So I want to drive to Greece this winter....

[jagmanx]

We did not

Particularly enjoy Sicily.

Just saying not much free camping but I expect the sites will be cheaper.
SEE Roger Haworth blogspot one of the posts on this thread..They enjoyed Sicily
Ann and Roger travel

I got the impression that southern Italy does get snow in the mountains.
The E45 is toll free in the south and for an M-Way quite pleasant even pretty

Very handy new campsite a bit rough and ready here.
Google Maps
and a Eurospin supermarket nearby
About 30mins from the ferries to Messina

 

[Clunegapyears]

Sicily is marmite- we really liked it. Chaotic but charming with as many ancient sites as Greece. A lot of people are put off by the roads but you become accustomed. People are so chilled and the arancini (rice balls) are the best in Italy.

 

[vanmandan]

I've found quite a number of roads in southern Sicily have been resurfaced in the past year, to a surprisingly high standard.
better than anything in the UK. expansion joints on bridges & viaducts still a pain in the butt, but that's the same all over Italy.
many thanks for my Christmas present Kathrine.....woolen hankies !!!....who'd of thought. ;-)

 

[Deleted member 62288]

3 Dec: Heading south today

I've spent 3 days relaxing here, the free 220v ehu is a welcome bonus. I'll be resuming the travels with empty waste tanks and full water/LPG/diesel tanks - perfect. It's been chilly every night since 18th Nov, I'll be glad to find some sunshine and warm.

Greece is getting a lot of snow in the mountains and rain over the lowlands, not what I am seeking, but I'll press onwards.

Set TomTom for Bari, 736 km south from here. Selected the coastal route, avoiding toll roads, I'll be venturing off the main roads as the fancy takes me.
Bari - Apulia - Discover Italy


13+ hours driving time, I'll spread it over 3 or 4 days, nice and easy drive with no schedules or imperatives, other than self-indulgences plus lotsa coffee.

Just before leaving the UK I bought a DJI Mavic 2 Pro which I now need to learn about, I did fly (and crash) it briefly. It's been too chilly to faff about outdoors so I've resisted the temptation to fly it since, I'm hoping that the climate will be better by the weekend.
DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone - Jessops

Thanks for reading, james

 

[jagmanx]

We travelled North near the Adriatic coast

I've spent 3 days relaxing here, the free 220v ehu is a welcome bonus. I'll be resuming the travels with empty waste tanks and full water/LPG/diesel tanks - perfect. It's been chilly every night since 18th Nov, I'll be glad to find some sunshine and warm.

Greece is getting a lot of snow in the mountains and rain over the lowlands, not what I am seeking, but I'll press onwards.

Set TomTom for Bari, 736 km south from here. Selected the coastal route, avoiding toll roads, I'll be venturing off the main roads as the fancy takes me.
Bari - Apulia - Discover Italy


13+ hours driving time, I'll spread it over 3 or 4 days, nice and easy drive with no schedules or imperatives, other than self-indulgences plus lotsa coffee.

Just before leaving the UK I bought a DJI Mavic 2 Pro which I now need to learn about, I did fly (and crash) it briefly. It's been too chilly to faff about outdoors so I've resisted the temptation to fly it since, I'm hoping that the climate will be better by the weekend.
DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone - Jessops

Thanks for reading, james

You may find it difficult to avoid the M-Ways and make good time.
The tolls are very reasonable (IMO) (unlike France)
The problem you will have is using your Credit Card or cash to pay as the pay station tickets and payment devices are on the left !
The do have an easypass with APNU where you simply slow down...NOT SURE how the payment works for non-Italians
BUT someone will help or GOOGLE IT

 

[Deleted member 62288]

You may find it difficult to avoid the M-Ways and make good time.
The tolls are very reasonable (IMO) (unlike France)
The problem you will have is using your Credit Card or cash to pay as the pay station tickets and payment devices are on the left !
The do have an easypass with APNU where you simply slow down...NOT SURE how the payment works for non-Italians
BUT someone will help or GOOGLE IT

I've ended up with an unpaid toll ticket - 66 euros - the machine declined my cards and demanded cash, which I declined.
Not sure how this will end.

I've got a LHD van so the booths aren't a problem.

james

 

[Deleted member 62288]

Look out for Pocket Coffee. Chocolate with a serious hit of espresso inside. Vanmandan got me onto these. I ate about 10 one evening, no wonder I couldn’t sleep.

I just bought 2x boxes of these 18 per box....

