mikethebike Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Hi all As we have now both retired we have decided this year to have an extended trip to europe lasting six weeks. My sister and her husband who also both recently retired are coming with us in their caravan, and my wifes cousin and his wife have decided to join us in their Hymer having also recently retired. We are making return visits to some of the places we really enjoyed on previous visits and also going to places we have long wanted to visit. Our itinerary which is subject to change depending on weather conditions or if we are not happy there and want to move on or even stay longer is as follows. Chalon en Champagne(1 night) Saverne(2 nights) Titisee (3 nights) Lindau on Bodensee (3 nights) Natterersee (1 or 2 nights) over the Brenner Pass to Lazise on Garda (maybe 5 nights ) Venice (3 or 4 nights) Lake Bled Slovenia (4 nights) into Slovakia via Austria with a couple of overnight stops, then into Poland and Zakopane(2or3 nights) Krakow, this really is a wonderful city IMO (5 nights) Wroclav (overnight) into Germany and Dresden (2 nights) Berlin ( 3 nights) Then slow drive over Germany to France then home. We will be leaving mid May returning end of June. Nothing will be booked apart from the channel tunnel so that we can be quite fluid with our itinerary. We are all looking forward very much to this trip which is a one off before we settle down to more modest trips in our retirement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Great stuff Mike ! Have a good trip. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bojitoes Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Hi Mikeb Busy doing last minute jobs at the moment before we leave for Spain tomorrow but just a moment to say that there is an excellent municipal campsite in Chalons en Champagne, we stopped there a couple of years ago on our first trip abroad and were very impressed.Cant advise on the rest of your itinery though Enjoy your trip Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikethebike Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 Hi bob Yes I know about the campsite you are referring to although I believe it is no longer a municipal site but is in private hands. It nevertheless looks a good site and we will be staying there. thank you both malc & bob for your good wishes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel wood Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 We also like the freedom to "wander" for a few weeks having a rough plan but with nothing apart from the ferries fixed. I assume you have ACSI cards. We have been to some of the areas you mention and have stayed on some super sites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankkia Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Hi Mike. You have carved out a fair old trip there for a 6 week tour - so much so that I am wary about adding other possible places as you will spend a lot of your time driving and not get time to enjoy many of the great places there are to see on your route. I could spend 6 weeks just in the Dresden area and have plenty to see. Having said that a nice detour (en route really) would be from Zakopane to Prague before following the Elbe through the Saxon Switzerland to Dresden. This is a fabulous area for sight seeing with A fortress - Kónigstein (takes a day to look round that) and a medieval village in the cliffs. See http://www.germanplaces.com/germany/saxon-switzerland.html . In Dresden there is a Stelplatz right in the middle of the city 9just over the bridge from the old town but only for motorhomes. There is also a S/p come camp site at a dealers on the outskirts of the city from which you can get a bus /tram into town. Berlin is also a place where you could spend a week as there is so much to see. In the past we have used a S/p at the old British army barracks in Spandau. The barracks are now light industry but the old parade ground is now a S/p and the old sargeants mess is a pub / restaurant. From the stelplatz you can cross the road and catch a bus ((ask for a day ticket (tageskarte) for Berlin A and B which covers you for every Bus, Tram, underground and overground train in Berlin )). The bus will take you to the underground station from where you can start your tour. Having lead some convoys of motorhomes all over Europe I would suggest the following. Get a set of good 2 way radios (or CB radios) - you can spend half your holidays trying to pick up lost sheep just because they didn't know which way you had turned after they got stuck at the last traffic lights. It can get very tiring for the leader who has to shepherd the flock along - you don't realise just how much work is involved until you have done it. Take regular breaks and share out the leadership if possible. Take a really good sense of humour - You don't know just how a holiday can turn into an argument even with people you know well (or thought you did until they wanted to go 1 way whilst the others wanted to go another). Three couples is not an ideal number - 1 couple often feels left out if the other 2 even appear to be more compatible for some perceived reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikethebike Posted January 11, 2012 Author Share Posted January 11, 2012 Hi again Yes Mel we do all have ACSI cards and several but not all the sites we have selected give the discounted rate. Thank you for that info about Berlin Bernie very useful. My wife and I did the trip from Zakopane to Prague 18 months ago which was quite stunning but we had a couple of unfortunate incidents in the Czech Republic which has