# Our summer trip to Beaune.... (pic heavy)



## Enock (Nov 11, 2011)

Hi everyone.... Well as relative newbys, I'd just like to tell of our trip to Beaune...

We've now had our MH swift kontiki 650 for just over a year, this was our second trip to the continent, and our longest stay away...

Now I know the Beaune area quite well, and it's one of the reasons I keep returning. My first visit was 20 years ago as a 30 year old biker.
In those days it was a tent, and 2 weeks off work.....
I then visited again in 2008 and it reminded me of how beautiful this area is...

Now that I'm 50 and retired, my plan is to make the most of my free time, and spend as much of it as possible in the van.... Over 100 nights total this year...

So we chose our favourite campsite, in the village of Savigny les Beaune, it's fairly basic, but has large pitches, plenty of shade, good facilities, and is clean and quiet, and the folk that run it are extremely helpful and friendly...we've just done 7 weeks

Savigny itself is just a small village, with a patisary, butchers, corner shop, and a few bars...
It's a lovely old place with a chateau, which the eccentric owner has turned into a museum for motorbikes, planes, cars, tractors and lots of other stuff...
The whole place is just a nice place to be..

So the trip started at the end of June, and we had our first problem before we'd even got to the Chunnel....
Somthing went wrong with the control panel in the habitation unit..
So I pulled into the services (more of which later).... Downloaded the manual on my iPad, and discovered that if I disconnected and reconnected the panel, all should be well..... I did, and it was...
So we decided that as we were a few hours early, we may as well stay and I'd get a few hours kip, before I had to get the train...

A few hours later and were in France, and ready for the trip to Beaune, we drove for a few hours and then sought out an aire for the night... Which was very nice, by a lake and plenty of other MHers...

Next morning we got to Savigny and settled into our pitch...

Anyway a few pics....
Please forgive the random nature... Photo bucket trouble 





















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































All in all we drove just over 1400 miles, average fuel consumption for the van was an almost unbelievable 30mpg...
The site was €15 euros per night.... The weather was just about perfect, and we LOVE OUR MOTORHOME and we LOVE BEAUNE

Oh and back to my little problem with the control panel.... Well following my short sleep in the maidstone roadchef service station I returned home to find two nice letters from CP Plus, telling me I'd overstayed by 2 hours, and that'll be £80 quid please

I absolutly hate these "private" parking scams.... And so following some sound advice from Pepipoo... I'm going down the completely ignore, and chuck in the bin route....

These scammers have no basis in law to demand payments..

So I'll update as the threatening letters arrive.... But be sure, they will not receive a damn penny from me...


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

I loved those photos

Must visit that site

Aldra


----------



## MrsW (Feb 8, 2009)

Glad you have had such a good trip. We too have a Swift KonTiki, but ours is a 615. We too have had problems with that same control panel and cured it in the same way! The photos are lovely - particulrly like the one taken by the water. 

We have now exported our MH to France where we now live and will be off in it next month. Not sure where yet, but I'm sure we'll find some lovely little French villages to stay in too!


----------



## Fatalhud (Mar 3, 2006)

Love the photo's
Now on my places to see list :wink: 

Alan H


----------



## TheColeses (Apr 19, 2011)

We stayed on that site last September (on our honeymoon!). The village is a complete delight and we loved the walk beside the allotments from the site to said village (also picked up some lovely walnuts on route :wink: ) Beaune market was also well worth a visit, as is the hospice, of course.


----------



## Auricula (Aug 13, 2012)

Any tips and details of good aires and sites you stayed on travelling to and from Savigny?


----------



## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

lovely pics - thanks!


----------



## Enock (Nov 11, 2011)

Glad you like the pics...  

Let me just tell you a little more about the Chateau...

Basically it's one mans obsession....

Over 150 classic bikes, many of which I've never even heard of, and I know my bikes  
Some have been restored, some are awaiting restoration, and many are in completely original condition...

Then theirs the cars... A dedication to Fiat abarth racing cars, all shapes and sizes, all different classes from rallying to le mans..

Onto the aeroplanes, mostly cold war fighters, jaguars, vampires, migs etc etc
Ejector seats, display panels, cockpits gun the list goes on

Then the tractors... Pretty much a history lesson in the vine tractors and their development over the years..

Fire engines next, again a potted history of the different types..

Hundreds of models of cars and bikes and planes, all laid out in display cases

Deer in the park

Wine tasting, buying, or a meal...... Beautiful grounds to wander around in freely....

The chateau itself is hundreds of years old, and a fantastic place to explore...also a history of wine making presses and equipment

And all this is just €10 euros.....

Interested folk could easily spend 4 or 5 hours just looking at stuff...


Now the surprising bit.... Chances are if you visit, you'll have the pace virtually to yourselves...

