single lady traveller?? (1 Viewer)

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jogibbo

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hello to all, thanks for reading my post....
i plan to travel from st Malo down to Murcia in my VW t25 camper, ive done this drive a couple of times before (in my car), but once ive got to the spanish border ive always gone from san sebastian straight through madrid to Murcia..
id like to go to the east coast once i reach the spanish border, any suggestions which route to take?
Plus i have never camped ever before in my life! which is a bit daunting! HAHA..
are there any suggestions as to where i should stop between st malo and murcia? or where i should stay? or what i should take?? haha... sorry lots of questions...
plus im a single young female and am a little aprehensive about travelling alone.... but really want to experience it! after being in a long relationship its my shirley valentine time! haha....
all your tips and hints are much appreciated... thanks ... all the best and happy christmas to all x x
 

pappajohn

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hi "shirley valentine" and welcome to the FUN.

sorry i cant help with the routes as we've only been to spain once and we went through Andorra la ville then on to Barcellona and Valencia taking directions from the sat-nav not noting where we were and which roads we were on. we seem to travel this way all the time as we dont care where we go as long as we end up at the original destination.

on the legal side dont forget your warning triangles (2), spare bulbs, first aid kit and hi-vis vest.

someone will be along to give you some route ideas.

john.
 

ginge61

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since noah was a lad lol
depends how much time you have the route you say is the obvous one other than that stay in france and head down to barcelona then just follow the cost down use the national route in places a lot cheeper but just get the van prepaired with a few diff thinks ie smoke and gas alarms dont want to put you off but it has happend on occasion folks being gased happens more with the trucks ,but same as anything park in the right spot and norm no probs there used to be a few lady drivers doing the same route as you in a truck so all good fun in the camper just plan the trip well and all should end well like the others say have all the nes safty stuff or they will fine you for not haveing it get a safe put in the van is a handy tip passports etc in there good luck :thumb:


ps have a look on a site called club 80-90 all about t25 vans some members in france too

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Sundowners

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Hi "Shirley" and welcome to the best spot!!
My first point is that a lot of lone women travel, so with the same care that all campers should take, you should not have any problems. Don't TOTALLY anyone!
You did not say when you are going?
I would be happier if you had a practise run at camping! even at a local c/l, c/c site.
You WILL hit some cold weather if going in the winter, so be prepared for that (you & the VW) Once WE hit the Spain. border WE would go WEST (or South) to Portugal, we like it more but the weather is maybe not as good.
Hope to see you at a m/h fun meet.
Nigel & Pamala
 

Pikey Pete

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Do you want to cross west to east through France or through Spain. France is the easiest option, though if you plan to use toll roads it is more expensive.:Sad:
There are more free stopping places in France than in Spain.:winky:
I came down to Benidorm direct from St Malo last Saturday via Bayonne, Pamplona, Zaragoza etc. You can cut across from Zaragoza via A2 or AP2 to Tarragona and follow the coast from there.
If you want to do the entire east coast from the French border then you will have to cross France to Perpignan. having said that you don't hit the Spanish coast until your south of Girona unless you plan to follow the old and I mean old coast road from Perpingnon. If so, allow for a few days traveling. That would be an interesting trip and I may do it myself one day, but not in the winter.
Why Murcia? Between Alicante and Cartegena there lies the most boring piece of coast line in the whole of Spain.:Sad: Probably accounts for why it was the last area to be developed.
I travel alone and it's a good life, but just be carefull and if you don't feel safe or secure anywhere then don't stop.
Pete.:Cool:
ps get a good satnav. worth it's weight in gold.
pps get a ACSI card.
 
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J

jogibbo

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thanks sooo much for your swift responses, its really given me food for thought!

John thanks for the advice on taking the triangles ect... will get some today..i got a sat nav for christmas so by the sounds of it this will really come in handy...

Ginge61, i had the van fully serviced a couple of weeks ago and they reckon its ok for me to take on the long trip... but who knows, i spose my biggest worry is breaking down on the motorway on my own! .... what sort of insurance should i get? and whats the procedure if this happens? who do i call to help me? ... yes a safe! great idea, gonna get one today... and that website you recommended is great . thanks very much

morning sundowner, thanks for your response, i plan to travel in the next week!.. so i am a little wary of the weather?? is it gonna be freezing on the nights in the camper?? i have gas central heating in the van, and it works fine... is it safe to keep on all night? am i allowed to take spare gas bottles in the van? yes i have a friend in portugal i will visit ill double check where it is and let you know, you might have been there yourselves.

