# I'm not being lazy - honest. Just need your help.



## androidGB (May 26, 2005)

I wonder if some of you would give me the benefit of your knowledge and experience.

At the end of March we cross via the tunnel en route for the April tour of Morocco with Desert Detours.

When I say we, I'm talking of just me an my 8 year old Grandson.

Mindful of the fact that we have a lot of miles to cover and boredom may set in on the first part of the journey I'm going to try to limit it to about 250 miles a day.

I intend to do about 100 miles in the evening of the day we cross the channel, and then we stop at Poitiers to visit Futuroscope (got a site sorted for that one)

So are there any recommendations for sites or stopping places every 250 miles or so from Poitiers. I can of course do a few more miles one day and a few less the next if it works out better.

So a nice little logistical excercise for you, whilst the weather is so bad  


Any help gratefully received


Andrew


----------



## Duadua (Feb 16, 2006)

*Ideas*

Andrew

I made the journey last year to meet Ray prior to Morocco. Great trip in Morocco and please pass my best wishes to Ray and Debbie when you meet them.

I allowed a week to get down there and have a couple of days off, after the motoring down, with 2 children, before meeting MOH and going on to Morocco. I understand your sensible aim of say 250 miles per day but wonder if I might stir the thinking a bit.

Futuroscope is obviously an 8 year old's dream come true (well I imagine it is but I haven't been) so no change there.

I just wonder thereafter if a little more flexibility re driving when the roads are quieter, i.e. during the early mornings or evenings when your grand son might also be able to sleep, and not be so liable to boredom (unless he is a real petrol head already), and getting down there sooner to enjoy warmer outdoor weather might also be a good idea to consider, giving yourself a warm break before enjoying even warmer Morocco.

France in March might be somewhat cool and grey for 4 days?

In the end I took a lot less than a week and went on to enjoy the warmth of Spain.

Otherwise ... Bilboa and the Guggeneheim Museum might be worth a stop. Can't offer camp site advice as we didn't use one when paying a visit on another trip.

Toledo ... a walled city is well worth a visit. Stayed in a car park with other MH's (see camp site database).

Further south still, Rhonda, Cordoba, Grenada and Seville are all worth a visit, by which time you are nearly there anyway.

Best of luck and enjoy your trip down and Morocco itself.

Duadua


----------



## bigfoot (May 16, 2005)

This is a bump reply. Have you considered using aires? Or would the via Michelin site show stopovers. May camping cheques would work. What are you doing to prevent "are we there yet" syndome?


----------



## androidGB (May 26, 2005)

Hi Duadua, many thanks for your reply and advice and for suggesting an alternative way of looking at the journey. I'll certainly give that some thought as it could well work out better. Ideas like this are just what I need, from people who have done the journey.

Bigfoot thanks for the bump, I'll have a look at the Michelin site, and I do have some Camping Cheques to use up , so again a good idea.

Fortuanately my Grandson has discoved the magic of Audiobooks and I've got a selection lined up, he gets absolutely engrossed in the stories. The trick is to find things that are suitable for me and him.

Keep 'em coming


Andrew


----------



## TinaGlenn (Jul 7, 2006)

Hi Andrew,

We are planning on using Aires and camp sites, although we haven't made any hard and fast plans for the route yet. We haven't taken the wendy house abroad at all yet so this will be our first time. I have got the "All the Aires" book in english and also brought the "Camping Card ACSI" book.
We are planning on popping into Futurescope too, Glenn took our son there a couple of years ago and wants to go again so that is the only place we have got planned so far.

As for boredom, as much as I hate kids being glued to the tv, this is the one type of journey where portable DVD players come into their own. A child can easily get lost for an hour or so into a favourite film during a trip. Nintendo DS, Gameboy any of those type of things also help to pass the drive (get the plug in power lead). Mine wouldn't read anything while travelling, but they would both draw and write if at a table when younger. I did find a bit of blu-tack under the box with pens and pencils stoped a lot of crawling about on the floor too. 

When travelling on your own with a child as Glenn found to his cost, it isn't always a good idea to travel early or late leaving them to sleep, as you get to your destination and they are wide awake and then you can't catch up on your own rest, essential when driving long distances.

Happy planing

Tina


----------



## mauramac (May 24, 2005)

Hi Andrew

Just me, taking the opportunity to say hello and how much I admire you for taking your 8 year old grandson away on such a marvellous journey. 

Whatever you do I am sure it will be wonderful and what a great gift you are giving him for the future - all those memories to treasure of your time together. That's a gift money can't buy, so well done and my best wishes for a lovely holiday.

Sorry I can't actually be of any help :roll: 

Maura


----------



## chapter (May 1, 2005)

which route are you planning to take ?
chapter


----------



## androidGB (May 26, 2005)

Hi Maura, 

Nice to hear from you again, and BTW congrats on the new van. I did send you a PM at the time, but I think I forgot to put a title , and apparently if you fail to do so it isn't sent. 

