carl191175 Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Hi all. Just joined and looks like lots of good helpful advice on here which I'd like to tap into if I may. Looking at going on our first ever motorhome holiday the last week of October 2015. Hiring a motorhome and the plan is to ferry across to Calais then drive up into Netherlands somewhere and work our way back to Calais via Belgium and obviously top of France over 7 days taking in as much as we can within reason. The vehicle I'm hiring is a Elddis Autoquest 180. 7.2m long. 3m high. We will not be towing another vehicle so after some advice/ experiences from anyone as where to go, park, camp etc bearing in mind the size of vehicle. I've been doing a lot of research on line and goes without saying I won't be driving into big cities. Looking at parking on outskirts and using public transport or hiring bikes to get around and see the sights. New to all this so apologise if I sound dumb by asking. Any suggestions? Good spots to park overnight, campsites (I don't mind paying if good), must sees and of course the BIG NO NO's. Thank you in advance for any tips. Carl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnP Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Camping Memling in Brugge is open at this time. Brugge a nice old town to explore and the site is about 15 minutes walk to the town square. Memling has a web site and suggest you book in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 A lot of French sites close end of September, even in the south, so make sure that the area you want to stay in , will have some where open. I personally would not go via Calais, (due to all the illegals.) Why not try crossing to Dunkerque ? You do not say where you live. Sounds like a lot of travelling for one week. As you say a 7.5 meter van is quiet big, so you will not see much if trying to go to far, for the first time Sensible idea to hire first before you buy PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdanClinton Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Crossing to Dunkerque is a good choice ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel wood Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 I suggest that you look at guide books (eg "Rough Guide" and "Lonely Planet") to see where in Belgium and The Netherlands appeal to you. You could try your local library for the books prior to buying one. Then do some research to see where there are campsites which are open. Be wary of trying to cover too much distance in your 7 days. After all you presumably are going to these countries to see certain places and things so have a good first trip and don't be too ambitious. If you like the countries and motorhoming you can always go back some other time. I would also recommend crossing to Dunkirk which is nearer to Belgium than Calais. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 I've stayed at Ypres (Ieper) several times, both as a first and last stop. It's easily accessible from Calais or Dunkirk. It's very popular because of the battlefields and the Menin Gate ceremony, but is next to the town and a very pleasant site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShoelessSmith Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 If you're going that way please do consider visiting Antwerpen. I've lived there for years and my only regret was leaving the place. Full of culture and history and whilst it isn't as twee as Bruges it's still a wonderful place to visit, especially the art history. And of course, the beers there were rather good. One of the many reasons why my initial three week visit ran on into seven years... - Malc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timabob Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Just to add on Antwerp (which is well worth a visit) there is plenty of motorhome parking on the Quayside near the old town, although I'm not sure about overnight. I'm not sure I'd overnight in a carpark in a big city like Antwerp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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