Our first trip to Europe

[luv2travel]

Hi all,

We are setting off in 2 days on Thursday 24th for our very first trip to Europe in our MH. I'm a bit apprehensive as we have not driven there from the UK before, but hubby is :cool1: about it and he's the one driving. I'm sure we are going to get a few hiccups. Hopefully we will find a good route with no tolls and no snow. We are heading down to Spain and the algarve Portugal, not sure which to go to first, we will be doing Aires if possible, but again this is our first experience with our MH in Europe and we would appreciate any advice anyone can give us on routes, aires or anything else we need to know. We are crossing from Poole to Cherbourg on the 8.30 am ferry and arrive in Cherbourg 4 hours later or thereabouts. Would love to meet up with anyone too if possible.

We have been RVing for 30 years in Canada and the USA, so we are not new to travelling, just not used to it in the UK or Europe and Motorhomes here are definitely an eye opener, compared to an RV. :scared: I have done a lot of research and a lot of reading on here and members all seem very helpful.

Thanks in advance for your replies and help.

Best wishes,

Marilyn

 

[Robmac]

I haven't travelled an awful lot on the continent in my van, however this thread was excellently written and may help for the French part of your trip;

A Few Tips For Your First French Trip

 

[Robmac]

...do bear in mind though, it's an old thread and some things may have changed.

I'm sure some more knowledgeable than I will advise.

 

[Pauljenny]

What are you planning for gas ?
You can't get Calor abroad.
Look on a thread on the European travels forum.. " Spain /Portugal Where are you?..
Loads of information and experience. Current travellers are there if you need contacts or a meet up.
We're based in the East Algarve, if you need help.

 

[Compo]

europe

hi im heading off to spain/portugal might catch you up im leaving uk on 5th feb ive been before so know one or two places to moor up

 

[luv2travel]

...do bear in mind though, it's an old thread and some things may have changed.

I'm sure some more knowledgeable than I will advise.

Thanks Rob, I have read the whole thread and gleaned some useful information from it. :dance:

 

[luv2travel]

What are you planning for gas ?
You can't get Calor abroad.
Look on a thread on the European travels forum.. " Spain /Portugal Where are you?..
Loads of information and experience. Current travellers are there if you need contacts or a meet up.
We're based in the East Algarve, if you need help.

Hi Pauljenny,

Thank you for your reply. We had an LPG System installed along with Solar and an Inverter when we bought the van. I have read all 76 pages of the thread you mentioned, and I am subscribed to it because I found it incredibly interesting, thanks for the heads up on that. I think that will likely be my go to thread a lot it's nice to see where people are in case we are in their area. We are hoping to get down to the Algarve, we thought we might go there first then make our way back along the coast towards Spain and all the way up the coast on the way back home. We only have 6 weeks, not a great amount of time, but enough to give us a taster to see if we want to do it again at the end of this year. I note that you said it was COLD where you are. After living in Canada for 30 years we are used to minus 40 degree temperatures, we don't like them of course, but we are connoisseurs of the cold

 

[luv2travel]

hi im heading off to spain/portugal might catch you up im leaving uk on 5th feb ive been before so know one or two places to moor up

Hi Compo,

It's always great to meet up with people, so hopefully we will be at the same place at some point. This forum will be at the foremost as I am sure we are going to need lots of advice along the way. :cheers:

 

[Channa]

The stickiest problem is re filling gas on extended trips but it seems you have that sorted

France is very laid back re campers and never too far away from an aire or other place to stop. Just be mindful in France unlike the UK things do stop as a rule on Sundays in respect some supermarkets open in the morning but a lot don't so plan weekends a little re essentials

Most of all have fun, you are used to driving wrong side of the road, and the weather will be positively balmy compared to Canada

Recently France reduced speed limits so hence watch your speeds

Channa

 

[luv2travel]

The stickiest problem is re filling gas on extended trips but it seems you have that sorted

France is very laid back re campers and never too far away from an aire or other place to stop. Just be mindful in France unlike the UK things do stop as a rule on Sundays in respect some supermarkets open in the morning but a lot don't so plan weekends a little re essentials

Most of all have fun, you are used to driving wrong side of the road, and the weather will be positively balmy compared to Canada

Recently France reduced speed limits so hence watch your speeds

Channa

Thanks Channa, some useful information there. :fun:

 

[Glass man]

Two tips.

