# Advice needed for 6 month trip



## taz (Sep 28, 2005)

We have decided to stop putting things in the way of a long trip and just get on with it so.... we plan to leave the uk for a minimum of 6 months from September.
The initial (and very loose plan) is to drift down through France following the sun and then turning left or right towards Portugal or Italy. Then after Xmas we would head in to the mountains somewhere for a couple of months skiing.
How far do we need to go to guarantee reasonable weather in Nov/December ? Not fancying Morocco yet but would consider ferry to an island.
Are there any issues that will arise because of a longer trip (we've only really done 2/3 week trips before)? 
Really hope this goes well - if it does it will become a regular thing so fingers crossed.
Thanks for any advice
Sally


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

Hi Sally,

We follow the first part of your plan, drifting down as the weather gets colder. You need to go as far south as you can in your chosen country. We have spent the last three winters mainly on the Algarve and the weather has been brilliant. You can expect days in the region of 17 to 20 degrees and nights of around 10 degrees. Having said that the last few nights have been around 6 - 8 degrees but that is not normal.

Portugal's climate is generally mild but above the Algarve can be quite mountainous and much cooler. Spain is pretty similar, away from the coast it can be quite cool.

I would expect Italy to be affected more by cold weather in Central Europe in the depths of winter but in its southern extremes it may not be too different to Spain or Portugal.

Trips longer than 2/3 weeks? Just more of the same really. We carry nothing extra and do nothing over and above what we would do for a shorter trip.

JohnW


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

We left UK towards the end of Sept and we've only just reached the coast of Murcia! We moved south in France only as the rain drove us on. Sometimes it's been cool, but with sunshine and bright skies, we don't find that a hardship. There's been a cold wind the last couple of weeks though the sun is hot if you can find a sheltered spot! 

For a longer trip we find we need to take clothes for more than one season. A lot of it you can get by with just more layers, but there might well be times when you're glad you brought the thermal underwear! Having said that, we have used very little of the 'winter' clothes we brought and would probably leave half of it behind next time.


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Italy*

Hi

For Italian winter sun you probably need to be at Sicily. Generally speaking, Rome/Naples area is on par with Barcelona in terms of temperatures.

If you go from Spain to Italy, might be worth the ferry from Valencia or Barcelona towards Rome or Genoa - not bad value for money and saves a lot of mileage driving through France. We did not take the ferry but instead drove toll free from Barcelona area to Rome - a nightmare at times in France but we lived to tell the tale. All of that trip is at the start of our blog in April 2011.

Other thing to bear in mind with a long trip is to ensure you are legally correct - so insruance, tax disc, MOT etc get everything sorted before you go away.

Russell


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## taz (Sep 28, 2005)

Thanks for the replies
I guess I have 2 main concerns - firstly the lack of a "plan". For all our shorter breaks I tend to spend a lot of time before the trip researching aires, attractions etc but I don't think this is feasible for 6 months +. I just have visions of getting to every roundabout and debating "left, right or straight-on"!
My other concern (although relatively minor) is the logistics of the laundry. We tend to use mainly aires or low star basic campsites on odd occassion. How easy is it to find landerettes or is it best to have a night or 2 on a full facility campsite? Do they then have washers, driers and irons? Would this be available at an ACSI site? Have never used a bigger site so sorry for the ridiculously basic questions!
Also...how easy is it to drive an 8.5m van in Portugal? remember hearing scary stories of the roads in the Duoro valley particularly.
Thanks for your help with this
Sally


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi.

We normally decide on the day where we are going or if there is something to see that takes our fancy, so just wander about in a general direction, or if we are only going away for a few weeks we will say go to Portugal, then just drive straight there until we get to our chosen destination, we are not adverse to wild camping so are not ruled by having to get to somewhere to stay.

As for washing get one of these







, Sandra swears by hers they are brilliant and are not electricity hungry and runs easily of the Honda genny.

And some of the roads in Portugal are cobbled so make sure your fillings are fixed firmly, but you should be OK where ever you go as long as you take the normal care you would take anywhere while driving.

ray.


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

.......... and don't forget to cancel your newspaper and milk deliveries before you leave.  

Thinking about that - do people still have newspapers and milk delivered? :?


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## charlieivan (Apr 25, 2006)

Think about your gas requirements. Do you have gaslow or similar. If not think about aquiring a locally sourced bottle that you can exchange and get some adaptors to ensure you can connect to them.


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## taz (Sep 28, 2005)

We've got a gas tank fitted - is LPG readily available in Portugal? 
Also is All The Aires Spain and Portugal worth buying or is it still fairly limited? The French one has come on so much in the last few years.

