Caddies104 Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 Lovely pics, keep them coming ;-) ;-) Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 Robin - you have said a couple of times "gets a bit of a write-up in the guidebooks". Which guidebooks do you use please? Thanks Jeremy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted January 29, 2020 Author Share Posted January 29, 2020 I tend to fall back to The Rough Guide to buy (though I find them not as good as they once were), augmented by whatever we can source from the Library for both planning, and to take away (since we can renew online if we have an extended stay). I've used Lonely Planet, Dorling Kindersley, Fodors........you name it (but every one taken with a pinch of salt, as I guess we're not the natural target of some of them!). TBH, now we've migrated largely to Stellplatz and Aire type touring, I tend to research the respective pitches first (we can be choosy), relying on a general direction and distance to select, and then further research the surroundings of any that look "right" using the web. A good few of the locations on this thread were chosen thus. The great thing we've found about Germany in particular is that, almost 100% of the time, wherever we end up it has something of interest (at least for us) to occupy our attention. (BTW Bordatlas, CampingCarInfos, Campercontact and others to assess pitches - augmented by Google maps). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted January 29, 2020 Author Share Posted January 29, 2020 The combination of continuing good weather, the fact that we didn't want to rock up to Hamburg and only see it at the weekend, and our will to do a fairly quick dash back from there to the UK led us to look around the immediate vicinity for another short stop. Friedrichstadt or Husum stood out as a possible choices, being only 40 miles away, but on (or close to) the oppsite coast. Friedrichstadt won out, as the Stellplatz looked as though it would be (considerably) better than that at Husum. ......and it turned out to be another really excellent choice. On a fine sunny day we drove to Friedrichstadt, and arrived mid-morning to a moderately-busy, and very attractively set-out Stellplatz, surrounded by water and a short walk from town. Whilst the facilities were somewhat smaller than the palatial ones at Eckernförde, everything was beatifully maintained, and as far as pitch quality and layout was concerned, this was probably the most attractive of the Stellplätze we had visited. http://wohnmobilstellplatz-friedrichstadt.de/Home €15 per night including tourist taxes, with electricity and water extra, the site was barrier controlled, and all payments (excluding water, but including electricity - buying which was less than intuitive!) was via a central payment facility. Incidentally, we find more Stellplätze than not now allow purchase of water in fractions of €1 (which would normally supply 100 litres or so), which makes topping up with a water-carrier considerably more attractive. Toilets and (chargeable) showers were also available. https://i.ibb.co/Xx5vS7r/Friedrichstadt1.jpg https://i.ibb.co/840gTgf/Friedrichstadt2.jpg The countryside around here is comparable to the Fens, low-lying and criss-crossed by drainage. The River Eider was just over a tall bank from the Stellplatz. It being bright and sunny, after we had pitched up, we wandered into Friedrichstadt. A relatively small place, but so very attractive, with the influence of early Dutch settlers very apparent. It was easy to "waste" the rest of the day simply wandering around (with the odd café stop, of course). https://i.ibb.co/30dGBSk/Friedrichstadt3.jpg https://i.ibb.co/NspxZ8N/Friedrichstadt4.jpg https://i.ibb.co/3c02dsj/Friedrichstadt5.jpg We returned to the 'van for a late afternoon rest, and then wandered back into town to find somewhere to eat. It soon became apparent that, though well-provided for a lunchtime trade, eating places for the evening were pretty scarce, and the only ones we fancied were fully booked. Taking advantage of the REWE being so close, we returned, and bought a meal to eat back at the 'van instead (and then, it still being sunny, had a last walk round the town before yet another quiet night). The following morning, we decided we could handle another night here. It was a cloudy/misty morning, but dry, and having already seen virtually all that Friedrichstadt had to offer in bright sun, we decided a change was in order. Neither of us really fancied a bike ride (the terrain was rather too flat and uninteresting), so, having eschewed Husum because of its Stellplatz, we decided the 7 minute ride there on the train would be a good idea. It remained grey for much of the day, but Husum was a decent choice for a day out. It was bigger than Friedrichstadt, it was market day, it had a harbour (where the tide was definitely OUT!), a Schloss and gardens to stroll around, and, for the more energetic, you could do a stiff walk out to see the sea (or at least, an inlet from it), and the windsockstrousers :-). We passed on having a dip, though. The unrelentingly-grey day was spent inspecting/ doing all of these things, not necessarily in that order, and the walk out to the sea passed