Scottish Tourer
New member
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2010
- Posts
- 4
This is a diary of our 4 month trip around Europe using one of our hire fleet motorhomes during the quite season.
Friday 10/10/08
Left Perth 1.30pm arrived at services in Maidstone Kent 12 hours and 510 miles later, lot?s of roadwork?s, wind and torrential rain made it a slow journey. We both enjoyed a large drambuie before bed at 3am.
Saturday 11/10/08
Wakened at 10am to glorious sunshine and a very small notice. ?Maximum stay 2 hours. Please purchase ticket for longer stay [?14] Wheel clamps will be used and fine issued? After setting the alarm off 3 times my doubts about Gordon?s ability to sneak a 23ft motor home past the parking attendant were unfounded!!! Nice 30 min drive to Dover and got the 3.30 ferry to Calais, smooth 1 hour crossing. Drove 20 miles towards Dunkerque and stopped at free camper van parking at small harbour in Gravelines.
Weather lovely 20?C
Total mileage today- 50
NOTE ? in France they provide free motor home parking in all the villages they are called Aires, they usually have fresh water and waste water dumping facilities for around 2?. They vary in size from 10 ? 30 vans.
Sunday 12/10/08
Bonjour, 8am. Wandered down over moat past fort to local boulangerie for fresh croissants for breakfast. Had a drive around Dunkerque, but not a lot to see, a very large town with a lot in industry. Drove into Belgium and had lunch at village called Le Panne. Decided to drive west back along the coast to Arromanches.[Normandy D Day Landings] Arrived 7pm camped up at Aire in village which had parking for 14 and we got the last space.
Weather 24?C
Mileage today ? 320
Monday 13/10/08
Visited the D Day Museum at Arromanches. Then onto Omaha beach and the American Cemetery. This was unbelievable; you would think it had been built yesterday and not in1956. A huge modern display and information reception before going through to the gardens, memorials and 9400 graves with immaculate white marble headstone in perfect lines, only the Americans could have built a show piece like this in the middle of the Normandy countryside, well worth visiting, a very moving experience. Drove down to Aire at Utah beach to spend the night.
Weather ? Fair 16?C
Mileage today ? 51
Tuesday 14/10/08
Utah beach Museum ? brilliant. Then onto Pointe Du Hoc. This is where 225 American rangers scaled the cliffs to take out the German guns. 90 survived. We are both a lot more knowledgeable about the D Day Landings. A very enjoyable and interesting 2 days on the Normandy coast. Drove to the east of Paris and stayed at motorway services. Sat Nav through the centre of Paris great, although it does take you onto the toll roads, did it in 30 mins. The roads aren?t nearly as busy as back home.
Weather ? Cloudy but fair 17?C
Mileage today - 250
Wednesday 15/10/08
Drove through Champagne Country today. Stopped at another American war memorial at Chateau Thierry, sitting on a quiet country hill side it was 200ft high and 1000ft long. The Americans really like to make their mark and let everyone know their part in WWII. Lovely run on non toll quiet roads all the way to Germany. Arrived German border 8.30pm, staying at motorway services just outside Saarbrucken, when we arrived a young guy from Hungary came over, he had just bought a car in Germany and had broken down and ?he did not know nothing why the diesel was pouring out the engine? Gordon spent the next 2 hours doing a temporary repair for him, he was extremely grateful as he had 1500km to travel back to Hungary! We hope he makes it.
Weather ? Cloudy 18?C just started raining this evening 10pm
Mileage today - 250
Thursday 16/10/08
Left services in heavy rain which continued all the way to Nurnberg, a long drive with a few road works. Lovely countryside, arrived 6pm and booked into only campsite in Nurnberg {28?. For 1 night!!!} Drove into city to stock up on groceries (a lot cheaper than in France but diesel is more expensive 1.30? a litre}.couldn?t get any satellite signal tonight so missed Emmerdale ! Watching DVD.
Weather - 13?C Rain
Mileage today ? 260
Friday 17/10/08
Parked 2 miles from city centre and had a nice walk in. did the tourist sight seeing bit. Nurnberg is a lovely city, very clean. The only thing we have trouble with is the language ! ordered Riesenbratwurst, Bratkartoffeln & Sauerkraut for lunch. It tasted ok !
Roads are good and we haven?t had any difficulty navigating them. Travelled to Swickau and parked in motorway services tonight.
Weather - 10?C Sunny but very cold
Mileage today ? 126
Saturday 18/10/08
Drove to Dresden and then onto Colditz, it wasn?t the easiest place to find, no signposts until you were within a mile of the town, located the castle, it sits in the centre of town surrounded by houses which surprised us, we then parked in lay-by just outside Colditz town.
