Based on the previous post around this Xmas market, I will start to organise the above.

Am looking @ weekend of 8/12 & would suggest a similar arrangement to the last year of car share up to 4 people to split ferry / train & fuel cost, also like last year.

I will happliy sort out finding overnight stay close by, looking for bed & breakfast for around £50 for a double/twin room. This could quite easily keep the budget down.

My suggestion would be to travel across the Friday evening & return Sunday, however if people just want to do sat night i will be happy to sort accordingly.

http://www.kerststadvalkenburg.nl/Home.11.0.html?&L=1 - See the link as this has lots of information around what is available.

Please put your name down below if youre interested.

See lots of reading but no actual interest

Could be interested as always fancied going to a Christmas market in Germany .

Put my name down as interested

Don't think the dates are going to work for us :(

Just had a brain wave of making the meet for Dec the xmas market, ???? Dec 1st, I will check the site to confirm Xmas market is on for that weekend & swap the maidstone meet to an Interntional meet

Just done a check on the Site & the good news is that this xmas market runs from 16 Nov to 23 Dec, entry to the xmas market caves is 5 euros per adult, 3 for 5-12 yrs & free for under 5.

After the Nov meet I will post the local meet & link to here as its replacement

Update -

I have just done a quick look at hotels etc for 30 nov/ 1 dec & prices are 70 - 90 euros per night, for ones with Breakfast, & parking ( doesnt say it will charge).

It looks like this Xmas market is quite popular given the number of hotels that have limited vacancies.

With this in mind,I am going to reserve room for myself & SWMBO week 8 - 12 oct, so if anyone else would like me to include them on the booking, please let me know as i will put up a link to the preffered hotel next week.

I'm in if other people are up for it Mr Collins!

Mr Lok has confirmed his attendance, so we're up to 4 definites!

Update -

I have just done a quick look at hotels etc for 30 nov/ 1 dec & prices are 70 - 90 euros per night, for ones with Breakfast, & parking ( doesnt say it will charge).

Steve can you see how much a family room is please as we can make 30th / 1st, albeit with Kieran.

Been looking at hotels, & here is a link to a list & selection

List

http://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?src=city&cfbc=&city=-2154420&error_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fcity%2Fnl%2Fvalkenburg.en-gb.html%3Faid%3D347732%3Blabel%3Dhotel-10152_Pool-couk_Slice-90003%3Bsid%3D74cc81ffd8421659b0effaeafa737d1b%3Bdcid%3D1%3Binac%3D0%3B&aid=347732&dcid=1&label=hotel-10152_Pool-couk_Slice-90003&sid=74cc81ffd8421659b0effaeafa737d1b&checkin_monthday=30&checkin_year_month=2012-11&checkout_monthday=2&checkout_year_month=2012-12&group_adults=2&group_children=0#map_opened

Selection

http://www.booking.com/hotel/nl/de-guasco.en-gb.html?aid=347732;label=hotel-10152_Pool-couk_Slice-90003;sid=74cc81ffd8421659b0effaeafa737d1b;dcid=1

http://www.booking.com/hotel/nl/parkzicht-valkenburg-a-d-geul.en-gb.html?aid=347732;label=hotel-10152_Pool-couk_Slice-90003;sid=74cc81ffd8421659b0effaeafa737d1b;dcid=1

http://www.booking.com/hotel/nl/neerlandia.en-gb.html?aid=347732;label=hotel-10152_Pool-couk_Slice-90003;sid=74cc81ffd8421659b0effaeafa737d1b;dcid=1

Location wise , the 1st one in this list is closest to the Xmas market caves, but it is dependant on what we can get when we book, when looking at these I spotted that there is an occupancy tax of either 1.5 / 1.75 / 1.8 or 2 euros per person per night

Here are some prices I have found based on travel out on Friday 30 Nov & returning Sunday 2nd Dec. These may be adjusted if any one wants to travel out on Sat 1st Dec instead.

Ferry prices Dov - Cal

Fri 30 Nov - 13:55-17:25 sailings - £39

18:35 onwards £37

Sat 1 Dec - 06:40 & 07:35 - £45

09:25 sailing £39

Cal - Dov

Sun 2 Dec - 12:35 - 17:55 £39

18:50-21:45 £45

Total ferry cost is £80 - £90 return depending on your prefs

Chunnel Folk - Cal

Fri 30th Nov 12:00 - 14:00 £55

14:00-18:00 £53

18:00-22:00 £47

Sat 1 Dec 06:00 - 08:00 £57

08:00 - Noon £55

Sun 2 Dec Cal - Folk

noon - 18:00 £53

18:00 - 20:00 £55

20:00 - 22:00 £57

Total train cost is £100 - £114 return depending on your prefs.

According to couple of the route planners the distance is approx 200 miles +or- 10 miles depending on which one you beleive & journey time is approx 3 hrs.

Estimated fuel cost is around £28 each way

Budget hotel for between £48 & £60 depending on what is available ( european hotels seem to charge per room & not as in UK per person.)

Split crossing & fuel between 4 people & its £34 - £42.50

Can be done at quite a reasonable cost.

Regarding this proposed visit to Valkenburg for the Xmas market, we've stayed in this area before.

Earlier this summer we used the Fletcher Hotel De Geulvallei for a week & it's only a few kms from Valkenburg, decent breakfast & the parking is free.

As for ferries, we'd recommend using DFDS Norfolk Line from Calais to Dunkirk. A two-hour crossing but good value & less driving, + quick & easy

trundle to the autoroute.

I've visited Zuid Limburg quite a few times from the UK, & our usual route is from Dunkirk to Lille, then into Belgium as far as Leige then turn north up to & through Maastricht & bear right onto the Autoweg towards Aachen. Valkenburg is only 10 minutes away, via exits jcts 2 -4 into Valkenburg.

HTH, DC

Time to Start Getting organised.

I am going to put deposit on Hotel rooms end of next week - 19 - 22 Oct.

Please can you enter the following info below:-

- Room type & how many occupying ?

- How many nights (1- Sat Only or 2 - Fri & Sat ) ?

Please note if you put your name down you are committing to coming, so please consider carefully & read previous posts in this thread, also i will try & get the cheapest hotel / B&B to keep the cost down.

If I cannot get keep us together I will make every effort to keep the hotels / B&B's as close together as possible.

If the hotel requires a deposit I will pay this but will request the deposit from you & will contact.

Please put me down for a single for both nights.

Depending on the availability and price of a family room (there were not many when I last looked) we are still up for this.

We would also have a spare seat available for the journey.

Taking the inlaws to a show in London that weekend so will have to take a rain check :( we're also booked to go to an Xmas Market in Chatsworth at the end of November so not sure I could justify two in a fortnight. Sorry!

I have 2 spare seats.

Depending on the availability and price of a family room (there were not many when I last looked) we are still up for this.

We would also have a spare seat available for the journey.

Martin - 1 or 2 nights ?

OOPS sorry, it would be the two nights.

Depending on the availability and price of a family room (there were not many when I last looked) we are still up for this.

We would also have a spare seat available for the journey.

That's good, you could strap my beers :beer: on to it on the way back!

Hi Steve,

2 nights please (Friday and Saturday night) - any room type (single/ double – see what they have available), 1 occupant (adult - allegedly )...........

Thanks

J

NOTE TO ALL

I am going to reserve Hotel rooms on friday given the small number of Hotels & numbers of rooms they have .

NOTE TO ALL

I am going to ransack Hotel rooms on friday given the small number of Hotels & numbers of rooms they have .

Thanks Steve

Unable to ransack remotely, as i failed the class of teleportation & time travel