the Stellplatz, and reinforced our opinion that Fridrichstadt was (by far) the better overnight choice. https://i.ibb.co/F4pDJZ9/Husum1.jpg https://i.ibb.co/jhWy7LD/Husum2.jpg https://i.ibb.co/PtQXBKC/Husum3.jpg https://i.ibb.co/9Tz1hxs/Husum4.jpg https://i.ibb.co/ZS1v98s/Husumtrousers.jpg Incidentally, whilst walking round the Schloss Gardens, a man detached himself from a small group and came over "are you English?". When we affirmed, he chatted away to us, then revealed he was part of an english-speaking Jehovas Witness group from Kiel. As he opened his briefcase and commenced to press literature on us, we made our excuses and left. There is no escape! We returned to Friedrichstadt on the 16:00 train, and had dinner at the 'van (since the evening decided to grace us with some sunshine). And then we had the first less than quiet night of our holiday. This was a Saturday, and rock-music was booming out until the early hours of the morning. It sounded like it was just the other side of the raised river dyke, but there was absolutely no sign of anything. Only on leaving for Hamburg in the morning did we discover that there was an open-air rock-concert on, but it was literally miles away! (The penalty of absolutely flat land, and being downwind). TBC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 Robinhood - 2020-01-29 11:39 AM I tend to fall back to The Rough Guide to buy (though I find them not as good as they once were), augmented by whatever we can source from the Library for both planning, and to take away (since we can renew online if we have an extended stay). I've used Lonely Planet, Dorling Kindersley, Fodors........you name it (but every one taken with a pinch of salt, as I guess we're not the natural target of some of them!). TBH, now we've migrated largely to Stellplatz and Aire type touring, I tend to research the respective pitches first (we can be choosy), relying on a general direction and distance to select, and then further research the surroundings of any that look "right" using the web. A good few of the locations on this thread were chosen thus. The great thing we've found about Germany in particular is that, almost 100% of the time, wherever we end up it has something of interest (at least for us) to occupy our attention. (BTW Bordatlas, CampingCarInfos, Campercontact and others to assess pitches - augmented by Google maps). Thanks Robin - no silver bullet then! More or less the same as we do, except we have only dipped our toe into Stellplatz last year - we tend to use ACSI and/or in France, Municipal sites. The Stellplatz look great though. Rough guide & DK Eyewitness guides are our favourites, but with a pinch of salt added! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 laimeduck - 2020-01-29 2:41 PM Robinhood - 2020-01-29 11:39 AM I tend to fall back to The Rough Guide to buy (though I find them not as good as they once were), augmented by whatever we can source from the Library for both planning, and to take away (since we can renew online if we have an extended stay). I've used Lonely Planet, Dorling Kindersley, Fodors........you name it (but every one taken with a pinch of salt, as I guess we're not the natural target of some of them!). TBH, now we've migrated largely to Stellplatz and Aire type touring, I tend to research the respective pitches first (we can be choosy), relying on a general direction and distance to select, and then further research the surroundings of any that look "right" using the web. A good few of the locations on this thread were chosen thus. The great thing we've found about Germany in particular is that, almost 100% of the time, wherever we end up it has something of interest (at least for us) to occupy our attention. (BTW Bordatlas, CampingCarInfos, Campercontact and others to assess pitches - augmented by Google maps). Thanks Robin - no silver bullet then! More or less the same as we do, except we have only dipped our toe into Stellplatz last year - we tend to use ACSI and/or in France, Municipal sites. The Stellplatz look great though. Rough guide & DK Eyewitness guides are our favourites, but with a pinch of salt added! We use ACSI for sites and BordAtlas for Stellplatz, as for guides, it's whatever is in the library, as Robin says online renewals makes life easier. Robin, I do like your travel threads quite informative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted January 29, 2020 Author Share Posted January 29, 2020 colin - 2020-01-29 3:17 PM Robin, I do like your travel threads quite informative. Why, thank you sir (as I've said, partially self-indulgent, and partially to give people some ideas :-) ). ==== ...and so, on an overcast morning, off to Hamburg. We've driven (or often crawled) past a few times on our travels up to Scandinavia, but despite significant interest, had never stopped off (mainly because I'd never found an overnight spot that suited us). A few years ago, however, I noted a spot at Hasloh, to the North of Hamburg, and around 70 miles from Friedrichstadt and which, importantly, was only a few hundred yards from the railway station. I read a few mixed reviews, but, in the absence of good alternatives, it was chosen. So, after an early start, we were here.......: