# Best Place to overwinter



## biggirafe (Dec 19, 2009)

Next winter we are hoping to overwinter somewhere a bit warmer.

I've been thinking southern spain, portugal or maybe southern italy.

I know there are some experienced people out rhere, Where would you guys go?


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## Hallii (Dec 19, 2009)

Portugal, Algarve.

Hallii


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## Kontiki (Dec 19, 2009)

Portugal gets our vote as well.

We have been going down to Spain for the last 3 years, last year we managed to get into Portugal for a month as well. Spain probably has the better climate in the winter last year though we had some really bad weather in Spain & Portugal was really warm. We also felt that we weren't as welcome in Spain where Portugal was really friendly. As we mostly wildcamp Portugal is far better, there are some aires but there seems to be a lot of unofficial stopping places which seem to be tolerated. Just trying to book our Eurotunnel crossing using Tesco vouchers (lines are very busy today) we are going down mid Feb & coming back towards the end of April so just a short trip this time. We will go straight down to south west France then cross mid to northern Spain. Found some aires & again the Spanish seemed much more friendly than they do on the Costas. Campsites in Spain can be expensive unless you are willing to stay for a while to get a discount.
As you have just fitted a gas system you need to be aware that Spain is probably the worst country for refilling your bottles, there aren't that many filling stations. In one area somebody gave us a number we could call & a guy would meet us to refill our bottle if we needed to. Portugal has LPG (or GPL as they call it) at many of the petrol stations.

Don't know about Italy but it's on our list of places to visit.


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## biggirafe (Dec 19, 2009)

Hallii said:


> Portugal, Algarve.
> 
> Hallii



Whats the winter temp? 
Thanks


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## derekfaeberwick (Dec 19, 2009)

Voila.  Portugal Climate, Temperature, Average Weather History, Rainfall/ Precipitation, Sunshine


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## Pioneer (Dec 19, 2009)

Portugal get's my vote, just love the scenic west coast from Lisbon down, and parts of the Algarve. The people are so friendly, apart from the superstore security guy who left me with a knackered lock, but he failed in his quest to rid us of our belongings
Temperatures vary but usualy reach 14-18deg on a good day, but then you feel the cold setting in around 4pm, and always a bit on the windy side I think, but certainly better than I got last night at -6deg.
Go for it and enjoy.

Happy Camping


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## biggirafe (Dec 19, 2009)

Pioneer said:


> The people are so friendly, apart from the superstore security guy who left me with a knackered lock, but he failed in his quest to rid us of our belongings



An untold story I think?


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## Pioneer (Dec 19, 2009)

biggirafe said:


> An untold story I think?



Tell you all about it when we meet at Carrog.

Happy Camping


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## John H (Dec 19, 2009)

It depends what you are after but the south-east corner of Spain (Almeria Province) gets my vote every time because it is the driest place in Europe (officially the only semi-desert area on the continent) and it has winters warm enough to allow you to wear shorts and t-shirts nearly all the time (winter 2008/09 was a rare exception but we still only had to use a tumble drier once to dry our laundry). Some of the beaches, such as Monsul, are stunning - and largely deserted - and the area is mostly untouched by hideous costa-type developments. The people are friendly, the wine is cheap (try the local stuff from the bodega in Bannahadux - 17 euros for 15 litres and very acceptable!). The opportunities for wildcamping are many - and the campsites do good deals if you stay two months or more. We tend to end up here every other winter.

Many people we know also use the area round Cadiz for long-terming and it has many advantages, although it tends to be wetter than Almeria. Portugal (away from the coastal developments on the Algarve) is full of stunning scenery and you can easily find a deserted Atlantic beach - but it tends to be very much wetter than Almeria in winter.

One winter we spent in southern Italy - chiefly on Sicily, which we enjoyed tremendously but which was again wetter than Spain (probably about Portuguese levels of rainfall). Can't fault it for anything else though.

The Peloponese area of Greece is another good option (although cooler) and if you can afford the ferry Crete is very warm in winter (many German motorhomers head that way).

Whichever of the above you choose (and I would suggest a different one each year) there are many and varied opportunities for wildcamping - and for a change of scenery and culture you could nip over to Morocco from Portugal/Spain or Tunisia from Sicily (but except for the coast in the south and the Sahara, Morocco is no warmer than southern Spain - watch out for the cold winds off the Atlas mountains). 

We will be travelling via France and Portugal to Almeria next winter - maybe we'll see you on route. Happy travels.


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## Deleted member 207 (Dec 19, 2009)

Any sub tropical part of Australia!!

Its been a cool 28C to 32C for the last week or so in SE Queensland. 

The drive out is a bit of a pain tho.


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## barryd (Dec 19, 2009)

Dont come to Teesdale, its F...ing FREEZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## biggirafe (Dec 19, 2009)

barryd said:


> Dont come to Teesdale, its F...ing FREEZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Thanks for that mate, great help


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## biggirafe (Dec 19, 2009)

Pioneer said:


> Tell you all about it when we meet at Carrog.
> 
> Happy Camping



Ok, I guess a few storys will be told, well I hope so anyway


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## biggirafe (Dec 19, 2009)

Roger said:


> Any sub tropical part of Australia!!
> 
> Its been a cool 28C to 32C for the last week or so in SE Queensland.
> 
> The drive out is a bit of a pain tho.



