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Hi everyone
We introduced ourselves last week .... we are travelling to Galicia in August and believe it or not we were hoping for any tips or advice.
Friends have told us that Europe is well served with places to stop overnight as we are traveling ?
Can anyone recommend a good inexpensive guide book ?
Does France and Spain have the right to roam ?
As regards water we have a 400 ltr tank so I assume one only fills it a little otherwise it becomes very expensive water ?
Please any tips or advice feel free. Although I suspect based on the above alot of you will suggest staying at home !!
Is LPG readily available in Europe
Thanks
I tour France twice a year and never use campsites only aires. Try to get a copy of "all the aires" by vicouros books. With such a large Motorhome don't rely just on sat nav recheck the route on a map. Also if you are going to use aires pick the large ones as some may be to small for your rig.
______________________________________________________________ Cheap no good
Good no cheap
Hi Gavolt.
As the Brave won't be too large, don't worry about getting around in Europe.
Unless you plan on staying in campgrounds fill the water tank at any oportunity. Along the Mediteranean coast you will have some problems though. Gets very crowded down there.
LPG is available at almost all gas stations but you are likely to need an adaptor to fill. ARVE in UK can supply them.
Has the Brave been converted to enable you to use 230 volts?
Ray.
______________________________________________________________ The FSA licensed a twice convicted fraudster to handle our life´s savings. Guess what? He robbed us. http://raynipper.com
Get the bible "All the Aires SPAIN and PORTUGAL" and also "All the Aires FRANCE" www.vicariousbooks.co.uk/
There is also the new USB 'icampsites from' from "OutandAbout" with discount as a member.
Alan
Your title does not state whether you are terrified of the size of the winnie, or the fact that you have not driven in europe.
Its easy, nice roads plenty of food, drink and foreigners who would give you a hand if needed.
As for size, If a delivery triuck opr coach can go down a road , so can you.
Stop worrying and enjoy the experiance.
dave p
______________________________________________________________ I never wish anyone dead, but I do take pleasure in reading some obituaries
We are off to tour France this year as we have driven through it for the last few years and want to tour again. We will be driving our Winnebago and will use motorway Aires when travelling and a combination of large and small sites depending on where and what we want to do.
Best advice is to travel with everything empty that should be empty (grey and black tanks) and everything full that is best full (fridges, fresh water tank and gas tank)
That way whatever life will through at you you'll be OK
I would say, for security do not stay overnight on motorway aires. It is unlikely you will have any problems but don't put yourself on offer. Better get off the motorway and find an aire in a town, then you can visit a local cafe if you wish and before leaving get some nice fresh bread.
There is no need to be overly concerned with the security of yourself and your motorhome. Just make sure you are aware of your surroundings and what is going on. Common sense really, for example, before you use a cash machine consider where it it and who might be standing watching nearby, always have your partner watch what is going on when you are using it because you are vulnerable with you back to the street. Don't leave the camper unlocked when you leave it to pay for fuel etc.
Probably the best advice is, if, having looked at a location/activity, you do not feel entirely happy or comfortable with it, move on or don't do it.
Be especially careful in large cities and tourist spots. Not because you are a motorhomer, but because you are just another tourist and there are some who make a good living out of targeting the unwary tourist. All you need to do it make sure you are a wary one!
You will rarely feel uncomfortable, so don't worry about it and have a great time.
Like Alan’s thread suggests the both airs books and it’s probably a good idea to got the ACSI Book [MHF Link] as well it’s a good way of getting discounts on campsites.
You don’t say which route you wish to take or weather or not you intend to use the auto routes e.g. toll roads. Do not say over night on toll road Aires or services this is generally where some people have reported problems.
That said we have never had a problem perhaps we have just been lucky or just careful how knows and we travel across Europe three times a year as for driving on the other side of the road it’s a doodle. If you can’t find an Aire just dive in to any village and you’ll find a spot to park up we’ve never failed yet.
Here’s a route to San Sebastian if it any good to you, I last travelled this route in January 2011.
From Calais to Boulogne on the A16
From Boulogne to Abbeville on the N1/N901
From Abbeville pick up the A28 to Rouen
From Rouen follow signs for Evreux on the N154 to Dreux and onto Chartres.
From Chartres follow the N10 to Tours stay on the road to Poitiers
From Poitiers stay on the N10 just after Poitiers we always stop over night at the Aire in Vivonne safe stop we have stopped here more than 20 times for 2euros you can get electric and water, also has a Super U in town to get Fuel and provisions if you so wish.
From Vivonne follow the N10 to Angouleme and then onto Bordeaux
From Bordeaux you’ll pick up the A10 down towards Bayonne and onto San Sebastian.
Between Bayonne and San Sebastian here are two places you can stop over night both of which we have used the first is by the train station where there is an Aire with free Electric waste and water but it gets full very early in the day you can’t miss it as you’ll drive right by it on the A10 in the town of St Jean de Luz and the next stop is only about 5 or 6 miles away on the same road just on the border of Spain at Irun it’s just between two roundabouts it will by on your left hand side on the right you’ll see lots of small shop selling cheap goods the stop is in a car park right by a large restaurant on your right it’s free after 6pm but here’s no water or waste however it is a safe stopover.
We've recently toured Galicia and northern Spain in a much smaller van and
found a few official aires and also carparks where motorhomes were tolerated overnight but I think that they may not be accepted in the high season. Acsi discounts won't apply in August.
We found a few new free motorways that were virtually deserted but also found that many of the main roads didn't have any laybys for many kilometres.
The main coast road is very winding and narrow in places and watch out for pilgrims on foot, bicycles and donkeys on the roads to Santiago.
LPG is not very easily obtained in Spain with only a handful of places where you can fill a gas tank - we topped up our Gaslow in Portugal.
We stayed at the campsite in the northern suburbs of Santiago de Compostela where we saw this so your Winnie shouldn't be a problem although most of the pitches were very small.
______________________________________________________________ Steve & Sheila
Read about our 2011 tour to Spain and Portugal
at
www.motorhomeandaway.com
Hi
have spent the last 6 winters traveling Europe in RV,s
With due respect to what has been said I would never try to find an Aire in the middle of a town or village. Tried it twice and still wake up screaming with a cold sweat.
The Aires on the Autoroutes and Services on the main roads ar fantastic, just remember, just because you are on holiday, you still have to take care, no different to being in any major City in the UK.
We have 2 Shepherds and find great confidence in travelling with them
I would still condone leaving a large dog lead, large water bowl and the biggest bone you can find, outside of your front door.
Do you have a HGV licence? Have you weighed the Winny. Be aware travelling with 400 litres of fresh water, half a tank of grey and black can really play havoc with your payload.
Hope you have a brill time.
Regards
Terry
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France
New Winnebago Owner terrified going to Galicia
