Collection of tips for longer/Euro tours

Hi

Whilst waiting for the missus to work her notice, I've been spending too much time on the 'net doing research on everything we need to sort prior to our adventures.

Our tips list is here: Do Your Dream!!

Hope it is useful to someone.

 

Very useful information on the website. Havent got round to reading it all yet but will do so sometime soon. Good to have all that info on one page. Many thanks.

Anyway, do you have any tips on skiing in France, etc. We are thinking of taking the plunge (skiing!!!!) after Christmas and would appreciate any info on resorts, prices, hiring or buying ski wear, websites, etc., etc., etc., etc. Hoping to get away for a week to ten days in our motorhome. Appreciate all information from yourselves or anyone else out there. :thumb:

 

We'd say don't!

Go Snowboarding instead! Much more fun

We've only snowboarded at Tamworth snowdome and not for real. Not sure our little van is up for snow driving in the alps either! We are thinking more of getting a ski resort job for a season (bar work or challet work) and get board and boarding in exchange!

Our van is like a tardis and really loads of room - but drying ski-wear and keeping boards/boots dry would be impossible.

Never say never though

If you go - have fun - but we can't help.

 

With ALL that research and planning you have done I am surprised you had any

time to dream.


Have a great trip

 

this is great and thankyou for the tips , very interesting i agree with your comments about quidco great cash back site, thanks for saving me time surfing (i hate it) now i don't have too, carnet tickets brill will certainly be taking a look at them what a bargain.
ruth

 

A good read and an ongoing task no doubt. You missed the high vis jackets that must be accessable from the cab one for each person on board. Now a legal requirement in France, on the spot fines for not carrying them or having them tucked away in a locker that is only accessible from outside the van.
Have a nice trip.

 

Here's a thought and a very personal opinion:

Methinks you're planning TOOOOOOOOO much! If the planning is so intensive you'll expect a perfect trip and if it doesn't work out you may be disappointed:Sad:

Never having motorhomed, or caravanned before we bought an RV and a tow car, took the HGV tests, checked the right things were on the RV, had a weekends run through on a UK campsite then set off for six months in Europe with no ferry booked and no route other than 'head south.' As a result we had a 4,000 mile adventure in France and Spain and a full memory box. (You can read about it in my book.)

We've done it for the last four years with only an idea where to go then changed the RV to a small van to try it another way with a single thought - meander through the Alps, through Italy to Sicily but be prepared to change any plan on any day. 7,356 miles and 67 different stopping places later we had another unforgettable adventure.

Simply my thoughts. Everyone is different.


Keith

Everybo

 

re Camping Card International - aka camping carnet.
you have to be a member of the club which issues the card - although it used to be possible to get them as AA members from the Caravan Club.
Cards currently issued by caravan Club, Camping and Caravanning Club, RAC;
used to be issued by
Cycling Touring Club and Motorcaravanners club - but not sure if they still do.

You get discounts at some sites of 5% or 10% usually dependent on season, CCI also used to discount offers at various tourist attractions.

If you're planning on travelling outside the main season then you should also investigate:
ACSI Discount card
CampingCard ACSI - Your low season discount card!
ACSI Camping Card UK Agent guides and maps, Go Motorhoming Europe, Camperstop Europe, France Passion, campsite guides, full-timing the facts, Aires and stopovers guides

and Camping Cheques
campsite south of France, in Germany, in Italy, in England and Spain : Camping Cheque

if heading for Scandinavia they have their own card:
Order Camping Card Scandinavia - Camping.se - SCR

and don't forget France Passion:
FRANCE PASSION La France by camping-car


but, as previously mentioned - you are doing an awful lot of planning, the beauty of motorhoming - for us at any rate - is the ability to move on as and when and where the mood takes you
or then again - just stay put for a while

You should have originals of your documentation - suggest you also keep photocopies at home

if you were glasses to drive you must have a spare pair as well


whatever you decide
enjoy


PS - love what this site does with the web links

 

lol!

Too much planning?! That was the OLD us which put us in the position to do what we wanted at a reasonable age. The planning we did for the trips has/was essential - both long trips were pretty stress free - the second was including lots of wild camping and snowboarding from the van. So the planning and mods made this really easy. (without the planning over the last few years we'd still be stuck at work and not be able to do this till retirement - whereas now at 36 I think the planning was wise:thumb. Also remember most of the trip research was "free time" waiting for Mel to finish work.

About to set off for trip 3 - and no real planning made for this one - apart from buying loads of chocolate biscuits to take! lol!

So the planning is/was just prepatation - once we've left our drive it really is wherever we fancy going as the diary shows what we did (NOT planned)


Anyway - tips updated - and also the GPS database is updated with 2009 ACSI, 2009 Camping cheque and 2009 boardatles - but is in Autoroute 2007 format. You can download it from our site - but I'm tying to upload it here as I have restricted bandwidth If someone can help? (4.5Mb ZIP file)

 

I have 2 mottoes , no.1, the plan is; there is no plan and the second is carpe diem, (seize the day !)