dragonsden001 Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Hi, We have decided to take our Motorhome to Europe this summer, for 3, possibly 4 weeks. We would like to take in Italy (lake Garda). Switzerland and that side of france. We have only had the 'van for a year so this will be a big deal (more so for me than my other half!). We will be travelling with our 8 year old so don't want to spend days on end driving. Any suggestions on routes/what to avoid etc - or anything in particular we should see? We will have bike on the back so will be able to do a bit of sightseeing whilst at a stopover. We will be driving an Autoquest 180 so will be on the large side! Thanks in advance, Sarah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 I did that run last year, the route through Germany is free motorway most of the way. In Germany there are lots of Stellplatz" (motorhome parking areas) on route some free some a small fee, they all have water and toilet emptying. I went through Austria and avoided their motorways, the roads were good and fast. Lake Garda has "Sostas" (again parking areas) and plenty of camp sites. I went via Switzerland some years ago, it is expensive there so I now avoid it! France is full of "Aire de Camping Car" many free some with a small charge. I suggest the book "Camper Stop Europe" for all the overnighting stops, a sat nav with up to date maps, poi's for Lidl and Aldi. There are many sights to see in Germany, no need to rush through, Italy is also very good, Venice is not far from Garda but will be crowded! The Italian coast is very good, plenty of cycle paths. Go around Italian mountain roads carefully, the Italians have a habit of coming round a corner on the wrong side I could write a book but no doubt others will post and add to what I have said. H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Over 3.5 T can be a problem in Switzerland and Austria, check the websites for the latest details. Verona is the nearest city to Garda and walking around at night, or visiting the opera in the Roman amphitheatre is spectacular. Take you time and enjoy the journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 I'd suggest taking in Metz, Strasbourg and the rest of the Alsace region of France............who knows you may not want to go further if you want to avoid excessive driving. http://about-france.com/regions/alsace.htm#attractions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonsden001 Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 thanks for the replies. We are going to the Motorhome show at the NEC next week so will no doubt pick up some info on camp sites etc. Will also check out weights and things. Excited but nervous - I'm not a good passenger on narrow roads when in the van! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 dragonsden001 - 2015-02-10 6:46 PM thanks for the replies. We are going to the Motorhome show at the NEC next week so will no doubt pick up some info on camp sites etc. Will also check out weights and things. Excited but nervous - I'm not a good passenger on narrow roads when in the van! If your van is Right Hand drive, you'll find you will have to help driver to SEE when overtaking and pulling out etc. If this is your first trip over the water, I would stick to FLAT places !!! Good luck on your trip PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJG Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 PJay - 2015-02-10 10:47 PM dragonsden001 - 2015-02-10 6:46 PM thanks for the replies. We are going to the Motorhome show at the NEC next week so will no doubt pick up some info on camp sites etc. Will also check out weights and things. Excited but nervous - I'm not a good passenger on narrow roads when in the van! If your van is Right Hand drive, you'll find you will have to help driver to SEE when overtaking and pulling out etc. If this is your first trip over the water, I would stick to FLAT places !!! Good luck on your trip PJay Sorry but this is utter nonsense. how many chances do you get to safely overtake on 'narrow' roads. When you do being high up in a motorhome cab will help the driver make his or her own call. On dual carriageways like Autoroutes it won't even be an issue. I would suggest you cease scaremongering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candapack Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 MJG - 2015-02-10 11:05 PM Sorry but this is utter nonsense. I would suggest you cease scaremongering. Nice to see you getting in to the swing of things early on - keep it up. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJG Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 candapack - 2015-02-10 11:28 PM MJG - 2015-02-10 11:05 PM Sorry but this is utter nonsense. I would suggest you cease scaremongering. Nice to see you getting in to the swing of things early on - keep it up. :D I'm afraid coming from just over the North Yorkshire border I do have a tendency to be 'plain speaking'. I notice a few others on here do too. Which is fine. As to the subject - I just think it is a shame to stifle someone's keenness to get use out of their MH by embarking on long road trip through Europe on the basis it's their first time across the pond. Isn't that what owning a MH (Caravan, tent/trailer tent) is all about? - taking off when and where you like going as far or as little as you like? As long as people stay within the law and are not being reckless in their endeavours I see no problem at all with the proposal. Besides by the time they get to the 'hilly' non flat bits of Europe they will have done a good few miles on European roads anyway, this will have provided a