In a way it's quite disappointing that many of the visitors to the Savigny campsite, don't know anything about the chateau and don't visit it...
Their loss I suppose.... But of those that I suggested a visit too, each and everyone came back and said WOW, what a place.. Wish I'd known about it before etc etc...

So my advice is, if you're anywhere near the area, have time on your hands, and don't visit, you're missing out...

And the best bit....... A massive Motorhome friendly carpark, right at the chateau itself ..
What more could you ask for?? 

8) 8) 8) 8)


----------



## TheColeses (Apr 19, 2011)

We stayed at this one http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/en/eu...marne/campsite-municipal-val-de-vesle-104091/ for one night on the way from Calais to Savigny-les-Beaune. Good basic site for overnighting.


----------



## Enock (Nov 11, 2011)

Auricula said:


> Any tips and details of good aires and sites you stayed on travelling to and from Savigny?


I can't remember the one on the way down, but wouldn't really recommend it, as it was a bit of a re route to get to it, and it was so busy we were lucky to squeeze in.... The aire itself was fine, but just to busy...

As for coming back, my wife came up with a beauty...

Camp atilla.... It's an old Celtic fortification, and is in the champagne region in the aires book..

Just off the motorway, only room for for or five vans, but so quiet and peaceful.... And about half way from Calais to Beaune...

Great place for the dogs, and we were so chuffed to have found it, that next time I'll use it on the way down, and on the way back...


----------



## Enock (Nov 11, 2011)

TheColeses said:


> We stayed on that site last September (on our honeymoon!). The village is a complete delight and we loved the walk beside the allotments from the site to said village (also picked up some lovely walnuts on route :wink: ) Beaune market was also well worth a visit, as is the hospice, of course.


Congrats on the wedding 

Yes the path to the village is indeed a delight... I used it every morning to go and get my bread and cousants....

We were there so long, that towards the end, I couldn't travel along the path, without one of the allotment owners, accosting me and giving me some of their excess produce...FANTASTIC

We had beetroots, potatoes, beans, tomatoes, marrows etc all pulled fresh from the ground...

I was also dragged into a very serious looking boul game one Saturday, despite being disabled and not having a lue what I was doing....
The other players were a bit tipsy by that time though, but boy did we have fun...

The dogs were welcomed everywhere, and the locals were just so friendly.... Couldn't have wished for a better stay...

Will be back next year, but next time I shall be taking a little car, to aid sightseeing..


----------



## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

Enock said:


> ................
> Camp atilla.... It's an old Celtic fortification, and is in the champagne region in the aires book.....


Thanks for a great report and some very good pics.

Tell me more about Camp atilla. I don't have an up-to-date aires book but always interested in adding a new one to my list. Do you have a town/village name or better still, co-ords?


----------



## Enock (Nov 11, 2011)

I'll have to dig out the Aires book and post up the details... (it's in the van and its chucking it down)

But in the meantime this video will give you a little insight...

Bearing in mind the dogs had been cooped up in the van for most of the day.... This was a welcome relief...


----------



## veevee (Nov 6, 2011)

TheColeses said:


> We stayed at this one http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/en/eu...marne/campsite-municipal-val-de-vesle-104091/ for one night on the way from Calais to Savigny-les-Beaune. Good basic site for overnighting.


Hello

Do you know if there is wifi at the site, can't see any mention on their website.

Thanks


----------



## padraigpost (Dec 8, 2010)

Thanks for all the info and fantastic pics, cannot wait to go.
Don


----------



## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

Enock said:


> I'll have to dig out the Aires book and post up the details... (it's in the van and its chucking it down)
> 
> But in the meantime this video will give you a little insight...
> 
> Bearing in mind the dogs had been cooped up in the van for most of the day.... This was a welcome relief...


Thanks - found it  The clue was in the notice board pic.

Stay dry


----------



## TheColeses (Apr 19, 2011)

veevee said:


> Do you know if there is wifi at the site, can't see any mention on their website.
> 
> Thanks


Not as far as I recall. We only stayed one night there - and I was using my phone's data connection most of the time so I may just not have tried.
We stayed 5 nights at Savigny les Beaune - partly because it was indeed so lovely, but mainly because we had good clear sight for the sat dish and there was an important cricket match on (yes, even though it was our honeymoon ;-) :-D)!


----------



## wakk44 (Jun 15, 2006)

Excellent report and pics,must be a record for the amount of photos attached to a post.


----------



## Enock (Nov 11, 2011)

wakk44 said:


> Excellent report and pics,must be a record for the amount of photos attached to a post.


Haha,,, got loads more.... But unless you're interested in old bikes, cars and planes, they're much of a muchness...

Hopefully, they give a flavour of the area, and the great time we had


----------



## veevee (Nov 6, 2011)

TheColeses said:


> veevee said:
> 
> 
> > Do you know if there is wifi at the site, can't see any mention on their website.
> ...


You have obviously married a treasure!


----------

