Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations. Thinking to do the overnight ferry instead on Eurotunnel this year on our way to Dordogne this summer. Also possibly the route from Caen may not be as busy?
Both drives on French side are around 6. We have always chosen St Malo in previous years and the DC do enjoy the overnight crossing. The day time crossing on the way home does feel like a long time though despite entertainment like cinema and shows.
This year we are crossing to Caen despite a slightly longer drive as it's quite a bit cheaper and we can travel during the day We used the overnight to Caen last year no experience of SM route. We've used other overnight ferries before. From experience our run from Caen to Poitiers was the least busy. It's almost so late that TBH you just want to crash. We're also using it again this year and I did think about the SM route as we'd like to visit SM, but the return times are not as convenient.
We have twiced overnight to st malo, and got the late afternoon ferry back from Caen - gets into Portsmouth about 9 but that suits us as et. Have also overnight we on Caen, you don't get enough time for decent sleep ahead of a long drive IMHO. I'd go with the one where the times suit your driving plans best. I've done both routes, I like to get in early in the morning because I prefer driving during the day.
The overnight route is the most relaxed way to do it. Thanks everyone. Yes Prof we are camping once again at Les Valades. I'm tempted to do St Mali on the way over so we have longer on the boat and then Caen on the return. My concern is the traffic as at the moment we are thinking to go the first weekend of August and return around 21st which looks like it coincides exactly with French holidays.
