Driving to the land

[tinks_1989]

So after our last trip we didnt think we would go again but i cant resist i miss disney way too much lol and dont think we will be able to aford the World so the Land it will have to be

So for any one that has driven can you tell me how stressfull did you find it DF found it easy to drive in USA how does driving in France compare and how long from the tunnel to Dsiney roughly?

And the big question cost so at the moment we are all trying to save a few pennys so do you find it cheaper because you are a family or just after addin the cost of flights transport parking etc is it any better price?

thanks for any help !!!

[Jeccaboos]

We have both driven (from Lancashire) and flown and definitely found that driving was cheaper.

The ferry cost us £58 return and petrol, at a rough guess, was £150 (diesel). We also had tolls of about £36.

To fly was £296 (easyjet at cheapest times we could get it) for 2 adults and 2 children, plus parking for 4 nights at £23. We then had the airport transfer as we landed late, which was £160.

We also stacked the car up with drinks and snacks so that really cut down prices when we were there.

We much preferred driving at stayed at DCR - 3hrs from Calais to the parks - but the downside is the length of time it takes us to get to Dover, whereas you are much nearer. Driving is a doddle - so stress free and really easy. I say that I see more idiots going between 2 junctions here on the motorways than I did the whole time we were driving in France :)

[Rachie B]

we much prefer driving

even though we have a long drive from South Wales to the tunnel! :( ( we use tesco deals to pay for it though ! :) )

we like taking our time driving down,and as mentioned can pack up the car with whatever you like / need ! snacks / food etc

flying would be a hassle for me with baggage weights ,transfers etc

hubby doesn't mind driving,and says driving in france is far preferable than the UK !

similar thread here : http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2137141

[ScottishThistle]

We always drive (all the way from Glasgow!!) and probably wouldn't do it any other way :) The toll roads are so easy to drive on.

We usually use the tunnel and it's 3 hours from there to Disney. However, on our most recent trip we took the ferry to Dunkerque as well and found it a slightly faster and more enjoyable drive. It still took the three hours but just felt quicker and there was a bit more to see out of the windows ;) The tolls were cheaper as well.

The best tip for driving is to print off the route on ViaMichelin.com. Rather than following a map, it prints off the route by way of all the road signs you see and tells you which direction to follow on the road signs. It means you just can't possibly go wrong or get lost! It'll also tell you exactly where the speed cameras are, tolls and their costs etc

[Bolanette87]

My Dad used to drive through France on all our holidays and never ever found it difficult....

Bob xoxoxoxox

[DLPdaft]

I don't drive, I always fly. To give you a comparison on the cost (as I'm guessing it will be 2 of you in your party?).

My trip this time is costing me, in total, £179 for travel. This includes 2 return flights from our local airport, car parking there for the duration, and return TGV tickets from CDG to DLRP and back.

Because I choose to fly rather than drive, I always sort out the cheap flight dates first, then look at Disney accommodation etc.

[tinks_1989]

we much prefer driving

even though we have a long drive from South Wales to the tunnel! :( ( we use tesco deals to pay for it though ! :) )

we like taking our time driving down,and as mentioned can pack up the car with whatever you like / need ! snacks / food etc

flying would be a hassle for me with baggage weights ,transfers etc

hubby doesn't mind driving,and says driving in france is far preferable than the UK !

similar thread here : http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2137141


Im from somerset so it would be about the same length of time for us then

We also thought we can load the car not worrying about luggage alounce

Thats good then I remember when I went with mum and dad and dad got lost lol this is all before sat nav though which i will deffintly be boring my uncles europe sat nav with us lol

Do you have to pay parking in disney if you stay at davey crocket?

We also would be using tesco vouchers to cross the channel

[tinks_1989]

I don't drive, I always fly. To give you a comparison on the cost (as I'm guessing it will be 2 of you in your party?).

My trip this time is costing me, in total, £179 for travel. This includes 2 return flights from our local airport, car parking there for the duration, and return TGV tickets from CDG to DLRP and back.

Because I choose to fly rather than drive, I always sort out the cheap flight dates first, then look at Disney accommodation etc.

I have always flown when I have arranged a trip and on our last trip i deffinty messed up lol and cost us alot lol i would deff not do that again lol

the only thing with flying is you either have a early morning flight which means rushing around or having evening flight and waiting around :S

[Rachie B]

Im from somerset so it would be about the same length of time for us then

We also thought we can load the car not worrying about luggage alounce

Thats good then I remember when I went with mum and dad and dad got lost lol this is all before sat nav though which i will deffintly be boring my uncles europe sat nav with us lol

Do you have to pay parking in disney if you stay at davey crocket?

We also would be using tesco vouchers to cross the channel

yes I think so
unless you have dream APs

x

[tennisfan]

I always drive, it is easy & straight forward. I live in Kent so to get to Dover or Folkstone is easy for me.