https://www.tante-henni.de/ ......by 11:00, and, to cut to the chase, it comes recommended. We got a warm welcome booking in at the café (which looked very comfortable, and was busy - unfortunately, its opening times and our travelling precluded later use). The pitches have rather less grass on than pictured on the website (but it does mean a good amount of hard-standing), and there was some building development under way (adding a drive-over dump, and additional up-market Portakabin style facilities). This new toilet block was already plumbed, and usable, but no electric connected, so no lights or hot water. The original facilities next to the café were fine, but being only two separate, unisex fully-equipped rooms, might get overrun when busy. Nothing wrong with any of that! €17 per night, all-in, except electricity and hot showers being chargeable. https://i.ibb.co/tzPy1GN/Hamburg1.jpg The only drawback some might find is that it is directly under the airport flight path, albeit the planes aren't over-low. It will be noisy during the day (when one would expect to be elsewhere anyway), but there are no night-flights, so things are quiet for sleeping from late evening, until around 07:00. Wishing to make the best of the day, we had an early snack lunch, and then set off for the station, an easy 600 yard walk away. The tickets come from a muti-lingual machine, paid for by card. A zone A/B Group Ticket (€12.40 a day) will cover up to 5 people into the City and back and for all the Central public transport for a day (and it is cheaper than 2 separate day tickets!). Trains are frequent, and it takes 35-40 minutes to the centre (depending on where you get off) though you do have to change trains (same- or cross-platform) as the Hasloh trains terminate and don't go into the centre. With a combination of walking and public transport, we had a heavy day exploring Central Hamburg and its environs. I'm only posting a small selection of photos, so can't really do it justice; it is a City of contrasts, and quite 'edgy' in places (don't interpret that as us feeling unsafe - though you do find yourself having to treat the graffiti as part of the scenery :-)). It has a good few iconic sights, but our favorites were Speicherstadt (think Liverpool's Albert Dock on steroids, and then some) and just the whole of the waterfront. If you really want to know what it is like, you'll have to go, and it is highly recommended. A big circle took us from the Rathaus, down to the Elbe, along to St Pauli (and a café in one of the more edgy areas behind the Reeperbahn, where the coffee was the best of the holiday) back to the Elbphilharmonie and Speicherstadt returning to the Rathaus, and then U-Bahn a little way out to a restaurant (and I'm sure I've missed some in there). Then indirectly back to Hasloh via U-Bahn and train sometime after 21:00 (and tired!), but ready for a full day the next morning (oh, and it was a quiet night, woken by the planes in the morning). https://i.ibb.co/PGpkbHq/Hamburg2.jpg https://i.ibb.co/yy2ShjP/Hamburg3.jpg https://i.ibb.co/fNgJ8Tx/Hamburg4.jpg https://i.ibb.co/HXV5Kkf/Hamburg5.jpg https://i.ibb.co/dBPs8WN/Hamburg6.jpg https://i.ibb.co/7yzNGt7/Hamburg7.jpg TBC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted January 29, 2020 Author Share Posted January 29, 2020 Off on the 09:49 train on the Monday morning, for another day tramping round the sights. (The day tickets are valid from 09:00 - to 06:00 the next day!). Dry and warm, if not particularly sunny, we knocked off more of the sights, including a tour of the various churches, as well as repeat visits to areas we liked. You can pay a significant amount of money for a harbour cruise on a swish boat, or (given that you have a valid all-day ticket) you can cruise the municipal ferries and get much the same views for free. Guess which we did? All joking aside, this is an enjoyable way of seeing the (stunning) harbour views, and you can easily pass an hour or two jumping on and off the various services. We also walked through the Elbe Tunnel (well, you have to) and returned via the ferry. Another enjoyable day, and we finished up with dinner in a restaurant in the Sternschanze, before heading back to the 'van at around 20:00 (exhausted ;-) ). https://i.ibb.co/vPthzB6/Hamburg8.jpg https://i.ibb.co/Fbvr9FR/Hamburg9.jpg https://i.ibb.co/bJcSdGs/Hamburg10.jpg https://i.ibb.co/6vnDfhS/Hamburg11.jpg https://i.ibb.co/3RN85jk/Hamburg12.jpg And that was it, with only two nights left before our ferry back to the UK, it was to be a couple of long hops back to the Hook, but it turned out that the excitement wasn't quite over..... TBC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 As your visits progressed my impression is that the scenery has become more harsh with larger buildings and less of the decorative black and white types Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted January 30, 2020 Author Share Posted January 30, 2020 The planning from here was slightly back-to-front. We'd already decided that a good last-night stop would be at Culemborg in The Netherlands. It was where I had a Busbiker bike rack fitted to my previous PVC, we knew the site at the Marina (having stopped there then) and it is a leisurely drive to