France V Germany

PG’s trips

PG’s trips

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Just back from first trip to France, Normandy and Brittany, it was fantastic, motorhome heaven. Planning next trip already much longer but interested in doing Germany as part of the journey as dont know it very well. Is Germany as MH friendly as France, eg choice of aires, driving ease, pretty towns, scenery, acceptance by locals etc?
 
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In a word yes,we find the Germans friendlier 👍
 
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We'd been doing France for a few years and thought it was amazing, then Covid forced us to go to Germany, it was a different world! VERY motorhome friendly, very friendly people, food was exceptional, locations were stunning and on and on.... We spent our time in the West and Black Forest areas inc. some towns on the "Romantic Road".

Having said that I think we're back to France this September after 2 years in Germany.

Cheers
Red.
 
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We are in Germany now, Do France., Belgium, Germany Luxembourg most years and Germany has as many stops (stelpatz) as France maybe not as many free ones but average 10-12 euros and services including. Water average in Germany is also cheaper if you need to buy any @€1, Found France quite expensive this trip especially fruit and veg. Fuel in France not as cheap as Germany or Luxembourg.
The trip so far and 2 weeks to go
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RedFrame said:
We'd been doing France for a few years and thought it was amazing, then Covid forced us to go to Germany, it was a different world! VERY motorhome friendly, very friendly people, food was exceptional, locations were stunning and on and on.... We spent our time in the West and Black Forest areas inc. some towns on the "Romantic Road".

Having said that I think we're back to France this September after 2 years in Germany.

Cheers
Red.
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Agree with all of that apart from the “food was exceptional“ bit🙁 I don’t think the food is anything special apart from their Steaks😋😋
We have just been to the Black Forest and currently In Switzerland heading for Austria then up into the Romantic Road..
We have been doing Germany 2 or 3 times a year and find it very Motorhome friendly😁😁

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Currently up the Danube. Beer is very affordable and without trying our first 7 days were 15 euros on stellpatzes.

Have a look at my signature and choose Bavarian journal.
 
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Thanks for the feedback, Germany on the options then. Was a bit disappointed with eating out in France both cost and quality but may just been poor choices of restaurants in touristy areas.
 
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You'll struggle to find a town in Germany that does not have a 'stellplatz' (aire). Germany is very motorhome friendly. As for the food, when we lived there we tended to go for Greek/Turkish/Italian cuisine.
 
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Coastal Cruiser. said:
Agree with all of that apart from the “food was exceptional“ bit🙁 I don’t think the food is anything special apart from their Steaks😋😋
We have just been to the Black Forest and currently In Switzerland heading for Austria then up into the Romantic Road..
We have been doing Germany 2 or 3 times a year and find it very Motorhome friendly😁😁
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No factory visit this time round then Mark 🤔😉

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Just passing back through France after a few weeks in Germany and beyond. Unless you are a German speaker, the language barrier is harder to deal with than France. Bavaria & Black Forest regions generally don’t translate anything into English. I’m very happy to be back in France. Germans tend to be indifferent to foreigners at best and the wine, beer & food isn’t good. Quite expensive and very busy everywhere, especially roads. France by comparison I find to be much nicer - much quieter on the road and locals are happy to wish you ‘bonjour’ than grunt or ignore you. The food is immeasurably better.
 
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Both good but I had to choose it would have be France.

With Germany unless you are up at the Baltic coast or by a big lake where plenty of fish is avaliable the food is dire and the wine is crap, it's just about drinkable if you have a few beers first.
Beer is not bad and you get decent size 1lt glasses.
East Germany is nice they appreciate the tourists but not so easy as their second language is Russian.

In Germany you can overnight in any car park providing there is not a cars only sign.

France on the other hand has good food very good wine loads of free Aires but it is a lot more expensive.
The weather generally a lot better. We love the south west corner of France, good weather even in February, a bit cheaper than a lot of areas.
 
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Isn
RedFrame said:
We'd been doing France for a few years and thought it was amazing, then Covid forced us to go to Germany, it was a different world! VERY motorhome friendly, very friendly people, food was exceptional, locations were stunning and on and on.... We spent our time in the West and Black Forest areas inc. some towns on the "Romantic Road".

Having said that I think we're back to France this September after 2 years in Germany.

Cheers
Red.
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Isn’t it good how Covid took us out of our comfort zone? We have been to Spain but many years ago and have always gone to France in tent/caravan or more recently motorhome. France didn’t want us a few years ago during Covid so we went to Spain and loved it. Still love going to France but like Spain too. Would like to try Germany and I have a friend there so hopefully we will get there soon. I keep saying that we need to retire from retirement to have the time to do all these trips.