Hi Pete... thanks for your information, its been really informative!... yes i wanted to go on the west coast when hitting the spanish border from france... i am worried about the weather as its next week im planning on going, which is why i wanted to stick to the coast rather than going down the centre of spain... i will check out that route today you suggested (once i buy the maps!) .. all a bit last minute! haha... im heading to Puerto De Mazarron where i have an apartment... so it doesnt really matter which route i take as long as i get there... im good for time as dont have to be back till March! haha... but i just thought might be better taking a route im familiar with, although if you suggest an alternative??...Pete..are there any campsites you would recommend from st malo ? will there be ANY people on them in the winter? ... are the campsites safe? .. thanks for your comments, its really appreciated.

thanks to all for your help, x x

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scotjimland

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Good morning !

There are very few sites open in France at this time of year but there are plenty of Aires on your route.. these are motorhome stopping places with water and dumping, some have electric, most villages have one but don't use aires on autoroutes which are best avoided due to theft.
A comprehensive list can be found on this site
CAMPINGCAR-INFOS
and there is a link in my signature to ones I've used and recommend. RV Suitable Sites
Water might be a problem due to the cold so fill your tank at every opportunity.

In Spain there are few overnight stopping places but there are plenty of sites open down the east coast full of winter snow birds..

You don't say what sat nav you have but it would be worth while loading it with POIs for Aires and Camp sites .. failing that, plan your route and load up with the aires that you need, the GPS co ordinates are listed with each aire.

If you need any more info please ask.. have a great trip :Smile:

Jim
 
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C7KEN

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Safe places to stay on the Spanish Costas

Some time ago I said I would post info on this subject and after reading the first post this has made me get on with it. I have stayed at all these locations at least two times. Download the word Doc. Click and print the Jpeg Doc and click on the link for plenty photos. They are inexpensive aires, some free aires and wild camping places. There are also some tips and other info on the word document. The spanish Jpeg should give you 24 hours wild camping near a beach and should be shown to the police if they want to move you on. Some aires like Morella ,Jalance and Ibi will be colder this time of year. Click the photos link then click the first photo, click the 4th from left icon under it for a slide show or double click any photo to enlarge it. They can be printed off as required.:Smile:

Photos here Motorhome Aires And Wild Camping in Spain pictures from friends & fun photos on webshots
 

Pikey Pete

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Lots of good advice here, from the last 2 posts. If you can get the ACSI book and card before you go there are lots of site's on the east coast of Spain listed and yes they are safe. Security on Spanish site's is usually good.
Pete

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M

Mark&Sue

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Hi Jogibbo,

Sue and I are currently staying in a place called Chef-Boutonne south of Poitiers. If you are looking for a stop over en-route there is a lovely little site here run by an English Couple and is open all year.

Camping and Caravanning Holidays in France, Camping Le Moulin a beautiful English run site

We are heading toward the coast on Monday not sure where yet but if you fancy a stop with Sue and I for a brew and a chat then just let us know when you are going to be passing.

Safe Travels and have fun.

Best Regards,

Mark. :winky:
 

Kon tiki

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Depending on which way you are heading we might see you on the way, we are off on Thursday but intend to take our time travelling down. , It's suprising how many Brits you bump into on the way. We are heading down towards Toulouse then we will decide if we head for the south coast or go through Andorra.
 

Parcverger

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If you are heading from St Malo towards Perpignan and the East coast of Spain, you could follow the route on our website (Welcome to Parcverger Limousin) which you can do in two one-day journeys. It is dual carriageway or autoroute all the way to Niort, then decent cross country roads to here and on to the A20 which you can then follow south to Toulouse and Perpignan.

Whichever way you go, enjoy the journey.

Bob and Di

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Wildman

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Then at Toulouse you could stop off and visit Yodeli, I'm sure Frankie will make you most welcome and has parking for you.:thumb::thumb::thumb:
 

Sundowners

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Others on here will give you more up to date info, but when we spent winters in Portugal,(or stayed in one country for a while) we used to rent a local bottle and buy a regulator, that way you never have trouble getting gas, I still have a tin of different regulators!!!!.
You can now get adapters for autogas, or use a system like Gaslow.
Stay away from high country for overnight stops, and use a decent duvet and you will not need heating all night.
Good luck with your trip, will you get a trip out to test your kit??
Nigel & Pamala

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jogibbo

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Firstly, thankyou all for your overwhelming response! AND your encouraging words!... it really has been lovely to come online and see your comments and so helpful... thanks folks...

Well i have booked my ferry to St Malo for 3rd Jan... ::bigsmile:(argggghhhh soooo exciting!)... I reckon im gonna head to La Roche Sur Yon first as its only around 3hrs away, i havent planned ANY places to stay as yet, if i could go a little further then La Rochelle is my other option for my first night.. if you have any suggestions where to stay then that would be very helpful .. at the moment i havent planned where im staying and am kinda hoping ill just find somewhere i can stop... Jim you said that there are plenty of Aires 'thingy's' in France (thanks for the link by the way)...so fingers crossed ill find one...by the way what are the aires thingys? are they privately owned? do you have to pay for them? what do the signs look like ? :Doh:hahaha..LOL

My sat nav is called Navman?? ... it hasent even got jersey on it.. so i think its a bit rubbish!... ive been fiddling around with it, but cant put any directions in it because it doesnt go anywhere from here... so i gotta wait till i get to st malo... PLUS it charges in a cigarette lighter! and i dont seem to have one! :-( haha... god help me hay! :-D :Blush:... gonna ask my mate if he'll lend me his...