1 Whenever you get any €1 or €2 coins keep them for laundry, car parks and Aires etc.

2 I do hope you are not involved in any accidents but if you are then you MUST make a record of the registration of any trailer , especially articulated lorries as they can be different from the tractor. Usually a red number plate. Mysteriously records of which vehicle is pulling it are hard to find.

In Spain the motorway junction numbers are distance in Km so 352 is 70 km from 420. Simples.
And Spanish tolls went down 30% last week. AP1 now free.

 

[luv2travel]

1 Whenever you get any €1 or €2 coins keep them for laundry, car parks and Aires etc.

2 I do hope you are not involved in any accidents but if you are then you MUST make a record of the registration of any trailer , especially articulated lorries as they can be different from the tractor. Usually a red number plate. Mysteriously records of which vehicle is pulling it are hard to find.

In Spain the motorway junction numbers are distance in Km so 352 is 70 km from 420. Simples.
And Spanish tolls went down 30% last week. AP1 now free.

All good advice Glass Man, thank you. If we are involved in any accident, I will take a photo of any vehicle involved. I sincerely hope that I don't have to though. :danger:

Canada is KM, USA is miles, so we are used to changing them over, but another good to know thing.

Yay! happy to hear about the Spanish tolls going down, we are hoping to avoid tolls, but we may have to suffer them as we don't want to run into bad weather.

Not really sure on what route to take from Cherbourg and the best way to find out if any roads are closed on that route. We will have Internet access all the way, so if there are any websites that I need to look at I would be grateful if you or someone else can point me in the right direction, thanks.

 

[phillybarbour]

Hope the trip goes well, any specific problems just ask on here.

 

[luv2travel]

Hope the trip goes well, any specific problems just ask on here.

Will do, thanks Phil

 

[alcam]

The stickiest problem is re filling gas on extended trips but it seems you have that sorted

France is very laid back re campers and never too far away from an aire or other place to stop. Just be mindful in France unlike the UK things do stop as a rule on Sundays in respect some supermarkets open in the morning but a lot don't so plan weekends a little re essentials

Most of all have fun, you are used to driving wrong side of the road, and the weather will be positively balmy compared to Canada

Recently France reduced speed limits so hence watch your speeds

Channa

I would add most of France (especially rural) is closed by 7pm . Best stock up on essentials . Take some food too !
This time of year some aires will have water turned off .

 

[luv2travel]

I would add most of France (especially rural) is closed by 7pm . Best stock up on essentials . Take some food too !
This time of year some aires will have water turned off .

Thank you for your input Alcam, any info is good to know. We are taking food and we have just filled our water tank and we always take drinking water too wherever we go. Hopefully we will not be in France for too long, we used to drive around 1200 km a day when we lived in North America, but I don't think we will be doing that much in one day, unless of course it's absolutely brass monkeys weather!

 

[alcam]

Thank you for your input Alcam, any info is good to know. We are taking food and we have just filled our water tank and we always take drinking water too wherever we go. Hopefully we will not be in France for too long, we used to drive around 1200 km a day when we lived in North America, but I don't think we will be doing that much in one day, unless of course it's absolutely brass monkeys weather!

Not great right now but will improve as you go south . I am heading down as quickly as possible , may spend more time in France coming home

 

[witzend]

Not really sure on what route to take from Cherbourg and the best way to find out if any roads are closed on that route. We will have Internet access all the way, so if there are any websites that I need to look at I would be grateful if you or someone else can point me in the right direction, thanks.

We always use this route no tolls but saves 2 hrs if you use tolls, But do use tolls to pass thru French Spanish border make up your mind after border
Google maps has the facility to plan a route with road works shown Sunday is a good day to cross border as very few lorrys allowed on French roads on Sunday

 

[TJBi]

<snip> Hopefully we will not be in France for too long <snip>

That's a shame! Some lovely places to visit in France on the way down.

 

[Canalsman]

Google Maps shows traffic information as an overlay.

ViaMichelin maps are another resource worth a look.

Detailed online maps - UK maps and worldwide maps - ViaMichelin

This also shows live traffic. In addition the route planner is excellent. If you select the caravan option not only does it provide routes well suited to motorhomes but the journey times are adjusted to speeds similar to those achieved in a 'van.