North of France..... Places to see

I'm planning to head to the North of France in September, I'm bringing the Touareg but have decided not to get the long boat as friends have just done it and are over doing the champagne region at the moment. 

They told me to go to Holyhead and go the Dover-Calais route, I'm going to the North of France as I only have a week.

Any places which are good to see in this area, I will be camping for most of the week, I might go B&B in some of these winery joints if they are not too pricey.

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers

David

you dont save any time going the landbridge route, i tried it twice because we used "ryan air of the seas" irish ferries two years ago and the wife and then 2 kids were sick coming home as it was a rough crossing. the landbridge route can be a nightmare. go with brittany ferries from cork esp if you have kids, at least they can roam around a bit. places to see around brittany are carnac, vannes, lorient.

the best supermarket/hypermarche is carrefour or e. leclerc they are the biggest.

take the long boat it's quicker in the long run... I live near Bordeaux and often work in Dublin/Cork and have always found the direct route faster & easier.

Not sure how far you're planning to drive while there but Tours & Le Mans aren't a million miles from Cherbourg, gtreat towns, superb roads and plenty of decent vinyards. I find the Auchan (at le Glacerie) in Cherbourg is very good for wines - generally better than the Carrefour in the town itself. If you're a smoker there's a small tabac half way down the hill into Cherbourg town that sells UK/Irish fags a good prices.

Can't remember exzactly where it is but deffo up that way is a place called Fougeres where we stop for lunch on the way back.;.. v nive there.

I find the tobacco warehose called eastenders, just over the belgium border a good place to start my visit !

There is the "V" bomb museum just down from Calais, if that sort of stuff interests you.

I'd also much rather sail to France than drive most of it through the UK, its not a nice route from Holyhead to Dover ( although the first bit through Wales can be terrific if you go through Snowdon), you'll be travelling along some of the UK's most congested roads.

I was checking the Brittany Ferries Website for next year and the boat now leaves at 17:00 and arrives 07:30 which is great. Add a pool on board and other entertainment your holiday begins as soon as you board the boat.

The last time we went with Irish Ferries the cabins were not particularly clean. Went landbridge twice and both times were a nightmare. I think the hypermarkets will ship goods home for you. Hopefully they do as I seen a Mexican Barbaque for about €200 (Stone barbaque with chimney). Hearth and Home are retailnig for about €1300.