3 Week Family European Road Trip... Advice & Tips please :-)

[Bramco]

Have a great time! Hope everything works out well. Don't forget the great thing about a Cali is the flexibility it gives you to change plans.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[camper-x]

We are in Slovenia at the moment. The NW is beautiful and not busy by EU standards. Rivers and lakes with activities and mountains. A few Camper Spots. Worth considering?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Aidy P]

First time ferry crossing from Hull to Rotterdam and we shall do it again! Much easier than driving South from Yorkshire. We stopped off at The Deep in Hull which we all found fascinating and a nice break before boarding. Nice bonus was a lovely sunset as we sailed down the Humber. Grimsby has never looked so good before!!

Driven 275 miles to Kassel in Germany today for a quick overnight at the kids cousins grandparents... so not camping yet.

The van drove like a dream (with a few cheeky blasts 100mph+ on the autobahn... well it was only fair for Nemo who was back in Germany for the first time since being built!) Satnav worked well and Carnet helped us find the cheapest diesel.

Now the fun begins as I sit down with my iPad and ACSI map and Accuweather and decide where we're going to aim for tomorrow. Will the thunderstorms hit over Bavaria or not?!

Cali Daily Satisfaction Rating: 10/10

 

[Aidy P]

175 miles from Kassel to Lauterbach today. Staying here http://www.mohrenhof-franken.de/
Lovely spot. There is a swimming lake (pond!) and the children can feed the dairy cows. Also a bar and restaurant. We're here for one night before we head towards the mountains.

I think we might have packed too many clothes!

+30'C today. Scorchio!!

Lazy afternoon with a few local beers and Bratwurst from the local shop on the BBQ.

Cali Daily Satisfaction Rating: 9.5/10 (not Nemo's fault but ease of access to get everything out).

A German lady said to my wife whilst washing up...'There are four of you sleeping in that?!'

(Yes... & we got up to 120 mph on the autobahn today. Try that in your caravan )

 

[Aidy P]

 

[sapto]

Keep them coming, your trip-news! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Aidy P]

So... went to bed in a roastie toastie van last night but as Baldrick would say, 'I have a cunning plan!' ... Well not than cunning. Mrs P and I split up and we took one child each to have more room. Fly screens in the windows and the roof vents combined with a USB fan downstairs was actually quite ok. In fact at around 1am I needed an open sleeping bag to use as a duvet with daughter #1.

Had a couple of hours in Rothenburg & lunch (more sausage). A beautiful walled town. Made challenging by 33.5'C heat. The kids didn't die of heat stroke but it appears that my iPhone and the stereo have had a strop and are no longer talking so no Carnet.

Mrs P wanted me to drive the Romantische Straße. Ok it was pretty scenic but I had no urge to stop and buy flowers or write romantic poetry. All I could think was, 'Thank goodness the A/C is working' as it hit 35'C.

Our family game of Cali Spotting for the trip (I'm aiming for the high of 50) was given a boost by driving past two VW dealers who had several on the forecourt!! Ding Dong.

And so to our destination today... http://www.via-claudia-camping.de

A little more expensive than last nights site which was €29.50. Tonight we're paying €49.50. Nice spite by the lake though which we all had a swim in earlier and the shower block... well...quite posh really.

Cali Daily Satisfaction Rating 8/10. Though it might be the bloody iPhone

 

[Aidy P]

 

[Aidy P]

The thunder and lightning arrived last night after dinner. It was quite exciting seeing the roof bed light up with the strobe effect. Fortunately we were not struck by lightning (after all I had promised Miss P Jnr that that could never happen) and after the drunken camper next to us finally got to bed and shut the f### up I finally got some sleep.

Another driving day but this time with stunning scenery. The obligatory scenic shot of 'Sleeping Beauty's Castle' https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanstein_Castle (daughter #2 is incapable of doing historic buildings from the inside) we hit the road.

My iPhone (after a full reset) is finally talking to Nemo again so we found cheap fuel again.

Lunch was more sausages cooked by the side of the van and then into Austria

A quick blast by Europe's highest waterfall at Krimml dropped us down into a lightning storm. Not complaining as the van is now clean(er)!

