LONG Trip Planned for June 2013

[StuF]

Well after a few months of happy ownership we are planning a big trip for next year!
Hopefully the March run to Ninove will hope to iron out any small running issues before this monster.

Lincoln to a mates wedding here http://www.castelldemporda.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just over a 1000 miles each way! Gonna be EPIC.

The plan is to get there quickly, i.e 2/3 days for the wedding(cannot be late!) and crash in the castle then take a more leisurely route back - wine valleys anyone! :lol:

Anyone have any decent advice before we attempt this,
We have europe breakdown cover, vis vests, breathalizers,warning triangles, non speed camera sat nav etc.
Need a list of reccommended spares - and a clue where to stop and sleep on the way there. Never driven much in France although I do intend NOT to use any toll roads where I can help it.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[Clem]

Good trip.
Realistically, you'll be lucky to get there in three days, especially not using toll roads. Id sail to Bilbao or Santander and drive from there I think. Lots of people say its all about the scenery and towns etc, but if you have to get somewhere in a specified time, its head down and crack on, maybe drift back if you have the time.
Should be fab though

 

[68_early_bay]

Nice trip 8) very jealous that's one I'd like to do one day
France is trikky2's stomping ground, bet hell know some good campsites etc for south France
Have a nice trip

 

[Matt84]

From my own horrific experience, driving through Paris in a RHD Early Bay is best avoided... :shock:

If you've got a left hooker might be better but not much - I'll never forget the numerous laps I did around the Arc de Trioumphe, simply because the wife thought it was 'somewhere we MUST go' :roll: (!)

And I must admit Clem's right - it will take you at least a day to get from Lincoln to Paris.

I use the link below for planning trips - you can enter a maximum speed in the options, I just set that to 50mph and will give you a better idea of 'bay time'!

http://www.transportdirect.info/Web2/JourneyPlanning/JourneyPlannerInput.aspx?cacheparam=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Theres a few threads with things to take - just do a search for breakdown kit or similar, I've always carried a coil too as they often just fail without warning...

Good Luck though - you'll get there and back and will have some tales to tell no doubt!

 

[Trikky2]

Dont go through Paris. Either use the perepherique (ring road) just like any major city, avoid the rush hour - or avoid Paris altogether.

This may help you work out your realistic driving time :-

A few years back I regularly drove from around Cahors - (thats about 2 hours north of Toulouse) up to Croydon, south London.

Without using any motorways, driving a laden stock 1600 early bay Dormobile I used to leave around 6am French time, allowing an hour+ for lunch & coffee, fuel and catch a ferry around 5.30pm in Calais and be at our friends house in Croydon by around 9pm UK time.

This was just me driving - the mrs hated driving. Going by this schedule you should be able to do your planned trip in 2 days, so if you allow 3 you will have plenty of stopping off time or not having to get up so early.

As for campsites - the answer is simple. France has campsites just about everywhere so all you have to do is plan your route and when you start to feel you want to stop then just start watching out for campsite road signs. Dont tie yourself to specific sites or towns to reach by a given time - far less stressful that way.

 

[5erge]

I drove from Bergerac avoiding all the toll roads in a Fabia VRS, the main exception being the final drag to Boulonge. I was still hitting 70/80 and 125mph on that final stretch of motorway otherwise I would have missed my ferry, took all bloody day and I was absolutely shattered. Never again toll roads all the way, unless you have a week set aside do what Clem said ferry to Santander, set aside a day+ to drive to the east of spain then a week + to do the drive back.

Cheers

Des

 

[Sausage]

Stay well clear of Paris. They are nuts drivers. I would think 3 days would be ok but they are gonna be 3 solid days driving which isn't so bad on the toll roads as you can just sit there and simply cruise along hour after hour.

 

[StuF]

Cheers for the info fellas - looked at the ferry and it is £500 odd! Might be able to increase the journey time to get there dependant on work so will look into that and will actively avoid paris!

How much are the toll roads? My only experience is of the M6 toll and that is silly expensive!

 

[Clem]

Cheers for the info fellas - looked at the ferry and it is £500 odd! Might be able to increase the journey time to get there dependant on work so will look into that and will actively avoid paris!

How much are the toll roads? My only experience is of the M6 toll and that is silly expensive!

Last time we went to the South East I think it was about €100 each way ... I counter that with saved time, saving on fuel by more economical driving and a couple of nights Aire camping.

 

[StuF]

Cheers Clem - can cope with £100!

Coming back isnt an issue as we will have nearly 10 days to return!

Oh and the three days travelling time would have been from Calais not Lincoln!

Think my bag of spare parts and tools is going to be "Comprehensive"

Best I get Murphy booked in with Deano for the teething issues to be rectified! 8)

 

[68_early_bay]

When in june is the trip? If towards the end you could come back up via EBI I think 29/30 june :msn4:

 

[StuF]

Would have been great if we could fit in EBI but the wedding is on the 8th June and we need to be at the castle for the afternoon of the 7th! Cant blag a whole month off work although it would be awesome!

 

[Myvanway]

Im hoping to go EBI this year. 8)
Looks like a great trip Stu. Tow bar and westy trailer next on the list??

 

[StuF]

Have an ERDE trailer at the moment but havent sorted a towbar out...............yet!! :lol:
Westie trailers however nice are a bit too expensive for me and the stainless steel one is bullet proof.

Next on my (long) list is to get a voltmeter fitted - thats switchable between my leisure and main battery so I can see how much clares hair straighteners are draining it!! :lol:

 

[68_early_bay]

Im hoping to go EBI this year. 8)

Me too Paul, organising a bit of a convoy from the midlands with my local vw club

 

[68_early_bay]

Cant blag a whole month off work although it would be awesome!

Why not ?







:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[matt-me]

Generally most towns (not villages) have a municiple campsite. You don't have to book, they're very good value (ie cheap) and we have found them to be great generally. You can normally order bread etc for the morning. i think there's a guide somewher but we've generally pitched up and camped no problems. We have had some great locations too.

We did that route you're proposing coming back from Beziers this year but in a (cough..T5 :msn4: ). We took our bay to the alps last year but to get to the south and back in a certain amount of time, with three kids was going to be tough. We did plot our way down camping at municiple campsites but we had to get back pronto.

I would allow three days to get there. There are some pretty big hills on that road south of Millau, the T5 was having to pull, some of the climbs were very long too. Having done this sort of driving in the alps last year the engine was getting hot so i drove by the temperature not speed. Having said this that part of the road is amazing countryside and it definitely something to enjoy, if you're not stressing about the old girl. I think it was about 700 miles to Calais.

I'd take the time and do it and treat the journey as a bit of a road trip, taking your're time. Or it's loads of pro plus and crack on......

enjoy

Al

 

[matt-me]

One other thing i would DEFINITELY do buy a road map of France, i think we have an AA one. On the one we have they show all of the 'aires' on the map so you can plan when to stop, two types, one you can stop and rest and use the bog, the other type have petrol, food etc too. They're shown on the maps and named. They're very common, normally 20/30k apart or so. Don'know if sat nav tells you this or not..They also tell you where the speed cameras are :lol:

There is something comforting when you drive an old bus (or any car really) that you know you can stop if you need to.

 

[StuF]

The wedding takes place 3 months today!!

So have this weekends run to Ninove and back as a "tester"

Gonna be an epic journey!

 

[Mark6455]

Stu if you need somewhere to freshen up or chill for a few hours my sister in law has a place in laviere(wrong spelling) it by Peznes about 20 mins drive

I had this same route planned but we got a new puppy do couldn't go
Maybe next year

Mark