Driving to Italy this year route planned through Lucerne switzerland coming back through Dijon France was wondering on any stopover off motorways hotels. Also have a trailer with hard top which would be parked up overnight is there any precaution I can take regarding security of trailer and camping equipment aboard. Ie underground hotel car parking or better hotel security on route.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Hi Sidoli.
We do 4 overnights each year, for our three week holiday to the South of France, and always use the "Premiere Classe" budget hotels part of the Accor group. At £30 per night they are fine.
The car parking has always been very secure within a gated CCTV compound.
Also we always select a "Premiere Classe" hotel that has a "Campanile" restaurant hotel next door, part of the same group so you get 15% of the entire cost of your evening meal.
As for extra security for the Trailer below is a list of what I use.
2m hardened chain with 19mm links secured with a high security padlock.
2 motion sensor alarms, one inside the trailer and one on the outside.
13 inch Wheel clamp as a visual deterrent.
The 13pin electric connector on the tow bar, also integrates the Trailer to the car alarm system, so I always leave the Trailer hitched.
Should it ever not be possible to leave the Trailer hitched, I have a 3m extension for the 13pin connection, so the Trailer would still be alarm connected to the car, in that scenario I would also fix the Box hitchlock to the Trailer another visual deterrent.
We take similar precautions to Francais on hotel stopovers. We've found that we've always had to unhitch the trailer and park it it separately so I do that and put it in a space that has room for the car next to it. Then I put the wheelclamp on, get everyone out of the car and reverse into the space next to it so tightly that no one coujld possibly get down between the side of the car and the side of the trailer that has the wheel clamp. This means that if someone wants the trailer, they'll have to either move my car or get a crane to lift it out. It's all about reducing opportunities really but have to say, I have always felt that our trailer was nothing short of safe in these hotel car parks anyway.