France & Spain Christmas/New year

[Guest pelmetman]

We might be going to France for Christmas, sponging of the sister inlaw and staying at their gite, thought we might take the camper and head south for the new year and visit the old man in Murcia.

 

I expect everywhere will be shut so it will be airies all the way to Spain, is there likely to be much open in Spain then (?)

 

I know I can park up at the old mans, but I like to have an escape route planned for when we have a row :D

 

So any tips on what will be available gratefully recieved :-D

 

We will take the coast road down Spain as I scared the knickers off Sue when we drove my Dads camper back over the Pyrenees a few years back (lol)...........................She dont like heights :D (lol) (lol)

[pkc]

Hi Dave,

Benidorm is very much the favourite spot for many of the people who overwinter in Spain, but for those who prefer a more less frantic life style there is Albir/Attea, and Calpa, Denia a little further south.

Benidorm s main attraction is it's 24/7 open all year thing, you'll either love it or hate it, but I don't think you will find a cheaper place to eat or drink, there are several campsites. but they can be expensive if you are staying less than a month, about 30 Euro a night is not unusual.

Spain doesn't really do Aires like France, and wild camping in the wrong place could get you one of these *.

I Usually drive down the west coast of France to Biarritz, the road to Valencia is now mostly motorway standard all the way and more boring than frightening.

 

*

[Porky]

Try these

http://www.campingcar-infos.com/Francais/afficheregion.php?pays=ESPAGNE

 

http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/en/europe/

 

http://en.campings.com/spain/camping-spain.htm

 

Roy Fuller

[Brian Kirby]

Many water supplies will be turned off against frost damage: travel with a full water tank.

Consider gas.  It will be liable to be cold, so you will need the heating, so a lot of gas.  Remember UK cylinders can't be exchanged outside UK.

[Guest pelmetman]

Thanks PKC & Porky for the replys, if you get a ticket is it just a warning or a cash machine job, and as a general rule of thumb can you get away with a couple of nights at a spot before they issue the tickets (?)

 

30 euro's a night 8-) ............Blimey I'll have to be nice to my Dad :D

 

And Brian :-D I have the Blue gas (can never remember is it butane or propane?) but we have one small which we used to be able to change abroad and a larger UK bottle which you can not, so may revert back to two small bottles for the trip :D

 

Incidentally replaced both bottles this last trip and the small one was dearer than the big one to exchange at the same site 8-)

[PJay]

pelmetman - 2010-10-10 4:06 PM

 

Thanks PKC & Porky for the replys, if you get a ticket is it just a warning or a cash machine job, and as a general rule of thumb can you get away with a couple of nights at a spot before they issue the tickets (?)

 

30 euro's a night 8-) ............Blimey I'll have to be nice to my Dad :D

 

And Brian :-D I have the Blue gas (can never remember is it butane or propane?) but we have one small which we used to be able to change abroad and a larger UK bottle which you can not, so may revert back to two small bottles for the trip :D

BLUE is Butane

RED is Propane

You may need propane if it gets very cold

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

pelmetman - 2010-10-10 4:06 PM .............. And Brian :-D I have the Blue gas (can never remember is it butane or propane?) but we have one small which we used to be able to change abroad and a larger UK bottle which you can not, so may revert back to two small bottles for the trip ..................

As above, blue is butane, and I suspect your small blue is Camping Gaz.  These can be exchanged at any Camping Gaz agent pretty well anywhere.  However, they are very expensive relative to any other make of gas, and the cylinders don't hold much gas.  Even the 907 (biggest) is only 2.75Kg gas!

If you hit a cold spell you'll gallop through gas keeping warm.  I have been on the Loire at Christmas/New Year when it was absolutely perishing: so cold in fact that a shower one night froze on contact, and coated everything in a one inch jacket of ice. Walls, lamp posts, telegraph poles, roads, literally everything.  Spectacular, but caused absolute mayhem.  You still see signs warning of black ice south of Bordeaux.  Not to be underestimated!

I assume your van may have a Truma Heater, or similar convector type heater.  I also assume it may not have very great insulation.  If so, it will probably tend to heat patchily, with the areas remote from the heater getting relatively cold.  At least get a really good, external, insulated, windscreen/cab windows blind.

Don't know how long you're going for, but our van takes two 13Kg jobs, and I wouldn't expect that to do more than two weeks, on sites, with hook-up, in mid-winter.  Off site, running heating and hot water, plus cooking, much less.  If yours takes only the 7Kg Calor type cylinders, I think you really need to consider getting a couple of re-fillables installed.  Of course, the weather may be mild and your use light, let's hope so: but if it isn't..................................... 

As a general rule, cold women are not sparkling company!  :-D

[Guest pelmetman]

Thanks for the advice Brian, we expect to spend a week at the S/law and will have electric there, I expect to take 3 or 4 days to wander down to Spain , and we will have electric at the old mans :D

 

We have a low voltage electric heater in the van which provides very useful back ground heat, just another query I hear that some of the aires provide electric at a cost, is the power supply sufficent for a fan heater (?) (It will ok for the low voltage heater as we use it all the time and can boil the electric kettle and use the heater without tripping the leccy).

