camping in europe

Hi all,
We are a family of two adults and two boys aged 13 &9. We will be travelling to Europe in April/ May 2005. We are on a budget so we thought camping would be the best option. We have accomodation booked for London and we have something in mind in Paris but for the rest of trip 4 weeks we don't want to book anything but just travel and stay where we feel like it. Is this being unrealistic or is this totally possible at this time of year? We will probably go to France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germay & Netherlands. Also, we are going to hire or lease a car but should we do this from Australia which will cost us approx $2500 AUD or can we do this cheaper in France when we get there? One last question, approximately how long would it take to drive from Paris down to the border of Spain? Should we allow a week or just a few days? Any advice would be appreciated.

Annie S

A few notes: You are trying to cover A lOT of ground in 4 weeks (7 countries - 4 day each ! You will spend most of the time driving!) - why not - say - a PART of France Belgium - Netherlands + a small part of Germany - or any similar SMALLER selection (part of France + Northern Italy + Switzerland (not good for your budget) or Austria). This is in case that the whole purpose isn't "We have been there - for a few hours".
Generally you won't get the car cheap "when you are there", but if the price you have is one from one of the "big" companies (like Avis) you should try to find a local French car rental company and compare (the AUD 2500 for 28 days sounds ok to me). Remember that "local" companies will gnerally not be able to handle one-way rentals if that is an issue.
Driving from Paris to Spanish border: one long day - and then add time if you want to visit any places on the way - could easily take any number of weeks then.
Here is a good route planner: (you do NOT need to enter a full address - city name country is OK.
www.viamichelin.com</a><BR>Remember that the freeways in France (and some other countris) are tollroads. And in Austria and Switzerland you need to "prepay" use of freeways when crossing the border.

Second Bjoern's comments on the amount of ground you are intending to cover. I would cut down, allow yourself more time in fewer places and a chance to relax and spend a little longer in the places you find that you really like, without feeling pressured.

Now, about the camping. We go camping regularly at the start of May in England . It is more than possible, but be prepared to deal with the weather - this will apply to the whole of Northern Europe. It can be and often is beautiful, but when the skies are clear it can get very cold at night still, so make sure you have plenty of warm bedding and clothes.

And of course, there is a very good chance of rain. Wellies are pretty much a must and be prepared to deal with packing wet tents, lots of mud everywhere etc. This is probably a good reason to allow more time than you might otherwise, unless you are going to stick more to Southern Europe for the camping.

I really am not trying to put you off. As I said, this is something that we do every year with our kids and have always had a good time (wet tent packing excepted!).

Good luck and hope it turns out well for you!

Agree with the above and for a cheap and relatively hassle free drive south to the Spanish border I'd recommend going via Orleans/Limoges/Cahors/Toulouse/Narbonne-border, the road is beautiful and not as crowded as the Lyon route!!!

If you need a campsite just under 2hrs from the border (7hrs from Paris) try clicking on this Campsite

Or PM me for more info!

Kira

I would also cut down on the amount of ground you will cover.
I second the idea of not taking the Lyon route. You could however go via Orleans and then on to Clermont-Ferrand/Montpellier/Carcassonne/Spain. This will allow you to pass by the Puy de Dôme (old volcano, stunning landscape) and by Carcassone (a medieval walled town), two places my kids really liked + you pass by the meditteranean at the end.
If you choose to take the freeway, you can travel fast (one day to the Spanish border), but you have to pay and you won't see a lot. Alternatively, you could choose to travel by "route nationale" or RN. They are toll-free, but you will need a good map as you will travel from town to town, and it takes a lot more time to get to Spain (minimum of two days, but more likely three). The advantage is that you will see a lot more and have more freedom to stay where you feel like staying. You could easily spend all of your four weeks just on this part of the trip.
Since april and May are low season, I don't think you will need to book in advance.
Good luck!

That car rental seems a bit much to me, but maybe prices have gone up since we were there 19 months ago. We tried to see Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and N Italy in one month. That was way too much. Previously, we spent an entire month in France and there is still a ton to see there. About 3 days in Germany, two in Belgium and we only got one day in Venice. SO to add in Spain, you are not looking at much time per place. Camping in Europe is great, but in the more northerly parts, may be quite chilly. One issue we had was the lack of tables! In Canada, all campsites have picnic tables and we had a hard time finding a small table and chairs that would fit in our car. However, you should have a fabulous time!

I would suggest going from Paris to Spain, then over to N Italy. Pisa is the one thing my son had to see! And we LOVED Venice. If you are really anxious to see some of Germany, take the Brenner Pass (incredible drive) from N Italy and go to Neuschwanstein Castle (beautiful countryside) then up to Rothenburg,a touristy but a very cool walled city. Perhaps this will seem cliched to the seasoned travellers, but it will give you some classic sights! If you are like us, the airfare to Europe is costly and you may feel that you will not be able to do it again so I can understand how you want to see it all.

In Tuscany we found our favourite campsite in Europe, http://www.campingtoscana.it/toscanacolliverdi/default.htm Just gorgeous and a quick drive to San Gigmignano with its must see museum of torture (it also has more acceptable sights for grownups) Beautiful little town! And many other less touristy places in the area.

Good luck! I envy you!

The caravan club (http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/) has a very good set of books with campsites in Europe. Perhaps our favorite campsite was in Chatres, France.

Look at car leasing through Peugeot or Renault. Usually cheaper than renting & you get a brand new vehicle. You have to arrange it all before you get to Europe, as the deal is only available to non-EU residents.