I think if you stay at Davy Crockett you get a pass to park in the Disney car park for nothing

[Ware Bears]

I think if you stay at Davy Crockett you get a pass to park in the Disney car park for nothing

I think so too. :)

[markpsych]

Hello neighbour :)

We drive from Taunton. Leave early hours (may stop for a nap on the way), and catch the train approx 6am. We're at the DCR for noon French time. Usually can't get into cabin until 3pm, so collect tickets and head staight to the park.

It's approx 3.5 hours this side, and 3 the other without breaks.

I love the drive, and there are plenty of service stops on the way.

As others said, the parking is free if you have the DCR ticket :thumbsup2

[Rachie B]

:rotfl: I stand corrected :thumbsup2

yes there are plenty of services on the way

some more desirable than others ,from our experience :scared1::rotfl:

[Cyrano]

Another who drives but living 3 1/2 hours north of Glasgow means we make sure it is for 2 weeks :)


Do you have to pay parking in disney if you stay at davey crocket?

As you get the Disney Hotel ID you can park in the main carpark for free :thumbsup2

[scald]

Last time we drove from Roscoff in Brittany all they way to Paris.:scared1: was a little hair raising, but I believe the routes from the ports at the north are much more straightforward:thumbsup2

We stayed at the Cheyenne and could park our car in the car park just outside the hotel for a whole week. We could see the car from our room and used the shuttle buses or walked to the park as it wasn't worth driving to it and finding a new space in the dedicated car parks near the entrance. So I'd say this might be the case for all the onsite hotels.....DCR wouldn't be your only option. Hope this helps.

[britchic4]

Driving is easy. :goodvibes
We'll be doing it again in May & October, much to the children's disgust now they've discovered Eurostar.....

[Jeccaboos]

I think it all depends also on how many of you are travelling. If it was just myself and DH, it would probably be as cheap to fly, whereas when we add the price on for the children, it doubles.

[Danauk]

We always drive, I prefer going in the car as there is more room for things we buy!!

Last year when Emma won the Ford competition I drove a hire car from where I live in Northants to DLRP and back and I was the only driver. It was fine. Although I had practiced the week before when I drove there for a week when we took my parents. The drive is easy as it is mainly motorway, so you just follow the road!

[tinks_1989]

Thank you every one for you response

I really love Davey crocket i love the theming and the swiming pool :D

We really wanted to drive so we didnt have the restriction of waiting for a flight and we wanted to go to paris for the one night

Also we would stock up the car with food and i can take more shoes :)

I really think the drive would be fun as well as it would be a road trip and if friends decide to come along 2 weeks before it wouldnt be as expensive for them as easy jet prices rocket

[tinks_1989]

Hello neighbour :)

We drive from Taunton. Leave early hours (may stop for a nap on the way), and catch the train approx 6am. We're at the DCR for noon French time. Usually can't get into cabin until 3pm, so collect tickets and head staight to the park.

It's approx 3.5 hours this side, and 3 the other without breaks.

I love the drive, and there are plenty of service stops on the way.

As others said, the parking is free if you have the DCR ticket :thumbsup2


Hello Neighbour :D

We are in burnham on sea so only down the road :D

I know its diffenerent per car size etc but how much roughly does petrol cost if you dont mind me asking

[wilki32]

Hi
We have only driven and hopefully we'll be going down in the summer as we did last year.
We are in gloucestershire and funny enough stayed at brean for a long weekend a cpl of weeks ago. I think you would take the same route as us and the worst part of the journey is the UK side! We stay at Ashford just off the motorway to break up the journey and get the early train, unless I lock the keys in the car but thats another story, the tunnel part takes about half an hour then about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to DCR. We drove last time down in an Audi A6 and used about 1 1/2 tanks of diesel which is about £90 if I remember right. One thing to make sure you take is a warning triangle and hi vis jackets in case you break down, law now in France. Don't buy these at the terminal, think they were about £25 but you can get them from screwfix for less than £10!
Hope thats been of help and so nice to see this site is still as friendly as ever, its been a while since I've been on

[ScottishThistle]

The trip we did a couple of weeks ago was the first we'd done in our new car and we couldn't believe the difference in fuel price! In our petrol Touran that we had before we needed at least 2 tanks from Glasgow to Disney then the same back. This time round in our new diesel Berlingo Multispace, it took one tank and less than £60 all the way from Glasgow to Disney with 60 miles of fuel left when we got there :eek:

[tinks_1989]

Hi
We have only driven and hopefully we'll be going down in the summer as we did last year.
We are in gloucestershire and funny enough stayed at brean for a long weekend a cpl of weeks ago. I think you would take the same route as us and the worst part of the journey is the UK side! We stay at Ashford just off the motorway to break up the journey and get the early train, unless I lock the keys in the car but thats another story, the tunnel part takes about half an hour then about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to DCR. We drove last time down in an Audi A6 and used about 1 1/2 tanks of diesel which is about £90 if I remember right. One thing to make sure you take is a warning triangle and hi vis jackets in case you break down, law now in France. Don't buy these at the terminal, think they were about £25 but you can get them from screwfix for less than £10!
Hope thats been of help and so nice to see this site is still as friendly as ever, its been a while since I've been on


