Benidorm or Bust ?

[spitfire]

Is the UK that bad it is worth that effort to escape lol ?

 

[gus-lopez]

So practically, if I understand you correctly, if a UK (only) citizen, with no residency rights in any EU country were to enter The Netherlands via Hook of Holland, the transit to Germany and onwards to say Austrian and Italy, would currently be illegal. And you are sure that is correct?

No the question I was answering was France. You cannot transit France as a UK tourist under the current rules. Only EU residents in other states can.
I have no idea of the transit or entry rules for the other countries.

 

[slowdriver]

No the question I was answering was France. You cannot transit France as a UK tourist under the current rules. Only EU residents in other states can.
I have no idea of the transit or entry rules for the other countries.

Ah good, I understood that France was a problem. Thx for the clarification.

 

[Brains]

We will only enter France if they change the rules. The plan is to get a ferry from Italy to Spain.

Keep in mind that to cross Switzerland and Austria you will need an Umwelt (or a GoBox if your van is over 3.5t)

 

[monzer]

No the question I was answering was France. You cannot transit France as a UK tourist under the current rules. Only EU residents in other states can.
I have no idea of the transit or entry rules for the other countries.

I thought they suspended that? Jesus wept what a carry on

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[Crazylegs]

Is the UK that bad it is worth that effort to escape lol ?

I love this country but dislike the winter weather, also we thrive on challenges, it will be a great little adventure, however it unfolds.

 

[Charente16]

We have been on a ferry before that allows you to visit your dog in the van but that was on a relatively short crossing, Poole to Caen I think. This is something I need to ask some questions about, our Labrador would probably be ok with a 7/8 hour crossing to the Holland with visits, but 21 h to Barcelona is way too much time on her own.

We used the obligatory kennels on the Pont Aven from Roscoff to Cork and said never again, the dog, like many others, was in a pretty bad state and had ripped her bed to shreds. She was very wary of us for nearly a week afterwards. The return trip wasn't much better.

I think the mistake we made was going to see her and then leaving her, probably better to just leave them alone.

Next visit to Ireland we will take the ferry from Stranraer to Larne or Belfast and drive south.

Robert

 

[peterc10]

Keep in mind that to cross Switzerland and Austria you will need an Umwelt (or a GoBox if your van is over 3.5t)

You do not need either for Switzerland. All that is needed is a vignette if you are up to 3500kg or a 10 day PSVA pass (any 10 days in a year's period) if over 3500kg.

 

[Kybod]

This sounds like fun but you do realise that once you get to Genoa, the French will open the borders.
Bonne voyage

 

[SOS]

I wish you well with your adventure. If I wasn’t back at work tomorrow I’d probably say to hubby to get packed and we would join you

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[Nanniemate]

I wish you well with your adventure. If I wasn’t back at work tomorrow I’d probably say to hubby to get packed and we would join you

bugger the job we will all go

 

[Mousy]

Mr Mousy have you seen this? Im not sure why I’m giving you ideas

 

[Oscar]

Next Wednesday, will do.
I have already been in contact with another lunatic with more money than sense like myself (and that’s a statement as I usually come a disappointing last in Zoom quizzes) who is planning to do the same trip, we have arranged to both be on the same ferry.

Interesting - do you have a rough itinerary - time scales/miles etc? just wondered how it compared to the usual winter route to Spain?

 

[Crazylegs]

Interesting - do you have a rough itinerary - time scales/miles etc? just wondered how it compared to the usual winter route to Spain?

Absolutely not, the only booking is the ferry to Holland, if the rules change in France we can make a right turn at any point. If not we will investigate ferries in Genoa, the rest of the stuff is easy, eat when you are hungry, rest when you are tired. We have everything we need with us, and that we haven’t got, will be available in a shop.

 

[Crazylegs]

Two passports, one animal health certificate ( ten pages) two quarantine declarations, two copies of covid status, V5, Mot, insurance certificate, ferry vouchers. Two successful trial LF tests taken, now the real ones.
Happy dayz.

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[Crazylegs]

Here we go then.

 

[slowdriver]

The rules are changing Saturday I believe, so straight across France should be possible then.

