France in a camper van

[Redder Lurtz]

We're planning to do a two week circular tour of France next July. I'll be buying a camper van in Feb.

 

Anyone ever done something similar? I'll probably buy a book and all that and I'm going to put plenty of time into planning a route. Just wondered if anyone has any tips. 

[Bjornebye]

That sounds boss. 

[cloggypop]

Might need more than one book for two weeks like. 

[A Red]

The first book or App you need is Brit Stops for the UK. It gives you loads of campsites but also pubs that allow free (or very cheap) stopovers in their car parks, on the basis that you might eat or drink in their establishment. There are loads of them all over the country. 

 

We were planning to go in to France this year but Covid put paid to that but apparently (we've not done it) there are loads of places you can stay next to their motorways or major routes or in towns which are free.

 

https://www.beerandcroissants.com/free-campervan-stops-in-france/

 

 

[Redder Lurtz]

Cracking that, Kevin Turvey. I'll have a good look at that. 

[Rushies tash]

1 hour ago, Redder Lurtz said:

We're planning to do a two week circular tour of France next July. I'll be buying a camper van in Feb.

 

Anyone ever done something similar? I'll probably buy a book and all that and I'm going to put plenty of time into planning a route. Just wondered if anyone has any tips. 

Did it over 20 years ago with a student rail card and a copy of lonely planet. Stayed in cheap hotels, hostels etc. and went anti clockwise from St. Malo in Brittany to Paris then down south (via Barcelona). St. Malo is a lovely walled town and worth a visit on it's own. Highlight whilst down south west was definitely swimming in the river below Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct. The towns in the east / Alsace (Dijon, Nancy, Strasbourg) are very pretty and worth a visit as well as towns like Beaune in Burgundy for a wine tour. If I remember any more I'll post it.

[TheHowieLama]

Do you speak French Lurtz?

[Mudface]

3 hours ago, TheHowieLama said:

Do you speak French Lurtz?

Can you keep this mucky stuff to PMs please?

[Redder Lurtz]

4 hours ago, TheHowieLama said:

Do you speak French Lurtz?

Not particularly well. I can get by though. 

[Anubis]

My tip - no early morning arse pictures this time.

[Bjornebye]

Best holiday I ever had was hiring a car and driving around Italy. Far better than 2 weeks arguing with Brian from Solihull about immigrants and the england football team while watching him slowly burn as the days go on. 

 

Jealous of you Redderz. 

[Edward.]

Drove through pretty much every state In America bloody hell nearly 30years ago in a VW camper with a pillow case stuffed with weed and about 7000 mushrooms probably doesn’t help very much l just can’t believe it was nearly 30 years ago.

[Bjornebye]

1 minute ago, Edward. said:

Drove through pretty much every state In America bloody hell nearly 30years ago in a VW camper with a pillow case stuffed with weed and about 7000 mushrooms probably doesn’t help very much l just can’t believe it was nearly 30 years ago.

Boss. How long were you out there? 

[Trumo]

5 minutes ago, Edward. said:

Drove through pretty much every state In America bloody hell nearly 30years ago in a VW camper with a pillow case stuffed with weed and about 7000 mushrooms probably doesn’t help very much l just can’t believe it was nearly 30 years ago.

 

You say nearly 30 years ago, when in reality it was just last week.

[elvis]

How much you gonna spend on the van ? Was thinking of doing something similar if our borders ever fuckin' open

[TheHowieLama]

Gettin the van back together.

[Red_or_Dead]

16 hours ago, cloggypop said:

Might need more than one book for two weeks like. 

He's a slow reader.

 

 

[Edward.]

28 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

Boss. How long were you out there? 

I had a visa for the year I worked. Then we got arrested for cultivating, possession of a class A product drug paraphernalia stolen property(which was basically a giant concrete dragon taken one evening from a garden centre). Went to court on 3 separate occasions by which time my visa had run out. So like any outlaw in old westerns we headed for the border.

[cloggypop]

33 minutes ago, Edward. said:

Drove through pretty much every state In America bloody hell nearly 30years ago in a VW camper with a pillow case stuffed with weed and about 7000 mushrooms probably doesn’t help very much l just can’t believe it was nearly 30 years ago.

Ken Kesey over here. 

[Strontium]

I have to confess, when I saw the thread title I thought it was one of Alan Partridge's programme ideas.

[Redder Lurtz]

2 hours ago, elvis said:

How much you gonna spend on the van ? Was thinking of doing something similar if our borders ever fuckin' open

I don't think I'll be able to afford anything too flash so prob between £10k and £12k 

[lifetime fan]

3 minutes ago, Redder Lurtz said:

I don't think I'll be able to afford anything too flash so prob between £10k and £12k 

Have a look online, but a mate found it a lot cheaper to buy a transit type van and then have it converted. 

[Paulie Dangerously]

Keep an eye on "black weekends" for driving in France.  There's certain weekends when people holidaying in france drive home and new ones take their place.  Those weekends are an absolute nightmare to go anywhere so avoid like the plague.  The first 2 weekends of August are the worst and most Saturdays in July/Aug 

[Karl_b]

Sounds great Lurtzy. If travelling to Europe with a dog doesn't become a complete nightmare post-Brexit then we plan on seeing some of Northern France over the next few years, via a bit of driving around and camping.

[Bjornebye]

On 21/08/2020 at 15:29, Paulie Dangerously said:

Keep an eye on "black weekends" for driving in France.  There's certain weekends when people holidaying in france drive home and new ones take their place.  Those weekends are an absolute nightmare to go anywhere so avoid like the plague.  The first 2 weekends of August are the worst and most Saturdays in July/Aug 

Off all the racist things I've seen in my career