St Michell. It is a small municipality that retains all its original medieval charm. Its castle, streets, old houses, gardens, public parks and paths around streams with small ponds make it a delight to visit this little town.

We park in their free and shady motorhome area. Very beautiful, with views of the castle walls and in the very center of the little town.

From the tourist office they give us a map with the signage of a tourist route for the visit of the entire town and its points of interest. The book is great, everything is super well explained.

The walk is approximately two hours.

As it is still early we decided not to stay to sleep in the town and we continued on the route.

We are heading towards the interior of Brittany. After a lot of coast and beach in Normandy, we look forward to mountains and forests. The next destination is a forest. The forest of Merín, Brocéliande. A magical forest around a beautiful pond in a highly recommended village: Paimpont. We arrived at 19:XNUMX p.m.

At Paimpont we park in the motorhome area. An area 10 for families with children. Next to a basketball court, a soccer field, with toilets next to it and all services for only € 4 24 hours.

After settling down, we do the laundry for the day, have dinner and go for a walk around the terrain. We see Paimpont, his pond with ducks and fish. And after seeing the sun go down we go to rest.

Day 9: Paimpont

These days the heat is increasing and that shows in our day to day. Every time we go to bed later and get up later. It is 10am when the sheets come off our faces.

We decided to go to the tourist information to see the routes that are closest. They tell us that the shortest routes cannot be done by bike and that there are 13 km to Merlin's tomb. Really, we are tired these days of St Michell tourism and we don't really want to beat ourselves up with the kids and the heat. This trip through Normandy and Brittany by motorhome is our first big trip with our new motorhome and we want to enjoy it in slow travel mode.

In Paimpont there is the Door of Secrets, a show that explains the legends of Merlin, only explained in French. The cost is € 8 for adults and € 4 for children. It is in Paimpont itself and seems like a good option with children, although we will understand little.

At lunchtime, we make a small paper and take it easy. Siesta, games with the little ones, until we do 19 hours.

We decided to continue with the relaxation, and after looking at which restaurant might be good for dinner, we set off. The truth is that the chosen restaurant was a success. The best of the whole trip without a doubt. It is on the banks of the pond next to the center and the Abbey. The prices are more than reasonable. We dined on the typical galette sauces (a sausage crepe typical of the area), some grilled skewers hung on a very good barilla and other delicious dishes. The best ice cream. Spectacular, especially the Cappuccino ice cream. A 10 dinner to repeat (all for 77 Euros).

After dinner, when we return to the area we have new neighbors. We start a conversation and make an entertaining after dinner. It is a Valencian marriage, newbies with the motorhome. Like us. Without a doubt the best thing about travel is the people you know 🙂

Day 10: Paimpont-Elven- Kervert Beach (Saint-Gildas)

We woke up and after making a social life among the Hispanic community of the area, we picked up. We drive towards the Gulf of Morbiham, to a motorhome area on the beach of Kervert. Kervert is the largest beach in Saint-Gildas. It is hot, so again we need coast, sea, water and beach.

We are also still in a relaxed plan, we want to end the holidays, with that feeling of peace. To go to the rhythm that marks the whole family. No pressure, no rush. And the heat tightens more and more, so there is no alternative. The heat wave has already arrived and is painting to be hard.

Halfway to Kelvert, we stopped at Elven, a Village Etape (towns recognized as stopover towns close to motorways or traffic roads, and which have all the services for travelers). We park in your free, exceptional motorhome area. Of course, full of French grandparents settled with their grandchildren. It looks like a campsite. Services, swings, separate pitches, shade, next to farm animals, near a river ... Really a great place for families. Too bad it is already filled with "seasonal" people.

We eat in the area, then we buy in a supermarket and continue with the trip to Kelvert.

The impressive Kelvert area, on the beach, with the promenade of the dunes behind, for € 8 24 hours. It belongs to the municipal campsite that is right next to it, which is where you have to go to pay.

It is to arrive and take a bath that takes away the heat that is doing a bit.

At dusk and after dinner we go along the rondo path between the dunes. A relaxing walk that will take us to a very peaceful dream tonight. Total vacation feeling.

Day 11: Kelvert Beach

Today more relaxation impossible. Beach day at all hours. Many bathrooms to withstand the heat wave and lastly night walk.

On the night walk we stop at a great beach bar where we eat something sitting on the sand and enjoying a revitalizing night bath.

A great day of total vacation, without more. The first beach-only day on this trip through Normandy and Brittany by motorhome.

Day 12: Kelvert Beach- Saint-Savinien Le Mung

Today the heat is unbearable no, the following. We are on the beach and still there is no air. You can hardly breathe ... That is why we decided to flee the heat wave by going to the Pyrenees. We go in search of some freshness that lets us breathe.

