# Getting Worried...



## Autoquest (May 16, 2007)

We are lucky enough to have September off which we managed to arrange some time ago. We usually travel to the med and use our MH as a caravan for a week or two and then race back. This time we decided to 'cuff it' and use the MH exactly like everyone else seems to use it and tour around. Thing is, with only a few days to go before the off - 'turning right at Calais' as a plan seems a little flimsy now! and I can honestly see us blundering around in the undoubted rain and then coming home early....

What would you do?


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## mollmagee (Jun 15, 2006)

hmm! seems we are planning same sort of trip.so don't be splashin any puddles my way.seriously, iam lookin forward to it. quite like the unplanned method.weatherwise, i think we will strike gold.keep ure chin up
jm


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## hampsterracing (Jun 2, 2011)

I would do exactly as you have planned as long as i had a good "aires" list with me


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## timotei (May 4, 2007)

Yup! Make sure the aires guide is packed, turn right, and you will be wondering why you were ever worried!

You will have a great time,.....I am very jealous!

Timotei


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## Morphology (Jul 23, 2010)

Autoquest said:


> What would you do?


We're doing the same, but only for 17 nights.

I'm planning on trying to get Internet access every other day or so, and looking at the forecast on Weather Online Which is the best site I've found so far for non- country-specific graphical forecasts.

We'll then try and dodge the showers....


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## Autoquest (May 16, 2007)

That's picked me up a bit... We had decided initially on the coast road to Honfleur with a mixture of aires and asci come municipal sites but I'm wondering wether hanging around up north for 10 days would mean missing out on the early september sun down south - Decisions, Decisions... Will probably end up in Dusseldorf for 'the show' and then driving up the Jungfrau knowing us - We are deliberately trying not to plan and impose artificial deadlines but its killing me


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

We found motorhoming freedom when we had a clear strategy but not a plan 

Dave


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

Although it is not failsafe, Why not be a little guided by the weather? Click on BBC weather for Europe for the next several days and there is a chance that your trip will at least start off on a good note.
Alan


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

"Turning right at Calais" is just about as much planning as you need to do.  

Why would you want to plan ahead? Just bimble along and wander. 

Make some notes of recommended sites and sights that may be on your route but go with the flow and relax.

By midday ish you might have some idea about where you'll be that night so pick a few aires and head in that direction.

Forget trying to dodge the weather - it has a habit of following those who try that.


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## ThePiper (Sep 27, 2009)

*Go for it*

We have just come back from a moth of doing just that. The French service stationes "Aires du ........." are regular and allow free overnight parking. There are also many 'campingcar' spots in towns with good signage which provide water, electricity and emptying facilities at very reasonable prices.
Go for it and enjoy! If your roof doesn't leek you will have a great time. I'd make sure you have breakdown services though as we have just been 'rescued' from the Czech republic.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

DABurleigh said:


> We found motorhoming freedom when we had a clear strategy but not a plan
> Dave


Spot on Dave . . . or if you do have a plan it is there to be ignored at a whim! :wink:

Our usual strategy is to have a few things we would definitely like to see, like gardens, museums, galleries, interesting towns etc.. We then "plan" a route to take them in, and probably even look up any suitably positioned aires or municipals on Google Maps/Street View.

This is all put into Autoroute and followed diligently . . . for at least the first 100 metres!! :lol: :lol:

Autoquest might feel a bit more reassured and focussed by doing something similar - but perish the thought of ever feeling it must be rigidly followed!

The enjoyment of a plan is in making it. Following it is an option. :wink:

Dave


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## Autoquest (May 16, 2007)

DABurleigh said:


> We found motorhoming freedom when we had a clear strategy but not a plan
> 
> Dave


Sadly, I think I take after the Griswolds in European Vacation 8O


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## MEES (Apr 20, 2006)

We are doing similar sailing Dover to Dunkirk on the 4th Sept then depending on the weather will bumble along the North coast staying at the French passion 'Les deaux caps' on Sunday night :lol: :lol: 

then depending on the weather Equihen Plage, le Crotoy, Honfleur befor striking South heading for Torre del mar near Malaga for 1st Oct. :lol: 

We fly home for 2 weeks on 4th Oct then fly back for a further 4 weeks returning via Santander on 18thNnovember  

Bumbling according to the weather though we dont mind an odd wet day with the books and maps :lol: 

Sometimes if we get a wet day we find a 'locals' bar restaurant-marked by white vans about 12-30pm-have th 'set lunch' get pklastered and retired to the van for a good kip.......excellent :lol: :lol: 

Whatever you do just be flexible and enjoy each day


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Autoquest

Once you start you,ll find it easy

Have a good aires book with you and go for it

After all you cant get lost the ferry is well signposted :lol: :lol:

We're loosely planning to follow the Loire valley in September, depending on the weather

Could well change our mind part way and make for Italy

Just relax and enjoy

Aldra


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

yes, we're off overnight on Friday / Saturday, and then we have 2 weeks with no real plan. We have pencilled in the Loire valley, but if the weather is good we'll head for the Atlantic coast to start with and work back. If it's grotty all across the norther half we may head further south......


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## lindybell (Jun 9, 2007)

Hi

Yes we are doing the same . Off on the 5th for a month. Thinking of just following the coast thru Britanny and down to Bordeaux, but maybe we may go to the Alps and into Italy.

Thats half the fun not having a plan.

Just have a good time.

Lindy bell


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## joedenise (Jul 20, 2007)

We were going to head for South of France last year but didn't get any further than Champagne! Spent nearly all of our 3 weeks there.

This year the plan is to head for the Loire Valley but who knows?

