Design a Tour For a Newbie (1 Viewer)

Jim

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Speaking to people at Motorhome shows on the Fun stand I am amazed at how many motorhome owners have never travelled to the continent, I know that there is a lifetime of exploring to be had in the UK but a trip to France or beyond really is a must, for me at least.

The main reason that many do not cross the water is that they are afraid, when pressed, its nothing in particular that scares them its just the thought of travelling in a foreign country scares them a bit, not speaking the lingo, driving on the wrong side etc.

So I have been thinking, maybe we could do a bit of hand holding and list some of the tours we have made on the continent, or maybe we could design a couple of simple tours just for newbies, starting them at marine parade Dover and giving them a weeks tour in France or similar, where to go, what to see where to camp and park etc.

I know that many like me just turn right out of Calais, but I am sure that a written itinerary might encourage a newbie to give it a go.

If anyone wants to list a tour they have done or design one, list it here and I will get it put up where newbies can see it.

Thanks in anticipation
:thumb:
 

hilldweller

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Speaking to people at Motorhome shows on the Fun stand I am amazed at how many motorhome owners have never travelled to the continent,

Rediculous, we must put a stop to this.

When we bought our first MH 18 months ago, first we did a 1000 mile loop of Scotland. Then I thought "so what ferry problems could we have".

So, cheap return Dover/Calais, a few nights in the Bois de Boulogne.

Camp site is fine, decent food, bus to nearest Metro.

Easy. Almost traffic free from Calais to Paris. Paris a bit difficult due to one way system near the campsite.

Easy, except for the Metro, probably the only EU train system with no aids for visitors.

We must do it again, once we get 2 euros to the pound.
 

Wildman

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For some of us, the reason we have not toured the continent is cost, including the cost of taking or leaving pets behind, passports are now a hell of a price and fuel cost has risen, exchange rate fallen, nowt to do with being scared, we wild camp everywhere in the UK and would do the same in France if we went, but as we tend to keep away from other people when travelling how is it different to a thousand places in the UK.
Cost is the limiting factor, not fear.

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Jim

Jim

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Hi Roger, your not scared then?::bigsmile:

I know there are lots of reasons why people do not want to venture over the water. I just have a hunch that some would love to go if a few of the uncertainties were ironed out for them.

Roger Maybe you could design a wild-camping tour of the west country for those that have never tried it:Smile:
 
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Great idea Jim :winky:
We are hoping to take our first trip over to france this summer and it is funny the things you think about.

Is it best to stay the night in england and get up nice and early for the crossing that way you have plenty of time to get to you campsite?
OR cross in the evening and drive through the night?

Where's the best place to stay for the first night? I like to make my arrangements on the fly when I travel, but it's always nice to have that first night sorted.

Is it better for us to catch a ferry from a port near to home, so saving on petrol, but costing more to cross (we live in Cardiff)? or use our tesco vouchers and get the eurotunnel?

I'd love to get peoples tips for a first euro trip, so THANK YOU JIM :thumb: for a great idea ::bigsmile:

In the end it's all one great adventure and I'm sure we will make some mistakes which will turn into great adventurers :winky:

Andy
 
D

dusty239

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dusty239

i think it would be good if we could get more info for first timers , as for myself eny info would be a great help:thumb:

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pappajohn

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Is it better for us to catch a ferry from a port near to home, so saving on petrol, but costing more to cross

apologies for highjacking the thread,

if we get the Northsea ferries from hull to zeebrugee (we're in scarborough) its the around £500 return and a 100mile round trip + £20 fuel to hull.
if we drive to dover its a 600 miles round trip and about £120 in fuel +£120 ferry return.

no points for quessing which port we use.:thumb:
 

highwayman

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[QUOTE=peter H If we're starting a convoy count me in

Peter

Mercy, Sakes alive looks like we got-us a !!!!! :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
NOW look what you've started :ROFLMAO:


Regards....nige

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robrobc

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Quote

Is it better for us to catch a ferry from a port near to home, so saving on petrol, but costing more to cross (we live in Cardiff)? or use our tesco vouchers and get the eurotunnel?

