Online planning tools? (1 Viewer)

[ToBoldlyGo]

I'm just starting to plan our first trip to the continent and I'm not really sure where to start, but I've found this for France (I'm provisionally thinking of France, Belgium and The Netherlands) :

http://www.france-voyage.com

Is there anything similar that you like for Belgium and The Netherlands?

Marc

 

[BreweryDave]

Campercontact and ACSI. Dont plan it too much, just day by day.

 

[Lot lover]

I'm not really sure where to start

I have always found that home is the best place to start though others may disagree.

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[Richard n Ann]

The only thing we plan is the Chunnel. We end up in Benidorm but the journey is all guesswork

 

[ToBoldlyGo]

Thanks everyone. I cannot not plan, especially as I've never driven on the continent before. I get the impression from Dave and elsewhere that an ACSI card is useful and there's all sorts of other cards I see mentioned here and there ... so ... off to not plan it *too* much but just so I get there ... once I've decided where there is ...

 

[Riverbankannie]

Thanks everyone. I cannot not plan, especially as I've never driven on the continent before. I get the impression from Dave and elsewhere that an ACSI card is useful and there's all sorts of other cards I see mentioned here and there ... so ... off to not plan it *too* much but just so I get there ... once I've decided where there is ...

Have a look at the website of Vicarious Books. Although I do use apps and online searches, I do like to have a book of sites and paper maps.
They are the best for obtaining the ACSI card as well. It comes with 2 guide books to the sites. I also obtained the German produced Stellplatz books from them which I find useful for overnight stops but for France you may be better of with All the Aires.



Just realised you asked for online planning tools.....oops.

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[Neilfg]

We use Google maps to note places of interest and recommended campsites/Aires. Also let us get an idea of travel times etc.. the map views let you browse the areas easily.

Campercontact, searchforsites, Archie's etc....., great for finding sites but travel blogs are a great source especially ourtour.co.uk who seem to have everywhere.

 

[ToBoldlyGo]

>Just realised you asked for online planning tools...

Well, yes that's true but this will be our first time abroad with the motorhome and there is so much stuff to know so I'm grateful for anything! ... breakdown cover, where to go / how to find out, what to do / how to find out, what payment cards to take, what legalities to comply with ... I feel imposterish being in this forum as I've already simplified our first trip by deciding we're not now going to Belgium and the Netherlands but instead the aim is to take 6 weeks to go down the E of France and back up the middle (which decision I'm quite pleased to have reached as a week ago I had not idea what was on the E coast of France ... I said coast, that was a typo, I meant side obviously <cough>).

Have a look at the website of Vicarious Books. Although I do use apps and online searches, I do like to have a book of sites and paper maps.
They are the best for obtaining the ACSI card as well. It comes with 2 guide books to the sites. I also obtained the German produced Stellplatz books from them which I find useful for overnight stops but for France you may be better of with All the Aires.



Just realised you asked for online planning tools.....oops.

 

[ToBoldlyGo]

>We use Google maps to note places of interest

I didn't actually know you could to that! I only ever use google maps to search for things I already know to be there eg towns and businesses. Thanks for the pointer to ourtour I'd not heard of it. What is Archies?

We use Google maps to note places of interest and recommended campsites/Aires. Also let us get an idea of travel times etc.. the map views let you browse the areas easily.

Campercontact, searchforsites, Archie's etc....., great for finding sites but travel blogs are a great source especially ourtour.co.uk who seem to have everywhere.

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[El-Nido]

Our Bumble have some good country guides on their website: Link Removed

Plus stuff on insurance, money etc: Link Removed

 

[Neilfg]

>We use Google maps to note places of interest

I didn't actually know you could to that! I only ever use google maps to search for things I already know to be there eg towns and businesses. Thanks for the pointer to ourtour I'd not heard of it. What is Archies?

Archie's is a reference to a download of campsites bit like searchforsites, it is at :
Link Removed

 

[Riverbankannie]

>Just realised you asked for online planning tools...