The washing machine looks good but I guess bedding would be a step too far for it?
Cheers
Sally


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## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

About your need for a plan; we just worked out that we wanted to go south and a few places that we felt were a 'must' for us on the way. We then planned a few days ahead at the most. That way we could take advantage of places we discovered or people told us about and we found some amazing places that will always live on in our memory that we didn't even know existed when we started out.
Whatever way you do it it will be fantastic.


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## Bob45 (Jan 22, 2007)

I always hide a copy of all important documents such as insurance, driving licence, passport etc in the M/H as well as taking the originals. You may want to include bank telephone numbers as well.
I also copy everything and scan it into my computer and email it to one of my accounts.
Obviously this means I can always get the relevant info if van is stolen or other mishaps occur.
We only manage 2months but still a wonderful experience. 
Good luck.

Bob


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## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

We always leave a copy of important documents with my sister as well.


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## taz (Sep 28, 2005)

That sounds like a great idea StephandJohn - lots of mini plans! I am such a planner that the thought of just getting off the train and drifting for 6 months scares the life out of me. I'm trying to pin OH down to a rough direction then hopefully I can do a little prelim planning - its a tough balance I think between being spontaneous and not feeling aimless. 
We both hope this first long trip goes well - if it does then we will rent out the house and just head off on an open-ended trip. Now that does sound scary!!

Sally


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

taz said:


> That sounds like a great idea StephandJohn - lots of mini plans! I am such a planner that the thought of just getting off the train and drifting for 6 months scares the life out of me. I'm trying to pin OH down to a rough direction then hopefully I can do a little prelim planning - its a tough balance I think between being spontaneous and not feeling aimless.
> We both hope this first long trip goes well - if it does then we will rent out the house and just head off on an open-ended trip. Now that does sound scary!!
> 
> Sally


Hi.

We go for 12 month next month, and the only plan we have is turn left a Calais...

ray.


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## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

I'm a great planner too but tried to confine my planning to getting lots and lots of books and maps before we went. Its very freeing mentally not to make hard and fast plans but very, very liberating when you've achieved it.
We used the Rough Guides a lot and toreout,and took with us, all the articles that interested us from MMM etc 
Have a great time.


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## uncleswede (Apr 16, 2010)

If you are Italy bound for skiing I'd recommend Camping Colfosco in the Dolomites. We spent three weeks there recently. It's a well managed site, with good facilities, dedicated snow clearing staff (spade and bulldozer!), is only a 300m walk to 640km of Super-Dolomiti pistes (you can ski back to the van) and, importantly, has plumbed in propane (we have an underslung LPG tank too but we have a Truma changeover valve so we can run off cylinders, or a plumbed-in supply, if we want to).
It was not too expensive as skiing campsites go - about 44 euros a day all in (including 10A elec, about 45Kg of propane [it got very cold!] and local taxes).
PM me if you want any more details

Rgds
CD


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Re the washing question: we use a campsite every couple of weeks or so. ACSI sites will always have washing machines and driers. Not sure about an iron - I've seen them some places, not noticed in others. I've carried a travel iron for about 5 years and have yet to use it! 

My recollection of municipal camp sites when we used to caravan in France was that they all would have had washing machines. 

I used to put smalls in a pail with a tight fitting lid, with washing liquid and about half full of water. It acted as a washing machine in the garage as we drove along. Rinsing, if you're wilding, is a bit of a problem and I've got lazy, so I tend now just to store it for the next machine wash. 

I know the biggest of the machines shown above can cope with double bedding but maybe only lightweight stuff. They do a good job, if you don't mind hanging over the machine for a morning.


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

taz said:


> We've got a gas tank fitted - is LPG readily available in Portugal?
> Also is All The Aires Spain and Portugal worth buying or is it still fairly limited? The French one has come on so much in the last few years.
> 
> The washing machine looks good but I guess bedding would be a step too far for it?
> ...


Hi.

Sandra just in from work, she said the washer will do a double quilt cover and bath towels. If that is any help :roll: .

ray.


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

taz said:


> We've got a gas tank fitted - is LPG readily available in Portugal?


Yes it is. Much more so than in Spain. I bought an LPG guide to Europe from here:

http://www.vanmeenen.com/LPG-autogas-Vlaanderen/LPG-conversion-eng/lpg-service-stations.htm

It is quite compehensive.

As for 'All the Aires' I would say yes it is worth it. Portugal are adding Aires all the time at the moment - they seem to have cottoned on to the fact that we motorhomers like the place :lol: :lol:

What's an iron? :lol:

JohnW


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