I'd love to get peoples tips for a first euro trip, so THANK YOU JIM :thumb: for a great idea ::bigsmile:

In the end it's all one great adventure and I'm sure we will make some mistakes which will turn into great adventurers :winky:

Andy



Having done both Ferries and the Tunnel I would take the tunnel in preference as I can stay in the vehicle with our dogs.

We plan our trips round the continent with the following

1. Alan Rodgers Site Guides
2. A large scale Country map for plotting distances between sites
3. Google earth so you can have a look at the sites and surrounding areas.

I do not think that there is a hard and fast guide as to where you should go but it is possible to plan out some great trips perhaps with an emphasis on a favourite pastime or activity. (my faves are Golf and Wine)

I hope that helps

Rob
 

Sundowners

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Some people are frightened of the unknown, others regard it as a challenge, it would be nice if those with no experience of driving abroard could have their hands held until they felt confident enough to go it alone.
I think that it must be harder now than it was when I first drove abroard, (I was only 18 so I think that would have made it easier)
Nigel
 

old-mo

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Brilliant idea,, I think a few seasoned continental tourers/travellers could pick up a few tips. :thumb:

I for one. Done a lot of continental travelling, but could still learn more. :Smile:

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Frankia

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We do most of our motorhoming abroad and rarely travel in the UK. Why? - because we are more accepted over there than at home. From Caravan clubs who think that a motorhome, over the size of mini, is a converted bus inhabited by gypsies to the abscence of good and welcoming free camping spots.

The problem with designing an itinerary for a newbie is that you don't know what their interests may be. We have escorted many others to various countries in Europe and basically you can not please all of the people all of the time. For us we enjoy visiting Germany and seeing all of the folk festivals (wine fests) and seeing all of the scenery (mainly rural but we do like cities like Berlin and Dresden). Being German speakers we also like to meet as many German people as possible. What we don't do is visit all of the 2nd world war sites which seems to be a must for some others.

We meet many Germans who say to us that they would love to visit the Uk but they are frightened to drive on the "wrong" side of the road or the UK is too expensive. (with the state of the £1 now they wont have that excuse).

One tip I would give to anyone who is concerned about driving on the "wrong" side is don't worry about it but for the 1st few miles have your near side mirror (continental near side) angled slightly downwards so that you can keep an eye on just how far you are away from the kerb. It is natural to be near the middle of the road for the driver and you would be surprised just how far away from the kerb some newbies get before they realise how scared their passenger has become.:Eeek:
 

JayDee

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If we're starting a convoy count me in

Peter

Cool!:Cool:

This could be the road song (you know what's coming, don't you :ROFLMAO:
[ame=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=N-FZZ7ye7h8]YouTube - Convoy ( GB )[/ame]


John:thumb:
 
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dewaltman

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this is an excellent idea if anyone would be prepared to post the itinery of trips they have done previously with the names of campsites aires etc where they have stopped and if possible the reasons why they stopped where they did and for how long and approx mileage between sites I am sure that a lot of us foreign touring novices would appreciatte this and would then help us plan journeys maybe using part of their itineries or all , or maybe some of the campsites or aires that they used.

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carpyone

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If we're starting a convoy count me in

Peter

I'm going on my first continental MH trip in June/July this year and yes we are going in convoy. So far 7 of us are booked on the same shuttle and another eight are traveling by various ferry routes because of location in UK. I've never met any of the group but the leader is experienced. The convoy will consist of caravans as well as motor homes. The journey in France is about 300 miles and then a fixed location for 2 weeks, with trips arranged ad hoc as the group wants. All participants are members of another forum.