Well, yes that's true but this will be our first time abroad with the motorhome and there is so much stuff to know so I'm grateful for anything! ... breakdown cover, where to go / how to find out, what to do / how to find out, what payment cards to take, what legalities to comply with ... I feel imposterish being in this forum as I've already simplified our first trip by deciding we're not now going to Belgium and the Netherlands but instead the aim is to take 6 weeks to go down the E of France and back up the middle (which decision I'm quite pleased to have reached as a week ago I had not idea what was on the E coast of France ... I said coast, that was a typo, I meant side obviously <cough>).

For legalities, the ACSI books have a guide to driving in each country at the start of the relevant section of sites. ACSI discounts not available now though but will start again in September.
You could also look on the websites of CMC and CCC who have good pages of info.
For breakdown I do use CMC red pennant as I know we would want help if we broke down on side of road.
East of France, don't miss Alsace and probably Eguisham is most photogenic place. Good town aire or nice campsite Les trios Chateaux.
We love Chamonix for the mountains but it is awkward to get at and a very busy town. Going up the Aguile du Midi and then across the Mer du Glace is unforgettable, but my tip for that is to park overnight in carpark at base of cable car and take earliest one up. It will be full of hikers and climbers but you will have viewing platforms to yourselves (for a while).

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[WillH]

I do a lot of research on areas we may visit but, as above, only plan as far as the channel, after that it's down to the weather and our fancy.

 

[Tinker2]

I am heading the same way on my roundabout way to Germany.
Looking at the map I have to left when I leave the tunnel port, thats as far as I have got.

 

[mick noe]

all really good advice given above but enjoy the planning .... plan A... but plan B when you want to..... just go your own way and enjoy the thrill of the freedom that not following your plan gives you. Probably no help but thats what we do. Just back from 7 months of touring europe wandering and a little planning and a lot of just following our noses /wishes made it wonderful ....whatever you do how ever you do it have a great time

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[ToBoldlyGo]

Thanks everyone, some really useful advice and links there. I can't believe a whole month has gone but and I've still not bought or booked anything. Well, we've achieved a lot round the house recently so now I'm back to looking at our trip. We will go in a couple of weeks time for about 5 weeks. What was going to be a mix of France, Benelux countries, Germany etc is now just France, and just the Eastern 1/3rd approx, going down to Provence fast down slow back up. This is what I'll be doing / getting before we leave :

Cards and Books
-------------------------
I'm going to buy the ACSI book from Vicarious Books (thanks RviverbankAnnie) and the card comes with it
I think I want some other cards, maybe a Revolut, I'm still a bit hazy
on what card I want for what.
I may get All the Aries too
Amazon product ASIN 206721943X (thanks FJmike)
https://www.campingcard.co.uk/extra-information/navigate-to-the-campsite/

Legal
-------
No idea about legalities of driving in France yet but will look at ACSI sections
as instructed.
I will get a Crit Air
I don't think I need to change my headlights

Apps
-------
ACSI
CamperContact (thanks BreweryDave)
Searchforsites (thanks Neilfg)
Maps with me
Maps.me

Memberships
----------------
Frequent Tunneler?

Web resources
---------------------
Link Removed
ourtour.co.uk
Link Removed
https://www.campingcard.co.uk/extra-information/app/
Campercontact.com
Camperstop, acsi
http://www.searchforsites.co.uk
www.campingcar-infos.com (thanks nicholsong)
https://www.france-passion.com/en/
https://www.eurocampings.co.uk
http://about-france.com/holiday-in-france.htm#car:
http://about-france.com/tourism/med-avoiding-tolls.htm

Route
---------
TBD. I will incorporate Riverbakannie's suggestions,
maybe not Chamonix as that sounds like the Aguile du Midi has big drops!? :}

WillH, thanks for that comment that's a good way of looking at things. I find I get too
oriented to where the campsites are in the UK, but what really matters is what we want to do
not where we camp.

Munster france... lovely town (thanks haganap)
http://www.munster.alsace/aire-de-camping-cars.aspx
Kaysersberg

Buy in France
-------------------
Le guide officiel des aires de services camping-car. Maybe buy. Don't want too many hardcopy guides!

Other
-------
Insurance and breakdown cover I've bought. I don't know if I physically have to take anything.

