# europe in winter?



## campervanjan (Sep 29, 2010)

Good morning fellow travellers thinking of setting of to france, italian lakes then greek islands going late october back late febuary any good places ? any good tips? weather ? this is my first big trip so any help would be fab cheers arthur


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

Errr - read lots of blogs!

We're in mainland Greece at the moment, heading down to Athens and the Peloponnese shorly.

www.europebycamper.com

I'm sure someone will be along soon with a blog to cover the France / Italy bit - but some info in the Greece and Italy sections within the continental touring forum on this very site.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Greece is next on our agenda but as addie says there is loads of info on here. We have done a lot of France though and were in the Italian lakes earlier this year. Our favourite lakes were maggiore and the lesser known lake Orta which is near maggiore. Orta is stunning and there are two free sostas there. One at the top of sacra monte and one at the top of a big hill on the other side. We also did laguna and como but ended up on sites which were awful.

The weather could be iffy I suspect but you might be lucky. We have frequently been to Greece in late October and it's been sunny and low twenties.

Some pics and info on our blog at www.hankthetank.co.uk go I blog and summer 2011 Italy is a good way down after down after Germany and Switzerland.


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## Traveller_HA5_3DOM (May 9, 2005)

campervanjan said:


> Good morning fellow travellers thinking of setting of to france, italian lakes then greek islands going late october back late febuary any good places ? any good tips? weather ? this is my first big trip so any help would be fab cheers arthur


Hi Arthur/Jan Good advice to check out the blogs and the sections on continental travel. It is a little unfair to expect the same information to be posted by the members who have already placed it available on the site. I realise searching the site can be a little daunting, but the golden rule of searching is the less information you put into the search box the more you get back.

All I would add is have a look at the ferry discount codes for DFDS and Sea France on the posts from the last couple of days.
Some of these only last till the end of the week.


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

campervanjan said:


> Good morning fellow travellers thinking of setting of to france, italian lakes then greek islands going late october back late febuary any good places ? any good tips? weather ? this is my first big trip so any help would be fab cheers arthur


Hi Arthur,

Have a look HERE and HERE for in depth info on Greece.

Enjoy your winter.

Don


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## Lesleykh (Apr 13, 2009)

We spent last winter as far south as we could get on the Greek mainland and in the south of Italy. We had a great time. We read everything we could from the blogs of others, and in turn put some information in our own blog.

Christmas and New Year on the beach in Gythio will be a memory I cherish (until age wipes it clean!).

Lesley


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

I agree with Addie, read lots of Blogs.

Addie (Adam) is in Greece now - for first time, I think?

Don Madge, and some others, have a few years experience of Greece off-season and, although I know Greece from 20+years on my boat, so only know the coastal regions, I have found Don's info to be good.

For winter I suggest keeping in the 'rain-shadow' of the Eastern Peloponese, from Monevassia to Corinth or Evia (low-level). But bear in mind you need provisions so think of centres such as Monevassia, Argos, Naphlion, Tripoli, Galatas/Poros. 

I have been in shorts drinking champagne at 1000 on New Year's day in Poros. OK I am decadant but love it!

Gas may be an issue. LPG not easy so be prepared to switch your existing bottles for local Greek ones. Campingaz fittings OK, but you may not find other countries willing to accept the Greek bottles for exchange.

Apart from those caveats Greece is very easy.

Have a wonderful winter.

I will not be far behind you but have to get UK MOT in April. Then park MH next to boat and all will be wonderful!

Geoff

P.S I am quite prepared for Don, and anyone else to modify my comments.


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## Lesleykh (Apr 13, 2009)

Geoff's right - some types of gas bottles can be a problem in Greece, but if you are near Kalamata you can get most bottles refilled at the gas depot on the edge of town (details on ours & others' blogs). We even got our titchy 907s filled there. 

Lesley


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Lesley, or anyone else

will those filling stations fill up a Gaslow bottle either through the filler or otherwise?

Geoff


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

Geoff,

The two filling stations I've used in Athens will fill up any make of bottle as well as genuine refillables.

It is many years since we used the gas plant at Kalamata, in those days we had calor bottles which they refilled OK.

Just a word of warning if you get bottle without the 80% cut out refilled make sure you "Gas Off" the bottle before you use it.

Safe travelling.

Don


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## Lesleykh (Apr 13, 2009)

Sorry Geoff, I have no idea about refilling Gaslow. Have a look at Catherine and Chris' website www.theworldisourlobster.com and maybe contact them through their site. They spent a couple of months in Greece and I think they might have Gaslow.

Lesley


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

I think the LPG problem is slowly improving in Greece, The magbaz website has a new account of nearly 100 outlets dotted around Greece.

More info, POI's and maps >here<

Pete


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