Not being the types to do things by half, My wife and I are embarking on our first Caravaning holiday (borrowed caravan (for now)) with our 2 young daughters (6 & 4)and are travelling from the Manchester Area, down to Dover, over to Calais, onto Paris then to Switzerland, down to Rome, up to Venice, Stazbourg, Heidleberg, Bonn, Calais and then home.
All of this will be spread over a period of two weeks. We realise that we are really taking the bull by the horns but would welcome any advice from others who have worn the proverbial T-Shirt.
Post last edited on 06/04/2005 18:28:18
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Chill its alot easier travelling in europe with kids than it is here,we spent 2 years travelling over there,first 1,then 2 then we gave up when we got to 4!!however big the motorhome it wasn,t enough.
6 and 4 are good ages they will be engaged and should enjoy it all.Reckon its a good route you have planned even if its a shame you haven,t got more time.
Sounds a bit ambitious to me. It'll be hot remember, and I'd much rather enjoy a few of those wonderful places rather than spend too much time on the road. What do you want your children (and yourselves) to remember of this holiday?
When ours were small, they wanted simple holidays with a stream or rock pools to play in. A bit of sightseeing was fine, a few castles, galleries, churches etc., but they hated long journeys. They enjoyed playing with foreign children on sites and trying out the few simple foreign phrases we taught them. They liked going to buy the baguettes from the camp shop etc.
You have years ahead of you for family holidays. This now grandmother says,"Savour the places you visit, but don't do too much in one journey. There's always another year."
Whatever you do, enjoy it.
Avril
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Not wishing to put a dampner on your plans, and having travelled a similar route for the past 12 years or so, I wonder if you realise the travelling time involved. Manchester to Dover, 5 - 6 hours. cross over channel, then to Paris 4 - 5 hours. Paris to Switzerland 450 miles, a good full days drive. Switzerland to Rome, a day and a half drive, Rome to Venice another full days drive. Venice to Strasbourg, a very long day drive. Strasbourg to Calais, a full days drive. You will be travelling for at least 7 days on your planned journey. Your total round trip will be about 2500 miles. We normally go away for at least 5 weeks and do travel to Rome and beyond in that sort of break. If you like to travel ...............
I would agree with Rostrevor and Avril. Your timetable is not realistic, you will spend all your time travelling and have no time for sightseeing. A trip like that needs at least 5 weeks. You need to rethink and plan an itinerary that gives you at least 3 nights at each stopping place. Rome alone needs 4/5 days to do it justice. Aim to move on no more than 250/300 miles each time and you will have a much more relaxed trip. Your children are far too young to appreciate all that travel and sightseeing, stop at Switzerland.
Yes, we have the proverbial T-shirt. Been camping/caravanning in Europe on and off for 31 years now and still have loads to see.
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Since I started touring Europe in 1987 I have been to all the countries you mention. I have also been fortunate enough in that time to have a 14 week trip and a 10 week trip so I have a bit of experience of long distance travel in Europe. If you wanted to do any of the places on your list justice you would need the minimum of 4/6 weeks unless all you want to see is miles of motorway and be so exhausted no one will feels like doing anything. I assume you have sat down and worked out how many miles you will need to do to complete this trip. I also note that you have no experience of towing a caravan, within 5 minutes of leaving home you might hate it!!!! Personally I would also question whether your two children will get any enjoyment out of the trip at all. Better to be far less ambitious and head for Disneyland Paris with some time in the Loire Valley/Brittany/ Normandy.
The great thing about camping/caravanning is the freedom and flexibility to adapt and vary your itinery on a daily basis. So if the children are bored, you can stay put and give them some time to relax and play, or if you want to move on and explore new places, then you can. As long as everyone has a holiday which is memorable for the right reasons, you will be doing the best thing.
By the way, have you checked out the cost of using motorways in the countries you are planning to visit, and how you pay? In France, for instance, you pay extra for a towed caravan, and can pay by cash or credit card. Some countries you have to buy a motorway "pass" when you cross the border, I think. I'm sure you will find all the help you need for preparing and planning the journey on this site, if you need any tips.
Did you not fancy trying France first and then seeing how you felt when you got there? I know I went to France, Belgium, Holland and Germany on a school trip once, but all I remember about it was the hours travelling on the bus.
You're doing WHAT?? We love travelling in Europe but that travel itinary sounds less of a holiday, more of an ordeal. Take it a stage at a time, PLEASE. Driving in France is great but I'm glad we had a couple of years experience before hitting the Paris area and that without a spare house behind us. Parisians are not the same breed of driver as the rest of the French...... and then you plan to travel to Rome - universally acknowledged to be the home of the 2nd worst driving in Europe if not the world (!st being Naples). I appreciate you come from Manchester - enough said - but have you had any experience of towing prior to this?
Make sure your travel insurance is VERY comprehensive.
------------- Some days are diamonds.......
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Go for it.we did it some years ago in a Triumph 2.5pi towing a borrowed caravan.
Have you thought about extending the trip as we did, and after visiting Rome and all the tourist attractions, not forgetting Roma Antiqua, head south to Vesuvius, ( but don't buy any lacrema christi there. vinegar when you get home!!!!!) then to Pompeii, afterwhich, across to the Adriatic and follow the coast up to Venice. Geneva, Paris..............
Quote: Originally posted by sunseeker_2 on 07/04/2005
Go for it.we did it some years ago in a Triumph 2.5pi towing a borrowed caravan.
Have you thought about extending the trip as we did, and after visiting Rome and all the tourist attractions, not forgetting Roma Antiqua, head south to Vesuvius, ( but don't buy any lacrema christi there. vinegar when you get home!!!!!) then to Pompeii, afterwhich, across to the Adriatic and follow the coast up to Venice. Geneva, Paris..............
sunseeker_2
In two weeks? and as for the Lacrima Christi(red, white or Rose), superb wine. Still drinking it from last year and only finished some from our previous visit two years earlier just before we left for Sorrento last year. Thats amongst the couple of hundred bottles of various wines we bring home from Italy and France every year. and before you all start it only works out a four bottles a week between the family.
i know my daughter is much younger - 2 years old - but i would not try to do more than 4 / 5 hours per day with her - boredom is bound to set in. Last year we did rouen, la rochelle, rouen the trip between rouen and la rochelle was a nightmare it was just too far, tears galore. Please remember that you will have a much better holiday if the kids are enjoying it too - i think your itinerary would be great for two adults, although still a very long way & too much driving - but with the kids i wouldnt even attempt it. Why not do paris ( disneyland ) and then maybe the loire & the coast, or normandy is lovely. As you have not been before i would go steady and enjoy - you can always go next year to rome & venice, then germany the following year. You would in my opinion have better holidays. However whatever you decide i hope you have a lovely holiday.
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