# 1 st Trip to France and Spain



## DJP (May 9, 2005)

Just back from our first MH trip to France Spain and Andorra. Bought some Camping cheques before we went (20 off) and set off via Calais. 1st stop Paris for 2 nights, good site on th Seine about 10 mins walk from Maisons Laffite train station. We decided to go into Paris via car. (we tow a Smart car on A frame) Sat nav took us straight in. Had a great day, expensive place to park though.
Then onto Clermont Ferrand. Fancied a spot of wild camping. Found an Aires on autoroute, parked alongside 3 other MH, ate, went to bed. In the middle of the night my wife was woken up by somebody trying to force the lock on the drivers door! As she put the light on they drove off into the darkness. Am I just unlucky or what?
Onto Valras Plage ok site but Lidl TV sat wont work there, dish too small.
Then move onto Playa D'Aro. Cracking site, super WC/shower cubicle. Pool, bar the lot. We stayed there for 3 days found a TV shop and bought a 85cm Sat dish (with getting Dead enders withdrawal symptoms).
We then moved onto Sitges (I did not not why the place was/is famous but do now  stayed there a week and had several trips into Barcelona, Montserrat and Salou. 
Off then to the Midi Pyrenees via Andorra and back to Paris with last night at a cracking site in Calais at Guines.
We covered a total of 2300 mile in MH and 750 in the Smart NO problems with police or customs with the Smart, just lots of funny looks, smiles, waves cars slowing down to take pictures and Spaniards crawling underneath while waiting at a camp reception to see how the sterring works!
An enjoyable 3 weeks apart from the 1 incident in Clermont Ferrand.
Fuel was 1.15 ish Euro in France and 1 euro in Spain for a litre.
Spent about 215 euro on tolls. We saved about 1/3rd on site fees by using Camping cheques, but some sites are a way from autoroutes.
One thing we did learn is to buy a decent large scale detail map of the area. The sat nav was ok BUT kept losing signal in Paris due to tunnels and some of the routes were questionable at times.


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## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

Nice one DJP - glad you had a great time and got home in one piece.
Any pics likely? Would love to see them.

I don't like Valras Plage - any of it - which is why I am puzzled why I went there again last year and left with the same opinion.

Many thanks for an interesting read.


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## 88781 (May 9, 2005)

Hi DJP,..Sorry to hear of the break in attempt, to an otherwise great holiday, I hope that the damage done to the drivers door lock is easily rectified.

Reassuring to know that 'a frames' are allowed, there are so many conflicting reports of problems with this method of towing a small car!  

Regards M&D


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