We're staying here tonight as it was recommended by a friend as good for kids http://www.sportcamp.at/en/woferlgut/hotel-p523.html

Cali Daily Satisfaction Rating: 10/10 - 172 mile. Not a single motorway. Nemo eats miles even on the hairpin bends.

 

[Aidy P]

We are in Slovenia at the moment. The NW is beautiful and not busy by EU standards. Rivers and lakes with activities and mountains. A few Camper Spots. Worth considering?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@camper-x we are sat in rainy Austria and considering dropping into Italy via Slovenia. Any tips would be welcome if you come online tonight? Thanks

 

[sapto]

@camper-x we are sat in rainy Austria and considering dropping into Italy via Slovenia. Any tips would be welcome if you come online tonight? Thanks

Hi Aidy P,
you could enter Slovenia via Lienz or Rosenheim (Inntal Autobahn) and head for Bled (Camping Bled or camping Sobec) or (more wild) Kamp Soča.
Cheers
sapto@the moment in Achenkirch/Achensee

 

[Aidy P]

Cheers @sapto it's a tough call. I'd like to but I think the extra mile may drive my little girls 'up the wall!'. I'm going to look at the map and have a 'family meeting' at breakfast. Thanks

 

[DM]

The obligatory scenic shot of 'Sleeping Beauty's Castle'

Love Neuschwanstein. It is well worth a visit inside and out. Americans don't believe it is real.

 

[sapto]

Cheers @sapto it's a tough call. I'd like to but I think the extra mile may drive my little girls 'up the wall!'. I'm going to look at the map and have a 'family meeting' at breakfast. Thanks

I do understand thatGrossglockner is expensive (around €30.-) drive through some scenic landscapes however takes around 1h more to drive.

Look forward to your next report!

 

[Rocoloco]

Hi Aidy P,
you could enter Slovenia via Lienz or Rosenheim (Inntal Autobahn) and head for Bled (Camping Bled or camping Sobec) or (more wild) Kamp Soča.
Cheers
sapto@the moment in Achenkirch/Achensee

Sobec is amazing but running at full capacity now. Book ahead , if you want a spot. Just left for Croatia, leaving the primeimposition free! Bled / sobec is amazing spots. Had the best cycle tour from sobec to bled! Highly recommended. Please note that you may use sobec even without staying on the site!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bramco]

do understand that

Grossglockner is expensive (around €30.-) drive through some scenic landscapes however takes around 1h more to drive.

But you should think of it as 2 separate journeys. There are a couple at least points where you stop and can spend an hour or so taking in the views etc.

So total time in the van is longer but it's an incredible place.

 

[Aidy P]

So after a family meeting we decided to head to the Italian coast to get some heat, sun and a swimming pool and have a 'rest day' i.e. two nights in one place.

The grossglockner pass was indeed amazing despite it's €31 cost (after discount from last nights camp)

Another 170 mile drive through crazy Italian hairpins and we're here and temps up to 36'c.

Mrs P is happy but I had a stress as the 12v socket in the roof stopped working. Fortunately this forum came up trumps and after a quick fuse change, it's sorted and the USB fan is working!!

I now feel like a piece of brisket slow cooking as I try and get to sleep with daughter #2 downstairs.

Ciao

 

[Aidy P]

We're staying here http://www.primerogrado.com/

 

[T6 CFO]

Stunning and thanks for the links.

Mike


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Aidy P]

Rather a high road!!

 

[hirsty]

Nice pics man - you've come a long way in three pages!

 

[sapto]

Great @Aidy P!

 

[Bramco]

Makes us want to get back in the van and do a repeat of what we did in May/June but taking in the places we didn't get to last time.

Still there's always next year.

 

[Aidy P]

Nice pics man - you've come a long way in three pages!

All because the van is so awesome. It eats the miles! I am enjoying a day by a pool in the sun though today!!

 

[Aidy P]

Makes us want to get back in the van and do a repeat of what we did in May/June but taking in the places we didn't get to last time.

Still there's always next year.

We're all ready discussing next years trip and we still have two weeks left!