Athens via the Balkans & Back in 99Days

[Dennisad]

T'n'D
Well we, Terry (she who thinks she should be obeyed) 'n' Dennis (who Terry would say never obeys) are almost ready to undertake our trip we are both nervous and excited at the prospect, any tips and tricks would be appreciated.

We no longer consider ourselves newbies, (but still novices and always learning), we bought our first MO in 2015 and after trying Devon for a few days set off to Portugal on our maiden overseas trip Jan 2016. We have now visited lots of Spain, Portugal, France, driven the whole coastline of Italy went to Sicily, we cheated and went over as foot passengers and hired a car and did B&B for a week. Our last trip started in Jan 2018 and took in Morocco (eye opening and great) during Feb and making our way back home (Stourbridge) via Spain, Portugal and France arriving back the end of April.

We bought a new MO in July 18 a Chausson Welcome 628EB (no comments please it suits us) the furthest it has travelled is Dublin for us to see Andrea Bocelli (plus a surprise appearance from Bev Knight, fantastic both of them) and then to Northern Ireland to visit the area of the giants causeway and a little later to The Isle of Wight.

Tomorrow we start our latest adventure, Black Horse Farm, Densole, Folkeston and a meal in the pub across the road, before the tunnel the next day 27 Feb and our first stop Liege in Belgium. I (we) have never planned a trip always done it on the fly, but due needing Green Cards (don’t like wasting too much money on insurance), have had to look at it in some detail. Our trip will take us through Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia & Herz, back into Croatia, Solvenia, back into Austria, Germany, France, back into Germany and finally Belgium and the tunnel before arriving back into good old England om 4 June when the weather should have improved, thinking of those very unfortunate people who have been flooded over the past few weeks and those in Shrewsbury tonight.

Will post pics and comments along the route, any tips and advice always welcome.

 

[Carol]

Sounds like a great trip look forward to following your travels don't forget pictures.
Safe travels.

 

[Dennisad]

Sounds like a great trip look forward to following your travels don't forget pictures.
Safe travels.

Well after your 33 years experience, we are newbies .

 

[TinaLes]

Sounds like a fantastic trip, lots of time to enjoy the sights and the many miles you will cover.
Many of us are looking at Greece this year, mostly taking ferry from Italy.
Many of us have been warned off of driving all the way because, its either a no no, or 3rd party insurance at best in some of the regions you intend to go through.
Your views/arrangements to this insurance problem would be very much appreciated.
Bon Voyage
LES

 

[Northernraider]

I'd also like your info on insurance for Albania, Montenegro etc as I enquired last year as my insurance provider doesnt cover them ....they suggested buying at the borders but not sure about that

Will follow with interest as greece and croatia are certainly possibilities for me next winter

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[wigster]

Exiting times , enjoy your trip . Would be great if you posted about your journey , looking forward to it

 

[Blue Knight]

Your trip sounds fantatsic but make certain that you have your bases covered when it comes to insurance for medical and medical reptriation etc (and not just an EHIC).

 

[ivorantony]

Done that trip with two other lads in a old V4 Ford transit in the late sixties, we only had two weeks holiday at the time so quite a bit of driving that was the time of the old Yugoslavia and we avoided Albania and went through the Mountains to Greece, Fantastic trip with great memories,

 

[Dennisad]

Sounds like a fantastic trip, lots of time to enjoy the sights and the many miles you will cover.
Many of us are looking at Greece this year, mostly taking ferry from Italy.
Many of us have been warned off of driving all the way because, its either a no no, or 3rd party insurance at best in some of the regions you intend to go through.
Your views/arrangements to this insurance problem would be very much appreciated.
Bon Voyage
LES

Hi Les
I have comp insurance through Comfort for all the places we are visiting (including Montenegro and Bosnia) which needed a green card £22.40 per week for each country and £20 fee so £64.80 as we will only be a week in each. Albania they wouldn't cover so we will buy that at the border either third party or fully comp depending on how much you want to risk it. We bought cover on entering Morocco for a month it was third Party can't remember how much. Where were the no no's you mentioned?
Thanks Dennis

 

[Dennisad]

I'd also like your info on insurance for Albania, Montenegro etc as I enquired last year as my insurance provider doesnt cover them ....they suggested buying at the borders but not sure about that

Will follow with interest as greece and croatia are certainly possibilities for me next winter

Hi NR
Montenegro and Bosnia we are doing a week in each £22.40 but you have to let them know the dates before they issue the green card as you need the original document. Plus a £20 arrangement fee for the two cards. So had to plan the trip, which we have never done.
Albania is buy it at the border like we did in Morocco, as it is a fairly new bus(MH) might have to bite the bullet and have fully comp.
Cheers
Dennis

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[Dennisad]

Your trip sounds fantatsic but make certain that you have your bases covered when it comes to insurance for medical and medical reptriation etc (and not just an EHIC).

