Off on Boxing day. (1 Viewer)

GWAYGWAY

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Have just booke the tunnel for Tuesday evening . We are off for another exploit into the wilds of Euroland. No itinery as such but might end up in Spain. I am looking for a bit of warmer weather for a week or so and that seems the likeliest place to find it.
As I have little experience and seem to fall for all the traps no doubt I will be on here when we return telling all the downfalls I have had.
I was wondering whether to go back to the shop where they relieved me of the 76 euros cash, for fuel after having it off the card as well, only a bit of a deviation. I expect they would tell me to PXXs off. no proof but it might make the woman on the till squirm a bit if I walked in with a copy of the letter I sent them earlier.

If I get to Spain is there anything, VERY IMPORTANT that I NEED to know about the place that could lead to a downfall. I have running lights so tunnels are not a problem anything else?????????????????????????.
We will be parking up in authorised places or sites and preferably away from others. As the worrying is waht is the common things you might caught over if you are not prepared? anyone got a list of bobytraps that occur unexpectantly?????? Places NOT to stop for danger reasons. I will not be using toll roads if possible but how do you know if a Motorway is toll or not??
 
Feb 16, 2017
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Running lights are dangerous in tunnels, use dip beams instead.toll roads are marked PEAGE or you go through a tollbooth to take a ticket. If you set your sat nav to no tolls you should be OK on paper maps toll roads are a different colour. Might see you out there but I'm not off until the new year .

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Cleve

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Hi Graham

As you are leaving in the evening will you be staying at Cité Europe the first night?

Clive

Just thought, there is a 3.5 tonne limit on the big viaduct at Boulogne so you will have to divert onto the D940. It is well sign posted. Don't know what is wrong with the viaduct but it is down to one lane each way with the weight restriction.
Hope this information is useful.

Clive
 
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Lenny HB

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Good luck, with you usual luck you are going to need a lot off it. Be prepared it will be quite cold until you get to southern Spain and don't forget your snow shovel.
Have a great trip.

If I get to Spain is there anything, VERY IMPORTANT that I NEED to know about the place that could lead to a downfall.
Boose is cheap, could lead to you downfall or make you blissfully unaware of your problems.:xrofl:

As for the garage, yep go & screw them.
 
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GWAYGWAY

GWAYGWAY

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Hi Graham

As you are leaving in the evening will you be staying at Cité Europe the first night?

Clive

Just thought, there is a 3.5 tonne limit on the big viaduct at Boulogne so you will have to divert onto the D940. It is well sign posted. Don't know what is wrong with the viaduct but it is down to one lane each way with the weight restriction.
Hope this information is useful.

Clive

Hi Clive I thought you were in Toulouse or thereabouts, Yes I will be staying in the Citw probaly by the electronis supermarket then in the morning I am heading to Vitois to the supermarket. Make a fuss however the language problems make it difficult, I might make a leaving comment about where is the Gendamarie station if no luck. Will not be going to Boulogne I do not use the Autoroute so would have gone the old road anyway.

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GWAYGWAY

GWAYGWAY

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Running lights are dangerous in tunnels, use dip beams instead.toll roads are marked PEAGE or you go through a tollbooth to take a ticket. If you set your sat nav to no tolls you should be OK on paper maps toll roads are a different colour. Might see you out there but I'm not off until the new year .
I meant they are there to stop the motorbike police waiting to book me the other end, unless they are really dark and without lights why would they use headlights?
 
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Running lights are not rear lights switch on main lights and cover your a--r u um.
 
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I meant they are there to stop the motorbike police waiting to book me the other end, unless they are really dark and without lights why would they use headlights?

Dipped headlights are mandatory in tunnels in Spain, many of which are little more than bridges but they are all clearly marked as are the peage autoroutes which are designated AP not just A, as AP7(toll), A7 free.

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Feb 16, 2017
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I just re read your post on the filling station problem and the same thing almost happened to me last year . I put the card in and the display said in French proceed filling max 99 euro .if you don't press the button for a receipt and go and pay in cash the next driver on the pump can't use it until the receipt has been printed so they just hit the button to print and throw the ticket in the bin. Having said that the cashier should have looked across to the right of the screen it says card at pump or cash but if their busy.........
 

Riverbankannie

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You will find most sites closed in France so will have to use Aires and sometimes the water may be turned off. Top up whenever you can and carry a few bottles of water for emergency tea brewing.
Post any problems as they arise and hopefully someone will be able to answer you promptly.
Wishing you a safe journey and a bit of sunshine.
 

Lenny HB

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I meant they are there to stop the motorbike police waiting to book me the other end, unless they are really dark and without lights why would they use headlights?
It's a legal requirement in nearly all countries apart from the UK. Tunnels are not as well lit as in the UK a lot of vehicles the dash lights are off unless the lights are on so you can't see the speedo & you won't have any rear lights.
I have got into the habit of turning lights on in tunnels I do it in the UK as well so it becomes an automatic reaction. I've noticed a lot of drivers do it in the UK now.
Be safe not sorry.

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GWAYGWAY

GWAYGWAY

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Loading up now just remember everything. Hope the van makes it , it is a VERY long way down there and back, anything might blow up on the way. At least I have my spare wheel AND studs now, I had forgotten that the steel wheels have shorter studs than my Alloy wheels have. Should I take my spare gas bottle as well as the Gasit ones???? I wonder as I nearly ran out last time. I do have the converters for the gasit 3 of them so should have something to fit there somewhere.
 