Denise

PS Only 3 days to go now and we'll be off for most of September :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## kc10 (Jan 28, 2010)

Go! Don't worry about it. We never have a plan. If we like a place or area we stop if we don't we keep going. Whatever you do don't come back early you'll regret it later. 

Bon voyage,

Keith.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Lovely weather down in the Averyon region right now. Currently parked by a river near some village I can't remeber the name of.

I've kind of had a rough plan a week if two ahead and just post on here as to what to see in the area.

Constantly watch the weather but it's only good for five days max really.

A major plus is having vodafone data traveller on the iPhone and the wifi antenna for the laptop which has meant I have had Internet access everywhere on one device or both all the time.

I use the mobile version of mhf on the phone which is really low band width and although basic is enough to do a post and check replies and is very fast 

Averyon right now is deserted. Most of the aires have loads if space yet it's still. 28 degrees. 

Aires book is a must and the offline version of camping car infos is great as it had quite a few aires that the book doesn't have. Mind you round here you can pretty much stop where you like


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## ramblefrog (Jun 28, 2010)

Hi, 
We are going (1st time) to France in the van - tunnel this Thursday evening.
Heading for Loire region with bikes and an inflatable canoe.
Any suggestions for some bike rides and calm river areas would be most welcome
Thanks


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## Sprinta (Sep 15, 2010)

I'd like to plan ahead for next year's trip abroad, but I reckon it may turn into a "follow my nose" event.

I've done that before on motorbike, with fussy wife behind, and had a lovely time. Fussy as in "I want wholemeal rolls and a banana" for lunch :lol: 

I think the best plan is not to plan - you don't even neede to worry about where to sleep at night, your bed is being carried with you. Just go and enjoy! 

Now can I follow my own suggestion next year? :?


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## Cornishaich (Oct 18, 2009)

DABurleigh said:


> We found motorhoming freedom when we had a clear strategy but not a plan
> 
> Dave


How very true and I love it! We are doing just that for the whole of November.


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi.

The only plan you need is "Turn right out of Calais", then go with the flow..

The only thing we decide on before we set off is what country/countries we might be going to, and find that is near enough for jazz :wink: ..

Works for us.. Ray.


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## Autoquest (May 16, 2007)

Looks like we'll see a lot of you on thursday evening at the tunnel  Thanks for all the tips and advice so far. So far we're turning right at Calais and drifting down to Honfleur, can't remember where Mont St Michael is right now but we'll have a look at that as well, then south to Royan (ish), along one of the valleys to the middle lumpy bit, possible Nimes & Arles for the roman stuff and then my annual swim in the med... after that we'll just bimble about. Thank goodness for Archies POIs in the satnav


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Autoquest said:


> . . . can't remember where Mont St Michael is right now but we'll have a look at that as well, . . .


Same place it always was Auto! :lol: :lol: :lol:

There's a handy Camping Cheques site at Pontorson, only 4.2 miles from Le Mont, and a cluster of Aires right up to the coast.

Any use?

Dave 

.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Zebedee has it right "Have Strategy' - well you have got that, it's called a MH!

As for a 'plan', I always make one, because it is so much fun tearing it up when there is something better to do.

And remember 'No plan survives reality'!

I had a plan for this year - Calais, turn right. Then I met this Polish lady, turned left at Calais (Dunkirk, actually) and am still here.

[But don't tell the wife]

Enjoy wherever you go.

Geoff


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

If you want any tips for the south east of France I just updated our blog yesterday at www.hankthetank.co.uk blog and summer 2011. It's very long but towards the bottom is everywhere we have been down here for the last few weeks.

Currently sat in the middle of rodez wondering where mrs d is.


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## Autoquest (May 16, 2007)

Well... Yesterday I was at Berck in the middle of a gale and today we're back home in blighty... Blackpool tomorrow! Fail to plan, Plan to fail 8O


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Just got back from a month in France. In total we did just shy of 2000 miles in just under 5 weeks, so we certtainly were not thrashing from here to there all the time!

Had 4 nights booked at Annecy 'cos we wanted to see it, other than that we just looked at the map and said "lets head that way" then looked up what was around in "that direction" !!

The best investment we mase (other than "All the Aires" and the French campsite guide was "The Rough Guide to France" its a brilliant reference tool. Using it we discovered SO much that we would never have known about. Money VERY well spent. 

Did you know that at Amboise in the Loire valley there is the house that Leonardo Da-Vinci once lived in that was given to him by the King so he could avoid the clutches of the Pope who wanted him killed for heresey?? Many of his inventions (such as a helicopter, and a HUGE catapault) have been made from his drawings and are displayed in the garden of the house?? Neither did we untill we read about it in the book. Thats just one of the many gems we discovered (and no our copy is NOT for sale as we shall be using it next year, and the year after that, and the year after that, and the year.......)


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

We'll be on our way next week. Our usual plan is 'turn right at Calais unless it's too hot, then turn left' So I guess we'll be turning right this time!

Someone mentioned Annecy, and it keeps coming up - it sounds like a great place to go.

what would it be like, weatherwise, towards the end of September, into October?


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## froggy59 (Jan 18, 2009)

We head out on sept 25th, no plans made just turning right at calais and seeing what happens. i do hope the weathers ok. :lol:


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## Dinks123 (Apr 20, 2010)

We leave on the 23rd, turn right and off to Le Mans for the 24hr bike endurance.....after that....who knows? Two weeks just following the sun!


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Dinks123 said:


> Two weeks just following the sun!


Or running away from the rain! :lol:

Gerald


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Still hot and sunny in the south of France right now. 30 deg forecast for next few days here.


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