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rb62 said:
In a word yes,we find the Germans friendlier 👍
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As someone who lives in France, I have to agree with other comments re visiting Germany. Don't under estimate 'proper' german wine, their food and wine is equal to France and cheaper.

The only 'Drawback' to Germany is that they will close a road in both directions to enable someone to cut the grass on the verge in safety and send you on a 'Umleitung' miles out of your way; still better than the Autobahns though!
 
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seasideBill said:
Does that include sweetened red wine and meat slurry objects described as ‘sausage’ with varying kinds of rubbish sauce?
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That reminds me me you are visiting anywhere and they have a cafe you only get a choice of sausage, sausage or sausage.
They do redeem themselfs a bit with their cream cakes.
 
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Lenny HB said:
That reminds me me you are visiting anywhere and they have a cafe you only get a choice of sausage, sausage or sausage.
They do redeem themselfs a bit with their cream cakes.
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Yum, 🤢
7FC6813C-CB34-4F14-ADD2-3DEC13A65FE8.jpeg
 
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seasideBill said:
Does that include sweetened red wine and meat slurry objects described as ‘sausage’ with varying kinds of rubbish sauce?
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Maybe you should be a bit more selective on what you choose to eat and drink.

Robert

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Charente16 said:
As someone who lives in France, I have to agree with other comments re visiting Germany. Don't under estimate 'proper' german wine, their food and wine is equal to France and cheaper.

The only 'Drawback' to Germany is that they will close a road in both directions to enable someone to cut the grass on the verge in safety and send you on a 'Umleitung' miles out of your way; still better than the Autobahns though!
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Usually the road that you should be taking just after you've left the stellplatz 😡
 
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seasideBill said:
Yum, 🤢View attachment 771068
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Thing is how many of us eat 'English' food all the time at home? I'd agree that like traditional English food (whatever that might be) German food is not that exciting unless you go to decent resturants. I'd say that in all the time I lived in Germany we'd very, very seldom go to a German place to eat and we ate out a lot. If you want to eat out in Germany, find the local Greek/Turkish/Italian place and you will get a very reasonably priced good quality meal. As for their wine its the same story. Dornfelder I quite like, but again I've not yet found a decent English wine! I enjoy both Germany and France. As for beer, Germany is the world champ, in my opinion!
 
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In France it's 25cls for 3.20 if you're lucky and that doesn't quench the thirst.
So we don't tend to drink out too often.

In Germany I have difficulty passing a beer garden with several bikes outside or free electric on offer !
 
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Soycd said:
Thing is how many of us eat 'English' food all the time at home? I'd agree that like traditional English food (whatever that might be) German food is not that exciting unless you go to decent resturants. I'd say that in all the time I lived in Germany we'd very, very seldom go to a German place to eat and we ate out a lot. If you want to eat out in Germany, find the local Greek/Turkish/Italian place and you will get a very reasonably priced good quality meal. As for their wine its the same story. Dornfelder I quite like, but again I've not yet found a decent English wine! I enjoy both Germany and France. As for beer, Germany is the world champ, in my opinion!
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Agree, at home it’s always Thai, Chinese, French, Spanish, Italian for a special do. Living in Cornwall you can easily go off English food on a diet of fish & chips and pasties. A Sunday pub lunch can be a triumph or disaster. There is some really good English rose about now, but never cheap. Not a fan of anything remotely like lager, so most of continental Europe and the rest of the planet ruled out?

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German stellpatzes are more organised generally in my view but I love the french attitude to parking.
Roundabouts of France versus never changing traffic lights of Germany that you have to obey even as a pedestrian with no ody in the road.
I don't speak any German apart from wein biers bitte but everyone helpful. But rural France is a bonjour off everyone. None of that in Germany.
Bread rolls. Germans aren't even in the same ball park as the french.
I prefer German cycling signage at the moment.
Overall France is a winner for attitude but every time we come to Germany we want to come more
 
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France is just more chilled, and less “English” than Germany. So France is my preferred, especially the food, and the Belgian beer they sell.
 
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I think this Could be a long thread love or hate on both sides
 
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We love both countries. But so far only camped and motorhomes in France.
Plan on a trip to Germany next year. Been a few times on the motorbike though and find the Germans very friendly. Good food and yes they do have some very good wines too.
 
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We did 8 weeks last year in germany and just finished 7 weeks in France the food in France is dearer but nicer ie 10e for a kilo of cherries german food is much less adventurous stellplats everywhere in germany Aires everywhere in France so for us it was down to scenery and we think it was germany for us but there is very little in it
 
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