Sitting here on board Brittany Ferries’ Galicia, en route home from Bilbao to Portsmouth, I thought I would write up a few notes of our first trip abroad in our motorhome as it might help anyone else thinking of doing a similar trip. I learned a lot from this forum, so thought it was about time to try and give something back.
About Us
Semi-retired couple, both 52, bought a motorhome during covid era as something of an impulse purchase. We did a lot of camping when we were younger, so had a pretty good idea we would enjoy it, especially as we like hiking and nature. Kids now old enough to be left behind and plan is to spend more and more time in Europe. We got the hang of things in 2022 with some UK trips but never longer than 3 or 4 days and mostly in easy conditions.
The Plan
The plan was to spend 10 days or so in northern Spain, half in the Picos de Europa mountains and the other half back along the coast. We thought of driving down through France but realised that would take at least 2 days each way, so decided to take the ferry instead and very glad we did.
We didn’t know this part of Spain so lots to discover. And we only really wanted to do a few hours driving each time we changed place and there seemed to be so much in this area.
We also wanted to stay mostly in campsites, rightly or wrongly expecting a bit more comfort and security than aires.
Preparation
The prep was quite easy. Documentation wise just the V45 and copies of insurance and breakdown policies. For the motorhome, in Spain you need two warning triangles and yellow vests and no other stickers from what I could work out. You also need a UK sticker, even if you have UK on your number plates (which we did) and I only realised that on the ferry – but luckily they sold them in the shop on board.
The Ferry
Really impressed with Brittany Ferries and our relaxed, sedate crossings. Going out from Portsmouth it’s 2 nights, leaving at 2100 arriving at 07:00 two days later. Coming back it’s 2 days and one night, leaving at 1300 and arriving 2045 the next day. Boarding, security and passport checks were really well organised and civilised and nothing like the channel crossing experience I was expecting.
It was interesting watching the different tribes as we were segregated into our lanes. A few die-hard cyclists and plenty of motorcycles who both have my upmost respect for managing to cram all their gear into small paniers and boxes. Then the cars, most of which were absolutely stuffed with camping gear. Followed by the younger van lifers, and then older generation and their motorhomes, and also quite a few commercial looking white vans.
We had a fancy club cabin going out and a standard 4 berth one coming back. Not really much difference between the two, so would just go standard next time. We did go for the CClub lounge both ways which I would really recommend. We didn’t spend any money on board and the food and drinks were pretty good in the lounge. There wasn’t an awful lot to do on board so bring plenty of books and downloaded movies. Wifi was pretty patchy and not much good for anything other than sending WhatsApp messages. We did have a great guy from Orca on board, who did a talk on whales and dolphins and was out on deck spotting most of the time. We did see plenty of dolphins but you have to be really quick.
Luckily we had smooth crossings each way, so the Kwells weren’t needed.
I did see that there are mixed views of Galicia but we didn’t really have anything to compare it to, other than P&O and it was much much better. Like a floating Premier Inn. The French crew were really professional and everything was well run. I guess it’s important to remember it’s a ferry crossing and not a cruise.
Our Route
Days 1 - 3
At sea!
Days 3 -5
We had reserved 3 nights at Camping Pelayo near Potes, in the Picos de Europa to get us started. It was about a 2 hour drive from Bilbao but we stopped at a big supermarket near Palencia to stock up. Driving was really easy to start with, but then we hit a long windy road up a gorge which was interesting, to say the least. Luckily there wasn’t much traffic coming down due to lots of roadworks, as I was in the middle of the road most of the time to avoid the steep cliff walls and numerous rocky overhangs!
The campsite was great and had a pool. Frank the guy at reception was so helpful and gave us lots of good ideas for hikes. We did a short one on the day we arrived and a long one up to the national park on our second day. I would recommend downloading a Spanish app called WikiLoc for hikes and biking as it makes navigation much easier as the marking of the trails was pretty much non existent.
We spent our third day exploring Potes which was very photogenic and had lots of shops and restaurants. We got lucky with market day being on Monday and we topped up with bread and cheese.
Days 5 – 7
We then decided to head deeper into the Picos and set off for Riano. The weather was pretty dreadful and the road defintely not for the faint hearted. We were in the clouds for much of it which was a shame as the scenery must have been amazing. At one point the thermometer hit 10C and we were cursing our luck as the UK was sweltering in the recent heat-wave. Progress was slow but at least the roads were quiet. Again, I spent most of the time in the middle of the road. When the clouds finally subsided, the views were amazing and we descended the other side of the pass, through another gorge and the driving finally got easier.