I'm blaming you for another addiction...

james

 

[Deleted member 62288]

3 December - evening

didn't get too far south today, perhaps 100km of B roads masquerading as a motorway, wizzed past a couple of Aldi stores before I drove into Ravenna for a couple of bags of groceries.
Ravenna: Italy's Byzantium by Rick Steves

Parked up in the centre of town in a huge carpark for the night.

still chilly.

james

 

[jagmanx]

I've ended up with an unpaid toll ticket - 66 euros - the machine declined my cards and demanded cash, which I declined.
Not sure how this will end.

I've got a LHD van so the booths aren't a problem.

james

Good to LHD Yes I did notice that from the Delicagirl post on mirrors/cameras etc

66 Euros is a lot ! Most of our tolls were under 10????
A total of 117 euros for all Italy (see map) although our Moho is I think smaller than yours !
Plus 110 euros for ferries (Sicily)
Just checked my expenses log !..Yes as posted
PS no problem with a mastercard (PostOffice variety)

 

[Clunegapyears]

I've found quite a number of roads in southern Sicily have been resurfaced in the past year, to a surprisingly high standard.
better than anything in the UK. expansion joints on bridges & viaducts still a pain in the butt, but that's the same all over Italy.
many thanks for my Christmas present Kathrine.....woolen hankies !!!....who'd of thought. ;-)

Hope you’ve not opened it already!!! Naughty boy!

 

[jagmanx]

San Marino

Not too far south of you
Cheap fuel
Free car park near the gondola
Disposal and fresh water in one of the areas

Then Inland from Foggia is
Google Maps
Quiet town/village just be careful of your route out

Then maybe Matera
Nice camp here manager will taxi you into the town and back for a small fee
Quite high so probably a bit chilly
Google Maps

 

[Deleted member 62288]

Day 22: Sunday 9th December

Has anyone experienced the non-toll s16 route along the Adriatic Italian coast ? It's really something else to behold. It is the worst maintained road I have ever encountered.

It takes you through the centre of every town along the route, it really taxes your patience, concentration and driving skills to the max.

My tyres and suspension really took a lot of hammer with the uneven and pot-holed surfaces.

I'm really glad that I had just replaced the ISRI seats with suspension seats - they are proving to be a sound investment and are good for the spine and general driving comfort.

Arrived at Bari yesterday and started to phone around the ferry companies. Anek/Superfast and Grimaldi operate from Bari to Greece.

Daily ferry departures to Igoumenitsa port in Greece and to the port of Patras are available.

I wanted "camping on deck", where I would be allowed to stay in the motorhome, with the option of walking the dog every couple of hours as needed.
This option is available, but only during the summer season, from April. The crossing times are 10 hours to Igoumenitsa and 16 hours to Patras.

The options available at this time of the year all involved me being separated from the pooch for most of the crossing.

A stealth crossing, where I would ignore the rules and stay in the camper would require me to somehow persuade the pooch that he couldn't pee for 10 or 16 hours, this is obviously not a realistic proposition.

So a new plan is required.

I've decided to head back north, along the med coast, Naples, Rome etc and along the French southern coast and spend my winter in Iberia.

The three weeks on the road so far have been chilly with minimal sunshine, this is not what I am looking for so it's Spain & Portugal until the spring (ish).

The situation in France is looking to be a challenge, there is widespread fuel rationing and the Yellow Vest protests are getting more lively but I'll have to run the gauntlet to get across France and into Spain..

Italy looks like a splendid spring/summer destination, they are really geared up for motorhomes and LPG/GPL is available at most filling stations, with only a single jobsworth declining to fill up the Gaslow system. Motorhome service points are widely available and a lot of municiple parking areas have foul and freshwater services available for free. Everywhere I've been has been welcoming and friendly. Definite in plan for a future tour.

Greece for me and my circumstances will have to wait until the season where I can stay in the motorhome for the duration of the ferry crossing. It's unlikely to be in 2019 as I want to explore Scandivavia next year during the warmer months.

So I've set the satnav for Naples, 225km due west along the toll road A16/E842 for a Sunday drive.

james


I'm hoping that Macron will have resigned by the time I get up to the French border else it's going to be interesting trying to traverse France

 

[John H]

Has anyone experienced the non-toll s16 route along the Adriatic Italian coast ? It's really something else to behold. It is the worst maintained road I have ever encountered.

It takes you through the centre of every town along the route, it really taxes your patience, concentration and driving skills to the max.

My tyres and suspension really took a lot of hammer with the uneven and pot-holed surfaces.

I'm really glad that I had just replaced the ISRI seats with suspension seats - they are proving to be a sound investment and are good for the spine and general driving comfort.