I'm not 'afraid' of continental driving as I have in my younger days towed a caravan every summer for our annual holidays with the wife and children aboard. However as I now have to travel alone i will be missing my navigator and my linguist as my wife was fluent in French.So I would say I was apprehensive rather than frightened.

I would certainly be interested if any member of this forum suggested a similar trip.
 

scotjimland

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I think it's an excellent idea, but it would be easier to tailor a trip if we knew some specifics..
if any 'newbie' who is interested could first post some details.. ?

Something along these lines would be very helpful...

1. How long a trip. 7, 14, 21 days etc

2. What kind of trip..

a) Touring with several two or three day stop overs
b) Most of the time spent in one location with only a few stops en route

3. Interested in

For example
a) Beach
b) Mountains
c) Cities
d) War graves.. etc etc

4) How far .. trip mileage

a) Less than 500ml
b) Less than 1,000ml
c) don't matter


5) Preferred Channel Crossing.


Armed with this info someone on the forum will have the ideal trip... :Smile:
 

tyrangie1

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Great Idea

Great Idea Jim
We are planning our first trip abroad in Sept (ish):Eeek:, going from Portsmouth and spending around six months in a warmer climate::bigsmile:. Although being really excited I must admit we are also very apprehensive and can probably say that I am even a bit scared :whatthe:even though my other half (Ty) assures me everything will be fine:thumb:. For our first trip we thought we would go to Bilbao and from there we have made no decisions although it will be in Spain, time is not a problem and we will decide nearer the time exactly where we are going to stay:Smile:. We check here everyday and through the forums and new posts we have learned a lot from all the members, which i would like to thank them all and yourself for all the valuable information. :thanks: Keep up the good work:thumb: :beer:

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Bulletguy

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Speaking to people at Motorhome shows on the Fun stand I am amazed at how many motorhome owners have never travelled to the continent,
The continent???? :whatthe::whatthe: Forget the continent.......how many are actually used?

I know of many which venture out of the driveway no more than a couple of times a year!
 

Bulletguy

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Some people are frightened of the unknown, others regard it as a challenge.....
True.

I've driven in europe many times, and often used to drive from UK to Switzerland, a journey of 850 miles which i once drove in one day, though i wouldn't do it now. Language can sometimes prove a problem in certain countries (not Switzerland), but driving solo is a bigger challenge in that you are totally on your own and have sole responsibility if anything goes wrong. Pre-Satnav, finding yourself hopelessly lost with just a map and sense of direction to go on isn't much fun.

Last year i toured an extensive route through eastern Germany, Czech and Poland to look at 2nd world war sites which interest me.

This year i'm hoping to see more and go further along the Baltic coast, through Poland and on up to Latvia and Lithuania, then back via Berlin where i visited last year but there are still areas there i need to see.....plus Berlin is a brilliant city to walk around.

My proposed route for 2009 is still in the planning stage and all i do is list the places i want to go to, write them down, then stick each one into Autoroute and see where they are on the map. After doing that i just 'fine tune' it by moving each place into an order at the same time as taking note of the approx mileages.

Finally i then do a print out of place names only of the complete route.
 

hilldweller

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then stick each one into Autoroute and see where they are on the map. After doing that i just 'fine tune' it by moving each place into an order at the same time as taking note of the approx mileages.

Gets my vote. Autoroute is cheap and as good as it gets on a PC.

Better routing than a lot of SatNavs too ( apart from the odd anomaly that hits the www, like Glasgow to Bristol routing through Ireland even if technically the shortest driving distance )

Brian.

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homenaway

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Hi,

Not sure if a detailed itinerary for newbies would be much help as everyone's ideas such as the distance to drive each day would vary so much.