We stayed at the Camping de Riano. You can’t book it but there was plenty of space when we got there. The views from the campsite were amazing and the most popular spots were unsurprisingly at the front so you could wake up to this….
The highlights were really the walking and the scenery with the Pico de Gilbo (the Matterhorn of Leon as it’s also known) and the bridge dominating the horizon.
The town is very modern as it was in fact displaced and rebuilt because of the flooding of the valley, caused by damming the river Esla in 1980. This was very controversial and is considered now as one of Spain’s worst ecological disasters.
On the first day we did a walk to a cave, across the bridge, stopping to take photos every few minutes it seemed. It was a hot day so on the way back we stopped for a beer at Hotel Presa in town, which also sells some very tasty local cakes and donut like things. It seemed to be the heart of the village with people playing backgammon and card games inside.
On the second day we tried to climb the Pico de Gilbo. WikiLoc and the reviews of the hike on there were a bit misleading as the last part is more or less rock climbing with the path snaking up and around the peak. I likened it to via ferrata, just without the wire and harness! We did the first section, then my legs turned to jelly and we (well I) decided to turn around and live to fight another day. Even scrambling down 50m using hands and feet took us ages. But even without the peak, it was a wonderful circular walk. The part just before the final ascent was so beautiful and something like what I imagine the garden of eden to be like, with what I think were eagles were constantly soaring overhead.
Just above the campsite is a lovely viewpoint for watching the sunset and a giant swing which was fun.
In retrospect, this was our favourite place.
Day 8
We set off from Riano, heading for Llastres on the northern coast. Again a really spectacular but challenging drive down a very load road through the gorge of the river Sella. We took it slowly and crept round every blind bend. Luckily again it was pretty quiet and I managed to avoid the overhangs and cliff walls. When we did meet another vehicle my technique was to stop and let them inch past us which seemed to work.
Camping Costa Verde was lovely. Right on the coast, by a big beach and next to a little river. This was the nicest campsite we stayed at.
We cycled into Llastres which was amazing. We left our bikes at the top of the village and then walked down the pedestrian only streets to the harbour. It was a completely unspoiled historic village and designated one of the most beautiful villages in Spain, and fully deserves it in my humble opinion. Even better was the fact that we had the place to ourselves and didn’t see any other tourists.
Day 9
In the morning we went for a short walk along the beach to see some dinosaur footprints, before setting off down the coast to Ribadesella.
We stayed at a Camping Ribadesella a few kilometers out of town which was a bit basic but did had a nice swimming pool which made up for it. It also had lots of different levels and we made the mistake of driving up to investigate and check out the pitches rather than walking. Unfortunately, it was a dead-end and I had to do a very tight three-point turn with a steep drop off which wasn’t much fun, but better than trying to reverse out down a steep, curving slope. Lesson learned.
We cycled into Ribadesella for dinner which is quite an authentic town with a lovely beach and old town. There is a good walk / cycle out past the harbour to a view point.
Day 10
We set off down the coast to Llanes, which is another old historic town.
We stayed at Camping Las Conchas just outside town, in the delightfully named little town called Poo. Again the campsite was pretty basic but was close to the beach and quiet.
We cycled into Llanes, did the cliff walk, and then I went for my first swim of the holiday. Bracing but no worse than Dorset in summer. We then wandered around the old streets for a few hours.
In the evening we a beautiful walk along the cliffs from the campsite to watch the sunset.
Day 11
Another short drive down the coast to San Vincente de la Barquera. We stayed at the El Rosal campsite which has a great location right on the surf beach. You can’t book it and arrival was a bit chaotic as the entrance strangely has a 3m height restriction so we caused gridlock until we had checked in and they opened the side gate for us.
We walked into town and did a 10km walk out to the cliffs and the natural park visitor centre. We had a a few drinks at La Ostreria by the harbour wall on the way back was I would really recommend.
The town has a castle and old church that we explored before heading back to the campsite.
Day 12
We decided to spent the night before our ferry home in Bilbao. We stayed at the Camping Kobetamendi (Kobetamendi@suspertu.net ) which was something between an aire and a campsite. No showers, but electricity, water and 3 toilets. It was really busy and I would recommend booking, which is a bit complicated and involves a form and you need to do it 48 hours before arrival. Some other vehicles decided to stay in the big car park next door, but in the morning, about 3 police cars arrived and they were all moved on and I think fined.
