touring europe what do we need? where 2 go? help!

[slowcoach2china]

Hi newby here not posted b4, Myself and my partner want to tour europe and possibly beyond for about a year or so in retirement, never been past spain and france. we dont know where to go first? only now has the enormity of the task sunk in going next year so want 2 plan now. any hints, tips, where 2 go, where 2 avoid etc is it best to drive all the way or take ferries to save on driving? times of year to avoid etc we are going in our hymer classic b654. we use aires and wild camp where possible. we are on a budget of £200 a week all in if that helps. any one doing it now ? are there any tours we can join or like minded groups. do we need to come back 4 mot etc do we need a tax disc? would we be better to register our vehicle abroad? do we need special insurance beyond the green card? does the nhs card for travelling work in all countries or just eu? this will do 4 now, please email anything that might be of help regards.

[Porky]

Wow what a prospect. We are going for 5 months in November and because of that time frame and time of year we are restricting ourselves to France, Spain & Portugal. For a year or more I would go further afield to Croatia, Greece & Turkey where I think your £200 per week would go further.

We had a problem finding someone to insure the van for a year, eventually we did but restricted to the EU so that may be an issue for you to resolve. If you do find someone could you let us all know. With your sort of time frame you could just follow your inclinations. Good luck with it.

 

Roy Fuller

[Brian Kirby]

"Hi newby here not posted b4.  

Myself and my partner want to tour Europe and possibly beyond for about a year or so in retirement, never been past Spain and France."

You will need to decide whether to go for up to one year, or for more than one year.  If you are absent for more than one year, you may have difficulty with insurance, tax and MOT.  Even for continuous absence of one year or less, vehicle insurance is likely to be problematic.  Many companies restrict the total number of days per year you can spend outside UK; most have maximum trip limits as well.  If you remove your vehicle from the UK for more than 365 days at once, it is automatically deemed to have been exported.  You will almost certainly encounter difficulties with your house/contents insurances, most of which limit periods of absence, some to 30/60 days, after which they reduce the scope of cover.

"1.    We don’t know where to go first? Only now has the enormity of the task sunk in going next year so want 2 plan now. Any hints, tips, where 2 go, where 2 avoid etc."

I suggest you get something like a Rough guide to Europe to get you started, and then get the guides to individual countries that appeal to you.  You’ll then get some idea of what there is to see, so can decide what is of interest to you.  Only you can decide this.  All others can tell you is what they enjoyed: if that was the 92^nd world tiddlywinks championships in Oberammergau, and you have no interest in tiddlywinks and hate beer, it won’t get you far.  Sorry, but you do need to do your own research here.

"2.    Is it best to drive all the way or take ferries to save on driving? Times of year to avoid etc we are going in our Hymer Classic B654."

This is really a personal choice and budget matter.  “Best” doesn’t enter into it: one man’s meat etc.  If you use the long distance ferry (Bilbao/Santander etc, Venice-Patras or whatever) a) they cost a lot more, so you need to balance this against your budget and b) you miss seeing all the places between ferry ports.  Do you want to see the sea, or the countries you are visiting?  Avoid the months of July and August, when pretty much the whole of Europe is on holiday, everywhere is heaving, and process sky-high.

"3.    We use aires and wild camp where possible."

Fine.  You can do this in France, Germany and Italy.  Wild camping, by my definition, means stopping your van in an unauthorised place without first getting permission from the landowner.  As a general rule, don’t try this in Eastern European countries, it is illegal in most if not all.  Elsewhere, you may be moved on, you may be left.  When you’ve worked out which parts of which countries you intend visiting, ask again, and someone is bound to be able to advise what you can reasonably do where.  For now, the question is far too non-specific to gain a meaningful reply.

"4.    We are on a budget of £200 a week all in if that helps. Anyone doing it now?"

I think this may prove very tight all in, especially where you are obliged, legally or for peace of mind, to use campsites.

"5.    Are there any tours we can join or like minded groups."

There are various tours: GB Privilege to name but one.  However, within the cost of the tour you pay for a courier and his running costs, and the firm must make a profit to exist. 

On a limited budget, therefore, I’d think the money would be better spent on good guide books.

"6.    Do we need to come back 4 mot etc do we need a tax disc?"

Emphatically yes to both.  Failure to maintain the vehicle taxed and tested, would be liable to invalidate your insurance.  It is a condition of using your UK registered vehicle abroad that it is maintained in full accordance with UK legislation.

"7.    Would we be better to register our vehicle abroad?"

No.  You would need an address abroad to do this, and would then have to insure it in whatever country it was registered.  The re-registration procedure is lengthy and, in the absence of European Type approval for the vehicle, which I’m guessing your Hymer will not have, involves submission for inspection, for which you will have to pay.

"8.    Do we need special insurance beyond the green card?"

You may, depending on where you go.  Back to question 1?  Most, but not all, vehicle insurances will cover you to drive in all of the present EC states.  Some will cover, for example, Croatia although it is non-EC.  A few will give you a green card for Bosnia, and I believe even Montenegro (though with a limit on trip duration).  I don’t think any will cover Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, or Albania.  You therefore do need to check with your insurer, and will need to be able to tell them where you intend going.  You can buy insurance at border posts, but usually it is basic third party cover only.

"9.    Does the NHS card for travelling work in all countries or just EU? "

It is for use within the EU.  There are some reciprocal arrangements for treatment in other countries outside the EU.  Again, I’m afraid, you’ll need to know where you intend going before you’ll get definitive answers on the scope of cover obtainable.  Do not make the mistake of assuming the NHS card (which you need to be able to present at the time you need treatment, incidentally, meaning you need to carry it with you at all times), is a substitute for health insurance.  You do not get the same scope of treatment in many EU states under their state schemes, as under NHS, and state hospitals are not necessarily where you may wish to be treated.  The option of private hospital treatment is desirable, I have been told, for example in Portugal, depending on what has befallen you, and where.  Again, you will need to research this yourselves, since any pre-existing conditions, recent operations, current medications, and simply age, will have a considerable impact on the cover you can obtain, and its cost.

"This will do 4 now, please email anything that might be of help regards."

[rupert123]

slowcoach2china - 2009-10-26 1:39 PM

 

Hi newby here not posted b4, Myself and my partner want to tour europe and possibly beyond for about a year or so in retirement, never been past spain and france. we dont know where to go first? only now has the enormity of the task sunk in going next year so want 2 plan now. any hints, tips, where 2 go, where 2 avoid etc is it best to drive all the way or take ferries to save on driving? times of year to avoid etc we are going in our hymer classic b654. we use aires and wild camp where possible. we are on a budget of £200 a week all in if that helps. any one doing it now ? are there any tours we can join or like minded groups. do we need to come back 4 mot etc do we need a tax disc? would we be better to register our vehicle abroad? do we need special insurance beyond the green card? does the nhs card for travelling work in all countries or just eu? this will do 4 now, please email anything that might be of help regards.

 

Welcome to the forum. I am afraid you will not get to many helpfull answers on this on, Brians is probably the most complete you will receive. You will have to be more specific on individual points which will get some replies. It would probably be best to do a google search for people who have done this and try to contact them direct. Personally, to save some complications, I would go for just under a year, arrange things so your road tax and mot fall on around the same dates then get both done just before they are due and leave immediately. Your budget should be ok in countries that have aires or allow wild camping, this year my wife and I averaged £39 a day in Europe staying almost entirely on campsites so should be easy to manage on £10 a day less if you avoid these and do not eat out or visit to many attractions where you have to pay. Times to avoid are the obvious one of August, although in reality it is not bad if you stay clear of most popular places, July is OK. Good luck