Really looking forward to the Morocco trip, it's a long time for Gabriel to be without his Mum and Dad, so the plan at the moment is for his Dad to meet us in Marrakech (which is near the end of the trip), have a couple of days there, and then fly home with him. Then I'll take the scenic drive home  

Andrew


----------



## androidGB (May 26, 2005)

Hi Chapter, 

I was thinking Calais > Rouen>Le Mans>Tours>Poitiers>Bordeaux>San Sebastian>Burgos>Madrid>Granada etc

But always prepared to listen to alternatives


Andrew


----------



## chapter (May 1, 2005)

i was thinking a bit of fun in the snow for the g/s and cheap goods and fuel for you how about the andorra route 
chapter


----------



## mandyandandy (Oct 1, 2006)

Hi, 

We have an 8 year and 16 year old to amuse on long trips in the van, we tried games to play but game turned into competition and fall- outs so they stopped. The DVD player was excellent but I am guessing he is going to be riding shot gun with you and not at the table so would be a bit difficult. 

Our solution was to buy them a Game Boy each, yes I know not everyones solution but we are not bored and 8 and I remember having Bunty and Jackie in the back of the car as field upon field didn't interest me at 8 either (much to my fathers disgust). We got them on Ebay along with many cheap games as the DS has now taken its place (they got those for christmas when we saw how much pleasure they got from the original ones). I also have to add how much my daughters reading and thirst for books has improved since she has to read the instructions on the screen or doesn't get to play it properly. 

They are only allowed them when we are on the move and they live in a tin the rest of the time and never come into the house, it keeps them a novelty. The children have now got used to looking straight out of their window the minute they hear me shout "water or church or other things of interest" as they have missed too many things by not looking up quick enough, and it really pees them if the other sees something and they don't . :? 

Have a great trip I bet you are both going to love it. We stay on Aires most of the time which the 8 year old loves, 16 year old likes the sites for the totty that he might find (apparently sparse on Aires)  

Mandy


----------



## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Hi Andrew,

The aire at Cap Breton could be a good place to stop after Futurescope. Have a look at my blog of last years trip >here< because I followed a similar route as far as Madrid stopping at Camping Pico de la Miel after Cap Breton.

Hope you have a good trip.

peedee


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Don't forget to encourage your grandson to keep a scrapbook of the adventure. If he's not got one already a disposible camera for photos and a folder to keep all the toll tickets, sugar packets, entrance tickets etc etc etc and then a big scrap book to glue them into each night. If you could cope then a small dictaphone and he could do an en route audio diary. I remember it well....

This site is good too:

www.audiobooksforfree.com

G


----------



## androidGB (May 26, 2005)

Thanks guys for all of your suggestions.

Any more stopovers or sites you can recommend?


Andrew


----------



## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

How about a day at that volcano/earthquake place in the middle of France, near Clermont Ferrand.

It sounds as though it would give him something to talk about for days.

Re-opens on 19th March

http://www.vulcania.com/index.php?lang=fr

Listen to the introduction in French before clicking on the Union Jack.


----------



## Duadua (Feb 16, 2006)

androidGB said:


> Hi Chapter,
> 
> I was thinking Calais > Rouen>Le Mans>Tours>Poitiers>Bordeaux>San Sebastian>Burgos>Madrid>Granada etc
> 
> ...


The above route works well in my opinion. The only catch may be, if my memory serves me right, is that sat navs and perhaps signposts tempt you to cut a corner between San Sebastien and Burgos, i.e. missing the southern outskirts of Bilboa. But some of this shortcut is a single carraigeway, up and over some hills, rather than a dual carraigeway or motorway. It is easily passable, but is favoured by quite a few slow moving lorries.

Looking at autoroute now, at home, rather than on the move, and again if memory serves me well, it appears that the single carraigeway goes via Mondragon and lies in the Basque area and this might explain why the upgrading of the diagonal shortcut has not been completed (or started).

Repeat the diagonal works, but you may prefer to continue following signs till Bilbao and the A68 south towards Miranda de Ebro, and then Burgos. I have done both and my preference is for the longer way round.

If anyone can be correct this or confirm this, please do.

Best of luck.


----------



## thefman (May 1, 2005)

hi there is a campsite a mile or so from futurescope, and there is a massive car park for motorhomes at futurescope allow yourself a good full day at futurscope at least.


mark.


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

thefman said:


> ,
> 
> and there is a massive car park for motorhomes at futurescope
> 
> .


Can you overnight at the car park Mark ? Is it an aire ?


----------



## thefman (May 1, 2005)

hi i think you can when we were there a couple of years ago
many of the vans looked like they had been there a day or two. from memory i think you pay for parking when you leave  



mark.


----------



## androidGB (May 26, 2005)

Thanks again Duadua for your advice, I've had a look at what you're saying and it looks as though it only adds about 12 miles, so if it's an easier road I'll certainly go that way.

I've emailed Futuroscope and although they didn't directly answer my question it looks as though you can overnight in the car park, but as Mark suggested there is a site that takes Camping Cheques a mile or so away So I think I'm going to have a couple of nights there. Then I can do a full day and the evening.


Andrew


----------

