# Ok What Would You Do?.



## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi.

Sandra has decided to hang up the nurses uniform and retire next year.

So!.

We are going to abandon you lot to your bickering for a year on the road, starting in July when the van has had it's mot..

We are going on a grand tour. We are going to turn left at Calais instead of right.

We plan on going through Holland and Belgium and then in an order unknown as yet, but will put it into a logical sequence later when we get the map out of the motor home, on to Denmark, Sweden, Finland,Germany, Romania, Poland, Croatia, Albania, And finally ending up overwintering in Greece.. Then ferry over to Italy and on to Spain, Portugal, France, and home before the mot is due again..

We will be going on a one way ticket, so we can come home if we get fed up with traipsing round Europe..

I am sure there will be other country's we will go through to get to the places mentioned. So my question is, has anybody done it, and what is a "You should really go and see this", and finally would you like to do it and if so where would you go?...

Ray.


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Is it a size 12 :wink: 

Dave p


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

Stop nursing maybe but give up that Uniform,!! Never!

(Mr Mrs was a nurse when I married her)

C.


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> Is it a size 12 :wink:
> 
> Dave p


No, its a metaphorical uniform so it can be any size or style you want, would you want suspenders with the uniform?.. :lol: :lol: :lol: , any way are you sailing round the world again ?..

ray.


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

I'm not jealous  

If ever I could persuade my missus into something like that, I'd invite Don Madge to Sunday lunch and milk him for everything he knows.

What a great time you'll have before you even set foot on the road.

Please keep us updated.


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## Lesleykh (Apr 13, 2009)

We've done it - kept a blog of it - and would do it again, but have to build up some funds first.

Lesley


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

Hi Ray,

Personally I would not miss out Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania especially if you are already considering Sweden / Finland since Estonia is a very easy ferry from Stockholm / Helsinki. These countries were, in my opinion, much nicer than Poland for touring and also incredibly cheap for a Western European to visit even if you just use them to access Poland as there are large camp-sites at each of the three capitals. (Our article on The Baltics is in this months Practical Motorhome if you get it or you can see our blog). The infrastructure in The Baltics, with the main roads being through the capitals, didn't really lend themselves to a circular tour in isolation so access from Helsinki/Stockholm is ideal.

You've not included Norway on your visit but I suspect in reality you could do Norway in Isolation as it is such a large country.

As nice as Finland was, we drove from Nordkapp in Norway right down to Helsinki and the vast majority of the landscape is never ending roads and trees so I would consider perhaps crossing The Gulf of Bothnia rather then driving round it.

If you get to Helsinki then a ferry to Tallinn is only about £80.

After the Baltics this then lends itself to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria ending in the Eastern corner of Greece where we spent 10 weeks doing 30 miles a day East-West. Greece was deserted from 10th September onwards but still fantastic weather.

You then have the option to forgo the 22 hour ferry to Italy and instead drive up through Albania and Croatia into Slovenia and Italy that way since (again in my opinion) there isn't a great deal on the East coast of Italy. The only reason we didn't do this was insurance but Saga might cover you if you're a little closer to retirement age than me!

In my mind a "Grand Tour" should take into account the further away countries which to visit in isolation are cost prohibitive because of the miles. I would (again in my opnion) consider spending less time in the likes of France/Germany/Spain since they are so easily accessible from Calais where as to get to Tallinn (Estonia) for example is 1,500 mils.

Hope some of that helps 

P.S. I keep seeing Autotrail Mohican's around East Yorkshire, don't know if that you. Like yesterday at the Total Garage opposite Waudbys!


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Addie said:


> Hi Ray,
> 
> Personally I would not miss out Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania especially if you are already considering Sweden / Finland since Estonia is a very easy ferry from Stockholm / Helsinki. These countries were, in my opinion, much nicer than Poland for touring and also incredibly cheap for a Western European to visit even if you just use them to access Poland as there are large camp-sites at each of the three capitals. (Our article on The Baltics is in this months Practical Motorhome if you get it or you can see our blog). The infrastructure in The Baltics, with the main roads being through the capitals, didn't really lend themselves to a circular tour in isolation so access from Helsinki/Stockholm is ideal.
> 
> ...


Hi.

Thanks for a brilliant post especially your blog and google map..

We will be giving Norway a miss as we spent two weeks there in the eighties when we went right up to the very top, not in a motorhome but in our jeep, we camped and dived all the way up past the Arctic Circle ending with a dive in the "Barents Sea" my most Northerly dive to date.

You have given us a lot of information to digest and we will be printing off your google map info from down the side of the map as a reference..

As for our van just look for "Indian Dave" as we call him, airbrushed on the back of the van, it is totally unique and a work of art.

ray.


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Lesleykh said:


> We've done it - kept a blog of it - and would do it again, but have to build up some funds first.
> 
> Lesley


Hi Lesley.

Thanks for your reply, I have found your blog and the break down of cost was very interesting..

ray.


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## spatz1 (May 19, 2011)

Sounds like a lot of traveling and a flying visit to a lot of countries....

Me i d "hang mi" boots up and chill and just plan to stay a bit if i found a place i liked and just have a general circumnavigation i could chop and change or return to complete another year as there s no prizes for the number of countries or miles clocked up :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

spatz1 said:


> Sounds like a lot of traveling and a flying visit to a lot of countries....
> 
> Me i d "hang mi" boots up and chill and just plan to stay a bit if i found a place i liked and just have a general circumnavigation i could chop and change or return to complete another year as there s no prizes for the number of countries or miles clocked up :lol: :lol: :lol:


Depends on how you look at it and what you class as enjoyment.

