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[lovindisney87]

Hi there, have been to Disney many times but am thinking next time we may drive from uk. Well my dad will be driving me, my husband and 3 kids  what do I need to know? I'm thinking of going via ferry but want to leave as early as possible to get maximum time in the parks. Anyone with driving advice any information you think I need to know or  I should know? Any advice would be great as it will be me to sort it all out.
Thanks all in advance

[jessief]

Which ferry route are you planning to use? Dover to Calais offers most flexibility for times and prices and P&O from Hull is good if you want an overnight cabin although it usually means a mid afternoon arrival and lunch time departure. We usually take the Explorers or Kyriad for the first and last nights. You will need a motoring in Europe kit for the car, appropriate headlight deflectors, breathalyser and the new emissions certificate and also consider car insurance. The massive benefit of driving is that you can basically just fill the car to bursting point with things you don't really need for the holiday, but remember to leave room for all the extras you can buy in the park because you don't have to worry about fitting them in your cases for coming home !! You can also plan to bring plenty of juice and snacks for the children for breakfasts and taking to the park.

[lovindisney87]

Thanks for the advice, planning on going Dover to Calais as would like to go early morning and come back late evening. Will defo be filling car up, usually fly or Eurostar and luggage restrictions are a pain for me to stick too 😁

[dlpowl]

We've done the Eurostar but as we live almost a 4 hour drive north of London, it didn't work for us.  We now drive which we much prefer.  We set off early, about 6.30am and arrive at Folkestone about 11.30am.  Get the Eurotunnel about 1pm so arrive in France about 1.30pm and get to DLP about 4.30pm.  (Eurotunnel is more expensive than ferry but loads quicker and far more convenient too.  It's absolutely brilliant!)

We do this the day BEFORE our Disney holiday starts though and stay at a nearby cheap hotel that first night.  On our next trip we're staying a Kyriad chain hotel about 10 mins drive from the park which cost €65 for 5 of us..  So we arrive about 4.30pm, check in, go to a local restaurant for some dinner then get an early night.  We wake up early the next day and go to our Disney hotel about 7.30am, check in, get our park tickets and make it into the park for Early Magic Time!  Fresh, well rested and not missing a single minute of precious park time!  This works best for us.  We also do the same on the last day, stay until park close then stay at a nearby cheap hotel so we can get a good nights sleep before travelling home the next day.   So we don't actually spend any of our Disney park time travelling, although we have come home on the last day before rather than tagging another night at a cheaper hotel onto the end of the holiday.  We spend such a lot of money going to DLP that I personally think it's a false economy to waste park time travelling.  I'd rather just pay the extra €65 for the hotel.   You can add an extra nights accommodation only onto your Disney holiday as well if you like so that you don't have to book somewhere different but this is obviously more expensive than €65!   Although depending on the hotel, it's not necessarily going to be massively expensive.

That's just how we do it and what works for us anyway.  Good luck.

[ChipandDale99]

We have also driven many times. We like dlpowl prefer the Eurostar because it's a lot quicker and I get sea sick
The drive is very easy in France as a lot of it is on motorways which rarely get too busy. Of course don't forget till motorways.
My one bit of advice would be that if you are going in school holidays you will need to get to the port or eurotunnel early as for the last few years they have been having problems and sometimes queues have been 3 hours sometimes even more.
Don't let it put you off though because those peak very busy times are quite easy to avoid. Either get a later crossing or maybe stay the night near the port and get an early crossing the next morning.

[LordMuck]

We always drive as I live in Kent.

Its a really easy drive and very painless.
We always get an early ferry and normally arrive about 1 ish, for us 5 its the cheapest and by far the most easy and painless.

1 driving kit that lasts for years (except the headlight stickers) but please remember to take all your driving documents in case the rozzers stop you.

saying that I have never been stopped in france yet!

also remember that if you have a satnav then disable the speed camera warnings as that is a massive no no in France and can land you a fine.

takes around 3 hours once you arrive in France.

