Best spots in Europe

jonghong

Guest
Hey folks
We're heading off with our 12month old daughter in a couple of weeks for 5 months. We're planning on heading down to the south or portugal and coming up north as the weather improves. We like the outdoors (mountain biking, walking etc). What are your favourite spots in europe?
I've never been to portugal before, but plan to come up along the coast and then up the atlantic coast of spain before heading to lake garda, but we're always open to other ideas!
We've no problems being holed up for a week or more in a remote beautiful location that people rarely go to, if such places exist anymore. Our (her) main concern is wild camping with the baby, but I'm sure we'll find plenty of good spots..
 
Just take care on witch roads you go on in Portugal the toll roads are causing a problems with this new way to pay the tolls. kenspain
 
And be careful if you park overnight in a service area on toll roads in Portugal. Your toll ticket has the time you entered the motorway and if you leave more than 12 hours later you can get an automatic fine!
 
Look up the France, Spain, Portugal and Italy forums on this website - there are lots of suggestions. If your wife is nervous about wild camping, then start her off with free aires before going truly wild. There are lots of aires in France, northern Spain and Portugal - and lots of opportunities for wilding too. The places I would advise avoiding are the tourist hotspots such as the Costa del Sol or the Algarve because the police tend to be keener to move you on there (its obviously to do with numbers) and some of the major motorways (such as Perpignan to Barcelona and around Madrid) where the bulk of the robberies you hear about take place. Almost anywhere else - and especially outside the school holiday periods - you will find good places to wild - and aires to fill up with water, empty your waste etc. When we are travelling, we only ever go into campsites when we need to do the laundry. Happy travels.
 
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There are lots of websites listing aires around Europe, as said France is a good place to start as you never need to use a campsite, you say you are going in a couple of weeks (we are off on the 23rd Feb. on Eurotunnel might see you on the way:rolleyes:) You will find that many of the aires in Northern France especially will have the water turned off still at this time of year. Would also agree with the suggestions John made about places to be careful of or avoid. Last year we went across Spain in the mid to north area then into northern Portugal here is a link to that trip SPAIN/PORTUGAL Our first time in northern Portugal & found it very easy for wildcamping & the Portuguese very friendly. Although the Algarve is nice it is getting more crowded each year & some areas are clamping down on wildcamping.
 
Beaches in Portugal and Spain !

Hi,

Sounds like a good trip you're planning.
We spent a few months all around the coasts of both Spain and Portugal and found that most level and driveable beaches were ok for wild camping. Noteable ones were Tarifa in southern Spain which has miles of white beaches and loads of wildcampers. The town is worth a trip too, so I would'nt worry about staying there for a while. Along that coast up to Malaga is generally fine too and you are never far from lovely small towns a few k inland for day trips. In portugal its just the done thing to wild camp on the beach or in car parks near to them. There are also some very cheap Campsites, particularly in Olhau on the Algarve. Atlantic coasts are more windy and much cooler !. By the way if you do stay st Tarifa you can always go over to Morocco on the Ferry. Its only 9 miles away !

Enjoy your trip and stay safe .
 
Favourite place so far.
Lofoten Islands. Scandinavia in general (great for wildcamping)
One of my least favourite places Lake Garda (if you like remote you won't like it there)
Sorry but you did ask.
John
 
Yes, for me too. Lofoten Islands and the Atlantic highway. The Rondane National Park, north of Lillehammer. Also a fantastic ferry from Kapellskar (just north of Stockholm) to Turku in Finland. All scandinavia and Finland is wonderful. Even better in June/July with midnight sun.
Another favourite is from Alsace, south through the alps (Route Napoleon) to Nice then the ferry to Corsica.
A good place for research is to look at the Tour de France routes. Le Tour goes to some beautiful quiet places in France (not all in France).
There is also a series of books called Cool Camping. I've read the French one but not read the European one Cool Camping Europe | Cool Camping
If you go to this site you can browse the book and get its flavour before buying it. You obviously don't have to stay at the sites but it gives you some ideas of places to go if you like quiet. By the way, its now still too early in the year to go to the big mountains anywhere but you could come back that way. Have a great trip
 
Thanks guys
thats interesting about Lake garda, thats given me second thoughts
Sweeden sounds cool. Not sure if thats out of our way though
 
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