# Touring Europe for the first time



## steveutwg (Jun 19, 2006)

:roll: We have just decided to take the big step and travel out of the UK... Destination Portugal, "Well if you're going to do it" Journey will be from Newhaven to Deippe then wander down ant advice will be welcome!

Thanks goodness for this site we've joined ans subscribed Great Info Thanks Folks!!!


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## 96088 (Aug 22, 2005)

Well I'll kick it off with...

Take enough teabags to last the whole trip (subject to you being a tea drinker of course)


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Welcome*

Hello

Welcome to MHF!

If you let me have an idea of how long you want to spend on the journey to Portugal, I will suggest a couple of routes.

Also, are you looking at Toll Free or no preference?

You might aswell make your first trip a good one. My first "proper" trip was to Lake Garda.....in January 06!

Rapide561


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## steveutwg (Jun 19, 2006)

*Europe here we come*

Thanks guys for the reply... we are so looking forward to this one! The only thing we have booked is the Ferry Newhaven to Deppie. Yes we would like to avoid the toll roads and drink up the scenery as well as the wine.

As for the Tea the kettle is never off. Please feel free to offer your route advice we have decided to opt for peace and harmany leaveing the map behind and trust our luck to the GPS and mobile web, so if you have any sites to recommend with Lat/Longs this will be good.

Special Thanks to you both WDT NOLU and Rapid561


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Portugal*

Hi Steve

Roughly how long are you allowing for the journey south?

It will help with some routings. I have no experience of sites/aires in the area though.

Rapide561


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Welcome Steve...

You've got the right idea in your "wander down". this is the beauty of MHs - you don't have to be tied to a timetable and feel you have to race to reach your destination. Let the trip be part of your holiday and do it slowly. If you don't reach Portugal then no matter, it'll be there another time.

Have you got the basic European safety and legal requirements - triangles, reflective jackets, first aid kit and so on ? Some site guides - Caravan Club Europe book 1 for example ? Do you intend to use aire de service , France Passion ( see their website or search on this site) ?

Whatever route you choose you'll have a wonderful time!

G

PS ( added later) One site I would recommend is Camping municipal St Nicolas at Le Bec Hellouin, near Brionne, Normandy. Beautiful site and lovely village nearby with abbey. See entry in the campsite guide on this site:

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Campsites&op=display_results&csid=652


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## steveutwg (Jun 19, 2006)

Hello again

Thanks for the input guys, we have checked out the campsite you have recommended Grizzly it could be a good first night or last night stop.

Unfortunatley the satellite image of the site is a bit poor so we cant quite see how good it is on www.maps.google.co.uk we found it using the postcode reference of 27800 in the search bar so we have marked it in our gps log ready for the journey. As for the travel kit no problem as we sell them at work however we will look into the book you recommend as well as checking out the aire de service Thanks Again Grizzly...


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## steveutwg (Jun 19, 2006)

To Rapide561

The answer to the journey lenght is only two weeks unfortunatly, wish it could be more but... our customers will complain too much otherwise. as for the aires de service I am putting together a whole list of them and the repsective Lat Longs. Using www.maps.google.co.uk enter the site reference click search and the map and satellite overview is displayed... We use this neat trick at work when we are tracking stolen vehicles and it works very well indeed. Maybe we can put something back into the group by make the list available when its ready!

Thanks Again
steveutwg


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## 95853 (Jul 25, 2005)

Portugal is a fair distance to go for a 2 week trip.

I would suggest Northern Spain, San Sebastien, Vitoria etc is plenty far enough to do in 2 weeks. We are taken 4 to go that far.

We are travelling down the west coast (Loire, Ile de Re, La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Arcachon, Biarritz) to Spain, then perhaps coming back slightly more in land.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

coral said:


> We are travelling down the west coast (Loire, Ile de Re, La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Arcachon, Biarritz) to Spain, .


Lovely route Coral. We like these sites en route:

Camping Municipal Le Sabot at Azay le Rideau
(see Find a Site on this site)

Gardens and chateau at Villandry - a very useful free car park / aire opposite the gardens ( ditto Find a Site)

Camping Beau Soleil at Bordeaux ( good very regular bus service outside the site to city - which has a brilliant transport system - buy a pass rather than indiviual tickets and hop on and off trams and buses)

Park and Ride Jean Moulin at La Rochelle welcomes overnighting and has a service point, bike hire and free navette bus to town - or walk.
( see Find a Site)

Camping Club Arcachon is well sited in pine forests and has a convenient bus service to town - or it is easy to cycle or walk on a network of cycle tracks which stretch for miles. We liked Arcachon very much. See also Dune de Pylat while you are there - aire at the dune ( see Find a Site)

Deeply jealous....!

G


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## 95853 (Jul 25, 2005)

Thanks for the tips Grizzly.

I have already been through and printed out some of your recommendations from the site database.

Thanks for taking the time to enter the sites up.


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## steveutwg (Jun 19, 2006)

Hello guys

Yes you are right two weeks is very short but we have to drive down to portugal to see friends so this time we will have to take a flyer but I will check out the sites you recommend grizzly.

Thanks Again steveutwg


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