 

[Poutie57]

Good luck, I’ll be following your journey down to

 

[Crazylegs]

The rules are changing Saturday I believe, so straight across France should be possible then.

So I read, we will have to wait and see.

 

[68c]

Here we go then.View attachment 574559

Suggest you quickly buy a stick on number plate, your one is covered by the bikes. Just gives the law one more reason to stop you.

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[EuroTrotters]

We used the obligatory kennels on the Pont Aven from Roscoff to Cork and said never again, the dog, like many others, was in a pretty bad state and had ripped her bed to shreds. She was very wary of us for nearly a week afterwards. The return trip wasn't much better.

I think the mistake we made was going to see her and then leaving her, probably better to just leave them alone.

Next visit to Ireland we will take the ferry from Stranraer to Larne or Belfast and drive south.

Robert

Can you not give the dogs sedatives ?.

 

[Nanniemate]

Suggest you quickly buy a stick on number plate, your one is covered by the bikes. Just gives the law one more reason to stop you.

preferably a French one they may not notice you then good luck

 

[csd4t]

There is a number plate, just blacked out for tinterweb purposes

 

[LesW]

Suggest you quickly buy a stick on number plate, your one is covered by the bikes. Just gives the law one more reason to stop you.

Absolutely.. that's got 'nick me' written all over it.

 

[jonsea]

Suggest you quickly buy a stick on number plate, your one is covered by the bikes. Just gives the law one more reason to stop you.

Not sure but dont think thats his motor

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[Helen Ariel]

Not very well. I can still read it!

 

[Winger]

I think he’s in the next vehicle

 

[Crazylegs]

We are indeed in the vehicle behind.
The border procedures were pretty much as normal, albeit with additional paperwork, no long queues, vehicle wasn’t searched, good grief they didn’t even confiscate our sandwiches.
The border officer on entry to Holland suggested that we park up somewhere safe for the night as the weather conditions were not great. Thick fog had enveloped the ferry about an hour from port and apparently most of the country was affected. There is a twelve hour transit exemption in Holland if you are passing through but he obviously felt our safety was more important.
We found a site that was not too far away, battened down the hatches and cranked the heating up.
Yesterday we got on the motorways and drove approximately 300 miles south to a Stellplatz near Mannheim, during this the news broke that travel for tourists in France was back on from today. This morning we are imbibing copious amounts of coffee and trying to make a decision. Should we carry on to the Genoa ferry, or turn right and head for Lyon in France.

 

[slowdriver]

Via Michelin suggests that Mannheim to Benidorm will cost €317.17 (tolls €77.80 + fuel consumption €239.37) assuming you are in a 2.3 litre modern diesel doing around 30mpg. It's 1739 km and take 16hrs 32 mins non-stop.
If that's any help.

 

[Crazylegs]

We Turned right and headed for Strasbourg and Lyon, not least to escape the freezing fog that had hampered our journey, pretty much all the way from Rotterdam until we were south of Lyon. With temperatures as low as -5 during the day we were so glad we filled up with water before we left home as the taps have been turned off or frozen wherever we have stayed.
Saturday evening we stopped at a camping car park Aire on an island in the Rhone river close to Valence. The approach bridge was being repaired, without any advance warning the width was only 2.4 m controlled by concrete barriers to both sides with rubber chevron signs on top. With half a dozen cars and another motorhome behind me I had a situation. Whilst the lights were on red I double checked our width at 2.3 on a sticker we have on the back of the sun visor and crept forward when the lights changed. Oh it was tight !! All I could do was look down from the drivers window and keep a gap of a few inches from the barriers, with alternate mirrors hitting the high rubber chevrons. I have no idea what happened to the motorhome behind as at one point it was there, then it wasn’t. By the time we got close to the other side the lights had changed and a dozen oncoming cars had started to enter the bridge, it took a good while for them all to back up and let us off the bridge, I don’t think we made any friends but one guy gave us a smile and a thumbs up.
Sunday morning we woke to sunshine, deep joy, knowing the worst was over we drove down to the Camargue on N roads and parked up in time for an evening walk with a very relieved Labrador.
The photo is of the white Camargue horses which are native to the area and are apparently one of the oldest known breeds. Little known fact, they are born black and only turn white when they are a year old.

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