Hello,
Nervous first timer here!,
We are off to Europe at the end of July in a motorhome, travelling down through France, Switzerland then spending a couple of weeks around the Italian lakes before heading back across France via Bordeaux with a week in the Vendee area.
Any hints, tips would be greatly appreciated!
1- Should we book sites? Is the ASCI card advisable for the summer months?
2- Tom Tom or Snooper?
Anything else please let us know!!
Thank you 😕
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You are going in the peak season so even if you don't book sites you will at least need a plan B. Other than being a guide to the campsites available I doubt the ACSI Card will be much use as a discount card as most sites don't accept at the time you are going. As far as a sat nav is concerned there will be different views however I am quite happy with my TomTom Start 60 onto which I have added the Camper Maps. If you intend to use the motorways in Switzerland you will need a vignette which can be purchased at the border.
I agree with David Tom Tom Start 60 is excellent we use it all the time.
Obviously the ACSI Card will not be any good for July and August which is the peak season and busiest time of the year.
Hope this helps.
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A lot of sites will NOT take a reservation/allow you to stay for less than 6 nights in peak. I know as i am yet to find one in and around Nice that will take me for 4 nights at the end of July!
Sounds a lot of mileage unless of course you have lots of time.
Whenever i do long trips i try to maximise my time in further away places that are difficult to reach,the Vendee is easy to do on a week trip the Italian lakes not so easy.Could you not leave the Vendee to another year and combine it with say Brittany or the Dordogne.
If you have gone all the way to the Italian lakes why not visit the Italian Adriatic or Croatia instead of trekking all the way over to the Vendee? Both are much more scenic and have warmer water than the vendee although Vendee does have better beaches and surf.
Firstly, with a motor home there is no need to book. Most villages will have facilities for at least an overnight stay if you can't find a camp site.
Secondly, have you looked at the distances involved just between Italy and the Vendee? French roads tend to run north to south with very few main roads going east to west. You are likely to be spending more time driving than anything else!
As Ninja says, why not stay east. Unless you are a big beach fan, the scenery is better there anyway!
Daves1
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Hi Team Europe - Sounds like a plan although a lot of mileage
Even in peak season you should be OK staying on Aires de camping car so no need to book. What I would suggest is buying the book " All The Aires in France" from Vicarious books' web site - it is invaluable with your type of journey. you may also find that a lot of camp sites offer discounted rates for motorhomes arriving after 6pm and leaving before 10am.
Also consider if you mobile phone charges for data roaming - three mobile for example no longer charge so you can use the various apps on your smart phone to locate the nearest aire de camping car or campsite.
When we went down to the Alps a couple of years ago we went via Belgium, Luxembourg, france and Switzerland which avoided all the tolls and only a few ours driving time which may be an option into Italy.
I would recommend Lake Annecy or The Ardeche rather than the long trek across to the Vendee - I love the Vendee but would consider that a separate trip to visiting Italy.
Good luck.
Guy.
------------- It's only an expensive hobby when it's parked on your Drive....use it, love it , live it.
Oh fantastic advice - thank you everyone!!
I almost didn't want to look at the replies!
We have 5 weeks to do this trip, so hoping this will be ok.
We have the Italian and French equivalent to Britstops - has anyone used these? Will also look into All the Aires in France.
As to the vignette, yes we've looked at pre-booking this but due to size we'll have to buy when we get there.
Any other tips anyone?
Thank you all, what great people you are!!
Oh you lucky thing! We did the same trip last September. We only had two and a half weeks so we paid all the tolls and drove down to the Alsace region on the first day. Stayed the night in Eguisheim - lovely medieval town with lots of wineries - on a great campsite Les Trois Chateaux. After that everywhere was a mere three or four hour drive. We then drove into Switzerland - easy peezy with our TomTom - it was easy and quick to buy a vignette at the border. I recommend the Interlaken area. We stayed on a campsite in the Lauterbrunnen valley which was great, loads to do but everything madly expensive. If you go there I would recommend buying a travel pass for the region, you will park your car and not need it again til you leave. Great fun cos it includes boat rides on Interlaken lake, cable cars, trains, buses it is brilliant. I would also camp in a wider valley - Grindelwald for example as the narrow valleys in the Alps can be miserable if wet! After Switzerland we went to Italy - again half a day's drive through the Piedmont - fabulous scenery! Loved the lakes but my favourite was Lake Orta which is a smallish lake next to Lake Maggiore and it is where the Italians go to avoid the tourists! We stayed at Camping Orta which I thought was the best campsite of the trip. Loved it, right on the lake side. You can pre book lake side pitches. There is a great cafe/bar and a little shop. You can walk into the little town nearby and explore, it is a little gem of a place. After Italy we went and spent time in Annecey before making the trip back to Calais via Trois. Annecey is so popular for good reason. The town is gorgeous and there is lots to do there. My advice is that if you fancy going somewhere for any reason, do it. The beauty of having a motorhome and doing a trip like this is that a lot of the pleasure of it is the journey itself. The scenery, finding wonderful rest stops along the way, spending time with your partner, listening to music together, talking, planning the route. If you want to go to the Vendee - do it. It might take some time, but you have the time and after all, isn't this what being mobile is all about? Have lots of fun on your trip!!
It's good to have a plan, but don't put too much presure on yourselves to do everything.
We generally have a country/countries in mind, but often change our minds at the last minute, especially if the weather isn't too good.
A lot of people recommend Archies POIs although I haven't managed to get them loaded onto my Tom Tom
Hope you have a great time
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A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Tour of Europe
