# 1st planned overseas trip



## 106661 (Aug 24, 2007)

Hello all

Well we're a few weeks into our 1st ever motorhome (Eura Mobil 675VB), lots of short weekend jaunts under our belt, and we're absolutely loving it, and are looking at what we can do in the "2 weeks" holiday next summer. At the moment, we're thinking of getting the ferry from our home city of Newcastle to Amsterdam, then meandering down through Holland to Belgium and into France, all the way along to Roscoff in Brittany, ferrying over to Plymouth for a few days with the family in Cornwall, before meandering back up the UK home to Newcastle. Where we can we want to spend a couple of nights at each stopping point, and 3 or 4 in Cornwall if poss.

My question - is this an even remotely possible ambition in 2 weeks! Or am I well off the mark?! We've got 2 kids who will be 5 years and 14 months at this point. Any advice from those with far more experience would be appreciated!

Thanks, Graeme.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*2 weeks*

Hello Graham,

Yes it is possible, we live near Manchester and have been as far down to Nice, St. Tropez area 3 times this year. Twice for a week and once for 10 days taking 4 days each way. Each time we have crossed via Dover-Calais.

However, it is best to take your time thats what it all about in a motorhome. Best to keep driving to a mimium say 200-250 miles per day. This will enable you to relax and take more in.

I would suggest if it is your first time you select and area and tour it a bit. For example, take your time traveling to brittany, spend some time, head back and spend a day or 2 in Brugge before setting off back home.

We intend to use the Hull to Zebrugge ferry next year. This will save us 400 UK miles, some expensive UK Derv and allow us 2 overnight stops in the process. Shame P&O are stopping the Tesco deals!

Anything you need to know just ask....

Trev


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## chapter (May 1, 2005)

looks like a lot of road time with young kids check you time and mileage
here http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/int/tpl/hme/MaHomePage.htm
chapter


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## griffly16 (Jul 6, 2006)

Hmm. about 1100 miles (edit: not too bad for a fortnight), and take a week/8 days out for Cornwall and the return leg to Newcastle. So leaves about 7-8 days for Holland, Belgium and France, not taking into account about 1.5 days for Ferries.

So about 5.5 days for Amsterdam (would need at least 2 days in my experience, preferably 3-4). A whistlestop tour of somewhere like Bruges (which again deserves 2 days) then just driving to Roscoff to get ferry back.

No, I wouldn't do it. Even just with myself and wife. With kids?? No way.

If you're going to do it, make the European trip the longer part and cut short the UK trip. Why pay for expensive ferries to see 6 days of these places? You can always drive to Cornwall etc without ferry costs.

Griff


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Another tip*

Oh yes,

First time I ever went to the St. Tropez trip was nearly 30 years ago. Went some friends who towed a Caravan. Never used any motorway and it took us an eterinty to get there and back, great memories though.

Then, 20 years ago decided I would have a go. Paid £3 or whatever it was for the AA to print me a routeplanner list. It suggested from Calais driving time was approx 10 hours. No problem I thought if I do 80mph for 10 hours then I will be nearly all the way there. Not a chance with 4 passegers on-board, roof rack toilet and tea requirements.

Whatever the route planner says, double it unless you have a fairly rapid vehicle, quiet roads, tolls and empty bladder. My record Manchester - St.Tropez 1 Passenger inc Eurotunnel crossing is 15 hours! 1 hour 30 Minutes less than Viamichelin suggests and it wasn't in a Motorhome.

Trev


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

When you consider mileage per day its as worth considering what you will be looking at. So in Norway for example nearly every corner brings a different and dramatic view. In Norway the journey is very much part of the holiday so driving 300 miles in a day is no big thing (but I drive a compact panel van conversion). That said are you sure the view would be enough for children?

I agree with the others I go to Amsterdam quite often, my daughter lives there, even for just a feel of the place it takes 2-3 days, Brugge 1 full day minimum. (we did a day from a cruise ship once and it wasn't enough).

I reckon most kids will be saying 'are we nearly there yet' most of the way from Hook of Holland to Amsterdam, there are only so many greenhouses/motorway slips that you can look at. For example depending on the time of year you would want at least half a day each at Haarlem and Keukenhof and thats just getting you from Hook to Amsterdam by the pretty route. If you are in Amsterdam it would be rude not to go to Volendam. I've only mentioned the touristy bits there are plenty of small villages nearby such as Abcoude that will repay a visit especially on market days. A day cycling to Volendam for example is better than driving there. So you could easily spend the whole two weeks just in the little bit of the Netherlands bounded by Hook in the SW Amersfoort in the SE Sneek in the NW and Den Helder in the N.


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

Yes it can be done but if it were me I'd do some of your route this trip and some on subsequent trips.

It reminds me a little of these coach tours where the courier says "OK people, this is Paris - be back here in an hour".

I hate deadlines when I'm touring the continent - I'd rather not even know what day it is let alone what time it is and how many miles I have to do before sunset. 

As previously suggested - pick an area or two that look likely places for what you enjoy and save the rest 'til next time.


On the other hand - if you really want to travel all those miles you can but I bet you'll be making lots of notes of places you want to go back to "when you have more time".


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## 94969 (May 1, 2005)

GraemeNCL,
we travelled to Germany this year for our two week holiday, we had a list of where we were going and asked on MHF for areas to visit when there, ie. Berlin- visit the Wall, Television Tower restaurant etc. 
Got the afternoon ferry to Dunkirk, so visited Deal and Dover Castle before getting the ferry across, we travelled 1760 miles and had 4 days stationary in Berlin,

Roy and Helen.


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

tonyt said:


> clipped
> 
> It reminds me a little of these coach tours where the courier says "OK people, this is Paris - be back here in an hour".
> 
> clipped


We did a Baltic cruise one year that on four successive days did Stockholm Tallin St Petersburg and Helsinki.

After three trips into St Petersberg (morning on a river and canal tour afternoon on a coach and metro trip evening at a Russian dance show) we were so 'touristed out' that we nearly stayed in our cabins for Helsinki but we were glad that we didn't and I have been back twice since.

At the best these gave us a taste and there was no driving involved at all.


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

Apart from everything else I think your proposed journey for such a short time away might be prohibitively expensive. One not widely appreciated fact is the cost of ferry crossings. The one way ticket from Roscoff to Plymouth is likely to cost around £350 alone let alone deisil costs at around 1.25 euros a litre. My inclination would be to drive to Dover and get a return ferry with Sea France for around £80 and travel around Northern France (Normandy)/Belgium and Holland


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## 106661 (Aug 24, 2007)

Hi everyone

Well thanks for the plentiful advice! The message is very clear - too much, and expensive!

I think the idea of a drive to Dover is probably a good one, although we do still want to get to Cornwall (family there at the same time as we'll be there so need to tie it in), but yes, I can see that spending less time driving and more time enjoying Normandy and/or Brittany would be a better plan than slogging it down from Amsterdam all the way round to NW France. Or maybe bite the bullet on the cost on the Plymouth - Roscoff return, and enjoy a couple of days in England on the way down to Plymouth, a a week or near enough in Brittany, then back to Cornwall for a few days before the trip North?

Hmm, food for thought!!!

Cheers again all, Graeme.


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