Rally Chat Gathering at the Caravan Salon, Düsseldorf. 29 August 2025

[ED O'DARAC]

How about a group gathering at Düsseldorf next year? We could all meet at a nearby service station and travel as a group to the show to get parked together. While I expect that during the day, most will want to explore the show on their own. Funsters could gather in their area in the evenings for beer and BBQ's etc making it a memorable show.

Who'd be up for it?

Yes. The campground is as good if not better than the exhibition. SO many amazing vans from all over the world. Good currywurst as well.

 

[DABurleigh]

Interested, Jim.

Been many times by air, occasionally just as a great single day out, just never yet as part of touring with a van. I'd link it with some wine festivals on the Mosel at that time of year .

Currywursts & pilsner are a must. I also use the Messe ticket for free trams to the Altstadt.

Dave (& Ali)

 

[funflair]

It might be bit nose to tail parking but at least you get a decent amount of space outside between vans (unless you are a UK van)

Looking at this which is only a small part of a double row of Morelo's makes me think that you may be able to reserve spaces if you know who to talk to, or maybe arriving at the very start is the way to go

We were OK for room but the trees were not good for solar, the only other problem is this is the year Morelo turned me upside down till enough loose change fell out for a deposit

 

[tezza-alli]

We would be up for this, were hoping to go this year but it was raining
As long as the vans fixed and back from France

 

[tezza-alli]

For those that don’t know there’s a good cycle track along the Rhine into Düsseldorf from the Salon and shuttle buses to take you into the show and into Düsseldorf in the evening, was included when we last went.

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[tezza-alli]

We won’t be sitting round talking motorhomes all evening though will we ….

Are there plenty of Knick knack stalls?

Allow two days for the Knick Knack stalls Cliff

 

[Boldly]

Just shout louder

Thought he was Austrian

 

[Brains]

Thought he was Austrian

Many moons ago we had a family meal in an Austrian Restaurant.
My brother was at one end of the table, and my father at the other end.

My brother, who as he an occasional compiere is not known for talking quietly, but on this occasion he did, prompting my father to say 'can you talk up a bit', which my brother appeared not to hear, so my father said in a loud voice heard across the restaurant 'LOUDER'

Sitting right behind my Dad was Nicki Lauder.

(I think only my brother and Nicki got the joke, my Dad was mortified when he realised)

 

[cliffanger]

Allow two days for the Knick Knack stalls Cliff

Terry, you must know Cliff’s not a knick knack man

 

[Ber090]

Jim, We went this year for the third time. Very different. You are only allowed 2 nights camping in the trees. If you book 3 nights as I did you are put in a field about 15 mins drive away on the provided shuttle bus. The field has no water available but dumps are there. There were many dissatisfied campers as no mention of the lack of water was made. We left a day early and wrote a strong email to the organisers. No reply received. Incidentally we found the show to have less stands than usual much quieter. The free transport has been withdrawn as well.
Cheers
Bernie

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[tezza-alli]

Jim, We went this year for the third time. Very different. You are only allowed 2 nights camping in the trees. If you book 3 nights as I did you are put in a field about 15 mins drive away on the provided shuttle bus. The field has no water available but dumps are there. There were many dissatisfied campers as no mention of the lack of water was made. We left a day early and wrote a strong email to the organisers. No reply received. Incidentally we found the show to have less stands than usual much quieter. The free transport has been withdrawn as well.
Cheers
Bernie

Do you mean there’s no free shuttle buses to the show or into Düsseldorf now? Not free included

 

[Ber090]

Do you mean there’s no free shuttle buses to the show or into Düsseldorf now? Not free included

No bus to Dusseldorf free any more

 

[Ber090]

No bus to Dusseldorf free any more

Or included

 

[tezza-alli]

For those that don’t know there’s a good cycle track along the Rhine into Düsseldorf from the Salon and shuttle buses to take you into the show and into Düsseldorf in the evening, was included when we last went.

Update been advised they don’t include the shuttle bus now

 

[Brains]

FYI:
For a meet up location outside Dusseldorf for a convoy entrance to the Exhibition site, it would appear the best motorway service station is on the Autobahn 52 to the east of the city (above Munchen Gladbach) 20 mins from the Exhibition site.

400km's/5hrs from Dover-Folkstone/Calais
230km's/3hrs from Harwich-Hull/Hoek van Holland/Rotterdam (Arrival at Hoek 08.00h and 17.15h)

Tank & Rast Cloerbrunch Sud
BAB52, Am Nordkanal 60, 47877 Willich, Germany
Lat/Long 51.236883, 6.510696
https://what3words.com/trials.usage.torched

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[landranger]

Definitely interested, we're thinking of going anyway, it'll be our first visit so a couple of pointers from those who have visited previously could be useful

 

[Hezbez]

Interested. Never been.

 

[BILL 875]

We would be interested

 

[olley]

We got blocked in a few years ago, had to pay for an extra night, no big deal though, we just had another evening in Dusseldorf.

 

[DABurleigh]

FYI:
For a meet up location outside Dusseldorf for a convoy entrance to the Exhibition site, it would appear the best motorway service station is on the Autobahn 52 to the east of the city (above Munchen Gladbach) 20 mins from the Exhibition site.