The Hook to catch the afternoon ferry. Ideally, it being around 290 miles away, a one-night stop around halfway would suit. The most appropriate option we could find was the Stellplatz at the Marina at Recke, 150 miles away on the Mittelland Kanal. Fine and sunny when we set off, by the time we got to Recke it was damp. The Marina is somewhat out of town, well away from anywhere, but has an on-site café (which was fairly well patronised). There were a few 'vans on site, and we booked in to a warm welcome at the café. Full, basic but clean facilities here, and €10.50 per night (all-in, incl elec). https://www.marina-recke.com/ It now being dry but dull, we walked the mile and a half (and back) into the fairly unremarkable town (ISTR a reasonably attractive, Norman-style church, but little else). Dinner at the 'van and then a walk along the canal in slightly better weather. https://i.ibb.co/KFRzYrL/Recke1.jpg https://i.ibb.co/kB4rgg7/Recke2.jpg Another (very) quiet night. Despite the less-than-inspiring memories of the further surroundings, it was difficult not to like this Stellplatz. It was friendly, and did what it said on the tin. It was ideal for the overnight stop we wanted, and indeed, given time, might well be a very good base for some cycling. We left Recke shortly after 09:00, and called at the unmanned station to fill the gas bottles with LPG. Payment was in advance, and remote from the pump, and whatever I did, I couldn't get a fill (I was glad I'd only pre-paid €5!). I finally gave up after much wrestling. (I suspected the adapter, but there was nothing obvious. In fact we had plenty to spare so I left things till we got home - where the LPG station is only a mile away. Unfortunately, once home it wouldn't fill either; despite minutes of trying no delivery or price registered. I made my apologies and left, suspecting the NRV in the filler. At home. I managed to push this open with a blunt instrument - receiving a face full of gas at the same time :-( - and then returned to the station for another try. Nada - absolutely nothing. I went inside to be told "Oh yes, someone else has been in between your two visits and same thing - we've been having trouble so we've called the engineer". I went back a couple of days later, and no problem at all. I still don't know what the issue was in Germany, though :-( ) Anyway, we arrived at Culemborg at 12:15, in bright sunshine, to find the Marina busy, with some empty pitches, but all reserved. The Marina office deals with everything, but is not permanently manned......and it wasn't! I Turned round and parked to do some frantic replanning, then from a distance noticed someone go in there. I ran down, and enquired whether they were really reserved. "Well, they are, but I can let you have one for one night - one is available now, and the other later on when someone has gone". Some of the pitches are a little tight for access, (though they are quite large pitches, plenty of grass plus hardstanding) but the one that was immediately free was OK, so we were lucky. https://www.dehellingculemborg.nl/ https://i.ibb.co/DrQxZh6/Culemborg1.jpg It's a nice place to stop here. €16.50 per night with free WiFi and use of the Marina facilities (elec, water and hot showers extra). It's a short walk into town, and Culemborg is quite attractive. We didn't get chance to cycle on our previous visit (no bikes, as we'd gone there to get a bike-rack fitted), but it looked a good centre for doing so. After a quick lunch, we were about to get the bikes out, but started talking to our Belgian neighbours. They had a cat with them, and were unsuccessfully trying to tempt it back from the other side of the fence. We've seen a few cats in 'vans on our travels, but they've usually been on a long tether; this was free, and patently uninterested in coming "home". Anyway, it transpired that the Dutch King and Queen were to be in town from 14:30 (how they knew we were visiting I never did find out), and if they could catch the cat, they were off for a look-see. Well, you can't pass up such an opportunity, so we postponed the bike ride, watched them finally catch the cat, and went for a short wander round the marina. We returned to the 'van to get the cameras, only to find that our neighbours feared they would miss out, as the cat had gone awol again, this time without trace (some people never learn). We headed into town, to find security (albeit quite relaxed) all over, and a good-sized crowd waiting for a view. Eventually, the Royal Party arrived......in a minibus, I kid you not.... and disappeared into the town hall. A little later they appeared on the balcony to witness a Dutch cultural event (Pop songs sung by local children in English.....again, I kid you not.....) waved at everyone, and were whisked away. