Dipping our toes into European Adventures (1 Viewer)

[JohnnyRoyal]

Good Afternoon Fellow Adventures
Happy New Year to you All

After having Maurice The Motorhome for 4 years we are ready for our first experience of adventures in Europe this year. This is after our furry travelling companion passed over the rainbow bridge.
We are planning to get the ferry to Santander in May. Then we will drive back up through France for approx 2 weeks and then the ferry back to Portsmouth. We are going on this adventure with friends who also have a Motorhome.

Then in September after I become 60 and retire from work, will be working part-time though, there is only so much I can spend 24:7 with Mrs W
We are hoping to go to Germany in September for another 2 week road trip.
So I am after some help with planning our first road trip there. I have seen articles/vlogs about the Romantic Road. Would this be a good idea to follow for our first adventure? Or do people recommend another route?
Any recommends where to visit, stop and camp?
Any ideas will really appreciated

Thanks again for your help

John

 

[suavecarve]

For Germany, you may want to take a look at this thread in covid times with different people trying different parts of Germany.
It takes a few pages of covid information to sift through but probably worth it for different peoples aspects of a first or second time visit

Germany/Austria August/September information sharing.

This thread is designed for people who have, or are, or will be going to Germany/Austria as an alternative to France/Spain in the months of August/September. (or longer) People interested in the thread should ensure their own travel insurance is in order, motorhome insurance, pet insurance and...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Another useful tool is the journal and a link to the full continental map. Just scroll in and again different people have stopped in different places and left a ditty with photographs

Continental Tours - Map

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[Two on Tour]

For your trip to Germany in September, personally, I would travel the Mosel from Trier to Koblenz and back as it will be wine festival time and it's just a lovely part of Germany as well.

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[Chrisvh]

For your trip to Germany in September, personally, I would travel the Mosel from Trier to Koblenz and back as it will be wine festival time and it's just a lovely part of Germany as well.

Great advice. Highly recommended.

 

[VXman]

So I am after some help with planning our first road trip there. I have seen articles/vlogs about the Romantic Road. Would this be a good idea to follow for our first adventure? Or do people recommend another route?
Any recommends where to visit, stop and camp?
Any ideas will really appreciated

We did the Romantic Road trip in Autumn of 2022. Really enjoyed it. We took about 2 weeks to do it. If you like exploring historic towns/villages/castles with beautiful scenery/vineyards/rivers then you would enjoy it. We didn't plan any stops, just took it day by day. There are lots of 'Stellplatz' motorhome park ups along the route with water/toilet emptying facilities.

Romantic Road Germany - information, maps and sights

Germany's Romantic Road - find out more about the towns, villages and sights along the tourist route with this independent travel guide.

www.romanticroadgermany.com

Motorhome route: the Romantic Road in Germany

Discover this beautiful route through Germany now on your next motorhome journey! The Romantic Road is - as the name suggests - a romantic motorhome route full of medieval atmospheres and beautiful castles, ideal to discover during your motorhome holiday in Germany.

camperstop.com

 

[JohnnyRoyal]

Thanks very much for your replies and advice.
Time for me to buy a map of Germany and mark some routes!

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[Suenliam]

I know it depends on how you want to spend your holidays, but for us only 2 weeks to get from Santander to Caen/Le Harvre does not seem very long. The distance without diverting off Motorways or N roads is about 650 miles which would not leave you much time to explore villages, towns or attractions. However, you might like driving longer distances at a go than us.
If we only had 2 weeks we would go Portsmouth/Caen return and explore the Loire valley, but that's just us!
Enjoy your trip.
Sue

 

[The Wino]

I know it depends on how you want to spend your holidays, but for us only 2 weeks to get from Santander to Caen/Le Harvre does not seem very long. The distance without diverting off Motorways or N roads is about 650 miles which would not leave you much time to explore villages, towns or attractions. However, you might like driving longer distances at a go than us.
If we only had 2 weeks we would go Portsmouth/Caen return and explore the Loire valley, but that's just us!
Enjoy your trip.
Sue

As you say everyone is different. We went from Calais via Lyon to the med along the Mediterranean coast over the Pyrenees to the Atlantic coast and back via the Loire in a couple of weeks and stopped off a fair bit on the way. In the ops case it's about 50 miles a day hardly pushing it!

 

[Brains]

If you are (semi) retired, why the 2 week limit ?

For Germany, book the Stena line Harwich/Hook of Holland ferry now.
As the later you leave it the higher the prices.
Get the overnight one, which means you can leave home mid afternoon, pootle to Harwich and then sleep in a bed in your cabin overnight and you will be in Germany in time for a late breakfast.
(Way more pleasant than the Dover/Calais ferries and faster as well!)

We aim for Green Camping at Braubach on the Rhein for the 1st night.

The Romantic route is an excellent way to go. Rothenberg is special.
As would the Mozel, Trier is worth a couple of days.
(You wont do both in two weeks)

On the way back we spend the last night at Delft
It gives you the day to wander around town and then catch the night ferry to the UK and you will be home in time for lunch.

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[Jewellbags]

Good Afternoon Fellow Adventures
Happy New Year to you All

After having Maurice The Motorhome for 4 years we are ready for our first experience of adventures in Europe this year. This is after our furry travelling companion passed over the rainbow bridge.
We are planning to get the ferry to Santander in May. Then we will drive back up through France for approx 2 weeks and then the ferry back to Portsmouth. We are going on this adventure with friends who also have a Motorhome.

