Advice Please European Tour - Best APPs Websites for Excellent Verified Sites

datadezign

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Advice Please European Tour - Best APPs Websites for Excellent Verified Sites

Motorhome: Hymer MLi 580

We are planning our first ever European tour after just over 5 years of touring in the UK. Hopefully this year, but if not then definitely next year. I now refer to I and not we, as my wife is happy for me to do all the planning 🤔 Anyway I have started collated a library of information for the ‘what’s needed’, the do’s and don’t’s etc for starters, and will also be looking at various routes and Itineraries for the trip.

Our tour would be for a period of up to the maximum 3 months (within 180 days) so as to maximise our touring route, and to see as many countries in Europe as possible, narrowing down the likes and dislikes for a more focused future tour to fewer countries that then may become favourites.

I have read, and listened to much advice; some say plan, some say just go and don’t bother planning to much. I would consider either, however and although we have stopped at ‘all types of’ sites in the UK, from pub stopovers, to exclusive sites, I am concerned about taking the same approach to touring around Europe, especially when language and hence understanding could present additional issues in resolving any problems. I believe, especially with our first tour, is to find higher end, verified sites, with mostly excellent reviews, to help give comfort with our first tour.

One of my questions is, can anyone kindly recommend a website or app that that focuses on these type of sites, with excellent reviews. Of course I do realise as with any reviews, there will always be a mix, with some negative, which is often expected, as long as the majority are good. (Can’t please all)!!

Any suggested routes, itineraries and any other advice would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks in anticipation,

John
 
I use the ACSI discount card in low season, but you can look at their website for sites that they inspect from time to time. It seems to includes all sites that register with them wether discounted or not.

Searchforsites is my go to for both Uk and Europe. All manor of stops and includes many commercial sites (you can set search peramaters) but has the added benefit of reviews by users.

We are part of the grouping that does not plan ahead more than a day or two at a time, though we do have a vague notion of what the big picture should be.

Davy
 
datadezign said:
Advice Please European Tour - Best APPs Websites for Excellent Verified Sites

Our tour would be for a period of up to the maximum 3 months (within 180 days)
Click to expand...

To avoid others misunderstanding this, the max is 90 days not 3 months.

We take the ASCI book; a guide to Aires; download lots of POIs ro my sat nav and use searchforsite.co.uk (lots of EU sites).

The only publications I know that are restricted to "good" reviews are brochures for chains or groups.
 
All the Aires book
Camperstop Europe book
WEBSITE BLOCKED BY ADMIN online app
Good insurance that includes repatriation
Recovery insurance for vehicle
Sat Nav with all Europe
Phone deal that doesn't cost a lot
Tea Bags!

Don't plan too much,you can make it up as you go along
 
My tip - download maps.me, and the maps of the countries you are thinking of visiting. It can be used offline.

A few years ago, I plotted all the villages in the Plus Beaux Villages de France competition that year, if that interests you I can send you the details (pm me your email address) and you can load them to maps.me on your device. I also plotted a route through the German Romantische Straße (aires and sites to stop on) that you can have. Germany has a lot of scenic driving routes, the tourist info website gives details.

Because we mainly use aires, we never plan in advance. It's too restrictive, we might want to move on sooner or stay longer. But we have been caught out, turning up at a campsite that is normally easy to get on to, and finding it was full because of a public holiday weekend. So check holidays for the few weeks ahead and book if there are any coming up.
 
If you are interested in Spain and have Facebook have a look at Shiraz's Motorhome Adventures. Shiraz is our dog !
 
For France and Iberia: WildCamping Location App
For France: www.campingcar-infos.com has a comprehensive data base of aires, many with photos and reviews.
There is a dedicated website for the Plus Beaux Villages de France, most of which are well worth a visit and many of which have motorhome stopover facilities.
 
If your planning to use sites the ACSI is worth joining as said above all their sites are inspected and you also get a discount out of season. As for planning in 3 months I'd not get out of France
 
TJBi said:
For France and Iberia: WildCamping Location App
For France: www.campingcar-infos.com has a comprehensive data base of aires, many with photos and reviews.
There is a dedicated website for the Plus Beaux Villages de France, most of which are well worth a visit and many of which have motorhome stopover facilities.
Click to expand...
I have a vested interest having compiled most of the data for France and Iberia.

In particular there are many wild camping locations in France that you probably will not find elsewhere!
 
I extensively plan our trips away and as said, use the ACSI books and map as a starting point. I then use Google Maps to gauge distances and direction of travel and then use a search engine to look for sites if ACSI does not cover the area or does not provide suitable sites for us.

As we like to have everything to hand on and not rely on technology, I then plot out the whole itinerary in a document and print it off prior to each trip away.
 
And my suggestion:

We don't bother with ACSI card, we've had in the past found that sites that just say "it's the same discounted price without"!

WEBSITE BLOCKED BY ADMIN app. If you have limited data pay for the app to get offline usage.
 
Re ACSI: I have to disagree based on my experiences.

We have stayed at sites where the ACSI card paid for itself in just one night...Bois de Boulogne in Paris for example; plus a really nice site we know in the SoF which was normally 36€ and was 18€ with the ACSI when we stayed there for 10 nights. On other sites the savings have been less but all the 2/3/4/5€ add up and as membership of ACSI is only around 15-16€ we find it a no brainer.

I am sure some sites may well charge the same but we use it extensively any by far the vast majority do not.
 
Search for sites app can be used offline £5.99 a year.
ACSI is worth having as although there are some sites where its not a big discount there are some where it really makes a difference.
 
ACSI is worth it usually if you want the included electric, if you dont the campsites rates are often cheaper. Watch out for all the extra local taxes and charges that are not included in ACSI rates.
 
When I’ve down road trips I normally pre-book every 4th night, that way we have a general route and simply stop wherever on the other nights.
 
barge1914 said:
ACSI is worth it usually if you want the included electric, if you dont the campsites rates are often cheaper. Watch out for all the extra local taxes and charges that are not included in ACSI rates.
Click to expand...

I guess it pays to shop around and ask the question when on a site....
 
Biggarmac said:
Search for sites app can be used offline £5.99 a year.
ACSI is worth having as although there are some sites where its not a big discount there are some where it really makes a difference.
Click to expand...
There are , now , an embarrassment of sites with parkup information . Massive improvement over the years . I'm on 3 or 4 different ones . Think we all have our favourites . I agree ACSI is very handy . I use it a couple of times most trips , pays for itself .
 
Use to quite like ACSI mainly for charging up every week or so, but found that the less expensive prices became less available and as mentioned, the added taxes particularly tourist tax in the Netherlands.

Besides, prefer Aires and wild camping.
 
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