The route suggested from Denmark to Greece via Tallinn and Eastern Europe is only circa 3,400 miles which works out about 18 miles a day although of course with detours will likely be more. A grand tour gives you a flavour of the countries so you know what to return to and spend a larger amount of time in the future without the "gamble" of say 6 weeks in Romania and hating it.

Me, I can't wait to go back to Slovakia.

http://g.co/maps/6j2p3


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

spatz1 said:


> Sounds like a lot of traveling and a flying visit to a lot of countries....
> 
> Me i d "hang mi" boots up and chill and just plan to stay a bit if i found a place i liked and just have a general circumnavigation i could chop and change or return to complete another year as there s no prizes for the number of countries or miles clocked up :lol: :lol: :lol:


Hi.

I can see your point.

But!..

We have some friends who are now well into their seventies, but while in their sixties they kept on saying we are going to go here and we are going to go there, except they haven't been anywhere as he has heart problems, and she has knees that no longer work so she can't sit for long in the motor home travelling..

We are off while we are fit enough and before the price of fuel makes it an impossibility..

ray.


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## MrsW (Feb 8, 2009)

Well, I hung up my nurses uniform 10 months ago and am still wondering how I ever had time to go to work. I love retirement and although we decided to move to France rather than travel the world (or Europe) we are very happy in the decisions we made. I have not done the sort of trip you are thinking of doing but reckon it would be a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime experience! Do enjoy it when the great day comes!


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Glad to hear it Ray. Have a great time, Alan.


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## Cyclewalkbob (Oct 18, 2011)

Assuming you have not been there - Switzerland and Provence.

Amazing mountains, history and scenery as well as the food (Provence)

If you are going through Italy then the Amalfi coast - Pompei, anywhere in Tuscany, though Pisa was a little to "touristy tat" for us.

Wherever you go you will enjoy the difference, every country has things for everyone, I do not think you can say anywhere is "best" just that you like it!!!

Enjoy - you will love it!!!


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## spatz1 (May 19, 2011)

Addie said:


> spatz1 said:
> 
> 
> > Depends on how you look at it and what you class as enjoyment.
> ...


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## locrep (Dec 5, 2011)

I think Turkey would be worth adding to the list


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Ray

Do you mean July 2013? If so I think Nuke might need a new server for all the info you might get.

I think the trip will be wonderful, but sounds like too much in one year to me. Adam has done similar but just following his blog makes me tired. But he is young.

Just a few hints, if I may. 

Unless you want to go the Calais route, DFDS to Dunkirk is usually cheaper and saves a bit of fuel if heading East.

For the Balkans/Turkey just read up the advice from the likes of 'peejay', 'Don_Madge' and Adam.

Now for the bits I know about:-

Poland, where we live, easy for wild camping.

If we are still here (i.e. I have not managed to get Basia to hang up her 'uniform') you are welcome to park, shower, dump Thetford, fill water etc.

I would also recommend Slovakia - we did 2 weeks there last summer - very relaxed, easy to 'wild' and some great spots.

I am interested in your plan to winter in Greece. Is there a special reason? I know the country well - have a boat there and just came back last week. Have you got a place in mind for the winter?

I did not see what MH you have - it will need to be well-winterised for Greece!

That is enough for now. 

Feel free to ask more.

Geoff


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

nicholsong said:


> Ray
> 
> Do you mean July 2013? If so I think Nuke might need a new server for all the info you might get.
> 
> ...


Thanks Geoff.

Yes in 2013.

We do go the Dunkirk route, we have just used it this year to go on our winter break..

All the routes will not be written in stone, just places that if we are going near them well why not visit as we go along our way..A year is a long time and I can not see any problem with doing the trip in the time scale.

I am surprised that you say Greece will be as cold as you say, will it be much different than Portugal at that time of the year?..

ray.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

With any luck we might be doing the same thing next year except I'm not coming back!

I'm not planning anything. Will just go to France and when I get bored of eating French cheese and pate will stick a pin in a map or just follow the sunshine.

You will need to get the Internet sorted so you can keep up to date with mhf and to keep posting your YouTube finds! Addie or me can help you with that one.


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## Lesleykh (Apr 13, 2009)

Ray, 

Bits of Greece can get very cold in the winter. We drove through areas with pretty deep snow inland above Athens in December. We were trying to run ahead of the cold for a lot of December. For warmth you need to head as far south as you can and be on the coast. Anywhere inland can be cold. Saying that, Christmas and New Year on the beach at Gythio was delightful. We picked oranges and made our own marmalade. Ate seafood at outside restaurants, and walked the dog along empty beaches - sighs...

Lesley


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Ray

Lesley has given you info on the Greek weather. Unlike Portugal, which has a maritime climate, Greece is much closer to the Asian continental climate. There is skiing just north of Athens. 

I agree with the advice to go South and near the sea. Crete is usually a good bet.

I also have had a Christmas like described, but it is Jan/Feb when it gets bad. My friends in Poros, which is quite southerly and on coast, reported a very bad winter this year. cold and wet.

Geoff


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## Riley103 (Apr 16, 2012)

rayrecrok said:


> Hi.
> 
> Sandra has decided to hang up the nurses uniform and retire next year.
> 
> ...


Thanks you for the post.


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