First time abroad....maybe?

[norman_374478717]

I am trying to interest my wife into taking the caravan around Europe next year, she is a bit aprehensive.

Can anyone point me towards some travel blogs that give good coverage to the highs and lows of foreign towing. I do not yet understand what Camping Cheques are and how they are used. I realise there is a lot of prep work to do before I commit, but as I retire in four weeks time, I will have loads of time to research the trip.

I envisage going down thru France, going over towards Barcelona and returning via Switzerland, Germany and home!

It may well remain a pipedream, depends on any info that I can find.

Norman.

 

[DavidKlyne]

Norman
You are very welcome to look at my blogs here http://www.davidklyne.co.uk/travels_in_europe.htm if it helps.

Camping Cheques are a discount scheme where you buy vouchers that entitle you to a one night stay for two people including EHU for around £14 a night. The vouchers come in two varieties, paper cheques or electronic cheques on a card rather like a credit card. You have to pay up front for them but if you have any left over the do last 2 years, with the more expensive of the electronic cards they last even longer. There is another scheme which is gaining in popularity and its called the ACSI Card. You buy the directory which contains the discount card which you present at a campsite. Prices range from €11 to €15 a night. The directory and card costs about £11 and that is your only initial outlay and you pay for campsites as you use them.

David

 

[colinw1]

We got caught out with the toll roads in France, some of them charge double because you to a caravan. People who I know that go regularly - tell me that they mix the route with side roads and toll roads - but it was the first time we'd been and we wanted to stick to the GPS so we didnt get er... too lost. as it is our GPS took us to the site no probs.

All in all though, I have to say that it was a lot less stressful than the UK motorways... (although we did stop at a service area and found because there were too many women for the ladies loo to cope with they were feeding them into the gents... It was a bit of a shock to see a woman waiting for the cubicle I was coming out of!)

 

[DianneT]

We were apprehensive when we first started going to Europe 7 years ago but after the first trip could not resist going again. We loved it had no problems and am looking forward to going again in 2011. After visiting many countries in the first trips we now know that that the ones we enjoy best are Germany, Austria and Italy. The later is getting expensive but worth it for Tuscany alone. Switzerland where we went for the first time lovely, not as pretty as Austria and very expensive, Holland for the first time this year too we were very impressed and will certainly go back again on our way home next year. Not much to say on France and Spain as we are not lovers of these two countries even though we have been to both.
For more info on our Trips see my website as in my signature below. Hope it will entice your other half to try Europe.

 

[ValA.]

We love France, unlike Dianne, above - we've been to Germany, and Italy, and passed through Switzerland, and whilst we found spectacular scenery and lovely towns and villages, we just didn't feel 'the love' for the places that we do in France. We use an ACSI card, and Camping Cheques (and Touring Cheques too) and spend two holidays a year - generally in France, though sometimes in Spain. You'll find caravanning in France (or most of Europe) a different experience to Britain - you don't have to book (outside the four week peak holiday period from mid-July to mid-August) - so you can really use your caravan to 'tour' - staying for as long or as little as you want. There are so many campsites in France that you can always find something to suit - anything from a large four star all-singing site, to just a few pitches in the corner of an orchard somewhere - where the only noise you'll hear is the nightingales keeping you awake.
Just go for it - we've been camping/caravanning in Europe for thirty-one years, since our sons were tiny babies, - and now they're camping in France in their own right - they're currently in Fontainbleau camping, and climbing! It's much less daunting then trying to book a site in England - just book your ferry, and head off in whatever direction you fancy - and you're sure to find a campsite to suit you somewhere along the way!

 

[swift2008]

Regarding Toll Costs
We travelled during September from Calais down to Limoges, then south to the Pyrenees across to Biarritz up to the Dordogne and back to Calais. We used motorways and Toll roads whenever possible. Our total mileage was just under 3000 and the cost of tolls was approximately £130. (almost 2000 miles towing caravan)

Whether this is considered expensive or not is a purely personal thing. For us, the ease of driving on French motorways outweighs the cost and we believe that the journey times are much reduced when compared to driving through all the small towns and villages that other routes entail. There must also be some saving on fuel when motorway driving at a fairly constant speed.

If however you enjoy seeing all these places and are happy to take as long as it takes then that is your choice. It is really no different from using a toll road or bridge in the UK. They are there to make journeys easier and quicker. Whether we use them or not is a matter of choice.

Waiting for next years sojourn.

 

[anotherDavid]

I cant disagree with any of the other replies. I have been going since the children were tiny over 30 years ago and the hardest part of the trip has always been getting to the port. Motoring is so much easier than here it is unbelievable. We don't use toll roads any more than necessary but if it makes life easier, through mountains for example, we pay. On our typical 2000 mile autumn trip it usually comes to £40-£50 and on a much longer trip to the south of Spain around £100. We have never booked a site ever, and never found a site full out of season. Whilst the camping cheques and ASCI scheme's can be good saving I wouldn't get too hung up about them, some people seem to let saving a few euros a night take them over and seem unwilling to consider anywhere else. I recently turned up at a Spanish site in the ASCI scheme and didn't stop, it was packed out (in October) and for €3 a night more on a better site up the road we had all the space we could ask for (and expect at that time of the year).
My advice would be give yourselves plenty of time say a month or six weeks to start with, avoid July and August, take the journeys in moderate steps, get properly insured and don't leave home without the Caravan Club site guides.
Good luck with your travels
Dave

 

[RayS]

As another long term european caravanner I agree with earlier posters.
One small point - I feel the trip you describe may be a little ambitious for a first visit. being away from home that long you will have to sort out all the new things in one go - perhaps a nice Spring or Autumn 2 to 3 weeks in France first ? Everyone wants to take different things from home and you will not be able (or need to) take everything. One thing I would certainly take is a wifi equipped laptop with Skype installed.
If you happen to be on regular prescribed medicines you may have some problem getting your GP to prescibe more than 3 months worth at a time. Depending on your family circumstances you may also have a problem with house insurance - many companies will only allow 60 days 'unoccupied' and you need to read the small print on what constitutes 'occupied' very carefully.
Suggest you get a copy of Caravan Club Europe 1 handbook - France and Spain - in addition to membeers reprots of sites, there is a wealth of advice about driving, safety etc.

Don't let all this put you off - it's great fun and everyone has to make a first trip. By and large you do not need to book sites - except high season, so your plans can be flexible and relaxed. Keep using this forum for specific questions.
here's a few more suggestions:
Plan your routes etc. using www.viamichelin.com or www.mappy.fr
Sat Nav maps can be well out of date in parts of Europe - particularly those with Ameerican based mapping systems
Toll roads in France can be expensive when towing - effectively doubling the fuel cost - but make for easy towing as an experience and confidence builder.
Switzerland requires expensive vignettes - tax discs - to use their motorways (and there is not much choice realistically)
look at your car service requirements - some recovery insurance require services are done at recommended intervals.
Some basic language is a great help - try www.earwormslearning.co.uk for adifferent approach.

Good luck

 

[norman_374478717]

Many thanks for the generous amount of info posted in reply. It will take me a little while to digest, but from the replies, it seems to be something that is not as daunting as it first appeared.

I will at some point let you know what happened!

Regards.

Norman.