Mick Statham

Booking a ferry Choice of crossing depends on where you live and your destination. Dovercalais is cheaper and offers a wide choice of sailings. The Tunnel is an option outside the summer months. Normandy crossings are more expensive, take longer and are relatively infrequent, but could get you closer to your destination. In the peak season, you need to book well in advance. Off-peak, you should get a crossing at the usual prices up to 48 hours beforehand. Night sailings are cheaper, but it is not advisable to drive for too many hours during the day. We like to get within an hour’s drive of the port the night before, then cross at breakfast-time and have around five or six hours of driving. On our return, we have a few favourite places to stop for the night before crossing, or even a day or two before. For example, the ACSI site Camping Sainte Claire, in Neufchâtel-en-bray, is close to the A28 and an easy, two-hour drive from Calais.

Booking and travelling We usually use the Caravan & Motorhome Club website (www.caravanclub.co.uk), and occasionally ferry companies themselves. At the port, security searches can add to check-in times. Your vehicle might be inspected by armed soldiers on either side of the Channel. You usually only need passports for ID. You will be given an aisle number, and it’s fairly easy to follow overhead signs to your aisle. If you are early enough, you can spend the waiting time fitting beam deflectors – the French police require them even if you are not driving at night. When boarding, take it slowly on the ramp, as the back of your vehicle might ground. Apply the handbrake and lock up. Note the nearest deck and stairway and where the stairs are on the restaurant deck. You will not be allowed to go to your vehicle during the sailing. If you are parked up close to the side of the ship or another vehicle, take care your caravan doesn’t swing out and hit it, especially if you are on full lock. At this point, driving on the right begins.

Driving on the right Driving on the right is not difficult, it just takes concentration. It might help to put a reminder sticker on the windscreen. When you get in the driver’s seat, say to yourself: “Drive right. Look left. Look right and look left again.” The other traffic on the road reminds you, as will road signs. Ensure your mirrors are adjusted to give the best rear view. Have a rest every two hours and get out of your vehicle and walk around. Change drivers if you can. Roundabouts are tricky, but be in the habit of looking both ways and don’t rely on what other drivers are doing. Overtake very carefully. It is easiest to overtake on a left-hand curve on the autoroutes – you have better visibility down the outside lane. Drive at 58-60mph, the speed limit for lorries. You can get loads of useful information from ACSI and the Caravan & Motorhome Club, as well as the AA/RAC websites. Remember to turn it all around on your return to the UK. The first roundabout in Dover can be a bit of a challenge!