Cleethorpes to Corfu (1 Viewer)

[LouthMick]

Howdy, thanks for the add.

Total newbie to Motorhomes and looking for some opinions on what would make a suitable motor home to act as a taxi between Cleethorpes and Corfu. My situation is as follows:

1) Buying a property in Corfu which should hopefully complete by end of year. Near Paleokastritsa. 1.5 acres with plenty of hard standing parking space.

2) Will live in Corfu for 6 months of year - April to September. Qualify for Greek Golden Visa so not restricted to normal 90 day visa.

3) Passengers: 3 x Dogs (2 x English Setters and 1 x Jack Russell). 1 x Cockatoo Parrot. Me and Mrs.

4) I will be driving. Motorhome will only cover 2 x Journeys per year - there and back. Approximately 3.5K miles return journey.

5) Budget: Up to £70K

6) Plan to keep property and motorhome for 10 years, meaning total mileage will be approx 35K miles.

7) Due to travelling with Parrot, we’d like to avoid ‘cooking’ with gas. Parrots are very sensitive and susceptible to stuff like gas. We’d probably live off ‘ding meals’ and salad for the 4 - 5 day journey. With that in mind, the motorhome will need a microwave.

8) Not looking for scenic / tourist routes, just quickest route to Bari ferry terminal in Southern Italy. Travelling with 3 x dogs and parrot is restrictive - don’t want to leave them unattended.

9) Probably better to have LHD motorhome as 80% of journey will be non-UK.

10) 53 years old, passed driving test in 1991 and have C1. I drove 4 tonne Bedford trucks in the military so not intimidated by something with a bit of length and girth - ooooh matron! What does bother me is that if I go large, what problems I may encounter on the ferry? Some of the ferries allow onboard camping with electric hook-up, but won’t allow use of gas appliances and/or engine running during the voyage - another reason to have a microwave when using the ferry provided electric hook-up.

My brain hurts looking at all of the MH brands. My main concern is what brand is best to see me through 10 years of 2 x trips per year in relative comfort. I’d like a garage to hump tools back & forth, plus lots of UK pet food (Greek pet food is generally poor).

There’s also the added benefit that the MH could be used as fall-back accommodation in the event of an extended power failure in the Corfu property - there’s lots of power failures in Corfu.

I’m leaning towards one of the German brands. Burstner seems to be of decent quality with a good reputation. Is it best to buy in the UK or in Germany?

Does anyone do this journey? What places do you stop at for some rest/sleep etc…. Any significant challenges to overcome on the journey?

All comments welcome. Thank you.

 

[Offagain]

When travelling through Europe, where do you dispose of all the waste water?

At aires. They’re common place in the rest of Europe but only recently becoming a “thing” in the U.K., mainly in Scotland (see CAMpRA).
If you download and familiarise yourself with the park4night app (other motor home parking apps are available but this is the one we use) you’ll see different icons denoting what the various places offer.
Some are service points with no parking, some are parking with no services, some are both and free, some are both and chargeable. Some are in towns and villages, some are in the countryside, near a beach, canal or lake. They’ve been added and reviewed by people who use them and it’s always best to read at least the last few reviews in case things have changed recently or since it was uploaded.
Or you can book campsites on your route. We choose not to do this as we prefer not to be bound to a schedule, aside from the necessary tunnel and ferry bookings. Other people only use sites, some use a mixture of aires and sites. Different strokes and all that. You’ll find what works for you, which may be different to what you are expecting.

 

[Offagain]

Another person who does this route frequently is Molly A
She might have something else to contribute

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[Samm brown]

Howdy, thanks for the add.

Total newbie to Motorhomes and looking for some opinions on what would make a suitable motor home to act as a taxi between Cleethorpes and Corfu. My situation is as follows:

1) Buying a property in Corfu which should hopefully complete by end of year. Near Paleokastritsa. 1.5 acres with plenty of hard standing parking space.

2) Will live in Corfu for 6 months of year - April to September. Qualify for Greek Golden Visa so not restricted to normal 90 day visa.

3) Passengers: 3 x Dogs (2 x English Setters and 1 x Jack Russell). 1 x Cockatoo Parrot. Me and Mrs.

4) I will be driving. Motorhome will only cover 2 x Journeys per year - there and back. Approximately 3.5K miles return journey.

5) Budget: Up to £70K

6) Plan to keep property and motorhome for 10 years, meaning total mileage will be approx 35K miles.

7) Due to travelling with Parrot, we’d like to avoid ‘cooking’ with gas. Parrots are very sensitive and susceptible to stuff like gas. We’d probably live off ‘ding meals’ and salad for the 4 - 5 day journey. With that in mind, the motorhome will need a microwave.