[haribosmum]

We always travelled Eurostar until last year and will continue to drive now. But we travel the day before our Disney hotel booking. This year we have a night at the Dream castle, then we'll drive round after breakfast to the hotel New York and pick up passes and get a full first day. This time we have decided to add a night on the end so are staying at the kyriad for £65 and getting the Eurotunnel Home the next day.

The drive was straightforward, mostly one long toll motorway and easy to pay by card. We had sat nav which took us through the airport as there was an accident and we literally drive passed arrivals and popped out the other side not far from Disney.  We had planned to get ferry home last year but there were huge delays as travelled on the August bank holiday and our fare was fully refundable so we did that and can back eurotunnel so can't comment on ferry travel but recommend driving onto a train any day :-)

[lovindisney87]

Thanks all for your great advice, sounds like it should hopefully be a simple drive just worried with 3 kids it could turn out more stressful. With the tolls is it one place you need to pay? Also I guess you have to pay both ways? Thanks all😁

[Zee79]

You get a ticket from peage in Calais then pay at another peage near Paris it's usually around €21.70 each way (just came back on 5th Jan and it's what we paid)
Where will you be driving from? Just if you need to go through the Dartford tunnel in the UK there is a charge each way for that.
When we travel with the kids we make sure we have dvd player in the car and activity books.

[lovindisney87]

Coming from Isle of Wight so either Portsmouth or Southampton to Dover. Hoping they may sleep as planning to do early morning drive and boat but will defo think bout having stuff in car for them.

[polar vixen]

We dona disney countdown calendar and each day they get another treat to add to their backpack for the journey- a comic, sweets, some pins for trading, download a new game on the tablet, little disney toys like mashems when we see them in the sale. Only rule is that they cant play with them till we travel. We have 5 kids in the car. Between getting on and off the ferry excitement and singing disney songs and a movie it goes pretty quick. Only thing id say is travel light on drinks and heavy on snacks. The snacks keep them quiet and the lower drink intake stops them needing the toilet every 5 minutes!

[LordMuck]

Thanks all for your great advice, sounds like it should hopefully be a simple drive just worried with 3 kids it could turn out more stressful. With the tolls is it one place you need to pay? Also I guess you have to pay both ways? Thanks all😁

I Have 3 kids and no stress has been had by any of us...... the French Toll is easy easy easy , just drive up at the entrance and take a ticket then at the exit (many miles later) you pay by cash or card (insert card no pin).

Only one Toll (think it was about 19 eruo but don't quote me on that)

don't forget that the toll booth is on the left side so the passenger will have to take the ticket and pay however sometimes they do have toll booths on the right.

Driving in France is a pleasure!

[dlpowl]

No car journey with my 3 kids could ever be as stressful as taking them on the Eurostar!!  I'm convinced that if more people drove to DLP, the majority of them would never use the Eurostar again.  There's always going to be the exception but everyone I read from who has driven has always said how easy and pleasant it was.  Just stock up on treats and get stuff downloaded onto tablets and stuff for the kids and you'll be fine.   My kids also have the I-spy books which are full of stuff to spot on your journey and tick off in the book.  They're great for passing time.  I also make CD's of all our favourite Disney songs and we have a sing song in the car together.

[lovindisney87]

You guys are all great, thanks super helpful. I hope it ends up as easy as your all making it sound. I'm looking forward to no baggage allowance as that will make it easier on packing and not having to worry about other people. When we went on plane my youngest was only 18 months and kept hitting seat in front and being a bit noisy and I get a bit worried what people are thinking  super excited shame it's so long to wait now 

[dlpowl]

Honestly, it really is easy.  I was very sceptical when we first drove but when we arrived, we knew we would never travel any other way again!  And another benefit of it is that you're not crammed into an aeroplane or train carriage, breathing in all the manky germs from the people that are coughing and spluttering (there's always at least 1!)  They breed like wildfire and get circulated by the air con!  hahaha!