Funny thing is, when we first discussed me jacking work and selling the house our first idea was to go out to Aus, I have family in Perth. But whilst Aus is a great place it does not have the diversity of Europe (IMHO) and we would come home and still want to travel Europe. As someone says, So many Vistas and so little time 

Well I asked the question and I'm getting the idea that Southern Spain, Southern Portugal or Southern ITaly is best 

I think we will probably do Portugal and Spain to see them both. It would be great if we could meet with regulars but its a long ways off yet...


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## David & Ann (Dec 19, 2009)

We are wintering in Goa for 3 months. Dirt cheap. Flight is £514 return (normal flight) 3 months for apartment rent, food and all expenses, under £1000. Off on 2. Jan and return 7. April. Temperature between 27 and 35 degrees.


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## ajs (Dec 20, 2009)

barryd said:


> Dont come to Teesdale, its F...ing FREEZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



 you don't realise how safe you are... 

 regards
aj 



_home of married and drainslate......the region has been removed from the tourist guide boooks for 2010 _


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## derekfaeberwick (Dec 20, 2009)

David & Ann said:


> We are wintering in Goa for 3 months. Dirt cheap. Flight is £514 return (normal flight) 3 months for apartment rent, food and all expenses, under £1000. Off on 2. Jan and return 7. April. Temperature between 27 and 35 degrees.



  But how much to ship the van?

  Hope you ain't cheating.


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## David & Ann (Dec 20, 2009)

derekfaeberwick said:


> But how much to ship the van?
> 
> Hope you ain't cheating.



Dammit, I didn't think you would figure it out. Never mind, have a good one over the festive season.


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## TishF650 (Dec 20, 2009)

Like you Biggirafe we have relatives in Perth (that's when we first got into motorhoming) and I agree the diversity isn't in Aus it's in Europe. We are currently trying to visit every country in Europe and right now we're in Sicily but the drive down here has been a pain.

Yes, it's not as cold as Teesdale (20 ish  degrees usually) though to be honest we won't be rushing back here. We've not been to Spain or Portugal yet but to us the south of Italy has not been what we hoped for, but we'll keep on trying. As they should say, "It's better to travel in hope than to be in England in the winter."

Tish


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## biggirafe (Dec 20, 2009)

TishF650 said:


> Like you Biggirafe we have relatives in Perth (that's when we first got into motorhoming) and I agree the diversity isn't in Aus it's in Europe. We are currently trying to visit every country in Europe and right now we're in Sicily but the drive down here has been a pain.
> 
> Yes, it's not as cold as Teesdale (20 ish  degrees usually) though to be honest we won't be rushing back here. We've not been to Spain or Portugal yet but to us the south of Italy has not been what we hoped for, but we'll keep on trying. As they should say, "It's better to travel in hope than to be in England in the winter."
> 
> Tish



Hi and thanks, 
I hope Spain and Portugal are better for you, can you tell me why the drive down was a pain, we intend to go via Black Forest and then Venice, then round coast to Italy (very ish at the moment)

Why you don't like southern italy, even if its only your opinion I'd like to get it 

we only intended to go down as far as Rome and then back out of Italy to drive around the cost of France into spain. Its still our main plan but it would be nice to know we have made the right choice not going down to the tip of italy


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## TishF650 (Dec 20, 2009)

Basically the the roads are bad and we hadn't done our homework properly. In our heads Naples was in southern Italy, make no mistake it isn't. 

When we looked at maps we would be on a motorway all the way from Nalple to Reggiano for the ferry to Sicily, and in theory it is. So no more than 3 hours then you would think. The reality is that we averaged 45 mph for 6 hours because the entire journey was in the worst roadworks you could imagine. Not the volume of traffic that you get in the UK, but they are rebuilding the entire motorway from top to bottom.

In Italy the main roads go through or over difficult terrain. Tunnels and bridges that in the UK you can't imagine, and when that involves roadworks the constant "cerchunk, cerchunk, cerchunk" takes its toll.

We are now considering getting a ferry from Sicily back to Naples area to go back down to the "heel" of Italy to do Puglia before heading off to Greece. Anything but the A3 again.

But on a positive side, Sicily is welcoming and I would wild camp here (if we didn't need ehu for my work). And it's 20 degrees and I'm in the sea in my kayak in shorts.

In short, wherever you go just go. It'll be what you make of it.

Tish


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## biggirafe (Dec 21, 2009)

Thanks Tish
Sounds like the sort of organisation you would expect from the Italian's

20 degrees and in the sea, Feels like minus 20 here sat on the drive working from my motorhome brrrr. I know where I would rather be


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## John H (Dec 21, 2009)

It all depends how much time you've got. We avoid motorways, aim to travel no more than 100 miles each time we move and take some pretty tortuous routes from A to B - that way you see a lot of interesting parts of countries that you otherwise might not consider. We never take less than 2 months to reach the Mediterranean from leaving home - the journey is a very large part of the adventure, so if you have the time, get off the beaten track (and especially the motorways) and explore. 

On the other hand, if you are in a hurry, there are some pretty good ferries from, for example, Venice to Patras (Greece), from northern Italy to southern Italy or from southern France to north Africa. There is so much choice that you will never be bored whichever way you choose to go - and if you find somewhere you don't like then that is why we have wheels on our homes isn't it? Happy travels.


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