8) Not looking for scenic / tourist routes, just quickest route to Bari ferry terminal in Southern Italy. Travelling with 3 x dogs and parrot is restrictive - don’t want to leave them unattended.

9) Probably better to have LHD motorhome as 80% of journey will be non-UK.

10) 53 years old, passed driving test in 1991 and have C1. I drove 4 tonne Bedford trucks in the military so not intimidated by something with a bit of length and girth - ooooh matron! What does bother me is that if I go large, what problems I may encounter on the ferry? Some of the ferries allow onboard camping with electric hook-up, but won’t allow use of gas appliances and/or engine running during the voyage - another reason to have a microwave when using the ferry provided electric hook-up.

My brain hurts looking at all of the MH brands. My main concern is what brand is best to see me through 10 years of 2 x trips per year in relative comfort. I’d like a garage to hump tools back & forth, plus lots of UK pet food (Greek pet food is generally poor).

There’s also the added benefit that the MH could be used as fall-back accommodation in the event of an extended power failure in the Corfu property - there’s lots of power failures in Corfu.

I’m leaning towards one of the German brands. Burstner seems to be of decent quality with a good reputation. Is it best to buy in the UK or in Germany?

Does anyone do this journey? What places do you stop at for some rest/sleep etc…. Any significant challenges to overcome on the journey?

All comments welcome. Thank you.

You are going in safest place ever in corfu and beauty full

 

[Samm brown]

Howdy, thanks for the add.

Total newbie to Motorhomes and looking for some opinions on what would make a suitable motor home to act as a taxi between Cleethorpes and Corfu. My situation is as follows:

1) Buying a property in Corfu which should hopefully complete by end of year. Near Paleokastritsa. 1.5 acres with plenty of hard standing parking space.

2) Will live in Corfu for 6 months of year - April to September. Qualify for Greek Golden Visa so not restricted to normal 90 day visa.

3) Passengers: 3 x Dogs (2 x English Setters and 1 x Jack Russell). 1 x Cockatoo Parrot. Me and Mrs.

4) I will be driving. Motorhome will only cover 2 x Journeys per year - there and back. Approximately 3.5K miles return journey.

5) Budget: Up to £70K

6) Plan to keep property and motorhome for 10 years, meaning total mileage will be approx 35K miles.

7) Due to travelling with Parrot, we’d like to avoid ‘cooking’ with gas. Parrots are very sensitive and susceptible to stuff like gas. We’d probably live off ‘ding meals’ and salad for the 4 - 5 day journey. With that in mind, the motorhome will need a microwave.

8) Not looking for scenic / tourist routes, just quickest route to Bari ferry terminal in Southern Italy. Travelling with 3 x dogs and parrot is restrictive - don’t want to leave them unattended.

9) Probably better to have LHD motorhome as 80% of journey will be non-UK.

10) 53 years old, passed driving test in 1991 and have C1. I drove 4 tonne Bedford trucks in the military so not intimidated by something with a bit of length and girth - ooooh matron! What does bother me is that if I go large, what problems I may encounter on the ferry? Some of the ferries allow onboard camping with electric hook-up, but won’t allow use of gas appliances and/or engine running during the voyage - another reason to have a microwave when using the ferry provided electric hook-up.

My brain hurts looking at all of the MH brands. My main concern is what brand is best to see me through 10 years of 2 x trips per year in relative comfort. I’d like a garage to hump tools back & forth, plus lots of UK pet food (Greek pet food is generally poor).

There’s also the added benefit that the MH could be used as fall-back accommodation in the event of an extended power failure in the Corfu property - there’s lots of power failures in Corfu.

I’m leaning towards one of the German brands. Burstner seems to be of decent quality with a good reputation. Is it best to buy in the UK or in Germany?

Does anyone do this journey? What places do you stop at for some rest/sleep etc…. Any significant challenges to overcome on the journey?

All comments welcome. Thank you.