I bought a few books e.g. ..'Alan Rogers' French Camping book... had a scout through, but a lot of places are shut at this time of the year :-( which is a bummer.. and the ones that are open are off the beaten track... i am a little concerned about the 'camping' bit but if im stuck ill just book into a hotel!.. I spose im a bit nervous about staying in the van on an empty campsite too! ... I also bought maps etc.. phrase books..

Thanks Ken for your list of camping areas, this was very useful and i have printed it out to take with me... not sure if im brave enough to go wild camping.. id end up joining the rest of the wild campers and then be worrying all night that they are moving on without me at some stage! haha.... :shout:

after La Roche sur yon im hoping to get down to Bayonne or near there.. if anyone has suggestions again as to where i could stay..that would be great!..

Mark and Sue, thanks for the site you recommended, i had a look where it is, by the looks of it its inland a bit from Niort? .... are you heading south too? whats your plans.. such a kind offer of meeting up for a brew... thanks...let me know where you are around the 3rd? .. cheers

Ed, it would be nice if you kept in touch and let me know where youve stayed or where would be worth staying, where you heading to first?

Sooooo after Bayonne im gonna try and go through Zarragoza down to a place called Fraga where i may stay for a night or Tarragona if i make it that far... then down the coast to Mazarron... i spose im keen on staying on or near the main track, atleast till i get to my destination.

As theres a 40MPH speed limit in Jersey, ive never really given the van a good run.. so im really not sure how fast its gonna go! which is why i cant really say exactly where im gonna be and when, which in turn means i cant book anything in advance... ahhh well i spose thats all part the fun hay!!?? :thumb:... Got plenty of Vino with me so will defianatley enjoy a glass (or 2) by the end of the day! hehe..:winky:

Rightey howe guys, anymore info is much appreciated, in the meantime cheerio x x x
 

C7KEN

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My list of wild camping places only includes ones that are very safe for a lady travelling alone. Most will have many other folks there from all over europe and including females travelling alone. When I visited La Marina there were two young girls Tracey and Claire in a campervan on their own. At Aqua Amarg two single women (Dutch) each with their own van . People rally around to make sure they have no problems. At Canada I sat round a campfire till 2am chatting to german and dutch people including one lady with her 15yr old daughter. I know a lady down here that wild camped for over two years after a marriage breakup and without any problems. Just chat to the neighbours and usually you will find them OK.:Smile:
 
Oct 12, 2008
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Hi Jogibbo!!

I'm the french bit of the site, and as Wildman told you if you need to stop in Toulouse, you'll be most welcome (i'm waiting for Ed to visit me next week, so i'm not sure he'll be able to answer your questions before, then he'll be able to log in with his laptop since i have a wifi access).
If you decide not to go through Toulouse and Perpignan, then i can give you my phone number so that if you're in trouble, i'll be there to help you if you need me to. You talked about a phrase book.... i suppose that you hardly speak french.... same thing .... if you need help just ask and i'll do my best.
In case of blow up , i usually take with me little bombs (grenades??) which fill the tyre of foam. your tyres don't seem to be that big , and 2 of these bombs should be enough for a single tyre which will avoid so many problems on french motorways(i can say by the way that french as any foreigner can't have anyhelp on french tolls. I had a blow up with my car and had to manage on my own... !) better many bombs (or whatever the word is ... sorry i don't know the right translation:Blush:)than 2000eur.. as i read on another thread! at least you can go by yourselves to the nearest garage and may be you won't need to cause the tyres get very hard and can last at least a whole year!!! think about it!

PM me if you need to know anything else or if you want my phone number!
Enjy yourselves planning your travel!!

Amicalement

Frankie:Smile:( oh and BTW i'm a WOMAN!!!!):roflmto::winky:

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Oct 12, 2008
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In case of blow up , i usually take with me little bombs (grenades??) which fill the tyre of foam.:

I suppose you all understood i was meaning a "blow out" .... with all your "up down out off in ...etc... i get confused sometimes ....! sorryyyyyyyy!



amicalement

Frankie::bigsmile:::bigsmile:... ohooo have you seen the new smiley???:Angry: waoooo looks really angry
 
J

Joan 70

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Well done and enjoy it. I have no advice to give you re routes etc but as a single woman also motorhoming alone, I thought I'd just like to say good luck to you. I travelled in my Euro Mobil last year for 13 weeks, and can't wait to get going again. I live south of Carcassonne, in France. Perhaps we would even meet up on the road!

Joan 70.
 

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