# Latest Tour Report



## Annsman

Just returned from our latest tour of France and Spain. We were out for four weeks but it should have been 8! We had to come home because of our poorly pooch, who apart from having Dementia is fine now! 

We set out from the UK on 7th of Sept using P&O our ticket was booked "last minute", within 7 days, and cost us £56.70 through the CC, (Sea France).

We used the N & D roads in France because we don't like to rush things and went from Calais to the aire at Catillon Sur Sambre. A nice little aire by the canal. It takes 5 vans at the service point but has a overflow site just round the corner that takes about 25. It is free to stay for 48 hours and at the service point there is electricity, water and waste point still free. The overflow bit doesn't have anything but is a short walk away to re-fill, or just drive round the block. There is a supermarket, (small), 300 yards up the road from the aire for bread etc.

From there we drove to Maurail sur Ay. Another pretty aire by a canal. Also free and has free water and waste dump. Although this is being refurbished and looks like it might soon, (by now!) have a new bourne. So there may be a cost. Loads of room for at least 10 vans, very safe and in the town centre which has Chamapagne houses.

From there to Chaumant and another canalside aire. A fee of 6.75 Euros for the night included electric, waste and water dump. It is floodlit and safe with a "Captinaire" who takes the cash and opens the access to the taps and electric. There is a big supermarket close by and the toan is a short walk away.

To St Gengoux le National next and one of our favourite aires. Free to stay again but the new aire charges 5 Euros for 100 litres of water. Or electricity for 55 minutes to charge your battery. The toilet wrinsing water also is available then so don't wait until your water tank is filled otherwise you can't do the loo! Lesoon learned the hard way! You key in your credit card for access to the facilities. Very peaceful and a dream for cyclists as it has 137km of cycle way adjacent to it. The town is a short walk away.

Next was Camping Municipal at Charolles. We went to a site to use our little twin tub washing machine and to have a couple of days break from travelling. 2 nights for 22 Euros including electric and water and waste water dump at the pitch. Plus free wifi. ARE YOU READING THIS UK CLUBS!

Charolles town is a short stroll from the site and is very pretty with lots to see and do. Very relaxing and we will go back for a longer stay one day.

Another aire next at Gervans. Right in the village centre so very safe. A honesty box here so we donated 5 Euros for our night, water and toilet dump. 

Then a longish drive to see the Catherdral d' Images at Les Baux de Provence. Fantastic! Our third visit in three years and well worth going to see it. Can't be bothered to describe it here so either go or Google it! From there we did take a toll road to get to Narbonne. 20 Euros for the trip. Stayed at Narbonne Plage municipal site for a couple of nights. Nice well laid out site a stroll from the town and beach. It was shutting at the end of the week we stayed so the amenities were not at their best, but we use the van anyway so it didn't bother us.

From there into Spain and a splendid drive along the coast road. Through some lovely resort villages and towns. A reasonably good road and a lot less stress than the main motorway, and it's free! We went to Cadaques to the Salavador Dali museum. Well worth a trip to see it, but you must book in advance. Don't just turn up or there is a very good chance you won't get in. The site just up the road from the museum charges 30 Euros a night for the privalidge. So not worth it but there is no option because "wild camping" on the museum motorhome parking area just outside the gate is not allowed and has a 150 Euro fine so we didn't take the risk! 

The road to Cadaques is very twisty and narrow, especially through the town but you could drive there from nearby Roses. Where you could pay upto 40 Euros a night for a pitch! We didn't, despite a personal recommendation of one site. ( No ACSI sites here by the way!)

So we drove to Camping Rui at San Pere Pescador which is an ACSI site and stayed there for 16 Euros including WiFi.

We then drove to Palamos and Camping International. Another ACSI site and just on the edge of a very nice resort. It felt very French and not a "Kiss me Quick" hat to be seen!

And that's where the wheels came off!

Nothing to do with the site or the van. Our dog, a 15 and a half year old Cocker Spaniel had a small stroke and became ill. We decided to seek the reassurance of a UK vet and had to end our tour. Needless to say we were both gutted not only for the tour but for the dog. She has been with us since she was 9 months old and we can't imagine being without her. Neither of us could face things if we had to have her put down in Spain. I mean how do you bring a dead dog back to the UK? And so we high tailed out of there.

We decided to get back as quickly as possible so this meant driving the full length of France on the toll roads. I don't know why or how people do this every year! It was soul destroying to be driving past all the pretty French towns and villages with their aires and municipal sites and paying an arm and a leg for the trip.

We stopped once on an aire just near Clermont Ferrand and the drove right to Fourges Les Eaux and the English speaking vet, who checked Holly over. She had improved quite a bit since Spain and if you didn't know her, (which he didn't), you would think she was great for her age and full of life, (which he did!) and she was passed clear to travel home. After a night on the aire, which was 5.75 for the night inc electric and facilities. (But it has these switched off from Next week until March although the aire is free to stay on and the municipal site across the road will give you water.) We drove on the normal roads to Calais. Hung aroung until tea time and got the ferry back. £52.25 this time plus £15.00 for Holly. (P&O) Again through the CC, booked the night before after the vet visit.

