daveesl Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 Hi all, We are RV owners in the States and love going to Europe. In every other case we have either stayed in cities, or rented a car and cottages. Next summer we have decided to do a month long trip...Germany, France, Northern Italy and Czech Repub. We had originally thought about doing the car/cottage thing again, when someone on the Fodor's travel board suggested renting an RV. At first I was like, "yeah right, I can only imagine what that would cost". I was amazed when I found the costs for rental are great in Germany. To me, this just makes so much sense. No packing or unpacking. No hauling around luggage. No waiting in train stations or airports. So, we settled on the idea of renting a small motorhome (only two of us, mid-50s). I'm used to European driving (prefer it over US driving), I'm used to driving large RV's and I love using a manual tranny. Then came the hunt for places to go and stay. Then another member of the Fodor's board (I've been a member there for years) directs me to this site. All I can say is "WOW", this is GREAT!!! I immediately found the info on the aires and French Passion. This is like being in heaven. So for all of you on this board, THANK YOU. Oh, we'll be traveling for the month of July, 2009. dave and regina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 welcome to the forum! Dave and Regina :-D On the whole we are a friendly bunch...just ask away You don't normally have to wait long for an answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hymer C 9. Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 Dave & Regina, may I also welcome you to the forum, don't be afraid to ask any questions like Judge says some one will usually try and help, I am sure you will enjoy your European Trip. Carol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Way2Go Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 May I also join in and say Hi to Dave and Regina. I'm sure you'll have a great trip to Europe and what better way to see it than travelling around at your own pace - driving your 5 * hotel room :-)Any help we can give . . . . . well, you only have to ask.W2G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 Hi guys Welcome and any questions, just fire away, we do like to impart our knowledge to others! :D Just one slight concern regarding your trip ... 1 months to do what you propose isn't long at all, you might want to reconsider and reduce the number of countries you want to do - no point rushing through them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 Hi I would agree that it sounds rather a lot to take in, in a month. ( Europe isn't THAT small you know !) Have a good trip -whatever you decide. :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tof Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 Yeah welcome I tend to agree that you may run out of countries. If you are renting in Germany then that, in my opinion, is one of the best countries to tour with in a motorhome. The towns and cities are superb and the cycle routes great. Also the people we found friendly and the prices very reasonable. The southern, mountainous bits are also brilliant. Happy touring. Tof Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 We've rented RV's in the Sates and its all much the same, everbody is helpfull just ask. Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveesl Posted November 10, 2008 Author Share Posted November 10, 2008 Wow, thank you guys. We are the type that enjoy the drive as well as meeting people. We have as much fun tent camping or using our little pop-up as we do using the Bounder. While we will have a sort of plan, we already made the decision that if we find a place or trail that intrigues us, then the plans will change. Luckily, we are not held to any kind of real schedule. Actually, that is what has really gotten us excited about doing this. Other than the first couple of nights and the last few, we have no intention on reserving things in advance, unless we find we must. I'm sure we will have many questions over the next few months, but I promise that I'll always try to do a search first. I know on the Fodor's Board we are constantly asked the same question over and over...(ie "how do I get into the Vatican Museum" or "where should I stay in London"). Several of us keep answering with the same response, but it is nice if folks first at least try to find the info. I'm cross posting things on the Fodor's board and the responses there are kind of funny. They go from "why would you even want to do that" to "God, what a great idea". I promise to do a trip report when it is all done. Once again, thank you all in advance. Oh, and I appreciate criticism too, so if you think I'm saying something dumb, please feel free to tell me so. :-) dave and regina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homenaway Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 Hi Dave and Regina, I bet you are enjoying thinking about your trip. We find that the planning keeps us going through our wet winters :-D As others have said there is a lot to see in Europe and you'll find the roads are slow especially off the motor (sorry free!)-ways but it's on the back roads that you'll find the gems that aren't in the guide books. We enjoyed Germany this year and found the Rough Guide and Lonely Planet books useful. I've not looked at the Fodor's website. Of course we always change our route as we travel and rarely book sites in advance although from mid July it will be school vacation time so much busier especially on the coasts. Have a look at our site for some ideas - we typically take eight weeks to do about 4000 miles :-D Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveesl Posted November 12, 2008 Author Share Posted November 12, 2008 We absolutely love planning. Not that we actually do most of the stuff we plan, but it gives us lots of options. We are looking at this trip being about 2,000 miles, probably a bit less, maybe a bit more. I've already got the AutoRoute burning up doing various scenarios. I've been all over the Motorhome and Away site...found that one early. :-) As to "cities", we are considering doing a few days in Paris, maybe a couple in Venice (maybe not due to the heat). Other than that it is mainly a drive around and see the country kind of trip. We'll actually be staying in Bavaria for a week, the last week of the trip. We have an apartment we are going to rent because our friends from Japan will be joining us there. We decided to keep the RV and not trade in for a car simply because the cost difference is only about $100 and then I don't have to do additional check-in/check-outs. Plus, I think having a small RV can come in really handy, like bathroom breaks and rest stops. So, on we go. Gee, only about 7 months to go...ha ha. Oh, and we live in Florida, so we don't have too bad of a winter. dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 Just remember not to drive into Venice. All the roads are flooded. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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