2018 anniversary trip 200 / 100 max miles per day for 22 days (1 Viewer)

[FIDGET]

Sorry David , I misunderstood your any tips comment ,thought it refered to etape aires , Again sorry can't helpwith Grenoble aire as not done that aire before.

 

[Scout]

that might work well for way up, meeting Phil @Scout and Dave @BreweryDave somewhere possibly in that area

will check out the details

party party

 

[BernieTony]

There are a group of aires which we call etaps. They are around €10-11 each night but have water, Elsan and EHU. There are over 100 of them type in Camping Car Park. You pay €4 for your card initially, at any of the aires. They are all electronic. You need to input your card details and can either preload or pay at each aire. The quality varies, as does the amount of EHU’s available. There is an app. Hope this is helpful.
Sorry didn’t read all the posts, someone else has suggested this. Good Luck!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[DavidG58]

Thanks @Bernie8 always grateful for input even the same thing repeated can have been missed. We are actually on one of these now, reasonable price for what you get here, but we have paid more and got better on others in the group though

 

[DavidG58]

I have picked a place called La Mure south of Grenoble

Bev has spotted symbols for skiers in the same area

we are currently at an impasse

 

[Scout]

Morning all, its bright and sunny here, whats it like over there, are you still in winter clothes?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Hilewaychile]

If it's ' Undiscovered France' , how come it's in a book?

Quite so. I used to be a driver-guide [Merc Sprinter 16 seaters - fab to drive.] The company had "Secret X" and "Undiscovered Y" tours, several times a year, year after year. A real Smart Alec client could have sued the company for misrepresentation ... "I want a refund. It wasn't secret. Our guide told me he'd taken this tour twice this year already"

 

[Hilewaychile]

Which ones though? We have Vanco Continental Four Season ones so they are meant to be used all year round, I suspect yours are the same so no problem.

When I looked for new boots for my Movano self-built, wet braking performance, MPG and quiet running were my priorities. According to this my choice scored well in all three.

However, I know that good mpg and quiet running come best on 'summer' tyres.

Back-along [pre-1965, say] a gentleman always had a set of winter tyres in the garage, to be fitted to the motor about the time when he started to wear his 'BritishWarm' every day.

In Germany, for one, winter tyres are obligatory. I do wonder if we should do likewise. Not every chap has a British Warm, nor every chapess

So the time to put them on the charabanc would be when the oil companies started to supply winter grade diesel to the filling stations.

As I am due to head north in a cuple of weeks from home base at Valencia, where winter tyres are never needed.

to the snowy top right hand corner of Spain >France > wet and chilly Blighty, I amin ponder mode.

 

[DavidG58]

La Mure won, but I was driving

Bev has gone through all the risks and considered that they will all affect us, from snow to ice, to getting stuck, right through to crashing and dying but reviewed weather which shows above freezing temps this week and although we are now quite high, this is the route napoleon so a majorish route south, maybe more so in summer

a brand new aire, so far no barrier, drive over dump, water but not checked if live, but we left empty and full in all the correct tanks from Villefrance--sur- saone, driven 119 miles today, filled fuel from half empty €67 plus 2 x pains €2, not sure if we declared yesterday, but only bought 2 x pain and 1 x buerre €5

It didn't help my cause today when at one point I ignored a 3.5t weight limit although I convinced myself it related to a lorry symbol next to it , found a lovely layby on it though while I hoped Bev didn't spot the TT showing 'route des alpes'

to me this clearly showed the snow line was well above habitation, but Bev remained unconvinced

we have driven through the worst, actually only rain of the trip, but it is now dry, 5C and I am considering a walk to the village to watch the second half of the rugby, might just see what the half time score is first

will add some photos of the aire later

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Scout]

David If Bevs see's this your in trouble, hope you packed you bobsedge to get down the hills

 

[Scout]

Morning adventurers

 

[DavidG58]

morning Phil, nearly that nice, well actually it is now

But in the meantime it would seem that maybe Bev was right to be at least concerned, it does seem to happen quite a lot however Bev did agree to carry on down the same road which took us even higher with some lovely hairpin bends, this actually is ski resort territory here, as spotted by Bev when we passed through Grenoble big signs 'home of the winter Olympics'

they do an amazing job of getting roads clear here it was only about an inch deep, but the roads show no signs at all, even the salt they use looks fine enough to put on your dinner

They even came I with a mini slow plough right to the front of our MH, then came back and salted and even a mini plough cleared the path and gritted that just for us to go to get bread

We are currently about 20 miles north of Gap, which Bev has again spotted seems to have quite a few skier signs around it, we have also gone passed roads with closed due to niege (snow) and a few signs that seem to state that over 3.5T should have chains although the 7.5T limits also says we shouldn't have just seen a DPD lorry and trailer combination

sun is out , 0C outside 25C inside, we will be heading into the top of the gorge du Verdon region today, if Bev lets me

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Scout]

loving the photos, but I wont show Andrea, take care and listen to Bev you really now shes right don't you.