We got the bus into Bilbao and walked around the old part of the city. We had an amazing Basque tapas lunch at Gure Toki before walking to the Guggenheim museum a few kilometers away. It’s worth visiting just for the building at the architecture. The art wasn’t really what I expected with a few enormous galleries and mostly large scale art.
Days 13 – 14
Big storms overnight with some very scary lightening close by, and large hailstones so we were up at 04:30.
And by 10am we were at the port, checked in and sadly getting a head start on cleaning the motorhome!
Currently on board in the lounge, writing this, drinking rose wine and listening to the couple next to us bicker about how to turn on airplane mode on their phones!
So all in all, a great first trip abroad. I would quite happily have carried on, but my darling wife is happy to be heading home and escaping from my snoring again!
Some final thoughts…..
Daily routines
The Spanish eat late. Often we were just heading to bed as the Spanish family next to us at the campsite was setting up for dinner. A lot of the restaurants didn’t open until 20:00 or later for dinner, so we (well I) preferred late lunches out.
Driving
Mostly the roads were in great condition and I saw less potholes in 10 days than I do in 10 minutes in our home town.
Some of the slip roads for the motorways involve really sharp bends and it’s really easy to get confused with directions and exits.
Also lots of adverse cambers on roundabouts and bends so take them slowly or face the consequences!
The speed limits seemed to change all the time and were mostly respected from what I could see. Even on the A8 motorway, some of the bends were pretty sharp and 90km/h was plenty fast enough.
Campsites
Variable quality and all around 30 euros. Most were pretty busy, even in June. Surprisingly a lot of the plots are taken up by caravans that seem more or less permanently installed, a bit like mobile homes in the UK.
The intrepid Dutch were everywhere and probably made up 50% of the other nationalities. Then I think equal numbers of Brits, Germans and Spanish and just a few French.
Gear
We don’t have too much but I like to be prepared and used most of what we did have. Especially the different kinds of levelling blocks and ramps as some of the campsites were not exactly flat. I was on the third level of my Bruner XL ramps in several places.
I didn’t use the aqua-roll thing I had bought and will downsize to a watering can, like most of the Dutch I saw. Sure it means a few more trips to the tap, but mostly there were lots of water points scattered around the campsites.
I think my favourite gadgets were the circular spirit levels which were brilliant and helped with levelling no end.
Next time I would take a plain sheet for sleeping when it’s hot as the light duvet was still too warm.
We also only had a nice outdoor rug, and not a large groundsheet which most other motorhomes had so that will be added to the list.
A special shout out to my poncho too, which hasn’t seen any action since I bought in in Vietnam many years ago. I threw it in at the last minute and it saved me from a good soaking several times.
For coffee, we had a big moka pot for the gas hob which was perfect and a little milk jug and portable frother. That seems to be the optimal set up for space / quality but would love to hear what others have.
Getting around
We did a mixture of walking and cycling, depending on distance and terrain.
We had 2 folding electric bikes which came in very handy and gave us a range of about 30km which was mostly plenty for getting into town and back. But for visiting further afield and steep hills, they were not so good. I had a couple of decent locks and an old cover which kept the bikes dry on more than one occasion and kept prying eyes off. Although I think I felt a lot safer leaving the bikes than I would do in the UK.
We saw some motorhomes like ours had a moped in the garage, but that would mean less useable space in there and also lots more weight. One to ponder for the future.
Gas
We took 2 full Safefill 13kg bottles with us, and didn’t even use the first bottle although we only used for cooking and not for the fridge. I did try and fill up at an Avia station, but unfortunately they said no.
Internet
We both have Smarty plans which give a generous 12gb roaming allowance per month which just about lasted us. I had the RWG 200gb roaming card and a little access point as backup. Reception was generally pretty crap though, wherever we were.
Apps
We found Campy and Camper Connect most useful for finding campsites.
Navigation
My wife used Google maps whilst I was driving and I also had Sygic Truck on my tablet which I’ve found to be pretty good and reliable. Better than Google Maps for telling you what lane to be in, and what is coming up next.
Weather
It wasn’t great, but didn’t stop us from doing too much. I definitely know why this is called the green coast now! The hardest thing was trying to get a good forecast as mostly there was a big difference between reality and what the various forecasts said. So we generally went out prepared for anything with cap, sunglasses, coat, umbrella etc.
So that’s about everything worth mentioning about our trip and hope some of my ramblings prove useful to someone.