We are now back home and gutted! We were so looking forward to a few weeks in the sun. 

The whole trip cost the following, (from door to door),

Fuel £339.00
Sites £180.00
Aires £19.00
LPG, (fitted tank), £15.00
Tolls £125.60
Ferry £127.00
Shopping, i.e food and drinks etc £435.00
Internet £12.00

Sites included a couple of CL sites both going and coming back. Priced between £6.00 and £9.00

The internet costs were on the couple of sites where it was payable, Palamos and San Pescador. On our way to Dover to go out we bought, at someones recommendation a Hawking WiFi dish from Maplins in Cantebury. £59.00 and it was excellent. Where we were outside the range of our laptop from the sites ariel it picked up the signal no problem. I would reccommend getting one if you want wifi in your van.

We used a Caxton Card to get access to our cash. We loaded it up before we left the UK at 1.19 to the Pound. We then drew it out in 300 Euro blocks and used cash for everything. It was used in the aire machine at St Gengoux with no problem but wasn't accepted at an automatic toll booth, (so we used our ordinary credit card, Barclaycard, and was charged 1.08 Euros commission by the toll company). Again we found it very easy to use and would reccommend getting one for a long tour.

France with it's aires is just fanbloodytastic and I can't say how much I enjoy going in our van. Love the country, love the people and love the mayors for providing the facilities for motorhomes. Fuel and SOME food is cheaper than here but clothes cost an internal organ so pack well before you go ladies!

Spain is good too. We found the sites more expensive than previous visits though but food and fuel was not too bad

Fuel wise Prices in France were around the E1.12 to E1.19 per litre for diesel depending where you filled up. Supermarkets being the cheapest of course. Spain was about 5 to 10 cents less per litre.

Our van behaved perfectly with no problems at all, so thanks to the guys at Autotrail, Spinney Motors, LeisurePower, A&M Engineering, Burrtonwood and A1 Caravan Services for that!

Lessons learned:
We have decided that we won't risk Holly with a cross channel tour again. So it's UK tours only for us.

Only use the toll roads in France & Spain for life or death dashes. Everything else it's the N & D roads for us!


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## Jagman

Thanks Annsman, that was a great read first thing on a Saturday morning , I got a real sense of your journey and your passion for France. Sorry about your dog of course but the outcome could have been worse I suppose, and after 15 years I don't blame you for feeling you owed the old cocker the 'air ambulance' trip back to the UK! Don't feel too gutted, when you do the right thing you should be a little bit proud of yourself!

Hope you continue the journey soon.

Best wishes

Jagman


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## JockandRita

Hi there Annsman,

I too enjoyed reading your "blog", and although sorry to hear about your Holly, glad to hear that it all ended well, with you both and Holly home safely. 

Because of our enjoyment of France & Germany, we haven't gone for another dog.......yet.

Best regards,

Jock.


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## mandyandandy

Hi, 

Very enjoyable, thanks for that. 

You may have shortened your journey but it sounds like you learnt alot in the process and when things like that happen you just go with your heart which most would do in your situation. 

Very glad it all turned out well
Mandy


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## 96299

Yes-a great read, thanks  Never been to France in the van, but are planning to next year, so this has been a great help and the spending don't seem to bad either. 8)  I would nearly double that travelling around the UK.  

Steve


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## brockley

The Aire at Maurail sur Ay is very nice, they were still working on the square last week when we were there. Two of the taps were giving out water free even though there is a pay slot and a couple we met told us that it had been like that for at least a year so the Mayor must know they are not getting a return for water, then again, that does not surprise me at all.


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## Helgamobil

Aire at Mareuil sur Ay as at 30th October 2010 - no charge (except for electricity) they are still working on the Square - partly finished. Water f.o.c. directly beside van /electricity €5 for 3 hours also beside van/ rubbish bins nearby/ Waste emptying - lift the manhole cover in road. 
Very pleasant, quiet, clean site, shady under trees in the older part of the Aire (but no trees in the new part). Great dog walking.


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## hogan

Thank you for the blog.
Best wishes for Holly


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## brockley

Helgamobil, is your Euramobil fitted with a Flux Capacitor?


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## StephandJohn

Thanks for the lovely write-up of your trip. Very evocative. The breakdown of costs was very useful too.
Hope Holly continues to keep well.


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## OwnedbyCollies

I enjoyed reading about your trip and I like to make a note of the personal recommendations for places and aires to visit in France.

I completely understand your decision to return to the UK. Several years ago we returned from the States after just 4 days because our old boy, who was in kennels, had deteriorated. We rushed back to be with him and get him home. He made a steady improvement and we were able to have several more months of quality time together. We never regretted cutting short our holiday (in fact staying was not considered an option) although some people thought we were mad!!! 

I hope Holly is continuing to progress and you have many more trips together in the motorhome.


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