Then in September after I become 60 and retire from work, will be working part-time though, there is only so much I can spend 24:7 with Mrs W
We are hoping to go to Germany in September for another 2 week road trip.
So I am after some help with planning our first road trip there. I have seen articles/vlogs about the Romantic Road. Would this be a good idea to follow for our first adventure? Or do people recommend another route?
Any recommends where to visit, stop and camp?
Any ideas will really appreciated

Thanks again for your help

John

Can’t recommend the mosel route strongly enough . Worth a gander

 

[Christy]

We did the Romantic Road trip in Autumn of 2022. Really enjoyed it. We took about 2 weeks to do it. If you like exploring historic towns/villages/castles with beautiful scenery/vineyards/rivers then you would enjoy it. We didn't plan any stops, just took it day by day. There are lots of 'Stellplatz' motorhome park ups along the route with water/toilet emptying facilities.

Romantic Road Germany - information, maps and sights

Germany's Romantic Road - find out more about the towns, villages and sights along the tourist route with this independent travel guide.

www.romanticroadgermany.com

Motorhome route: the Romantic Road in Germany

Discover this beautiful route through Germany now on your next motorhome journey! The Romantic Road is - as the name suggests - a romantic motorhome route full of medieval atmospheres and beautiful castles, ideal to discover during your motorhome holiday in Germany.

camperstop.com

A bit cheeky but don't suppose you would be willing to share your actual route and stops would you as I only have two weeks and notice that is what you did it in?

Many thanks

 

[Grianan]

One of the things I’m most looking forward to about retiring is not being constrained by the 2 weeks. I’ve no idea what length of trip will suit us and I always feel that it’s not quite the same after the half way point but, in your shoes, I might consider 3-4 weeks of you can?

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[David and Sally]

For your trip to Germany in September, personally, I would travel the Mosel from Trier to Koblenz and back as it will be wine festival time and it's just a lovely part of Germany as well.

Absolutely

 

[VXman]

We actually just made it up as we went along, we didn't have a plan or a time schedule as we were out for 2 months.

Having looked back more carefully we actually took 11 days from the day we landed in France to Fussen at the end of the route.

We got the evening ferry to Dover stopped at Gravelines overnight. Then it was 11 days. You could take longer or do it quicker depended on how many times you stop to explore and how long you explore for.

Route to Romantic road:

Day 1. Gravelines in France. Free Aire just outside town
Day 2. A lot of driving but ended up at a nice Stellplatz in Deudesfeld just inside Germany
Day 3. Visited Bernkastel-Kues on the Moselle and then stopped the night at Stellplatz near the River Main in Seligenstadt.

Romantic route.

1. Wurzburg - motorhome stellplatz near the leisure centre. 15 mins walk into town (About 10 euros I think)
2. Tauberbischofsheim - parked by the swimming pool (Free)
3. Bad Mergentheim and then on to Rothenburg ob der Tauber for the night- Big motorhome/car/lorry car park.
4. Dinkelsbuhl and then Nordlingen for the night Motorhome Stellplatz just outside the walled town.
5. Harburg and then Ausburg - Stellplatz
6. Kissing parked near the lake
7. Landsberg am Lech and then Schongau stellplatz inc services. 8 euros
8. Fussen Neuschwanstien Castle- Expensive for a Stellplatz at 20 euros but did have toilets and showers.

We found most park ups from park4night, Search4sites or google maps I think.

 

[Christy]

We actually just made it up as we went along, we didn't have a plan or a time schedule as we were out for 2 months.

Having looked back more carefully we actually took 11 days from the day we landed in France to Fussen at the end of the route.

We got the evening ferry to Dover stopped at Gravelines overnight. Then it was 11 days. You could take longer or do it quicker depended on how many times you stop to explore and how long you explore for.

Route to Romantic road:

Day 1. Gravelines in France. Free Aire just outside town
Day 2. A lot of driving but ended up at a nice Stellplatz in Deudesfeld just inside Germany
Day 3. Visited Bernkastel-Kues on the Moselle and then stopped the night at Stellplatz near the River Main in Seligenstadt.

Romantic route.

1. Wurzburg - motorhome stellplatz near the leisure centre. 15 mins walk into town (About 10 euros I think)
2. Tauberbischofsheim - parked by the swimming pool (Free)
3. Bad Mergentheim and then on to Rothenburg ob der Tauber for the night- Big motorhome/car/lorry car park.
4. Dinkelsbuhl and then Nordlingen for the night Motorhome Stellplatz just outside the walled town.
5. Harburg and then Ausburg - Stellplatz
6. Kissing parked near the lake
7. Landsberg am Lech and then Schongau stellplatz inc services. 8 euros
8. Fussen Neuschwanstien Castle- Expensive for a Stellplatz at 20 euros but did have toilets and showers.

We found most park ups from park4night, Search4sites or google maps I think.

thank you so much. Thats really helpful. It's such a shame we can only do two weeks

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[Grianan]

thank you so much. Thats really helpful. It's such a shame we can only do two weeks

You can do it in less time if you can’t extend.
In a 2 week trip we did this …
We travelled from Scotland to Hull, sailed to Rotterdam, dropped son in Dortmund later that day then stopped near Koblenz.
We then meandered down the Mosel, cut over to the Romantic Road and headed via Rothenburg ODT to Fussen. We then drove the Alpenstrasse ending up at Chiemsee.
From here we picked son up at Regensburg, headed back over to the Mosel for a couple of nights then up to the Netherlands to get our Busbiker fitted.

Here’s the thread with photos ..,

To Germany ??... somewhat reluctantly

We’ve not had much 4G around parts of Germany so this is more a retrospective ... After much dithering, because I really wanted to go back to France (sorry Chris), and several weekends away in our newish (December 2018) Globecar Campscout, we made our way from South Ayrshire to Hull for the...

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