degree of acclimatisation to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 The only problem arises when you are using the non toll routes and get stuck behind lorries. The rest of the time just go with the flow. Ask around at the NEC, but don't believe what the salefolk tell you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliB Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 Lots of people drive biggish motorhomes on the continent, myself included. Never had any problems but I find very little need to overtake other vehicles. It is usually the otherway round. Lots of past posts on the forum regarding routes and things to do. For example http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Things-to-do-with-kids-in-Germany/31121/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 I would go via the Mosel and Rhine, then Lake Constance and down through Switzerland. Switzerland it is easy to avoid their motorways, in fact all the best routes are off them. Austria is different, almost impossible to avoid toll roads, these are not all motorway in Austria, you need to look at web sites to get details. To many places to visit to mention them all but I would make sure to visit Bernkastel on the Mosel, Rhine falls, and if gardens are your thing the island of Manu on Lake Constance. Switzerland one of our favourite places and would regard Grindlewald area as a must, ACSI campsite at Grindlewald. Have a good trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliffy Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 dragonsden001 - 2015-02-10 2:11 PM Hi, We have decided to take our Motorhome to Europe this summer, for 3, possibly 4 weeks. We would like to take in Italy (lake Garda). Switzerland and that side of france. We have only had the 'van for a year so this will be a big deal (more so for me than my other half!). We will be travelling with our 8 year old so don't want to spend days on end driving. Any suggestions on routes/what to avoid etc - or anything in particular we should see? We will have bike on the back so will be able to do a bit of sightseeing whilst at a stopover. We will be driving an Autoquest 180 so will be on the large side! Thanks in advance, Sarah We have been that way a few times. We always stop over at Bon Accueil camp site http://www.camping-alzingen.lu/en/ which is Luxembourg city's municipal site There is a good level (almost) cycle track all the way to the city centre (approx 6K). You get a lift with your bikes up in to the city centre it is a great experience and Luxembourg is a great city. If you are going in high season you will need to book the site. Stay 2 or 3 nights you will wind down from the stress you will have from getting across the channel and driving on the right, which by the way is no problem. Driving on the continent is much easier than in the UK even when sat on the right. After Luxembourg head down through Germany (Which was slow going when went through last year as there are loads of long running road works) and on through Austria it is an easy route with no Tolls until you get to Austria, I would think you will need a "Go Box" for your van, I can not advise on that as we are under 3.5T which only needs a Vingette for the windscreen which you can buy at a service station near the border. The route down to Lake Garda will take you over the Brenner pass which is a toll road but it is not expensive, you can use the non toll route but for your first visit I would pay the toll and not have any worries you can always come back up that way or if you have time to stay over in east of France head west through Italy around the Milan ring road and head for Annecy which is great for cycling around the lake and Annecy is a beautiful lake side city with plenty to see and do. From there it is a nice drive up to Chamonix which is a not to be missed experience but I suspect you will not have time to that this trip. You probably will have to give some of your plans a miss as the weeks just fly by when you are enjoying yourself. If you are going out of season ACSI Discount Card gives big savings at a great number of camp sites all over Europe. If you do your research before you go you will find travelling in Europe is a breeze. Others on here have much more experience than me so I would think you will get different of suggestions that will give you plenty of options. Hope this helps a little, if you want to PM me with any questions please do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 The anticipation (or concern) regarding driving on the Continent is much greater than the reality. Traffic density tends to be much less on the open roads. Driving from the elevated position of a Motorhome is an advantage over a car. Take your time, you are on holiday & enjoy the views. Motorhomes usually drive at a lower speed, coupled with the higher driving position gives more opportunity to anticipate road conditions. Be prepared to adjust your plans, as you will encounter so many new opportunities en-route. Flexibility is the advantage of the Motorhome, even if just changing destination because of poor weather. Enjoy the experience, it's not a race. