Mittens 2008 - l'édition Français | 15-22 August 2008

[Privateer Puddin']

How much is it roughly? Do you have a link to the ticket line? Oh and can you give me a rough idea on how much petrol it will be each?? Though, as I think I'll be going in Layabouts car, its probably better he tells me that (asap!)

Yeh, need info too

[Pumaman]

Well the Eurotunnel is now £210 return which would be about £50 each for 4 of you sharing -- but we need Layabout's input on this really because he might have already bought a tunnel/ferry ticket, I don't know.

[Layabout]

Hello.

I was going to book the bloody eurostar this week, but I have some issues that need sorting out, such as a job, since the place I work at has gone bust.

Fuel costs... well I have no idea really, as I'm not sure how many miles I'll get out of my tank. In 2 months the price of diesel will most likely be £1.50 a litre, so lets go on about 40 mpg average. bout £120 worth of fuel there and back I think.

I'll need about £90 from all i think.

[scotch]

The ferry is not that much longer really, it'll just add another hour to the journey, and at this point it seems worth it. If you want to save some money take the ferry a couple of hours later than our crossing, it'll give you some more time to get down and you don't really need to be at the house as early as us, the booking is in AGA's name so we wanted to get there first. If you leave at 1:30pm on P&O and return at 3pm it'll be £110 between the lot of you, half the price of the tunnel...

[Creed Malay]

I vote for the lovely cheap ferry. Also, it gives us a chance to pretend to be pirates.

[m0ds]

I vote ferry too! I have very little money

[Layabout]

Ferry voted for as well. Anyway, i like the ferry's. And Francisco can see the ol white cliffs of dover.

[Grundislav]

Yarrr maties! Cliffs and ferry get me vote as well.

[Privateer Puddin']

Travelling by ferry is fine by me

[FruitTree]

don't know if anyone mentioned this before but will people be bringin their guitar, banjo, drummset and whatmore along?

I got a very crappy guitar that I could bring...

[m0ds]

Hello.

I was going to book the bloody eurostar this week, but I have some issues that need sorting out, such as a job, since the place I work at has gone bust.

Fuel costs... well I have no idea really, as I'm not sure how many miles I'll get out of my tank. In 2 months the price of diesel will most likely be £1.50 a litre, so lets go on about 40 mpg average. bout £120 worth of fuel there and back I think.

I'll need about £90 from all i think.

90 split between 4 of us? Thats fine! Or, £90 each?  :o

[Layabout]

Actually more like £50 EACH now i think about it.

[m0ds]

Thats okay!! I can set 50 aside for petrol. I will have some emergency funds in the bank aswell. I understand petty can be a bit of a bitch sometimes! Still, we have cheaper prices to look forward to abroard, don't we?

Also, has anyone found our chatuex on Google earth yet? If someone has the co-ords I'd love to see. I couldn't find it

[scotch]

I think he meant for both petrol and ferry because 600 miles @ 40mpg @ £1.25/l = £85 fuel; + £100 ferry = £185; / 4 = £46 each, so realistically £50 sounds fair. Continental petrol is the same price as here unfortunately, diesel is a bit better though.

It's difficult to say for sure but I believe this is the house (on the east bank), based on the directions description and the fact that there's a brook named "Risdoux" next to it.

[Darth Mandarb]

I don't know if anybody is interested ... but since we spoke of "activities" I have a few things that are on my "must see before I croak" list and the château we're staying at is close to two of them.

I want to visit Bastogne (the location of the battle of the bulge) and the remnants of the Maginot Line.

Both are easily in a one-day round trip proximity (if I'm reading Google maps correctly)

> Bastogne (my grandfather was in the Battle of the Bulge and this is a historic location)
> Maginot Line (just because of the historical signifigance)

My brother and I are planning a back-pack-across-Europe trip in the next year or two so if I don't get to these things on this trip, there's always the next one.  I was just wondering if anybody was interested in hoppin' in the rental and makin' the trek(s) with me?  If not, no biggie!  I just wanted to float the idea.

Furthermore, I don't know the logistics of traveling across the French country-side (or into Belgium) so if there are difficulties (lack of petrol stations, passport/customs issues, etc.) please let me know!

[Nacho]

Count on me!

[AGA]

This is the exact location, scotch. At least that's the best Google Maps has for the exact address of the château.

[scotch]

Well that's the wrong way for driving to the place. Seems like people are meant to drive to Vireux-Wallerand and take the path along the river, for 3km. Here's more evidence from MS's map thing. You can clearly see the house, gites, chapel, tennis court, and WMD factories.

http://www.chateaulerisdoux.fr/route.htm says cross the bridge from Vireux-Molhain and after the town hall, the first right towards the Fracotte pool, up to the river, then left along the tow path for 3km.

[Disco]

Furthermore, I don't know the logistics of traveling across the French country-side (or into Belgium) so if there are difficulties (lack of petrol stations, passport/customs issues, etc.) please let me know!

Not sure about petrol stations, but I would doubt there is a serious lack of them in the countryside, probably more frequently stationed than in Nowheresville, Indiana even.

Regarding passports, once in France you should have no problem with any border controls since Belgium is part of Schengen (as is France), which means there are no physical border controls between the two. Heck, you could even drive to Estonia without having to show your passport, unless stopped by the police or something.

[m0ds]

Thanks scotch, I did see that place & wondered if that was it...I couldn't see any access routes when I searched for it on Google earth but mostly cos I forgot to put the "roads" thing on!! Sweet. The page says the river is at the end of the garden, which makes sense at your location

I'd certainly be interested to visit the Maginot Line & a couple of other war sites as Darth suggests. That reminds me when I was a kid we went to this village in France, I can't remember the name...but it had been left as it was when it was bombed in WW2, with mangled houses, cars & kids toys about the place. It was the most depressing day out of my life!

edit: £50 for ferry AND fuel? bargain