Me too I havent been here for a while

you stayed in brean you would of had to have passed my house im on the main road :)

£90 is alot cheaper then us buying flights paying parking transfers etc DF is already covered to drive in the EU on his car insurance so that wouldnt be an extra charge

ooh thanks for the heads up on the triangle etc being cheap in screwfix

[A Small World]

Thank you every one for you response

I really love Davey crocket i love the theming and the swiming pool :D

We really wanted to drive so we didnt have the restriction of waiting for a flight and we wanted to go to paris for the one night

Also we would stock up the car with food and i can take more shoes :)

I really think the drive would be fun as well as it would be a road trip and if friends decide to come along 2 weeks before it wouldnt be as expensive for them as easy jet prices rocket

I dont know if you had planned to but I wouldnt recomend driving in Paris itself :scared1:

[Bolanette87]

I dont know if you had planned to but I wouldnt recomend driving in Paris itself :scared1:

Paris City is one place my Dad wasn't keen on driving. He would drive anywhere like he was sat in an armchair, but he used to insist on getting the train into Paris City Centre.... Our coach driver looked a bit scared last time too!

Bob xoxoxoxox

[tennisfan]

I dont know if you had planned to but I wouldnt recomend driving in Paris itself :scared1:

Totally agree, I have no problem driving in France but I wouldn't even attempt to drive into Paris.

If you do drive you will need a GB sticker, headlight deflecters, spare bulbs as well as warning triangle & high vis jacket

[ScottishThistle]

If you do drive you will need a GB sticker, headlight deflecters, spare bulbs as well as warning triangle & high vis jacket

Tesco have got a great Eurpoean driving kit just now. It contains the Eurolites headlight deflectors, GB sticker and full spare bulb kit for £8. We saw it the other day and picked it up as it was such a bargain considering the Eurolites themselves are normally £7-£9.

[tinks_1989]

Oh thanks for the heads up about driving in Paris would you recomend stayin out side of paris and getting train or just going from disneyland

[tennisfan]

Oh thanks for the heads up about driving in Paris would you recomend stayin out side of paris and getting train or just going from disneyland

I would get the train from Disney as its not that expensive & it is quite a quick journey

[markpsych]

Hello Neighbour :D

We are in burnham on sea so only down the road :D

I know its diffenerent per car size etc but how much roughly does petrol cost if you dont mind me asking

We have a large vehicle (6 of us), and use about a tank (£70) either way. We got our high res jackets from the £1 shop in Bridgwater :)

Have a fantastic time!

[Lisa_C]

We've driven, gone by coach and gone by Eurostar from Ashford. I am lucky as I have the choice living so near to the terminal (and also to eurotunnel) that I can choose. But to be honest I pick the train!

Our coach driver refused to take us into Paris (even though it was on our schedule) because she said it was late in the day and the city is "mad". We also nearly got run down a ditch :scared1:

Driving was fine, as we went directly to the resort and the tolls were easy enough to deal with. It's all quite straight forward and I love seeing the road signs telling me where I am going!

But my preference is Eurostar. Mainly because Ashford International is a five minute cab/bus journey and it's so quick :yay:

[scampbunny]

hiya
ive just come back from driving in france & i loved it!!! much more relaxing driving over there than here....
the drive is easy, and atm the fuel (diesel) is so much cheaper over there (0.96 eur/ltr). the tolls are relatively cheap - just under 20 eur each way & using tomtom is nice n easy too.
i drive from the midlands, so about 3.5 hrs in uk, and 3 hrs in france, except this tim i went via where dh is living/working and even that was easy driving - apart from toll booths only being on the left hand side of the car prompting quick leaps out to get the ticket... ds though it was hilarious:lmao:

[tinks_1989]

Thanks for the replies every one i think if we were to go to paris then we would get a train from all your warnings about driving in paris lol

we have got a coach to paris before and wont be doing it in a rush again unless we both loose our hearing screaming kids and over excited parents now thank you lol the journey didnt bother us or how long it took just that its wasnt comfortable just horrible

[cerirobert]

Ok, There are pleanty of you who have driven, but are there any of you that have towed a caravan?
I'm doing it this July and am a little apprehensive, but looking foreward to it all the same.
We are staying in a site about 15 minuted from the park called Des Quatre Vents.

[Rachie B]

Ok, There are pleanty of you who have driven, but are there any of you that have towed a caravan?
I'm doing it this July and am a little apprehensive, but looking foreward to it all the same.
We are staying in a site about 15 minuted from the park called Des Quatre Vents.

we haven't but hubbys grandparents ( in their 70s ! ) do every year

they drive all over France and to Italy sometimes too,for months at a time

if they can do it so can you :thumbsup2