Hi BK
All covered by upgrading the Bank Acc insurance cover had quotes from CMC At nearly £600, from the bank at half the price
Cheers
Dennis

 

[Wanders from Glos]

Sounds a fabulous trip, really adventurous. I'll follow with interest and look forward to hearing about Albania in particular.

 

[Blue Knight]

Hi BK
All covered by upgrading the Bank Acc insurance cover had quotes from CMC At nearly £600, from the bank at half the price
Cheers
Dennis

Sounds good indeed Dennis,

I previously spent a few years living in Bosnia, Croatia and Macedonia with trips to Montenegro, Albania and Serbia and I thouroghly enjoyed it, albeit you do need to be a bit streetwise in some places (no different to any other foreign place TBH).

Have a great time and be sure to post-up some pics.

Safe travels,

Andrew

 

[TinaLes]

Hi Les
I have comp insurance through Comfort for all the places we are visiting (including Montenegro and Bosnia) which needed a green card £22.40 per week for each country and £20 fee so £64.80 as we will only be a week in each. Albania they wouldn't cover so we will buy that at the border either third party or fully comp depending on how much you want to risk it. We bought cover on entering Morocco for a month it was third Party can't remember how much. Where were the no no's you mentioned?
Thanks Dennis

Hi Dennis
Many thanks for giving us all a clearer picture of your insurance arrangements for your trip. We are with Comfort also, have been for 3 years now, the "no no's" I mentioned related to a conversation I had at last renewal. When I asked about cover for Montenegro, Bosnia and Albania, the response I got was "no we cannot cover you in those countries"they did not mention a green card arrangement for Montenegro or Bosnia at the time.
I also knew from other funster posts, that Albania was not on any insurance company lists, and that you could take the 3rd party offer at the border, there was no mention of a fully comp border offer, and many on here wondered how effective the cover would be if a claim situation arose, let alone getting the van repatriated back to The UK.
Like you we have a newish van and this arrangement seemed too risky at the time, but I guess we have to trust to our luck that all will be OK.
It great to know that you can now at least get a Green Card Timed arrangement for Bosnia & Montenegro, especially the latter as it looks like a fantastic place to visit.
I hope you have a great trip, it would be great to see any pictures and a travel log of your trip, if you can get a signal or the time that is.
Many Thanks.
LES

 

[Ukbandit]

Have a great trip, we are leaving our winter spot in Benidorm next week and heading to Croatia.

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[Dennisad]

Well to be honest it has been test thus far, arrived Black Horse Farm site in Folkeston.

Water not running properly and pump making more noise than it should was the first issue we had to resolve, not too much of an issue. Then the Sat Dish an Oyster Vision 3 only 18 months old wouldn't and doesn't work gives the error message 'Y Motor Error' and nothing happens. Spoke to VanBitz and have been advised to speak direct with Osyter which we are doing (will keep you posted).

We had a nice meal in Black Horse pub over the road from the site T had for chips and peas and me ham double egg chips and peas, nothing left on the plates and two (each) large GnT's.

Then today we arrived in Calais where we had been warning of roadworks and a diversion, put the Falcon Sat Nav on that we use so we can input the bus size, it decided it wasn't going to play much and then decided to take the day off, fortunately we also have a tom tom. But by the time we had that all up and running we had been driving slightly in the wrong direction due to the diversion signs (well that's our excuse).

It has poured down all day and the nearer we got to Liege the rain turned to snow (some pig's (predictive text) pics will follow in a couple of days. The goods news for me is I was the navigator today, oh no tom was and T was driving just over 200 miles.

We are now parked up for free (searchforsites) for the night, fed and watered, just finishing this and to bed. We are at a place called Chaudfontaine about 6-8 miles from the centre a 31 bus running to town about every 12 mins my research shows, I'll let you know. Co-ords are 50.58833 5.65278, it's a large car park and fairly flat, the village/place looked really nice when we arrived it's nearby the river l'ourthe but due to the weather haven't yet ventured out.

Looking forward to a good day tomorrow, going to be cold 5 degrees tops just have to wrap up warm, night folks.

 

[dunnah01]

Starting a similar trip in a week or two so may well be in touch for a few pointers or to swap notes. Fed up with hurricanes and floods and need some sunshine..

