Help Cheer Me Up With Some Planning (1 Viewer)

[SOS]

After having surgery last week and now having the prospect of having more surgery this year I am a little down in the dumps. We have our ferry booked for early September to Dunkirk and we are hoping to tour Germany for a fortnight. I am absolutely determined to make this trip! I have it in my head that we could head down the east side of France, through Luxembourg and then into Germany. Any recommendations please of a first night stop on an aire, I expect we would probably want a 3 hour drive from the port.

I have hopes to do the Romantic road and then come back up through the Black Forest maybe crossing into France at some point to head back up. We have a fortnight ish to fill. Do you think this is too ambitious? Any recommendations for Aires or Stellplatz along the way would be gratefully received.

 

[ourcampersbeentrashed]

Cant help you with your trip but sending you a big smile and some sunshine to cheer you up. Hope the surgery is successful - keep smiling

 

[magicsurfbus]

We went to Germany recently, aire/stellplatz & campsite details here: http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/spring-trip-2015-part-1-3-germany.107809/

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[SOS]

So I'm not being too ambitious then to do a trip like this with my time frame by the sounds of it. That's very helpful thank you.

 

[Popeye]

I have no idea how to help with this I just wanted to wish you well and tell you I will follow this thread as it is my desire to do almost exactly this journey, not in two weeks however, more like four weeks.

All the best.......Griff

 

[SOS]

Wish I had 4 weeks to meander a bit more. The thing is I want to stock up with Asbach as well and thought we might try to visit the distillery whilst there lol

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[magicsurfbus]

Timing is what you make it - we're happy to drive for long stretches between destinations and tend to whizz round cities. Calais to Munich was two days for us. We could have easily done the highlights of Munich in a couple of days, but wanted to stay for the flea market. If you arrived early enough in Cologne you could probably see the best bits in a full day. I'm not sure to what extent your recent surgery will slow the pace of things for you - no point overdoing it. I think two weeks to have a good look at Germany isn't unreasonable.

 

[Cat53]

No idea, but just want to wish you well with your recovery. My advice would be to play it by ear and listen to your body. Rather do less and enjoy it, than push it and feel lousy! These ops can take a bit of getting over. But enjoy your trip.

 

[Wildbill]

don't know anything abut touring Germany on a time limit there is so much to see and do and such a big country
do as much a you feel like doing don't over do it and enjoy every min of it there is always the next time to do what you missed
get well soon sending you a big smile bill

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[SOS]

Thank you for all your good wishes and inspiration to get on with this trip. Are there any more suggestions for a first night stopover form any of you. Probably would want to drive about 3 hours ish once off the ferry with a view to calling into Luxembourg the next day.

 

[SOS]

The holiday is looming nearer, hooray! Can't wait. 2 lots of surgery now booked for October and November so our trip is on for September. We have now decided to head to Dover once we have finished work on the Wednesday evening and get on the first available ferry. Is parking still allowed by the ticket office in Dunkirk port? Has anybody stayed there recently? Thought this may be a good idea so we can get up in the morning and be on the right side of the channel.

 

[FIDGET]

Wish I had 4 weeks to meander a bit more. The thing is I want to stock up with Asbach as well and thought we might try to visit the distillery whilst there lol

Hi SOS,
Like you I love Asbach brandy.

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[tonka]

We did the Mosel a few years ago as recommended to us..
Crossed and overnight at Calais.
Next day via Belgium and Luxembourg to arrive and stay at the aire in Trier.
Nice easy days drive from what i remember, then did 2 weeks on the mosel.. Loved it.

ps.. From a man who had heart surgery back in March, good luck with the op's and the recovery.
I'm driving to Benidorm tomorrow !!! No way did I ever think that was possible only a few months ago..

 

[davanne]

The holiday is looming nearer, hooray! Can't wait. 2 lots of surgery now booked for October and November so our trip is on for September. We have now decided to head to Dover once we have finished work on the Wednesday evening and get on the first available ferry. Is parking still allowed by the ticket office in Dunkirk port? Has anybody stayed there recently? Thought this may be a good idea so we can get up in the morning and be on the right side of the channel.

Why not stay on the aire at Gravelines...much quieter than the port at Dunkirk and only just down the the road.