400km's/5hrs from Dover-Folkstone/Calais
230km's/3hrs from Harwich-Hull/Hoek van Holland/Rotterdam (Arrival at Hoek 08.00h and 17.15h)

Tank & Rast Cloerbrunch Sud
BAB52, Am Nordkanal 60, 47877 Willich, Germany
Lat/Long 51.236883, 6.510696
https://what3words.com/trials.usage.torched

Jim,

As Brains points out, don't dismiss Harwich-Hook as an option, simply because sometimes the deals on offer make it attractive financially, as well as a sociable option for gathering in a large bar onboard to kick things off.

Dave

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[Brains]

Jim,

As Brains points out, don't dismiss Harwich-Hook as an option, simply because sometimes the deals on offer make it attractive financially, as well as a sociable option for gathering in a large bar onboard to kick things off.

Dave

A bit of an old chestnut as far as I'm concerned.

If you left your home in SE England at the end of the working day:
Via Harwich you can easily be in Dusseldorf in time for lunch the next day.
Via Calais the bars should still be open in Dusseldorf by the time you arrive in the evening.

We live in SE London. We can be in Kent in under 10 minutes, Dover/Folkestone are just over an hour away.
We NEVER use Dover-Folkestone/Calais for any trip except Paris, north west France and maybe southern Belgium.

For Germany (And all points east, Italy, etc) we always use Harwich/Hoek of Holland.
We always try to take the night boat, which means a pootle in the evening to Harwich, load up at 9pm in bed for departure at 10.30, sleep your way across and get off the ship at 8am for a late breakfast in Germany.

It's cheaper, if the cost of fuel, overnight camping etc are all included.
It's faster, if you count door to door time
You have to sleep somewhere;
Which do you prefer? An Site or Aire in Kent or Calais area or a nice ships cabin with ensuite etc. (And bar and restaurant)
It's a considerably shorter road distance.
It's a LOT less hassle, as only one ship departs at a time, so they can check all the passports etc without the need to mess you around like Dover.
And of course the quality of the ship is a lot better than a cross channel ferry!

Stena of course know all the above, and therefore price their fares accordingly!
It may 'appear' to be the more expensive option, but not when you add it all up

 

[JockandRita]

We got blocked in a few years ago, had to pay for an extra night, no big deal though, we just had another evening in Dusseldorf.

Thanks for posting that information Olley. It confirms my earlier post "that it can happen".

Jock.

 

[Peregrinator]

Interested, You do have Black & Grey waste disposal and water plus toilet block as you enter, I wouldn't say we were too close front & back, there was enough room to move out if wanted, but we also had EHU, maybe that made it different.


.

 

[jacobe]

We’re interested

 

[CAB96]

We've exhibited at a trade fair at Messe Dusseldorf every other year for 20+ years.

Last year, for the first time, the tickets didn't include free local transport.

I assume it is the same for all the exhibitions.

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[Mr porky]

We thoroughly enjoyed our first salon, this year I'm not so sure (2nd time)
Maybe it was the first year shine had worn off for us.
Saying that yes we would be interested in attending a funster meet up.

 

[Pugsy]

Interested in this trip

 

[GMak57]

Interested in this but need to work out options for travelling from NE Scotland and which ferry options are best, any suggestions welcome

 

[krclink]

For what it's worth, based on our experience.
We went this year for the first time and stayed for 2 days. Prebooking was relatively easy. It took over an hour to get parked up in the P1 parking area which has about 5000 motorhomes parked there. Althouigh you are parked pretty close together, you are among the trees and can get out if you have to leave in a hurry.
Good points include free busses to and from the show, (red ones did not have air conditioning switched on for some reason). Lots to see, esp if you are looking for a new van. Plenty of space to wander, unlike NEC where you always seem to bump into somebody.
Bad points include ; out of 16 halls, only hall 3 sold accessories to buy. You could get some bits and pieces on the manufacturers stands, but Truma for example refused to sell their products from them, they said to go to hall 3. Something about unfair competition. There is only 1 service point in P1 parking which is on the way in. Okay if you are parked there, but it is quite a walk there and back if you are parked in the middle or on the other side. Fortunately, we have a second toilet, so only needed a top up of water.As the showground sits right under the flightpath of Dusseldorf airport, there was a plane landing every minute and a half right through the evening. Our friends were parked on the other side of the autobahn in a smaller field, and they only had the 1 bus transporting them back and forth to the show, and had no service point at all.
All in all, we were glad to have gone and seen the show, but wouldn't bother returning again.

 

[Brains]

Interested in this but need to work out options for travelling from NE Scotland and which ferry options are best, any suggestions welcome

P&O
Hull/Rotterdam ferry

DFDS
Newcastle/Amsterdam ferry

Ideally the night crossing.

You spend the day driving to Hull or Newcastle.
Night in a nice cabin with restaurant and bar
Rotterdam/Amsterdam to Dusseldorf in 2.5hrs, so you can be there for lunch.

These ferry routes are your logical route onto the mainland unless you are heading Spain.

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