Weather - 10?C Sunny
Mileage today 148
.
Edit: Removed ad.
Friday 10/10/08
Left Perth 1.30pm arrived at services in Maidstone Kent 12 hours and 510 miles later, lot?s of roadwork?s, wind and torrential rain made it a slow journey. We both enjoyed a large drambuie before bed at 3am.
Saturday 11/10/08
Wakened at 10am to glorious sunshine and a very small notice. ?Maximum stay 2 hours. Please purchase ticket for longer stay [?14] Wheel clamps will be used and fine issued? After setting the alarm off 3 times my doubts about Gordon?s ability to sneak a 23ft motor home past the parking attendant were unfounded!!! Nice 30 min drive to Dover and got the 3.30 ferry to Calais, smooth 1 hour crossing. Drove 20 miles towards Dunkerque and stopped at free camper van parking at small harbour in Gravelines.
Weather lovely 20?C
Total mileage today- 50
NOTE ? in France they provide free motor home parking in all the villages they are called Aires, they usually have fresh water and waste water dumping facilities for around 2?. They vary in size from 10 ? 30 vans.
Sunday 12/10/08
Bonjour, 8am. Wandered down over moat past fort to local boulangerie for fresh croissants for breakfast. Had a drive around Dunkerque, but not a lot to see, a very large town with a lot in industry. Drove into Belgium and had lunch at village called Le Panne. Decided to drive west back along the coast to Arromanches.[Normandy D Day Landings] Arrived 7pm camped up at Aire in village which had parking for 14 and we got the last space.
Weather 24?C
Mileage today ? 320
Monday 13/10/08
Visited the D Day Museum at Arromanches. Then onto Omaha beach and the American Cemetery. This was unbelievable; you would think it had been built yesterday and not in1956. A huge modern display and information reception before going through to the gardens, memorials and 9400 graves with immaculate white marble headstone in perfect lines, only the Americans could have built a show piece like this in the middle of the Normandy countryside, well worth visiting, a very moving experience. Drove down to Aire at Utah beach to spend the night.
Weather ? Fair 16?C
Mileage today ? 51
Tuesday 14/10/08
Utah beach Museum ? brilliant. Then onto Pointe Du Hoc. This is where 225 American rangers scaled the cliffs to take out the German guns. 90 survived. We are both a lot more knowledgeable about the D Day Landings. A very enjoyable and interesting 2 days on the Normandy coast. Drove to the east of Paris and stayed at motorway services. Sat Nav through the centre of Paris great, although it does take you onto the toll roads, did it in 30 mins. The roads aren?t nearly as busy as back home.
Weather ? Cloudy but fair 17?C
Mileage today - 250
Wednesday 15/10/08
Drove through Champagne Country today. Stopped at another American war memorial at Chateau Thierry, sitting on a quiet country hill side it was 200ft high and 1000ft long. The Americans really like to make their mark and let everyone know their part in WWII. Lovely run on non toll quiet roads all the way to Germany. Arrived German border 8.30pm, staying at motorway services just outside Saarbrucken, when we arrived a young guy from Hungary came over, he had just bought a car in Germany and had broken down and ?he did not know nothing why the diesel was pouring out the engine? Gordon spent the next 2 hours doing a temporary repair for him, he was extremely grateful as he had 1500km to travel back to Hungary! We hope he makes it.
Weather ? Cloudy 18?C just started raining this evening 10pm
Mileage today - 250
Thursday 16/10/08
Left services in heavy rain which continued all the way to Nurnberg, a long drive with a few road works. Lovely countryside, arrived 6pm and booked into only campsite in Nurnberg {28?. For 1 night!!!} Drove into city to stock up on groceries (a lot cheaper than in France but diesel is more expensive 1.30? a litre}.couldn?t get any satellite signal tonight so missed Emmerdale ! Watching DVD.
Weather - 13?C Rain
Mileage today ? 260
Friday 17/10/08
Parked 2 miles from city centre and had a nice walk in. did the tourist sight seeing bit. Nurnberg is a lovely city, very clean. The only thing we have trouble with is the language ! ordered Riesenbratwurst, Bratkartoffeln & Sauerkraut for lunch. It tasted ok !
Roads are good and we haven?t had any difficulty navigating them. Travelled to Swickau and parked in motorway services tonight.
Weather - 10?C Sunny but very cold
Mileage today ? 126
Saturday 18/10/08
Drove to Dresden and then onto Colditz, it wasn?t the easiest place to find, no signposts until you were within a mile of the town, located the castle, it sits in the centre of town surrounded by houses which surprised us, we then parked in lay-by just outside Colditz town.
Weather - 10?C Sunny
Mileage today 148
.
Edit: Removed ad.