 

[magicsurfbus]

Planning for us consists of booking the ferry then looking for aires (and user comments about them) using the CCI website, and sometime Google Maps/Streetview as a backup.

I make up a list of the aires we'd like to try, their CCI number, the distances between them, and a Plan B aire in case the first one's full, then download CCI's free SatNav POI file a day or so before we leave. You can find aires on the POI file by simply typing their CCI number in.

We navigate by SatNav and will often change our plan within a few days of setting off, usually regarding how long we stay, or the order we do things in. Sometimes a place takes less time or more time than we imagined to look around, and sometimes the weather dictates things. We only book campsites if there's a major event in the area (eg flea market, national holiday) that's likely to fill them up. Otherwise we just turn up at the gate on the day.

As we're both still working we don't yet have the time to bimble about making it up as we go along, so we like to get a few specific destinations or events under our belt on our trips abroad. It's the bits in between that can be flexible.

This is what some people don't understand about others' preference for aires - it isn't just about the cost, it's the flexibility.

 

[Rob and Val]

We always make meticulous plans but as yet I don't think that any trip has ever gone exactly to plan. As we travel we decide to miss out on certain places or add others or even change direction completely if the weather is against us. We have never come back home and said, "Well, we did everything on our list." On the other hand, we've always thoroughly enjoyed what we have done and, if there's somewhere that we particularly wanted to see but missed, we can always go again!

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[Riverbankannie]

Thanks everyone, some really useful advice and links there. I can't believe a whole
-------
Insurance and breakdown cover I've bought. I don't know if I physically have to take anything.

Sounds like you've got a plan.
You will need to take copies of your insurance and the original V5 for vehicle. For breakdowns, you should have a warning triangle, yellow vests and a set of spare bulbs.
You should use headlamp deflectors if your van is set up for UK.
If you have a sat nav, I find it useful to set the display to show speed in KPH as its much quicker to glance at than the dashboard dial. When setting destinations in sat nav using a town name you will need to know the department number. Get that useful road atlas in your post above and there will be a page showing all the department numbers.
We are off back to France as soon as we can but that might be end Sept. love it. Look forward to reading about your trip.

 

[clanjones]

For route planning I use ViaMitchelin and then mark 1 paper maps! It is very useful in France for estimating toll costs if you decide to use the Payage motorways. We don't generally use the Payage system but sometime we consider 20 euro to be well spent for 3 hours of motorway driving!

In the options, if you set the vehicle type to car and caravan it will give you pretty accurate costs for a class 2 motorhome I.e less than 3 m in height.

 

[Tinker2]

Monzo cash card has been brilliant, tops up instantly, near perfect exchange rate. ( Martin lewis link) for quick card. Germany was the only place that some places would not exept Mastercard.

Eeklo Belgium, visited Brugge.
Jachthaven marina, Strijensas.
Schiedam ( windmill). Nice town just around the corner.9
Jachthaven marina, Marnemoende, ijsselstein, visited Utrecht.
Holland.
Waterhout, to visit Amsterdam.
Germany
Bad Wisahenahn, Spa town.
Schneverdingen. Music in the park Wednesday evening.
Hamelin. Very nice
Quedlinburg, not to be missed.
Dresden / Miessen we enjoyed more than Dresden.
Boxburg, just outside Gotha.
Ladenburg, very nice. Visited Heidelburg.
Marina about 30k from Luxumburg, on the Mosel, to rest.
Back into Germany, Piesport, on the Mosel. Nice.
We are now at Nismes Belgium, just to break journey to Arras.

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[TerryL]

Caution using a satnav in France, the postcode option will only get you "near" where you're going, usually just the town or village. It doesn't work like the UK.
Far better to use the lat/long input - have a play with it before you go and set it up to use the co-ordinates that feature in your other guides. There are several different formats, the Vicarious one is uncommon but a good satnav can cope - my old Garmin doesn't want to know but I usually use a TomTom and it manages okay.

 

[mitzimad]

thats the big difference when on the continent you dont need a plan your never more than 30 mins fro at least one place to stop aires stelplatz municipals and campsites very rarely full especially out of season phone apps are great but the book is also good