 

Another question is 3 to 4 days sufficient to get to Murcia without using motorways, I like to drive about 6 hours a day :D

 

 

[Guest pelmetman]

S/law has confirmed she has Christmas of, so the serious planning starts now :D

 

1. Advice on wild camping in Spain please, can we get away with one night stops on the coast? Do you get a warning first or hit with a fine straight away?

 

2. Thinking of getting an inverter for the computor and charging the phones, any suggestions please where to buy cost etc?

 

3. Sat Nav, I have read most of the posts, it seems there is not alot between TomTom and Garmen, but I understand the important bit is to get it preloaded with europe?

 

4. Sorted the breakdown insurance with "Eric Pickles" no one else would touch us because of the van age *-) but thinking of insurance for the Pooch, just want insurance for the holiday, any suggestions welcome :D

 

5. French aires. I know some now charge, is it a slot machine type or credit card over the phone?

 

Have not been to France in the camper for at least 10 years so expect things have changed abit :D

[Mel B]

1. Advice on wild camping in Spain please, can we get away with one night stops on the coast? Do you get a warning first or hit with a fine straight away?

Sorry, don't know the answer to this one, wouldn't want to try to find out though!

 

2. Thinking of getting an inverter for the computor and charging the phones, any suggestions please where to buy cost etc?

Ebay or Maplins when they have a sale on.

 

3. Sat Nav, I have read most of the posts, it seems there is not alot between TomTom and Garmen, but I understand the important bit is to get it preloaded with europe?

Again, have a good look on Ebay for a second hand unit - we got a Tom Tom off there for about half the cost of it from the shops/online, fully loaded - it was an unwanted present, brand new and boxed and all we did was register the warranty!

 

4. Sorted the breakdown insurance with "Eric Pickles" no one else would touch us because of the van age *-) but thinking of insurance for the Pooch, just want insurance for the holiday, any suggestions welcome :D

The 'single trip' holiday insurance we take out with Primary Insurance (Premier Cover) has pet care up to £300 as part of it, with no excess.

 

5. French aires. I know some now charge, is it a slot machine type or credit card over the phone?

In our experience they tend to be parking meter types, which take coins, or a man in a van comes round and collects!

[Sunnysue]

Hi

 

Wild camping in Spain is not really allowed. The police will tell you to move on in the morning if they catch you at night but living here I see many MH wild camping in this area Murcia , although its not something I would do in Spain. There is a link to wild camping in Spain on this forum somewhere. Regarding site fees the best way is to get an ACSI card from Vicarious Books ( may be too late this year for one , new ones come into stock in November) and then the most you would spend a night is 15 euros. A good site to stay on is at Calpe called Calpemar it has top class facilities and gravel pitches well spaced out although it only has 85 spaces so check before you go. The cost is 15 euros with the card and 4 kilowatts of electric per day if you use more its at a rate of 40cents per kw. Hope this has been helpful.

Sue

[PJay]

Agree with Sue, Calpe a great site, facilities very good, cheapest washing machine , I found any where, and iron free.Close to town and within walking distance of supermarkets.

PJaY

[Guest pelmetman]

Hi Sue, PJay,

 

Will look at getting the ACSI in November :-D The Vicarious book site looks good, will be ordering the aires book for France :-D but I see they do one for Spain & Portugal, I was under the impression they did not have aires?

 

Many thanks for the tips.

[PJay]

Hi Dave

I have the aires book for Spain/Portugal there are 85 aires in Spain 39 in Portugal So not very many considering the size of Spain

The ACSI card I think runs from Jan to Dec , as it has the year on it.

It is good value, we used it almost exclusivly this year, and we were away for 10weeks. So save loads of money.

If you give me the exact area you are looking to be in , I could e-mail you details of the aires in that area. I don't think the book is worth buying , unless you also need LPG, as it also list where you can get that from.

Pauline

[Guest pelmetman]

PJay - 2010-10-18 11:36 AM

 

Hi Dave

I have the aires book for Spain/Portugal there are 85 aires in Spain 39 in Portugal So not very many considering the size of Spain

The ACSI card I think runs from Jan to Dec , as it has the year on it.

It is good value, we used it almost exclusivly this year, and we were away for 10weeks. So save loads of money.

If you give me the exact area you are looking to be in , I could e-mail you details of the aires in that area. I don't think the book is worth buying , unless you also need LPG, as it also list where you can get that from.

Pauline

 

Many thanks Pauline.

 

Not a 100 % sure which is the best way to head to where my Dad is at Orihuela, I am thinking of crossing the border at the Mediterranean sea end and wandering down the coast :D

 

We dont need Lpg so any aires on the coast would be useful :-D

 

I will send you a pm with my email :-D

[Sparkle]

PJay - 2010-10-18 10:45 AM

 

Agree with Sue, Calpe a great site, facilities very good, cheapest washing machine , I found any where, and iron free.Close to town and within walking distance of supermarkets.

PJaY

 

Seconded... or maybe thirded! We've stayed there and its by far the best site we've ever used. Shower blocks are more like a 4 star hotel. Very handy for the beach and town and theres always stuff going on in Calpe and yet you're within easy reach of Benidorm (should you want it), Altea, Jalon, Denia etc etc etc.....