 

[DavidG58]

weather on your route Phil will be nothing like this, if it does snow there it will like UK snow and everything will grind to a halt

we are now past Gap and heading for Digne - les - baignes Bev has just gone shopping for a few essentials, it is now seriously hot inside MH, 27C full on blue sky sunshine

just to update yesterdays budget which went a bit over and I might need to keep a running total to avoid overspend, the only way we will know otherwise is zero € in our pockets and purse

had a few beers in a French bar watching the Scots beat the French at rugby everybody took it well, I bought a beer or 2 for the man who took me to the bar that was showing it, he had very small glasses @€1 / glass, I had bigger oens but still only €3 but only 250ml I think it looked bigger though total bar bill €13

the took Bev to pizzeria for dinner, 2 x pizza carafe of red wine, €27,90, he seemed more confused when I left €35 for bill and tip

plus the fuel and bread €69, total €117 for the day

today so far I have bought bread from La Mure, it would have been rude not to after he gritted the path for me €2.70 but Bev is currently in Inter Marche for more essentials

 

[DavidG58]

we didn't get quite as far as planned, 101 miles today, leaves virtually the same tomorrow to the Med coast

we are on a free aire at Digne-les-bains, its OK but wouldn't want to pay for it, beside a river that you cant see for a great big bank, actually not so great big that it stopped me backing into it the bright sun was in the cameras

paid for water tomorrow but seems to be live at least, so will leave empty and full again, too far to sensibly walk to town and still very cold, despite lovely sun during day, I really don't know why they put these stops so far from anything, but there is a supermarket at end of road

we meet A + R on Thursday night flying in to Nice airport, they will have a hire car and will stay with us in MH so need a site ideally, I know it is out of season but we are really struggling, might even have to pop over into Italy

Have found one but €40 / night plus another €16 for A + R plus electrics

seems like this corner of France is not so MH friendly as the ret of the country

some distant mountains and snow, but not sure any will bother us now, although we did pass over a minor Col today at 1300m

and a weak sunset here this evening

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[scousebird]

David
I can recommend this site http://www.vieilleferme.com/?c=bienvenue-fr although we stayed in the summer about 18 years ago. It is close to Antibes, not far from Nice and looks to be cheaper than you were saying earlier.

 

[DavidG58]

@scousebird thanks Helen we have also used that site but it doesn’t open till 1st April like most others, which then lets the few that are charge a fortune

 

[scousebird]

@scousebird thanks Helen we have also used that site but it doesn’t open till 1st April like most others, which then lets the few that are charge a fortune

According to their pricing they are open from 26.12.17 - 04.11.18
http://www.vieilleferme.com/mesimages/files/tarifs_emplacements_la_vieille_ferme.pdf

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[DavidG58]

Will have a closer look tomorrow many thanks Helen

 

[Bart]

Loving this thread @DavidG58

 

[Lenny HB]

the took Bev to pizzeria for dinner, 2 x pizza carafe of red wine, €27,90, he seemed more confused when I left €35 for bill and tip

He was probably in shock, service is included in France if you want to leave extra just some loose change is adequate.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[mitzimad]

Loving the reports must do a blog for our next trip,weve just come back from 3 months France Portugal and Spain .Went with a 3 k budget but managed to blow that by 25% was colder than we thought it would be so had to buy some extra clothing and used a lot of gas Deisel in France and Portugal is now dearer than home and Spain about the same

 

[DavidG58]

good morning from Dignes, cold but lovely and sunny -2C, ran heating at 13C overnight and it ran almost all the time, now got blinds up and in sun internal temp now 16C and feels much warmer sat in sun

These wide but nearly empty rivers fascinate me, the thaw run off must be colossal, then the hill side village, built I guess for security, but how much hassle to build

we are parked just over the trees on the right of the river in first river photo, but couldn't see or even hear it from MH, some traffic noise from across the river but not enough to disturb sleep

 

[Scout]

good morning from Dignes, cold but lovely and sunny -2C, ran heating at 13C overnight and it ran almost all the time, now got blinds up and in sun internal temp now 16C and feels much warmer sat in sun

These wide but nearly empty rivers fascinate me, the thaw run off must be colossal, then the hill side village, built I guess for security, but how much hassle to build

View attachment 212663

View attachment 212664

View attachment 212665

View attachment 212666

we are parked just over the trees on the right of the river in first river photo, but couldn't see or even hear it from MH, some traffic noise from across the river but not enough to disturb sleep

nice David so where are we off to today?

P.S. hows lola

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[DavidG58]

walking Lola just now gave me more of a clue to the river levels, in photo three in my post about this aire, the building behind our MH has an odd wooden structure sticking out from it, I hadnt really noticed till I walked under it this morning, its about 1m wide 300mm deep and is a gutter extension taking roof water straight to river from the sports hall, there must really be an awful lot of rain and snow melt at times

 

[DavidG58]

nice David so where are we off to today?

P.S. hows lola

morning Phil, Lola is good and seems fully mended, she does seem to like French dog food, or maybe just the change

today we drive to Castelanne for a look for possible site options, but don't expect anywhere to be open there, too remote to justify, so will review the aire options, then on to the med coast, either today or tomorrow

I want to take Bev for lunch in Eze tomorrow, its a beautiful cliff top village looking down over Nice / Monaco / out to sea, we went there pre married days and spent almost our weeks budget on a couple of drinks, slight exaggeration, but they were expensive and our budget was much tighter in those days

 

[DavidG58]

Yesterday was a budget saving spend of 33euros in a supermarket, could even go another day with no fuel today

But I expect to need gas at some point, 7 very cold nights 2 on electric but one of those used gas as well, plus all cooking, but still on first 11kg cylinder out of 2

Just about to hit Bevs debit card again here as we buy water for 2.5 euros

Plus must top up screen wash but I already have 5 litres packed for Norway and it barely rained

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Scout]

you old smoothie, which one, do tell more?

EDIT: can we play GTB

 

[DavidG58]

@Scout just while fresh in my mind, the most important component for your travel after passports is one of these adaptors

Apart from if people like me forget and leave the adaptor after filling I have never seen anything other than a bare thread

Another for your list unless you already have one

 

[Scout]

@Scout just while fresh in my mind, the most important component for your travel after passports is one of these adaptors

Apart from if people like me forget and leave the adaptor after filling I have never seen anything other than a bare thread

View attachment 212696

View attachment 212693

View attachment 212694

View attachment 212695

Another for your list unless you already have one

got one thanks, now where did I put it

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}