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 I would endorse that. The worst bit for us is getting from Lanacshire to Dover for the Ferry and once we're on the Continent everything lightens up. There are campsites and stopovers (aires and stellplatz) all over the place - far, far more than in UK. Thraffic density is much lower than UK. When I had to call for breakdown assistance it all went remarkably smoothly too. Relax, enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 dragonsden001 - 2015-02-10 2:11 PM We will be driving an Autoquest 180 so will be on the large side! Thanks in advance, Sarah Welcome to the forum. Don't worry; it's not likely to be as bad as you think! Just be wary of your sat-nav, leave yourself plenty of time, approach junctions etc slowly; so that you can "countermand" the sat-nav and avoid shortcuts, cornercutting detours etc, and use your commonsense. If it looks like an iffy instruction stay on the main road. Have a good trip regards alan b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gocro Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Research the passes on any alpine routes as some are very scary, are you comfortable with traveling in long tunnels also? We did the trip a few years back toll free France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria. The trip coming back through France alone was fine. So for a stress free route down to Nice and turn left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pheasantplucker Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 We did our first continental trip last year. 10 days without a plan other than to visit Bruges and booked a site for a couple of nights. Now Adrienne has a mobility problem and, as it was day 3 before we came across an aire near the town, we did find ourselves going around the cobbled streets in competition with the tourist walking parties, cyclists (who think they have priority) and the horse-drawn carriages (who know they have priority) in a 24 foot motorhome. The satnag also can lag a little. Turn right in 100 yards can suddenly become turn right at the junction you've just passed! All adds to the fun. Don't get stressed. Watch out for height limits too. We went through Belgium to Luxembourg (cheapest diesel we found) staying mainly on aires, stopped in Trier on the banks of the Mosel and back through Belgium. 10 days was all we could stretch to for family reasons. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we went again in September, this time along the Channel coast of France for a while before turning down the Atlantic coast, with the aim of reaching Angouleme to see the street racing on the 3rd weekend of the month. Really enjoyed it, ambled back north-ish via Le Mans. This year we are planning something likr the OP's idea. South probably via Luxembourg (the aire at Redange) and into Monte Carlo to window shop at Cartier (well, this side of a lottery win anyway) then towards Garda. Where else will depend on time available. Verona, Florence? Really shouild try to get to Venice. Hope the mobility scooter will get enough charge as we're driving from the in-car charger to help her get around.. Solar on the roof should give the batteries a boost. Back through Austria, hopefully, giving it about 3 weeks. The only time pressure will be to get the return ferry. Will check and compare prices on the Direct Ferries website. Enjoy your travels. Just remember that the town/village boundary signs are the start of the (usually) 50 kph speed limit and that the repeater signs 100 yards down the road are just reminders. Have a great time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grave Maurice Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 We were (are) novices and did our maiden Euro trip to France for Le Tour de France last year. We went down to the Alps. As an experienced driver I noted that the French are very impatient drivers for absolutely no apparent reason. It's easy stuff though and the roads away from the motorways are lovely to drive through. My main tip is don't underestimate the size of the place and over stretch your daily distances. You're not driving a car, it does take longer to get anywhere especially on the off motorway routes. Also be ray of "squiggly" looking roads on the map - seriously very hard work in a van and very slow and occasionally stressful. We are planning this year's trip just now and can't wait to get over there. Remember Eurotunnel triple up your Tesco points!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Cross country journeys not using motorways are best planned from town to town rather than in one bite as that way the sat nav will take you on the best route between towns rather than cross country following farmer Gilles in his ancient 2CV at 30 kph! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan k Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 For a first European trip, that's a lot of driving. We prefer the southern end of Lake Garda around Peschierra, or between Garda and Bardolino, and that's about 3 days good driving from Calais. We use the northern route through Luxembourg and then either Metz or straight across towards Koblenz and into Germany. Then down past Stuttgart, Kempten where we leave the motorway / dual carriageway and over the Fern Pass down into Innsbruck. Then in a hurry we pick up the Brenner pass and follow the cheap Italian toll autostrada to Peschierra. There's plenty of campsites around here, they're not cheap in high summer and you may need to try more than one to find a pitch. The closer to the lake and more facilities the more expensive. There's good access around the lake on the steamers, both fast and slow and trips by bus or train are possible to Verona and Venice. Driving on the right does get a bit of getting used to, once you're off the dual carriageway/motorway. Turning out of entrances, especially supermarkets and campsites may need some thinking about and at left turn junctions, the thing to do is to take your time and watch the other traffic. A right hand drive van in the mountains does have some advantages, in that the driver sits