If you’ve been in area too, please let us know what we’ve missed so we can add it to the plan for next time.
Safe travels.
M & S
About Us
Semi-retired couple, both 52, bought a motorhome during covid era as something of an impulse purchase. We did a lot of camping when we were younger, so had a pretty good idea we would enjoy it, especially as we like hiking and nature. Kids now old enough to be left behind and plan is to spend more and more time in Europe. We got the hang of things in 2022 with some UK trips but never longer than 3 or 4 days and mostly in easy conditions.
The Plan
The plan was to spend 10 days or so in northern Spain, half in the Picos de Europa mountains and the other half back along the coast. We thought of driving down through France but realised that would take at least 2 days each way, so decided to take the ferry instead and very glad we did.
We didn’t know this part of Spain so lots to discover. And we only really wanted to do a few hours driving each time we changed place and there seemed to be so much in this area.
We also wanted to stay mostly in campsites, rightly or wrongly expecting a bit more comfort and security than aires.
Preparation
The prep was quite easy. Documentation wise just the V45 and copies of insurance and breakdown policies. For the motorhome, in Spain you need two warning triangles and yellow vests and no other stickers from what I could work out. You also need a UK sticker, even if you have UK on your number plates (which we did) and I only realised that on the ferry – but luckily they sold them in the shop on board.
The Ferry
Really impressed with Brittany Ferries and our relaxed, sedate crossings. Going out from Portsmouth it’s 2 nights, leaving at 2100 arriving at 07:00 two days later. Coming back it’s 2 days and one night, leaving at 1300 and arriving 2045 the next day. Boarding, security and passport checks were really well organised and civilised and nothing like the channel crossing experience I was expecting.
It was interesting watching the different tribes as we were segregated into our lanes. A few die-hard cyclists and plenty of motorcycles who both have my upmost respect for managing to cram all their gear into small paniers and boxes. Then the cars, most of which were absolutely stuffed with camping gear. Followed by the younger van lifers, and then older generation and their motorhomes, and also quite a few commercial looking white vans.
We had a fancy club cabin going out and a standard 4 berth one coming back. Not really much difference between the two, so would just go standard next time. We did go for the CClub lounge both ways which I would really recommend. We didn’t spend any money on board and the food and drinks were pretty good in the lounge. There wasn’t an awful lot to do on board so bring plenty of books and downloaded movies. Wifi was pretty patchy and not much good for anything other than sending WhatsApp messages. We did have a great guy from Orca on board, who did a talk on whales and dolphins and was out on deck spotting most of the time. We did see plenty of dolphins but you have to be really quick.
Luckily we had smooth crossings each way, so the Kwells weren’t needed.
I did see that there are mixed views of Galicia but we didn’t really have anything to compare it to, other than P&O and it was much much better. Like a floating Premier Inn. The French crew were really professional and everything was well run. I guess it’s important to remember it’s a ferry crossing and not a cruise.
Our Route
Days 1 - 3
At sea!
Days 3 -5
We had reserved 3 nights at Camping Pelayo near Potes, in the Picos de Europa to get us started. It was about a 2 hour drive from Bilbao but we stopped at a big supermarket near Palencia to stock up. Driving was really easy to start with, but then we hit a long windy road up a gorge which was interesting, to say the least. Luckily there wasn’t much traffic coming down due to lots of roadworks, as I was in the middle of the road most of the time to avoid the steep cliff walls and numerous rocky overhangs!
The campsite was great and had a pool. Frank the guy at reception was so helpful and gave us lots of good ideas for hikes. We did a short one on the day we arrived and a long one up to the national park on our second day. I would recommend downloading a Spanish app called WikiLoc for hikes and biking as it makes navigation much easier as the marking of the trails was pretty much non existent.
We spent our third day exploring Potes which was very photogenic and had lots of shops and restaurants. We got lucky with market day being on Monday and we topped up with bread and cheese.
Days 5 – 7
We then decided to head deeper into the Picos and set off for Riano. The weather was pretty dreadful and the road defintely not for the faint hearted. We were in the clouds for much of it which was a shame as the scenery must have been amazing. At one point the thermometer hit 10C and we were cursing our luck as the UK was sweltering in the recent heat-wave. Progress was slow but at least the roads were quiet. Again, I spent most of the time in the middle of the road. When the clouds finally subsided, the views were amazing and we descended the other side of the pass, through another gorge and the driving finally got easier.
