Wild camping in Europe

We prefer to stay to the east of Paris and avoid tolls
Lots of nice aires

France to Italy
Col de Mont Cenis is an easy drive and avoids the Frejus tunnel costs
Worth paying the tolls in Italy as
A they are not too bad
B the other roads are very slow and potholed etc
But in the North you will see lots of "Wildlife" mainly hoping for a ride in a lorry cab ?"
View attachment 106854
Think their habitat is varied . Driving in that area with girlfriend a few years ago . She thought they were selling fruit
 
Shorter hours of day light may be something to consider when traveling in winter, along with the cold.
Mainly when wanting to cover distance, will often mean finding places to overnight in the dark. Fine if you're not fussy.
Sounds like a great trip though.
 
Come down the Adriatic coast Croatia Montenegro Albania wow just wow wonderfull coast line and lovely people , gas at most garages 35p a lt at the moment so I would get refillable gas in your van 😜 been on 2 campsites one in Croatia and one in south Albania the rest has been useing WEBSITE BLOCKED BY ADMIN . There is so much history down here never realised how much till this trip .
 
Kev, as you know I’ve just had a stent fitted to keep me alive and bypass surgery due early in May.
I was driving 8 days later after the stent, until the hospital phoned to tell me that as I have a bypass due then the driving ‘ban’ was 28 days and not 8. I had no ill effects and felt fine.

Talking a few days ago to my surgeon, he has told me I will be able to drive 28 days after the bypass surgery. However he has told me no biking for 3 months.
 
Mine said it would be wise to not drive for a few months, nothing more specific, same as you for stent, still waiting for the letter though.

New drugs mean I'm in almost no pain regardless now, do get very tight for no apparent reason, but the spray seems to work after a few minutes.
 
And your plan to go to Greece is a good one. Lots of easy wild camping in great spots. Many europeans take their vans down to Greece for the summer. The ferries from Italy are good but book early if in the peak July-Aug as the spaces go fast. Some let you "camp on board" too if you book early for the limited spaces.
 
PS we are heading out to Greece starting next week. A week or two in France. Planning a stop for Venice. Then over to Greece from Ancona - using one of those camping on board spaces.
 
The timing is buggering things up a bit, don't want to buy chains, my tyres are like new so don't want to change those so that means warmer months and then we make no saving on heat at home, and Liz doesn't want to go when it's warm, not looking good.
 
The timing is buggering things up a bit, don't want to buy chains, my tyres are like new so don't want to change those so that means warmer months and then we make no saving on heat at home, and Liz doesn't want to go when it's warm, not looking good.

If you must go in winter you could avoid chains I think if you dog legged down through France and northern Italy. Im pretty sure they will keep most of the main roads and tunnels free of snow though so you could just wing it. You could maybe do a week or two on the Cote D'Azure although its not very motorhome Friendly. Or there is always Spain which is where most head in the winter for a bit of sun.

I still say you should try France in the Spring and early summer. Bugger saving money on heating, your a long time looking at the lid as they say.
 
You will not normally meet snow on most main roads through Alps this time of year. And most minor roads too unless driving up a high pass or side valley. The reason for socks is in case of a sudden dump of snow catching you out. This happened last week even in Athens. In which case the socks get you back to the main roads which will be gritted and/or snow ploughed within hours. But most of the time you will not drive on snow unless you seek it out.
 
If you must go in winter you could avoid chains I think if you dog legged down through France and northern Italy. Im pretty sure they will keep most of the main roads and tunnels free of snow though so you could just wing it. You could maybe do a week or two on the Cote D'Azure although its not very motorhome Friendly. Or there is always Spain which is where most head in the winter for a bit of sun.

I still say you should try France in the Spring and early summer. Bugger saving money on heating, your a long time looking at the lid as they say.
All good advice as usual from you and the others, I'm still trying to work it all out in my head, I really want to go, but I have problems with concentration sometimes so that worries me and then there is the overall cost as we need to make sure we're both covered for any medical or vehicular emergency, I like to travel every day for a few hours, we like to have a coffee n cake, a couple of times a day sometimes so it all mounts up, and of course since that twat Putin spat his dummy out there are some serious fuel price increases due, we don't drink or smoke fortunately.
 
All good advice as usual from you and the others, I'm still trying to work it all out in my head, I really want to go, but I have problems with concentration sometimes so that worries me and then there is the overall cost as we need to make sure we're both covered for any medical or vehicular emergency, I like to travel every day for a few hours, we like to have a coffee n cake, a couple of times a day sometimes so it all mounts up, and of course since that twat Putin spat his dummy out there are some serious fuel price increases due, we don't drink or smoke fortunately.

Thats why I keep suggesting France. You could bumble around there for months and not have to spend anything on camping or services if you just use the free aires and the odd bit of wilding, its no that far from you so less diesel costs and it pretty much has everything the rest of Europe has to offer in one country. Could be a good starter for 10 for you but its much more agreeable in good weather. Most of Europe will be as grim as the UK in winter, a lot of it is even colder as we get warmed by the gulf stream.
 
Mine said it would be wise to not drive for a few months, nothing more specific, same as you for stent, still waiting for the letter though.

New drugs mean I'm in almost no pain regardless now, do get very tight for no apparent reason, but the spray seems to work after a few minutes.
By spray do you mean a Salbutamol type inhaler that I’m using a bit as a consequence of an infection from when I got out of hospital a few weeks ago? Or are you using a nitro-glycerine type of thing that I have to hand if I need to use it?
 
Kev. I agree entirely with Barry. Keep to France as a nice "ease-in" to taking a motorhome on the continent. All things considered.. An initial trip to Greece seems a bit ambitious especially in light of your health too?
also the cost of the fuel alone doesn't even bear thinking about
Me and "her-indoors" are going to take the ferry to Roscoff late August then meander down the west coast of France for a few weeks before coming back via Santander in September.. low stress levels and I cant wait :)
(I will of course be taking the Bandit on the back for local excursions)
 
Get across the channel and then see where you fancy going. Once there it is all much less daunting. It really is easy. The further south you go the warmer it will be. But even if you only get to the French Med coast then that will be fun. If further then better.
 

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Back
Top