put us off returning. In contrast we have nothing but praise for the way we were treated in Poland. Our son got married to a Polish girl in Sopot close to Gdansk the year before last, so we took the van over stayed for a week at Sopot then continued down Poland to Krakow and Zakopane then over the Tatra's through Slovakia into the Czech Republic. We were treated royally by my daughter-in-laws family and everywhere else we travelled in Poland the people were very kind and friendly towards us. We are going to Dresden especially to look at Colditz, unfortunately as we have a tugger with us we wont be able to stay at Stellplatz. We have toured regularly in the uk and europe with my sister and her husband who happens to be my wifes brother and all get on with each other. The trick is to give each other a bit of space and not spend every waking hour together. The cousin of my wife and her brother is a bit of an unknown quantity but I have taken an immediate liking to both him and his wife.We have all had several short trips away together and have some more planned before we go away. We have had two-way radios for a number of years and also find them very useful and much cheaper than mobile phones in Europe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 mikethebike - 2012-01-11 3:15 PM We are going to Dresden especially to look at Colditz, unfortunately as we have a tugger with us we wont be able to stay at Stellplatz. I can recommend the campsite at Königstein (already mentioned) for visiting Dresden. It has a great setting, and is a short walk to the station for regular trains into Dresden. The fare is not expensive, and if you get a kleingruppenkarte "small group card" it is pretty good value for a small party - a day's travel in the overall area for up to 5 people for about the cost of two ordinary tickets. (also valid on the trams, buses, ferries, etc). See: http://www.vvo-online.de/en/tickets_und_netz/tickets/tageskarte/index.aspx The scenery round about and a visit to Dresden make it worth a short or longer stay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankkia Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Colditz - I hope you won't be disappointed - We went about 6 - 7 years ago and it was a bit of a let down. I am afraid it hasn't had the historical significance to the East Germans that it has for Brits. It isn't anything like the place you may be more familiar with from tv and film and when we were there there was little in the way of artefacts in the museum. The local powers that be were only just starting to realise that they needed to do something with it. At the time we were asked if we would give our impressions of what was there and explained that it needed to have a lot more put back in and although it was ok for us as we speak German if they want to attract the Brit visitors there were no translations in English which should be addressed. I hope they took on board what we told them as the building as it was is more interesting looked at on Google Earth. nb There is a marked lack of parking anywhere near the castle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikethebike Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Hi Bernie or Robinhood. The campsite at Konigstein. There are 2 according to the book I have, Camping-Konigstein on the river which had poor reviews on the ACSI website, or Camping Sachsische-schweiz of which I haven't got much information yet. The former I have to say looks to be in a nice situation is this the one to which you are referring? Caravan Europe does give it a good write up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I've stayed at Camping Königstein (next to the river) twice, and found it fine both times. It IS between the river and the railway (some railway noise), and can get quite busy at times, but it is well located, and the people there were pleasant enough on both our visits. Easy walk into town, and as already said, good for the station. Cycling is great along the river, and the fortress (and the Bastei rocks if you walk) are good for visits. The first time we stayed (on our way from Berlin to Prague) was the year after the massive floods, and the main road was shut (actually, it was temporarily one-way in the wrong direction) because of an unsafe building 50 yards short of the site - we ended up following a diversion for 21km (I kid you not!) to bypass that 50 yds and approach from the other direction. We now dread signs with the word "Umleitung". I later found out you could (unofficially, and as long as you were low enough for the railway arch) use the pedestrian walkway along the river from the town centre to the site, and avoid the diversion. (I saved two German low-profiles a very long journey by telling them). Kindly, the campsite owners let us out of the "back door" and through some industrial units to avoid the same issue whan we left and continued our journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankkia Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Sorry - I don't do camp sites - we only use stelplatze when in Germany so can't give any info on those. By the way some S/ps allow caravans and the 1 at Schaffer Mobile on Kötzschenbroderstrasse in Dresden does have both - It is only a small place though and will depend on how many other 'vans are there whether you would get a group of 3 in. The other S/p in the middle of the city only takes motorhomes and is in effect no more than a carpark but it is right next to the Marienbruke so straight into the Old town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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