You are going in safest place ever in corfu and beauty full

 

[Molly A]

Another person who does this route frequently is Molly A
She might have something else to contribute

Three dogs and a parrot take a fair amount of space so living accommodation will presumably be important. We have a small and bijou Hymer Exsis , which at 6 metres with a big garage suits us fine as a bus to get us to our boat but I suspect would not work for you. Would probably look at something around 7 metres, but it will cost you more on the ferry to Greece. Maybe something with a drop down bed to max out your living space . If you like Burstners, an Aviano might work for you. V big garage if you get the transverse bed version. Some of the bigger Hymers would also be suitable, as would Rapidos, although I am no expert on them all and am sure there are others who would make good recommendations.
As for routes down, depends on how many hours you want to do a day. You say 4 to 5 days , presumably including ferry. We go Northern France , Alsace, Switzerland, Italy via Gottard Pass,( the tunnel often has large queues so we goover the top,weather permitting) to chosen ferry port via Milan and the motorway south. We go to Ancona, but as you are heading south you could stop at San Marino for cheap fuel and a really nice camp site or an Aire, if you prefer. We do a mixture of Aires and camp sites, depending on the time of the year. Use all the parking apps available, and Pitch up if you fancy a campsite, you can book online, which is pretty easy.
Do use the camping on board option if it is available on your route. You get an electric hook up, which means that you can run electric fans to keep cool and your fridge going. Works well for those with animals on board. If that is what you want to do, it helps to book it well in advance to ensure that space is available. It is not available after end of October however.

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[Molly A]

WOW! Thank you for the reply. Slow cooker and/or an induction hob is something I didn’t even consider - good alternative to cooking with gas. As I will be driving for 6 to 8 hours per day, the batteries will have sufficient time to fully charge - I will also have a roof mounted large solar panel installed.

I‘ve never driven a motorhome through Europe (never driven a MH in the UK), but have been renting villas in Corfu for 6 weeks per year for the past 10 years - I know the island very well, usually staying in the Kassiopi area.

When travelling through Europe, where do you dispose of all the waste water?

Many motorway services in France and Italy have waste disposal points ....they are clearly marked on the services signs as you approach the entrance to them. Many Aires also have disposal facilities.

 

[Molly A]

Anything drives better than one of these…..View attachment 545214

Yeah, you'll have no problem.....

 

[LouthMick]

What a fantastic bunch of people. Great to see a very helpful forum. Thank you for all the advice.

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[Nirvanauk]

Don’t leave Cleethorpes ever. I did once 53 years ago and have never been allowed back.

 

[LouthMick]

Three dogs and a parrot take a fair amount of space so living accommodation will presumably be important. We have a small and bijou Hymer Exsis , which at 6 metres with a big garage suits us fine as a bus to get us to our boat but I suspect would not work for you. Would probably look at something around 7 metres, but it will cost you more on the ferry to Greece. Maybe something with a drop down bed to max out your living space . If you like Burstners, an Aviano might work for you. V big garage if you get the transverse bed version. Some of the bigger Hymers would also be suitable, as would Rapidos, although I am no expert on them all and am sure there are others who would make good recommendations.
As for routes down, depends on how many hours you want to do a day. You say 4 to 5 days , presumably including ferry. We go Northern France , Alsace, Switzerland, Italy via Gottard Pass,( the tunnel often has large queues so we goover the top,weather permitting) to chosen ferry port via Milan and the motorway south. We go to Ancona, but as you are heading south you could stop at San Marino for cheap fuel and a really nice camp site or an Aire, if you prefer. We do a mixture of Aires and camp sites, depending on the time of the year. Use all the parking apps available, and Pitch up if you fancy a campsite, you can book online, which is pretty easy.
Do use the camping on board option if it is available on your route. You get an electric hook up, which means that you can run electric fans to keep cool and your fridge going. Works well for those with animals on board. If that is what you want to do, it helps to book it well in advance to ensure that space is available. It is not available after end of October however.

thank you for taking the time to respond. much appreciated

I think I may have found a good MH which has plenty of space and should last me the 10 years / 40K miles of use traveling between the UK and Corfu.

looks well appointed and in A1 condition > Broken Link Removed

 

[Molly A]

thank you for taking the time to respond. much appreciated

I think I may have found a good MH which has plenty of space and should last me the 10 years / 40K miles of use traveling between the UK and Corfu.

looks well appointed and in A1

thank you for taking the time to respond. much appreciated

I think I may have found a good MH which has plenty of space and should last me the 10 years / 40K miles of use traveling between the UK and Corfu.

looks well appointed and in A1 condition > Broken Link Removed

Looks lovely. I take it that having only 2 belted seats is not an issue for you?

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[Wabs]

Lovely van,,,good luck

 

[Realist]

Anything drives better than one of these…..View attachment 545214

I hated them, fell out of the back once because some muppet only used one clip on the tail gate, duh!

 

[LouthMick]

I hated them, fell out of the back once because some muppet only used one clip on the tail gate, duh!

You must have been in a green one. I drove the blue one’s (RN).

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[Wabs]

We were lucky had the choice of two,,or unlucky,depends on your view