Advice On Camping / Touring France Please

[Greg.g]

I am contemplating doing a little touring trip of france in early july in the liz.

 

The idea rolling round in my head is to tour for about 16 nights, camping for 2 or 3 days, then a night in a hotel.

The areas that i am intertested in are the Dordogne and possibly over as far as the french alps.

 

Has anyone attempted a trip like this, and would like to give me any advice on campsites etc.

 

As a taster we are already booked on the le mans trip

 

 

Oh, and my french stretches as far as saying the pencil is on the table

 

School french lessons were really helpful

[Snapper]

Stuff the camping. Tent Sleeping bags

 

There are lots of reasonably cheep accomodation in France. Camping is to much trouble.. In the summer you will need to book in advance... which limits where you can go..

 

Stay free and easy and just stop where you want to....

[Greg.g]

Have you tried touring snapper.

If so, where did you go?

 

 

I have this image in my head of sitting outside a tent with a bottle of plonk, a crust of french bread and a lump of cheese

[Snapper]

Hi Greg

 

I have been touring in Europe a number of times...

 

Spanish side of the Pyrenees from Bilbao to Andora and back in a Caterham 7 Supersport

 

Le Mans, Camping for a week with the Lotus 7 Club in a Caterham 7 Superlight. Tents ect was taken down for us. (The luggage space in a 7 is about the same as an Elise.

 

Northern Spain, from Santander over The Picos de Europa mountains to Santiago, La Coruna and back over the Picos de Europa mountains, through the Rioca wine region and back to Santander for the ferry back. In a Lotus Elise S2 111s.

 

Le Mans, Camping for a week with the Lotus 7 Club in a Lotus Elise S2 111s. Tents ect was taken down for us.

 

This year I am going through France down to Switzerland, into Italy for the Stelvio Pass, back up through the Black Forrest in Germany and back into France for the final run back.. This will be in My S2 Exige..

 

The Elise/Exige is a great Euro tourer But for His & Her traveling I wouldn't want to take camping stuff..

 

Yes is the answer, If I can give you any advice, Not sure what, send me a personal message/email and I will sent you my phone number.

 

 

Jamie

[Greg.g]

Thanks for that jamie

[Scott_Mac]

I love camping though, its a wonderful feeling... know what you mean about booking in advance, does kinda limit you a bit i guess.

 

I went to the Lake District in April lasst year and it was lovely, didn't have to book and could go where we wanted... really am looking forward to a proper Europe trip... maybe to my folks place in Portugal

[Greg.g]

Do you think that i would have to book for a small tent in the first two weeks in july.

I do not know what the school holidays are in france.

 

If this idea does come off, i plan on basing my trip around 3 or four campsites/ areas.

[Scott_Mac]

I've no idea, based on my experience in the UK - it was busy at a few sites at the weekend - then yes... might be worth emailing a few places and enquiring, it may not be so bad to book, at least it gives you somewhere to aim for each day!

[Steve J]

I love camping though, its a wonderful feeling...

 

 

At last the truth comes out

[Ladders]

Greg, I'm thinking of doing the same thing this summer.

 

Well drive through France, then through Spain with a few nights over to Morroco (Sans Car!)

 

Jamie, you saying you can't just turn up to a camp site then, you have to book?

 

So taking a tent etc is a waste of time?

 

Roughly how much is an average place to stay in France?

[GCCK]

What would you guys do about breakdown cover while abroad? (Thinking of LeMans trip here)

[Ladders]

What would you guys do about breakdown cover while abroad? (Thinking of LeMans trip here)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Push it back to Britain and call the AA!

 

Dont the AA etc do extended cover for the continent?

[Snapper]

Greg:

 

'I have this image in my head of sitting outside a tent with a bottle of plonk, a crust of french bread and a lump of cheese'

 

Wishing that the family from hell wasn't in the tent blocking you view with the kids screaming

 

 

 

Graeme: RAC Euro Cover

 

 

Hi Ladders

 

I am not saying that you can't just turn up because if they have space I am sure they will take your money. But it just seems like a lot of trouble if you find every where is full. Driving to the next B&B is not such a problem and B&B often know others in the area and can help you out.

 

There are far more B&B and small family run hotels that are cheap. I would rather be having fun instead of sticking up tent ect. Never found camping that much fun or comfortable especially with the boot space of a Elise. Its not like you can take lots of stuff..

 

Lotus seat are comfortable but when you have had a few nights in a tent they aren't that comfortable any more.

 

There is nothing I find worse that touring in a hot country where you get hot and bothered and then staying in a tent..

 

I just think that with a little bit more thought life could be far easier, comfortable and more enjoyable.

 

I would rather spend a bit more time in the car driving through great countryside and old villages and seeing things of interests. Pulling up at and old village with some cheap accommodation, having a shower and off for something nice to eat & drink. then having a walk around the village to get a good feel for the place.

 

I just find that camp sites tend to be away from places with nice architecture and atmosphere and full of holiday makers with screaming kids.

 

Like most people I work hard to be able to afford the car to do this, I am not well off with loads of money to splash about. When I go away I need to maximise what I do because when I am away I’m not earning money.

 

When we did the Spanish side of the Pyrenees from Bilbao to Andora and back we stayed at Leyre in a very quite hotel that seemed to be in the middle of no where. We went up to the Monasterio de Leyre which dated back to Roman times and listened to the monks during their service where they did a type of gorgorian chants... sounded fantastic.

 

From there we went and had a look at the Castle Javier (As in Francis of Xavier) which was a short blast in the car. Fantastic stuff but I don’t think there was a camp site for miles....

 

We also stay a fantastic little place up in the mountains in Panticosa, which was up a fantastically twisty road, which was like doing a 5 mile sprint or hill climb event. when we got to the top we entered in to what looked like an old volcano through to rock faces to see a massive lake with a small village on one side and across the lake there was a water fall coming from high of the rock face.

 

The hotel Medio Dia used to be a hospital for rich people with bronchial problems because to the quality of the air and the humidity of the lake... The village was basically the Hotel, The Old Casino some bars/restaurants and locals homes.

 

The whole place just had a magic feel to it... but sadly no where to stick a tent.

 

OK most of these trip was done with a group of other cars, but even if we was on out own I would have done it the same. You just don’t get the atmosphere for a place in a campsite. A campsite is a campsite in England or across the Channel.

 

Just My View.

 

 

I have added a few picture from my tours abroad... some of them in a Caterham... Hope the don't bore you to much...

 

Castle Xavier

[Scott_Mac]

Graeme/Ladders - you can get extended cover for the AA, its about £35 for the Le Mans trip, but you can extend it to annual cover for not a huge sum more....

 

Seems to be good cover too.

 

I think all of the tour companies you have booked with offer something... priced reasonably too.

[Snapper]

Spanish Mountain Roads..