We stayed at the Camping de Riano. You can’t book it but there was plenty of space when we got there. The views from the campsite were amazing and the most popular spots were unsurprisingly at the front so you could wake up to this….
The highlights were really the walking and the scenery with the Pico de Gilbo (the Matterhorn of Leon as it’s also known) and the bridge dominating the horizon.
The town is very modern as it was in fact displaced and rebuilt because of the flooding of the valley, caused by damming the river Esla in 1980. This was very controversial and is considered now as one of Spain’s worst ecological disasters.
On the first day we did a walk to a cave, across the bridge, stopping to take photos every few minutes it seemed. It was a hot day so on the way back we stopped for a beer at Hotel Presa in town, which also sells some very tasty local cakes and donut like things. It seemed to be the heart of the village with people playing backgammon and card games inside.
On the second day we tried to climb the Pico de Gilbo. WikiLoc and the reviews of the hike on there were a bit misleading as the last part is more or less rock climbing with the path snaking up and around the peak. I likened it to via ferrata, just without the wire and harness! We did the first section, then my legs turned to jelly and we (well I) decided to turn around and live to fight another day. Even scrambling down 50m using hands and feet took us ages. But even without the peak, it was a wonderful circular walk. The part just before the final ascent was so beautiful and something like what I imagine the garden of eden to be like, with what I think were eagles were constantly soaring overhead.
Just above the campsite is a lovely viewpoint for watching the sunset and a giant swing which was fun.
In retrospect, this was our favourite place.
Day 8
We set off from Riano, heading for Llastres on the northern coast. Again a really spectacular but challenging drive down a very load road through the gorge of the river Sella. We took it slowly and crept round every blind bend. Luckily again it was pretty quiet and I managed to avoid the overhangs and cliff walls. When we did meet another vehicle my technique was to stop and let them inch past us which seemed to work.
Camping Costa Verde was lovely. Right on the coast, by a big beach and next to a little river. This was the nicest campsite we stayed at.
We cycled into Llastres which was amazing. We left our bikes at the top of the village and then walked down the pedestrian only streets to the harbour. It was a completely unspoiled historic village and designated one of the most beautiful villages in Spain, and fully deserves it in my humble opinion. Even better was the fact that we had the place to ourselves and didn’t see any other tourists.
Day 9
In the morning we went for a short walk along the beach to see some dinosaur footprints, before setting off down the coast to Ribadesella.
We stayed at a Camping Ribadesella a few kilometers out of town which was a bit basic but did had a nice swimming pool which made up for it. It also had lots of different levels and we made the mistake of driving up to investigate and check out the pitches rather than walking. Unfortunately, it was a dead-end and I had to do a very tight three-point turn with a steep drop off which wasn’t much fun, but better than trying to reverse out down a steep, curving slope. Lesson learned.
We cycled into Ribadesella for dinner which is quite an authentic town with a lovely beach and old town. There is a good walk / cycle out past the harbour to a view point.
Day 10
We set off down the coast to Llanes, which is another old historic town.
We stayed at Camping Las Conchas just outside town, in the delightfully named little town called Poo. Again the campsite was pretty basic but was close to the beach and quiet.
We cycled into Llanes, did the cliff walk, and then I went for my first swim of the holiday. Bracing but no worse than Dorset in summer. We then wandered around the old streets for a few hours.
In the evening we a beautiful walk along the cliffs from the campsite to watch the sunset.
Day 11
Another short drive down the coast to San Vincente de la Barquera. We stayed at the El Rosal campsite which has a great location right on the surf beach. You can’t book it and arrival was a bit chaotic as the entrance strangely has a 3m height restriction so we caused gridlock until we had checked in and they opened the side gate for us.
We walked into town and did a 10km walk out to the cliffs and the natural park visitor centre. We had a a few drinks at La Ostreria by the harbour wall on the way back was I would really recommend.
The town has a castle and old church that we explored before heading back to the campsite.
Day 12
We decided to spent the night before our ferry home in Bilbao. We stayed at the Camping Kobetamendi (Kobetamendi@suspertu.net ) which was something between an aire and a campsite. No showers, but electricity, water and 3 toilets. It was really busy and I would recommend booking, which is a bit complicated and involves a form and you need to do it 48 hours before arrival. Some other vehicles decided to stay in the big car park next door, but in the morning, about 3 police cars arrived and they were all moved on and I think fined.
We got the bus into Bilbao and walked around the old part of the city. We had an amazing Basque tapas lunch at Gure Toki before walking to the Guggenheim museum a few kilometers away. It’s worth visiting just for the building at the architecture. The art wasn’t really what I expected with a few enormous galleries and mostly large scale art.