 

[Easyliving]

We are getting an evening Chunnel train in a couple of weeks time then staying overnight at Bergues aire before making an early start next day.

We have stayed at Bergues a couple of times, no service point but plenty of room and a couple of minutes walk to a pleasant town with several cafes etc.

Paul

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[Ali n Tim]

Hi Debbie & Trevor

Haven't done any trips into Germany yet so can't help with your tour. Just to wish you a good time Sorry to hear re the surgery though xx

 

[SOS]

Hi SOS,
Like you I love Asbach brandy.

Stocking up on Asbach is the highlight of my trip lol!

 

[SOS]

We did the Mosel a few years ago as recommended to us..
Crossed and overnight at Calais.
Next day via Belgium and Luxembourg to arrive and stay at the aire in Trier.
Nice easy days drive from what i remember, then did 2 weeks on the mosel.. Loved it.

ps.. From a man who had heart surgery back in March, good luck with the op's and the recovery.
I'm driving to Benidorm tomorrow !!! No way did I ever think that was possible only a few months ago..

Have a great time in Benidorm. My surgery isn't anywhere near as serious as heart surgery, hubby had a quadruple bypass last year. Mine will just make me sore for a few weeks but waited a long time to get to see the right surgeon who can fix me. I have already requested that hubby take me out in the motorhome in between the 2 surgeries as a recuperation trip. Lol

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[Rob and Val]

We went to the Mosel Valley in June. We had 3 weeks for our trip, so there was no rush anywhere. Our first stop was at Gravelines Aire. We then went on to a campsite in Belgium, where we stayed for two days: -

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This decision proved to be a good one. It was an ideally located campsite for visiting Ghent. The bus stop was just outside the campsite and the bus dropped us off, about 25 minutes later, next to McDonalds in Korenmarkt, which was the perfect drop off point for St Michael's Bridge. From the bridge you can get one of the best views of Ghent's medieval buildings. We had a perfect day there which included a river trip and a leisurely meal at one of the riverside restaurants that you can see from St Michael's bridge. Ghent was one of the highlights of our trip even though we had only put it on our itinerary as it was en route to the Mosel.

Whatever you decide to do, we hope you have a wonderful time. The great thing about having a motorhome is that you can be flexible about where you go and where you stay.

We also hope that the surgery goes well and that you will soon be back to good health.

 

[mariner]

My trip last time I did it, was first stop Bruge, then Koln, then Koblenz.

Meander down the Mosel stopping at the Stellplatz along the route of which there are a few. Cochem, Bernkastel were just two of the places on my must see list

The Mosel takes you into Trier and then into Luxembourg.

After that see what time you have left, to decide where you go next.

I wouldn't pre book anything if you plan to use campsites as well as Stellplatz.

There is a sports Stadium just on the outskirts of Trier, which is a favourite free spot for Freeloading MH'ers.

 

[SOS]

Thank you for all your tips. Has anybody over-nighted in Dunkirk port recently though. I expect we will be getting there very late and don't fancy trying to find Gravelines at such a late hour.

I better be better this time next year as we have already booked the Portsmouth to Santander ferry and are planning our trip to Portugal for 2016. Can't seem to help myself with always wanting to be away motor homeing!

Not booking any sites for this trip, hoping to use as many aires as possible with the odd stay on a campsite here and there. Just got a rough plan of action in my head but we are going to go with the flow. We have already agreed if the weather in Germany is not great then head south will be the answer to that. We have camped loads in France and even once towed our caravan down to Italy. We permanently pitched the damn thing in Somerset when we got back after that trip. really looking forward to going in the motorhome. Can hardly contain myself and I need to really stop buying stuff now as the just in case box is getting ridiculous!

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[FIDGET]

Hi SOS, not recently, but the last few times we been . on arrival we go around the first roundabout & go back in into terminal / ticket office car park & stay there the night no problem.

 

[Viennese]

Good luck! Don't forget to fill up with cheap diesel in Luxembourg! Still the cheapest in Europe.

 

[SOS]

Thanks everyone. I am going to chance it and overnight at Dunkirk. We will definitely be stopping off in Luxembourg for fuel! Can't wait but still 3 and a bit weeks of work. Still going to have a couple of weekends away though before we go, I just can't seem to stay at home at weekends now.

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