Lenny HB

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I wonder as I nearly ran out last time. I do have the converters for the gasit 3 of them so should have something to fit there somewhere.
Have you got a Euro adaptor? You will need one for Spain like this:-
upload_2017-12-25_13-28-3.png
 
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GWAYGWAY

GWAYGWAY

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Yes I have one like that, and another which is a dished one with a groove inside the lip. They use that in Portugal I think and France. I bought a set a the last show which they told me covered eveywhere in Europe

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May 23, 2008
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Fill your GasIts and you'll be able to refill in France and Spain. Bloody freezing here in Benidorm tonight. Most nights here have had a frost for most of our 2 week stay. Site here much emptier than last year. Over 26 pitches still empty.
Safe trip wherever you go.
 
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GWAYGWAY

GWAYGWAY

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Just going off now but know not where we land if it get cold I can turn around, but the van is meant to be artic insulated, it is just opening the door that counts. Tunnel in an hour.
 
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GWAYGWAY

GWAYGWAY

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Arrived in Spain via Andorra it is a bit snowy up there about a metre, but the roads clear completely. Loads of sskier and they park everywhere in the way. Now don the bottom in Solsona parked in the town side street after failing to find a site or aire. Seems ok but tomorrow we shal tarry forth into the rest of Spain. Must conserve gas as the fitting I have is wrong one might be forced into Portugal as they have the same as France. Van still going but feel a bit vulnerable 800 miles away from home.

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Feb 16, 2017
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Don't worry too much about how far you are from home though I've been running down to med coast for awhile in all sorts of old tat .its only 1000 miles Calais to Alicante .mind you I'm an ex truck driver so as I tell Mrs dilbert just crack on. What van have you got?
 
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Hi Graham,don't worry about your gas most (not all) people are nice,ask at a gas/petrol station and show them the adapters you have and they will sort it out for you.
I think you worry to much.

Happy travels.....................................and relax!!!!!!!!!!!!:xThumb:
 
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GWAYGWAY

GWAYGWAY

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Don't worry too much about how far you are from home though I've been running down to med coast for awhile in all sorts of old tat .its only 1000 miles Calais to Alicante .mind you I'm an ex truck driver so as I tell Mrs dilbert just crack on. What van have you got?
Well it is ahymer on a sprinter base but it is still along way from home, I am in Aguilar near almeria We were panicking a bit as we had used most of the two bottles of gas, I found a site for gas here and it has an aire behind so we stopped here maybe another day. The gas problem was ok in the end as the bloke had a converter, but I have no power as the lead I have has a standard blue eco socket and the Spanish use their own so I now need to get an ordinary Spanish plug.
It is lot warmer here than up the top of the Pynanees in the snow. 18 degrees at the highest. All these things I need to learn, makes me feel aright dick not knowing. The power is not a problem with three leisure batteries and solar, but?.
The tolls were 35 euros when I got off onto the old road which seems very little different but free. On the services we stayed at last night there was nobody at all apart from 5 Spanish truck over the way. Nothing !!. We did make firm friends of 6 kittens there. Tiny little thing which later climbed into the engine bay until I shooed them off out. No illegals on my van thanks. Aiming for Gibraltar then across into Portugal to say we have been, and fill with gas again, I have that converter.

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Jan 2, 2015
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You will need one of these from a camping shop..

image.jpg


Anyone any local knowledge of camper stores near Almeria.
 

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Nov 23, 2015
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If you have one of these, you only need one of the above.

Mickey

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Emmit

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Watch out for the steep gradients, even the main roads. Nothing the 'van couldn't cope with and the roads usually have crawler lanes.
There are 'Minimum' speeds in certain lanes when travelling uphill and you've got to be aware of HGV's crawling up the inclines. Their drivers put their hazards on to prevent faster vehicles ramming them up the 'arris
 
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Watch out for the steep gradients, even the main roads. Nothing the 'van couldn't cope with and the roads usually have crawler lanes.
There are 'Minimum' speeds in certain lanes when travelling uphill and you've got to be aware of HGV's crawling up the inclines. Their drivers put their hazards on to prevent faster vehicles ramming them up the 'arris
There are minimum speed limits on every road. Normally 50% of signed speed. I.e.60kph on autovias & the main reason the hazards go on , even with me, is if you drop below it. It at least covers you if someone drives in the back then tries to blame you for going less than minimum speed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_Spain
 
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Now you've got to the warm why rush?There is so much to see down that coast.Like another member says "hug the coast road and take your time".

Please relax,your a nice bloke,TAKE YOUR TIME.

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GWAYGWAY

GWAYGWAY

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We are parked up in the garage and aire at Aguilas. I knew there was a gas point there but try as I could my tomtom does not DO coordinates. And there was no real address in all the aires book as they give gps coordinates. Luckily we came across it and the aire for 7 euros. , staying two nights then moving westwards.. loads of motorhomes down here every othe vehicle seems to be a MH, especially Germans.
I might be forced to wash the van here as it is absolutely filthy, mostly salt from the snowy roads to Andorra. It is odd going from deep snow to warm sunny weather in such a short distance.
 

Riverbankannie

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We are parked up in the garage and aire at Aguilas. I knew there was a gas point there but try as I could my tomtom does not DO coordinates. And there was no real address in all the aires book as they give gps coordinates. Luckily we came across it and the aire for 7 euros. , staying two nights then moving westwards.. loads of motorhomes down here every othe vehicle seems to be a MH, especially Germans.
I might be forced to wash the van here as it is absolutely filthy, mostly salt from the snowy roads to Andorra. It is odd going from deep snow to warm sunny weather in such a short distance.
I’m pretty sure that there will be a way of navigating to gps coordinates on your sat nav.
Can you post your model number and then maybe we can help.
 

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