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 Topic: Overnight stops on the French aires
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Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
25/8/2022 at 1:04pm
Location: London
Outfit: Lunar Cosmos 524
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IMHO you are missing a few tricks there!
Do the sums, think you will find your fuel bill, stop over costs, road tolls etc, through France balance out similar to Spanish ferry costs, if not more expensive!
France is really not a country to be rushed through, it's got too much to offer to see it only as a means to an end! Plan the journey to ENJOY France as part of your adventure! Don't think you will be speeding through France either, speed limit enforcement is very strict these days and penalties harsh.
8 Hours driving immediately after a Dover-Calais crossing is a VERY LONG day travelling when you add the UK travelling/crossing time to it! Think a stopover nearer Calais would be far more enjoyable and relaxing. Towing a caravan is slightly harder work than driving a solo car, you really have to keep your spacial awareness levels much higher due to your limited visibility, and because it's a much slower, less nimble lumbering beast than a solo car, you have to do a LOT of careful anticipating of future manoeuvres. All the more so and compounded by driving on wrong side of the road, your view of the traffic when exiting slip roads onto main carriageway will be appalling with the caravan on the back!
I've done the Spanish ferry route a couple of times (with car, but not towing caravan), to get to the mountains of Northern Spain, and we found it a very relaxing mini cruise which is not to be dismissed as 'just a ferry crossing'.
If you think you can get to Portugal and back without having to reverse your caravan, good luck! We've never managed to get a 100 miles or so into France without having to reverse a trailer a couple of times at various stop offs! And lost count of how many times I've had to back up my caravan in UK on a journey! Think you would be wise to hone your skills a little before rushing off, probably REALLY worth investing in one of the club towing tuition courses to learn the skills NECESSARY to tow, there's quite a lot more to it than just being able to reverse!
Think you maybe should read the comments on French Aires/Service stations about overnight stopping on them too!
Plenty of potential there to turn what should be a very enjoyable trip into an expensive worry fest, or worse! It's the sort of road trip that should have countless enjoyable experiences, but I sense you risk skipping a lot of those with a dash to the end target only approach. It's just my opinion based on my values and experience, what suits you is for you to decide.
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Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
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via mobile 25/8/2022 at 2:10pm