Days 13 – 14
Big storms overnight with some very scary lightening close by, and large hailstones so we were up at 04:30.
And by 10am we were at the port, checked in and sadly getting a head start on cleaning the motorhome!
Currently on board in the lounge, writing this, drinking rose wine and listening to the couple next to us bicker about how to turn on airplane mode on their phones!
So all in all, a great first trip abroad. I would quite happily have carried on, but my darling wife is happy to be heading home and escaping from my snoring again!
Some final thoughts…..
Daily routines
The Spanish eat late. Often we were just heading to bed as the Spanish family next to us at the campsite was setting up for dinner. A lot of the restaurants didn’t open until 20:00 or later for dinner, so we (well I) preferred late lunches out.
Driving
Mostly the roads were in great condition and I saw less potholes in 10 days than I do in 10 minutes in our home town.
Some of the slip roads for the motorways involve really sharp bends and it’s really easy to get confused with directions and exits.
Also lots of adverse cambers on roundabouts and bends so take them slowly or face the consequences!
The speed limits seemed to change all the time and were mostly respected from what I could see. Even on the A8 motorway, some of the bends were pretty sharp and 90km/h was plenty fast enough.
Campsites
Variable quality and all around 30 euros. Most were pretty busy, even in June. Surprisingly a lot of the plots are taken up by caravans that seem more or less permanently installed, a bit like mobile homes in the UK.
The intrepid Dutch were everywhere and probably made up 50% of the other nationalities. Then I think equal numbers of Brits, Germans and Spanish and just a few French.
Gear
We don’t have too much but I like to be prepared and used most of what we did have. Especially the different kinds of levelling blocks and ramps as some of the campsites were not exactly flat. I was on the third level of my Bruner XL ramps in several places.
I didn’t use the aqua-roll thing I had bought and will downsize to a watering can, like most of the Dutch I saw. Sure it means a few more trips to the tap, but mostly there were lots of water points scattered around the campsites.
I think my favourite gadgets were the circular spirit levels which were brilliant and helped with levelling no end.
Next time I would take a plain sheet for sleeping when it’s hot as the light duvet was still too warm.
We also only had a nice outdoor rug, and not a large groundsheet which most other motorhomes had so that will be added to the list.
A special shout out to my poncho too, which hasn’t seen any action since I bought in in Vietnam many years ago. I threw it in at the last minute and it saved me from a good soaking several times.
For coffee, we had a big moka pot for the gas hob which was perfect and a little milk jug and portable frother. That seems to be the optimal set up for space / quality but would love to hear what others have.
Getting around
We did a mixture of walking and cycling, depending on distance and terrain.
We had 2 folding electric bikes which came in very handy and gave us a range of about 30km which was mostly plenty for getting into town and back. But for visiting further afield and steep hills, they were not so good. I had a couple of decent locks and an old cover which kept the bikes dry on more than one occasion and kept prying eyes off. Although I think I felt a lot safer leaving the bikes than I would do in the UK.
We saw some motorhomes like ours had a moped in the garage, but that would mean less useable space in there and also lots more weight. One to ponder for the future.
Gas
We took 2 full Safefill 13kg bottles with us, and didn’t even use the first bottle although we only used for cooking and not for the fridge. I did try and fill up at an Avia station, but unfortunately they said no.
Internet
We both have Smarty plans which give a generous 12gb roaming allowance per month which just about lasted us. I had the RWG 200gb roaming card and a little access point as backup. Reception was generally pretty crap though, wherever we were.
Apps
We found Campy and Camper Connect most useful for finding campsites.
Navigation
My wife used Google maps whilst I was driving and I also had Sygic Truck on my tablet which I’ve found to be pretty good and reliable. Better than Google Maps for telling you what lane to be in, and what is coming up next.
Weather
It wasn’t great, but didn’t stop us from doing too much. I definitely know why this is called the green coast now! The hardest thing was trying to get a good forecast as mostly there was a big difference between reality and what the various forecasts said. So we generally went out prepared for anything with cap, sunglasses, coat, umbrella etc.
So that’s about everything worth mentioning about our trip and hope some of my ramblings prove useful to someone.
If you’ve been in area too, please let us know what we’ve missed so we can add it to the plan for next time.
Safe travels.
M & S
on our 4 week trip down from Calais and back 
then wander back northwards.