Arrived at Bari yesterday and started to phone around the ferry companies. Anek/Superfast and Grimaldi operate from Bari to Greece.

Daily ferry departures to Igoumenitsa port in Greece and to the port of Patras are available.

I wanted "camping on deck", where I would be allowed to stay in the motorhome, with the option of walking the dog every couple of hours as needed.
This option is available, but only during the summer season, from April. The crossing times are 10 hours to Igoumenitsa and 16 hours to Patras.

The options available at this time of the year all involved me being separated from the pooch for most of the crossing.

A stealth crossing, where I would ignore the rules and stay in the camper would require me to somehow persuade the pooch that he couldn't pee for 10 or 16 hours, this is obviously not a realistic proposition.

So a new plan is required.

I've decided to head back north, along the med coast, Naples, Rome etc and along the French southern coast and spend my winter in Iberia.

The three weeks on the road so far have been chilly with minimal sunshine, this is not what I am looking for so it's Spain & Portugal until the spring (ish).

The situation in France is looking to be a challenge, there is widespread fuel rationing and the Yellow Vest protests are getting more lively but I'll have to run the gauntlet to get across France and into Spain..

Italy looks like a splendid spring/summer destination, they are really geared up for motorhomes and LPG/GPL is available at most filling stations, with only a single jobsworth declining to fill up the Gaslow system. Motorhome service points are widely available and a lot of municiple parking areas have foul and freshwater services available for free. Everywhere I've been has been welcoming and friendly. Definite in plan for a future tour.

Greece for me and my circumstances will have to wait until the season where I can stay in the motorhome for the duration. It's unlikely to be in 2019 as I want to explore Scandivavia next year during the warmer months.

So I've set the satnav for Naples, 225km due west along the toll road A16/E842 for a Sunday drive.

james


I'm hoping that Macron will have resigned by the time I get up to the French border else it's going to be interesting trying to traverse France

If you want to avoid France, there is a very good ferry, run by Grimaldi Lines, that runs from Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) to Barcelona. We did it earlier this year and cut 600 miles off our journey.

PS the weather here in Almeria is glorious at the moment

 

[Deleted member 62288]

LO! a sign appeared in the skies over Italy

SARNI it said,




And, what a sarni it was...




I'm seriously impressed with the quality of the food in the service areas.

 

[Deleted member 62288]

If you want to avoid France, there is a very good ferry, run by Grimaldi Lines, that runs from Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) to Barcelona. We did it earlier this year and cut 600 miles off our journey.

PS the weather here in Almeria is glorious at the moment

Glorious weather is what I want...

I'll look into the ferry situation once I get past Naples, though I suspect that it'll be the same limitations as between Italy & Greece, regarding dog/kennels etc.

Either way, I'll be in Iberia within a week or so.

james

 

[Clunegapyears]

I know you’ve made your decision to head west ... but did you look at pet friendly cabins? This is what we did and took our own food on board. You walk the dog on deck ... pooping on the poop deck! Sicily can be very warm too.

 

[John H]

SARNI it said,

View attachment 68886


And, what a sarni it was...

View attachment 68887


I'm seriously impressed with the quality of the food in the service areas.

That's Italy for you - superb food and wine; crap roads.

 

[jagmanx]

Maybe go to Southern Italy

Do the complete BOOT (of Italy) and certainly the toe
You will be almost as far south as Benidorm and all of Greece
Lovely Cappuccino and cheap as French Fries
Fuel cheaper than France and available
Maybe Sicily if you want.. Ok I posted we did not enjoy but that was High Summer..
Too hot too busy too costly
I would expect it to be warm if you are on the coast.
Ok cool if you venture inland and upwards

As you have posted good M-Way services food and water
No tolls in southern Italy but some in Sicily

Hope you work out what suits you

 

[Deleted member 74361]

Re the 'Toe of Italy' - I spent one night in Reggio di Calabria on my boat in 1987 and felt very 'uncomfortable' in that town. Marina Manager was friendly but the townspeople looked very dour and unhappy. Did not feel like Italy. But then it is the HQ of a certain organization.

 

[John H]

Glorious weather is what I want...

I'll look into the ferry situation once I get past Naples, though I suspect that it'll be the same limitations as between Italy & Greece, regarding dog/kennels etc.

Either way, I'll be in Iberia within a week or so.

james

A wise decision, I think - Greece is normally very chilly at this time of year and southern Italy/Sicily, although warm, can be quite wet. For the best (ie driest and warmest) weather in Spain, head south of Valencia. If you get the ferry I mentioned, you could be here very quickly. I don't have pets but I believe that the ferries do pet-friendly cabins - worth a try.