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. .....I kid you not...... https://i.ibb.co/gdgJS1M/Culemborg2.jpg https://i.ibb.co/b3ynWnq/Culemborg3.jpg We shopped for food for the BBQ, and when we got back there was still no cat :-( . We got our evening ride, largely Eastward along the bank of De Lek, and on to the Rhine Canal. We were intrigued by the cycle signposts, which essentially had number points at junctions, and you could ride them like a matrix, choosing your route as, say 12-82-83-87-22-24, and simply following signs to the junction until you came to it, then the next number. So, you could choose an almost infinite number (I exaggerate a bit) of different routes back to a given point (and we diverted a bit heading back, using this method for some variance. Only 15 miles this time due to time constraints. And when we got back there was still no cat :-( . A quiet night, and the next day was Ascension Day, with the shops being closed until 10:00. We headed into town for provisions for our journey, and then set off mid-morning for The Hook. I can't leave you in suspense, there was still no cat.....and the Belgians were having to leave so I doubt it ended happily. (TBH, from the start it was obvious that the cat was "hers", and "he" wasn't very interested. I got the impression as we left that he rather thought he'd got a result ;-) ) We were nice and early for the boat, and boarded straight away. It left on time at 14:15, and docked in Harwich at 19:45, after a calm journey which in daytime is just long enough for it not to pall. We were home at 23:30 which, though late, is fine when you know you're heading home, and have had a good break on the boat. TBC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted January 30, 2020 Author Share Posted January 30, 2020 And that really is it. It may have helped introduce a few more people to the Stellplatz/Aire lifestyle. For us, it isn't a cost thing (indeed, some of the Stellplätze used on this trip approached or exceeded the cost of some of the cheaper campsites we've used, albeit with (near-) campsite-like facilities). Having divested ourselves of the offspring over the years, we've slowly gravitated towards Aires and Stellplätze, initially for passing convenience, and now by choice. We simply like the freedom, and the fact that one can get very close to towns and other areas of interest, which lends itself to the motorhome lifestyle. TBH, we find our trips (particularly in Germany, where I've already said we invariably hit lucky in finding something of interest to occupy our time) are quite often planned around the locations of selected Stellplätze, and then exploring the surrounding area, rather than the other way round. It may also have introduced a few more to the delights of Germany as a holiday destination. Diesel is relatively cheap, food is not expensive, neither is eating and/or drinking out, and the trip report shows that somewhere to stay can also be cost-effective. We wondered somewhat about Northern Germany, where Stellplätze are rather more sparsely distributed than elsewhere in Germany (and also, on average, we think slightly more expensive on average), but we needn't have worried. It helps to speak a little German, but it isn't vital. The Germans are, by and large, a friendly bunch, and most things tend just to work with Teutonic efficiency (LPG pumps excepted, of course ;-) ). If you haven't tried this style of holiday, and/or Germany, you might like to give it a go! (and don't forget the Kaffee/Kuchen ;-) ) https://i.ibb.co/vsSzKTc/Kaffee.jpg ===== If there is any appetite for it, as I said, I started a couple of reports; this is the first. I could continue in a similar manner with the second, an enjoyable September trip down the East of Germany, with a dip into the Czech Republic. I can assure you that no cats will be harmed in the making of this new report (well, only one, and only slightly anyway ;-) ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 Robinhood - 2020-01-30 3:55 PM If there is any appetite for it, as I said, I started a couple of reports; this is the first. I could continue in a similar manner with the second, an enjoyable September trip down the East of Germany, with a dip into the Czech Republic. I can assure you that no cats will be harmed in the making of this new report (well, only one, and only slightly anyway ;-) ). Go for it Robin! I found it, and previous ones you've written, really entertaining and helpful. I'm not a cat person, so report the lot! Thanks Jeremy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted January 31, 2020 Author Share Posted January 31, 2020 ...well, I'll blame you Jeremy, but the report from our second trip of the year has now started here: https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Trip-Report-Germany-Sept-2019-Part-1/54372/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted February 9, 2020 Author Share Posted February 9, 2020 Following a request for an overview of the route on the other trip report, (which I've added), here is the same for this one. Google maps now has a limited number of destinations you can plot on a route, so I've had to split into two parts. Hook of Holland to Schwerin: https://goo.gl/maps/zTFzW9xzCTMApdeh6 Schwerin to Hook of Holland: https://goo.gl/maps/ZQM8cREDGGSBoHW1A These may not be the exact routes taken due to "Umleitung" and stops for provisions etc., but are close enough to give an idea. Each "destination" point has been dropped as close to the Stellplatz as Google will route to. (And the entry to the Stellplatz in Magdeburg is nowhere near as convoluted as Mr Google thinks ;-) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.