So we get going, but not before taking a last bath to refresh us.

The car's air conditioning is a salvation. Today is a good day to travel without a doubt.

The trip to the Pyrenees is long, and takes many hours. So towards the afternoon we decided to stop to rest and sleep. We decided to stop in a small town en route that has an area in front of a river and next to it there is a municipal pool with slides.

We arrive at Saint Savinien and Le Mung, it is almost 19 hours, and we go to the pool but they are closing. For 5 € the family would have had an impressive bath, a shame. Heat stirs up the body.

There is a pond next door with an amusement park and a miniature boat port. Let's go there. We got into the boats a little one and in the water it is a little less hot. We make a nice fresh granita. Dusk after visiting the small town, which is beautiful (we have been very surprised) we will have dinner in the motorhome.

This is without a doubt the worst night in the history of our Kucavana. You cannot breathe from the heat it is, neither inside nor outside, nor anywhere ... The heat wave is at its best.

What you want from the Pyrenees!

Day 13: Le Mung- Oloron Sainte Marie

The desire for the Pyrenees, mountains and frozen river still stands after the hottest night of the year.

So, we put air conditioning on hand.

A stop to put gas and buy groceries and we crossed the Bordeaux region (which we wanted to stop in planning the trip) at full speed. We passed through Cognac, Bordeaux, Roquefort. Villages that are giving us conversations with the kids about food and origins hehej And in 4 hours of travel we are in Oloron-St Marie. With 5 degrees lower and a frozen river where we immediately calm our heat. Yes, it is still hot.

The Oloron-St Marie area is great, it's right next to the river, from which we didn't take off. It is a free area with water and drainage services. It is a joy of place. We make friends with the neighbors, we talk, we bathe and above all we play with our little ones until late at night enjoying the nightly refreshment.

Day 14: Oloron Sainte Marie - Huesca- Calatayud

Today is August 7. Our oldest little boy 6 years ago. a special day for the family.

Start the day refreshing at last, and with a little fine rain. We decided to shoot for our third stage of the trip: the town. Uclés in Cuenca, where the whole family awaits us. Where we will spend the last 5 days of relaxing holidays and medieval festivities.

It is tradition to celebrate Arnau's birthday on the road. And he does not dislike it, we always catch friends on the road and do something special.

Today it's up to him to choose. Decide that you want to eat at a Mc Donals. In Huesca we found one, so the first stop on today's route. We have the cake since yesterday and at night we will also celebrate it. At the moment Mc Donals and a gift from the parents.

In passing we entered a shopping center that nowhere did we find what we were looking for: a fan. All exhausted!

Even Uclés is many hours, and we decided to celebrate the birthday dinner more calmly. We will spend the night in Calatayud with a motorhome area. In passing we will get to know the city.

The area is free with water and drainage services. It is near the center of town. It is early like this, that we are going to the tourist office. We do the typical tourist route, knowing its main churches and bars lol. We did not get to climb the castle, but from a distance we observed it. With AC you can't access, they told us.

And already at night Arnau's birthday party dinner, movie and to sleep. Tomorrow we will celebrate the birthday again but with the whole family in Uclés.

Day 15: Calatayud- Uclés

And here is the last day of this second stage of our journey. Today it's time to get to town, to Uclés (Cuenca). We arrived at 15:30 p.m. and began the life of the people, rest and family that we had been waiting for so long after the heat wave. Above we go to the medieval fair in Uclés! 5 days that will be second to none!

And here it continues in stage 3 of the trip… TO THE PEOPLE !!!

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This entry has 6 comments

  1. Ivan

    Hola!
    Magnificent chronicle of a very beautiful trip. This summer I would like to do something similar (we are 2 and a 6 year old girl) in our Large Volume Camper. We are newbies and give respect so many days.
    I would like to follow you in your journal (if you have one) to learn and enjoy.
    All the best

    1. Pilar Avila

      Thanks Ivan for your comment! Where we put more daily info is in the Instagram stories where you can follow us with the profile of @kucavana. You will surely love the trip, and all your family. If you want to know anything or hesitate to write us, we can help you for sure seguro

  2. Ramon

    Thanks for the chronicle, it will be great to prepare the trip for this summer, I follow you on instagram !!

    1. Pilar Avila

      We are glad to hear that Ramón 🙂 I hope you enjoy the trip very much. Thank you!

  3. Eduard

    We congratulate you, you have a character that deserves applause.

    1. Kucavanera family

      Eduard thank you very much for your words. They certainly encourage us to continue and continue to strive to share our adventures with you. A hug

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