near the edge, indeed the swiss postal buses used to be rhd for that very reason. Unless you're going to go off looking for the passes that the Tour de France or the tarmac rally cars etc go over, the roads are used by holiday coaches and lorries all the time as well as regular buses. So generally they are ok although there may be the odd tight spot for 2 way traffic in some of the villages but these are usually well marked Al alternative route from Luxembourg down the French German border, toll free on both sides most of the way as I remember to Basel. Then at the border you need to buy a vignette (annual for under 3.5t or a shorter duration cheaper one for your time in Switzerland if over 3.5t). Your route through Switzerland really depends on what you want to see. Head to Berne and Interlaken for the big mountains, the Eiger and the train up the Jungfrau but then you've got the Susten Pass or others to get to Italy. Or the route from Basle to Andermatt and over the St Gotthard by the old road (stunning views) or the tunnel and down to Lake Como. Europe is BIG and there are long distances between places. Its worth planning a number of routes to take in different places on your wish list, in short stretches on Via Michelin or similar to see what sort of mileage is involved, and decide whether you want to do it all in one trip or spend some time relaxing and just stop for an extra night enroute to get a taste for some of the places you might want to go back to. I would do Lake Garda and a a few nights in the Dolomites in various places. What ever you do I hope you have a great trip alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonsden001 Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 Thanks everyone. We have had a more detailed look and think we will go something like this......Calais through to southern Belgium, then through Luxembourg and into France again. Heading back into Switzerland (lake Thun) and then over to lake garda. Planning on 3 nights at each lake area and then back into France (menton area), and then head home via a few days somewhere near lake Annecy. Is 200 - 300 miles a day do-able to get to our bigger designations? A night here and there until we spend three or 4 at a lake?? Oh and it won't be an Elddis. - we found ourselves at the nec this week swapping for a Bailey approach advance 665 (narrower and shorter than an auto quest 180!) Any thoughts? Sarah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Welcome Sarah and well done for doing you research in advance, although you may very well change your route once on the road. I am a lone traveller and usually expect to cover 200 miles in a day, depending on the road of course. As I have a dog for my companion I have to stop fairly frequently (that is my excuse anyway!) but usually about every hour and a half to two hours otherwise I get bored or tired. Forum users have made lots of interesting suggestions for you but my favourite place is the Oberland, as already suggested. I know Switzerland is expensive but the views are unforgetable and your 8 year-old will love the Alpine trains, boats and buses. You can buy tickets at discount prices so that is something else you could research. The particular star of the Oberland is going up the Jungfrau (already mentioned) on the mountain railway (incredibly expensive but worth it) where you can get out and look through windows on to the snows of the Eiger. Husky rides at the top and an ice palace. Oh such memories. I am hoping to visit Switzerland again this year for a few days. Fabulous country, enjoy! Edit: Forgot to say that I have driven over all the passes, many of them in an awful state years ago, both in a motorhome and towing a caravan - wonderful experience. Just keep swallowing and suck a sweet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 MJG - 2015-02-10 11:05 PM PJay - 2015-02-10 10:47 PM dragonsden001 - 2015-02-10 6:46 PM thanks for the replies. We are going to the Motorhome show at the NEC next week so will no doubt pick up some info on camp sites etc. Will also check out weights and things. Excited but nervous - I'm not a good passenger on narrow roads when in the van! If your van is Right Hand drive, you'll find you will have to help driver to SEE when overtaking and pulling out etc. If this is your first trip over the water, I would stick to FLAT places !!! Good luck on your trip PJay Sorry but this is utter nonsense....................... Sorry, but it is not. Perhaps you've never been caught behind a large muckspreader, towed by an equally large tractor? You have to pull over to see what is coming. It is a bit tricky even in a LHD, so having the passenger as a look-out in a RHD is a far better idea than playing Russian roulette with oncoming traffic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Billggski - 2015-02-11 10:03 AM The only problem arises when you are using the non toll routes and get stuck behind lorries. The rest of the time just go with the flow. Ask around at the NEC, but don't believe what the salefolk tell you. Ah but! :-D There are absolutely miles of non-toll dual carriageways, plus a few autoroutes, in France. Plus of course Belgium, Luxemburg and Germany haven't introduced tolls. So, with good choice of route there is no need to get stuck behind a truck (most of which maintain a steady 80kph or a little more on two lane roads, that are in any case limited to 90kph for most other traffic). Who's bothered about doing 10kph less for while, it doesn't make that much difference to overall journey time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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