 

[Glandwr]

Keep an eye on the weather, have you got snow chains?

 

[dunnah01]

I was going to travel France / Italy to avoid needing them but coronovirus is changing my route daily..

 

[Glandwr]

I was going to travel France / Italy to avoid needing them but coronovirus is changing my route daily..

Sorry, I was thinking of the OP's route. Having said that I've travelled back and forward to the Peloponnese 3 times in the winter recently 2 on the Italian route and once on the Balkan route and there are places that you need to watch the weather. The Maritime Alps, crossing east to west in Italy and even Northern Greece where we have had blizzards and come across blocked roads. Go to Patras and you should be OK but even south of then inland in the mountains you get snow.

Ps we woke up after wild camping just an 3/4 hour east of Genoa to 8 inches of fresh snow and had to wait till mid afternoon to carry on.

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[PhilandMena]

We plan to cross into Greece end of April. Will follow your trip with interest. Safe Travels.

 

[Dennisad]

Keep an eye on the weather, have you got snow chains?

Hi as to snow chains not yet, going to buy in Germany (off chance they may be cheaper) and ask them to show me how to fit them if needed. The mind boggles looking at the internet fitting instructions!!! It could be me????

 

[Dennisad]

Have a great trip, we are leaving our winter spot in Benidorm next week and heading to Croatia.

We will be in or near to Croatia from 28/4 until 14/5 according to our plan. If you're about let us know.
Cheers

 

[Dennisad]

Starting a similar trip in a week or two so may well be in touch for a few pointers or to swap notes. Fed up with hurricanes and floods and need some sunshine..

Hi, no worries if we can help we will.
Cheers

 

[PhilandMena]

Dennisad looking at your route in your earlier post and where you are now you would be wise to enter Luxembourg and brim with cheap fuel, including LPG if required before entering Germany. I can see you have travelled a fair bit in Europe already but thought this was worth mentioning as it was not in your route. The savings will be considerable. I plan to enter Northern Italy via the Gothard tunnel and cross to Greece from Bari. If Italy is closed, your journey may give me another option to consider. Already paid for the Ferry and might loose that now. We shall see.

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[Glandwr]

Hi as to snow chains not yet, going to buy in Germany (off chance they may be cheaper) and ask them to show me how to fit them if needed. The mind boggles looking at the internet fitting instructions!!! It could be me????

Didn't mean to scare, I carry a pair, largely for legal reasons in areas that demand them but have yet to use them. Continental weather is much less changeable than ours and a careful watch of the forecast should see you right. Good luck

 

[hblewett]

PhilandMena. We’re in the same boat (maybe literally?!) from Bari at the end of April. We’re planning on coming back through the Balkans, but who knows - we might be going that way too! Or not at all - we’ll all have to wait and see, though I can’t see them shutting down travel all together, corona will either slow up or we’ll all have to take our chances the same as we do with the flu (IMO, for what it’s worth!)

We gave up on Albania but are planning to visit Bosnia & H, so like Dennisad, we are going to have to plan (soon!) this once so we can fix the date for the Green Card.

We’ve decided that Montenegro and Croatia (for our 2nd time to see more) will have to be a future trip on its own.

We’re planning to pick up a few days around Nice to see some of the Tour de France on the way back home, so we can work back from there to help fix the dates for the Bosnia Green Card.

Bon Voyage to the OPs .... and all who follow them ?

PS. I presume that having posted, I will now be a ‘follower’ of this thread? Is it possible to follow a thread any other way?

 

[Carado]

I'd also like your info on insurance for Albania, Montenegro etc as I enquired last year as my insurance provider doesnt cover them ....they suggested buying at the borders but not sure about that

Will follow with interest as greece and croatia are certainly possibilities for me next winter

You can buy border insurance for Motinegro at approx 15 € on the border for 14 days and insurance for Albania is 45 € for two weeks also for 14 days I have done the trip several times now and it’s a lot cheaper than the ferry and Albania is safe and beautiful

 

[hblewett]

You can buy border insurance for Motinegro at approx 15 € on the border for 14 days and insurance for Albania is 45 € for two weeks also for 14 days I have done the trip several times now and it’s a lot cheaper than the ferry and Albania is safe and beautiful

Is that comprehensive insurance, third party or legal minimum, please?

 

[nicholsong]

We are struggling to get Fully Comprehensive insurance in Poland, because the MH is over 10 years.

Also the Third Party here does not include Fire and Theft as in UK, but is still minimum legal cover, so check what Third Party covers in the countries you are visiting.

Geoff

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