KOMBI Kaper 2015

Might it be best to do the Ile de Re first if we're doing two different sites? That way there's a shorter drive back, particularly from Pornic.

Selfishly, it also means there's a slight possibility that we might have a week on the island before the rest of you arrive...

350 miles to Noja is a bit far, but the concept of heading 'toward' Spain for the return ferry could still work. How about somewhere further South in France for the second stop that gets us closer to the border/Bilboa for the return ferry?

Somewhere halfway? 150-200 miles which will leave the same/sililar for the final drive (Il de Re to Bilboa is around 330 miles total).

I can see where you're coming from, Tallulah, but it's still too much driving for us over two weeks when you add our trip down to Portsmouth.

Tallulah wrote:

350 miles to Noja is a bit far, but the concept of heading 'toward' Spain for the return ferry could still work. How about somewhere further South in France for the second stop that gets us closer to the border/Bilboa for the return ferry?

Somewhere halfway? 150-200 miles which will leave the same/sililar for the final drive (Il de Re to Bilboa is around 330 miles total).

I like the look of the Sen Yan place ..... known as Le Village Tropical!  It's about halfway to Bilboa.  Check it out here.

2.5 hour drive to Bilbao, 145 smiles.

If the plan changes to not include Spain for part of the Kaper then do we still need to return from Bilboa? It seems to be a lot of time spent on the boat and I'm guessing it adds a lot to the cost as well? Is it possible to return from St Malo or Cairn as we did this year for a shorter crossing? Please excuse me if I'm missing an obvious point as to why this isn't possible!! Not enough sleep does not help the brain power!

The idea was to go 'deeper' into Europe but without the loooong drive back.

On reflection I think the simplest and probably most cost effective plan would be to just do 2 weeks on the Ile de Re. The only downside is we need to return from Caen as the St. Malo ferry is an early morning one ie. we'd need to leave the Vendee the day before sailing home. We can get to Caen for the afternoon crossing in one day.

Tallulah wrote:

The idea was to go 'deeper' into Europe but without the loooong drive back.

Yep, I appreciate that but just seems a waste of time & money to spend an even loooonger time on the boat if the plan isn't to go to Spain anymore. I'd rather have those extra hours still on holiday rather than sailing back.

TimV wrote:

On reflection I think the simplest and probably most cost effective plan would be to just do 2 weeks on the Ile de Re. The only downside is we need to return from Caen as the St. Malo ferry is an early morning one ie. we'd need to leave the Vendee the day before sailing home. We can get to Caen for the afternoon crossing in one day.

Definitely seems the most straightforward option & possibly popular choice from previous comments.
Would it be worth looking at a 'pre-pitched' site near to the port for the night before travelling back?? We could have a less rushed pack up & drive north with a nice leisurely lunch on route the day before without the hassle of having to unpack etc for one night? Something to consider maybe?

I'm not sure we'd get 10-12 pre pitched tents or statics for one night only but it's worth looking at. We'd probably stop an extra night somewhere near St Malo and get the ferry back from there. It's a long drive when we get to Portsmouth and I like the longer ferry home to recharge Alison's driving batteries.

Good point Abs & don't blame you, it makes for a really long day otherwise...early start to pack up & drive to port & then you don't get back into uk until late night anyway, before you even drive home. Would you consider doing a stop over once back at Portsmouth instead of the other side?

We might think about that but once we get off the boat we generally just want to get home.

AbsintheKombi wrote:

We might think about that but once we get off the boat we generally just want to get home.

It will be the same for us too. Basically it will be a choice between an overnight ferry and booking a cabin or getting a hotel in Portsmouth. On the way out we'll either stop over somewhere down south for a couple of nights or get a hotel in Portsmouth. We'll have to work out what's best for us once everybody else has decided on route and dates. We also don't have to be necessarily restricted to weekend sailings.

Right I need to progress this for the final time.  

I simply now need to know if it's 2 weeks on the Ile de Re that people want or 1 week on the Ile de Re plus a week somewhere further North of there that will give us a shorter drive back to Caen.

Poll added. Expires Monday.

Just 4 votes .... come on people, don't you want to go on holiday?!

We're really interested in joining the Kombi Kaper next year. Just a few things to sort out including arrangements for Barney. We wouldn't want to take him all that way. 2 weeks on the Ile de Re with the Brazi bunch would be so much fun.

Tim, looking at the site that you included for the Ile De Re - Camping Les Ilates -I'd suggest it's on the wrong part of the island, making it difficult to get around.



Somewhere more central would be better.

hi we were thinking exactly the same, to explore the island properly the position of the campsite is important. two weeks in a remote part of the island might not work. do we have other campsite options?

I can't speak to the agent now as they're closed for the weekend. However looking at both their websites Ilates is the only place they feature. So if that's no good, they won't be interested in sorting just the ferry for us, it'll mean booking everything independently and having to negotiate separate deals.

Given there's only been 7 votes, things aren't looking too positive for the Kaper in 2015. Hope it can all be sorted, although we'll be going anyway.

7 votes is 7 vans going. Let's remain positive please.

quality over-rides quantity anyday!

We haven't voted because we are happy to go with the flow, which currently appears to be 2 weeks on the Ile de Re. Also, it's possible that we might want to book a different ferry in either or both directions anyway, because we have to sort out the logistics of getting there and back from the north of England. That means either stopping over near Portsmouth or getting an overnight ferry and booking a cabin.

This year the outgoing ferry was overnight with cabin.

Looking to progress this asap.  I need your help please?

Can I get recommendations of Ile de Re campsites that would a) take a group of 10 BraziBays pitching together b) have decent on-site facilities such as a bar/restaurant/pool complex c) with good access to a majority of local attractions d) comprehensive website and suitable for both families and couples?

I'm happy to coordinate and sort the deal but need something to work with initially.

Thanks