I must admit for our first trip to France with a c*r*v*n many years ago we booked about four sites in Brittany for a three week trip through the C&CC Carefree brochure but since we converted to motorhoming we often don't even pick a place to stay that night until lunchtime :Smile:

There are several websites and blogs of motorhomers' trips and I've put some links on our own website, along with all the campsites we've stayed at in recent years and info on some of the places we've visited, also a beginner's guide to Touring in Europe ::bigsmile:

here motorhome and away

Steve
 

iceni

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For some of us, the reason we have not toured the continent is cost, including the cost of taking or leaving pets behind, passports are now a hell of a price and fuel cost has risen, exchange rate fallen, nowt to do with being scared, we wild camp everywhere in the UK and would do the same in France if we went, but as we tend to keep away from other people when travelling how is it different to a thousand places in the UK.
Cost is the limiting factor, not fear.


Hi roger
We have been Mhers for over 20 years and had never been abroad in the van till last year. freinds of ours always tried to get us to go but we were very sceptical thinking I cant be bothered or it cant be all that good..your just exaggerating. Also the main problem was our old labby dog. we didnt want to have all the bother of passposts and were a bit afraid of something silly going worng and us having to leave him there.
We lost him just over 3 years ago and so succummed to all the badjering from freinds and went for a few days in oct 07 and then again in june 08 and again in oct 08.

All i can say is that our initial fears about driving on the wrong side..or the lingo were really unfounded.
For a start theres less than half the traffic on the roads. driving is so much more relaxing. They dont drive like us (except perhaps aviod paris for the first few trips), the drive on the side of the road nearest the pavement except when overtaking and then they pull in again. Theres no one stuck up your ass trying to get you to go faster. Its all a much calmer experience.
Then theres parking. again its easy to forget your in the UK as you can park practially anywhere you want to go as they provide not only aires in most towns and cities but alsl lots of dedicated parkin areas for camping cars.

Cost? Again dont worry. we had money over from our last 2 week holiday in june. and that was filling the van up with booze on the way back.

Other things i like about France (not been anywhere else yet) are
the shops and particularly the quality of the food. so colourfull and fresh
the scenery. the normamdy coast is lovely and great for a first holiday. There are aires all along the coast of normandy and most are really picturesque and overlook the sea. Some are free, the others cost about 5-7 euros and lots have electric.

I think once anyone has been they will find it a great addition to their holiday itinary and will find it easier to overcome the other problems.
We wish we had done it years ago.

If anyone wants any specific info or ideas feel free to PM me. I,m not an expert but i am willing to share my experiences and give you places to go (or to aviod) for a first time trip over the "MER"

Phill
 

haganap

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I think for many that wish to go its a case of using sites like this ot get your information and tehn goiing it alone.
I once did a convoy to the North of Scotland, great fun but everybody wants different things. Personally, although it's great to have company I often like travelling on my own. This way I can dictate when and how many stops I want to have.
We have escorted others around France, and had a great time, we have toured through the low countries and on to Germany and Switzerland and some of the best fun is when things go wrong. Nowdays with Sat navs with aires and stellplaz on you cant go much wrong. Although on occasions it's difficult enough getting on an aire on your own without a trail of 5 + vans to find space for.

There is of course a Meet at Parc Verger in the Summer. Ourselves are going accompanied by tick59 or now known as bonjour bill after last yesars trip. This would be a great opportunity for a first timer to get some experience. we will be travelling on the Wednesday and others will be travelling on differnet days from differetn ports im sure. And im sure they would not mind a bit of company as we are a friendly bunch.

As for Rogers quote? I think he is dead right. My inlaws in 20+years with a motorhome and caravan have never been outside the uk. Why? I asked them before? he simply replied because there is too much in the UK I have yet to see. You don't have to go abroad to love your motorhome, it's just a nice way to spend a few weeks. We go for the sun or for the Snow, in less than 3 weeks we will be skiing in the alps and can't wait and this time taking a couple of other vans with us.

So enjoy what ever type of motorhoming you choose and if you want to go abroad come to a meet or two, meet some likeminded people and before you know it you will be escorting them on a holiday of a life time.

good luck.:thumb:

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