Hi all,

What a fab site!

We're leaving on Sunday 17th April to the continent (the UK is technically part of Europe, but try telling that to the insurance company- there's another story) for 5 months and we're keen to find a list or book of camping sites in Europe. We'd like to camp outside the big cities, leave the bikes locked at the campsite & 'commute' in on public transport to do our sightseeing.
Does anyone know of any such publication please?

Many thanks in advance,

Nikki Gillett

Nikki,

try the German AA. It's called ADAC. The link is www.adac.de

They offer a camping guide for northern and southern Europe (2 books). Not always the cheapest sites, but always up-to-date.

Try to get hold of some kind of members' camping card. Saves you between 10 & 20% at some sites.

Hans

__________________
Only when we pause to wonder
do we go beyond the limits of our little lives.
(Rod McKuen)

5 months, sounds fantastic.

Try the GB auto clubs. There will be at least one camping and caravaning club in the UK. They should also have something useful for you.

I used to carry the ADAC guide with me, but it comes in two very large books giving you lots of info you don't need (unless you are very fussy campers, perhaps...) and it only shows a selection of campgrounds.

I don't think there is a list or map showing all campsites, even in one country.

You may traverse large areas of limited touristic interest occasionally and there are no campgrounds at all. Don't hesitate to ask a farmer if you can camp in a paddock.

In France look out for signs "Camping à la ferme". Often good value and quiet.

Have fun!

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Salut from Southern France, the bikers' paradise,

Peter.

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Cheers,
Peter.

Europe to NZ 2006-10

Most camper supply stores in Germany have a 4cm thick book called "DCC" (or something similar)with camping sites across Europe. I'd stop at the first one you see and pick one up. I tear out the chapters for the areas I plan to travel through and only take that part along...to save space/weight.

Jimmi

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\"Mark Twain: \"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn\'t do, than by the ones you did do. \"

Howdy

I would also recommend you the ADAC Guide, it's a fantastic thing for europe. Which places do you want to visit? Are you coming to switzerland?

Marco
http://www.schnueriger.net

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Marco
http://www.schnueriger.net

Many thanks everyone for your advice, looks like the ADAC guide is the one to get- we'll follow it up.

Yes, we'll be going to Switzerland. Our insurance only allows us multiple trips of up to 60 days so we currently have 3 trips planned & hopefully can get the insurance company to extend the 2nd trip so we can stay longer & ony have two trips.

Our first trip will take us from Portsmouth to Bilbao, SW to Portugal, South to the Algarve, East to Spain (to cover Madrid, mountains Barcelona), N to Pyrenees, Andorra, France, East across the South of France, Nice etc, Italy, (Genoa, Pisa, Florence, Siena, Rome, Naples, Mt Vesuvius, Pompeii, Herculeum, Camaldoli, Paso di Mandrioli, Venice, Verona, Lake Garda), then either NE in to Austria or North in to Switzerland, then NW across France to catch the ferry back on the 15th June.

2nd trip:
Northern France, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, ferry to Norway -up to Tromso along the coast road- East to Finland, SE to the border with Russia where we'll lock the bikes & take a tourist bus to St Petersburg, back to the bikes & maybe a ferry to Rostock, Germany, France- home.

Should be fun. Am getting butterflies now- 3 days to go, we'll be on the ferry on Sunday. Yippee. If you see two Honda Transalps, one blue & one silver travelling (& looking lost :-0 ), give us a wave :-)

Denmarks campsites are fantastic, when you first go to a Scandanavian country buy a camping card, it is very cheap and it will give you a good discount in the campsites of Scandanavia and Finland, i think it also works as some sort of ID card for the campsite owners as well, nice campsite outside Bergen in Norway called Luna camping with a bus stop there straight into the city of Bergen and for Helsinki there is Rastalan camping(spelling?)which is good and next to the Metro which goes into town centre

PS, as for the Butterflys, once the ramp goes down when the ferry docks and you ride off the ferry and leave the port your butterflys will be gone )

Write me an e-mail if you're around zurich!

Marco

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Marco
http://www.schnueriger.net

As far as 3rd party cover is concerned there's no need to chop up your trip: according to EU rules you are covered anywhere in the EU, period. They can't wriggle out of that. Don't tell your insurer what you're doing, avoids hassles. They don't know how long you're travelling for and where, it's the EU!

Theft or full cover is another story, but still...

As I have written elsewhere: avoid the Med. coast like the plague. Then again, I keep telling people to avoid the cities, but it seems that's where you're heading, so you may have different preferences from us.

Drop us an email when near the Riviera before June. As we are packing up we may not be able to offer beds, but a cuppa is always on for travellers passng through.

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Salut from Southern France, the bikers' paradise,

Peter.

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Cheers,
Peter.

Europe to NZ 2006-10

Yes, it's fully comp we've gone for.

> As I have written elsewhere: avoid the Med. coast like the plague. Then again, I keep telling people to avoid the cities, but it seems that's where you're heading, so you may have different preferences from us.

We're not particularly interested in the Med coast as such, but it's sorta the direction we're heading anyway. We're mostly interested in the journey, meeting interesting people, seeing interesting places. Nice is where we started going out so we'd like to stop there & I've always had a fascination with Pompeii & what with Florence (I'm an arty sort) & Rome along the way it's looking like the logical route. We are considering going inland for a great deal of the journey anyway, just to get off the 'tourist route..'.

> Drop us an email when near the Riviera before June. As we are packing up we may not be able to offer beds, but a cuppa is always on for travellers passng through.

That'd be great & we may well take you up on the offer of a cuppa. Richard's family have a house near Marmande which we're planning to pop to at some point, so we may well be passing through.

Again, many thanks to everyone for your handy tips. I can't believe tomorrow is actually my last day at work- we've been talking about this for *ages*.

PS: Is there a way of seeing people's profiles to follow up emails or do I reply from in here?

You don't need any (heavy) books.

There are so many campsites, you always will find one in the area you want.

If you need a (free) place to stay in the Netherlands;
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...ML/000047.html

[This message has been edited by Freek (edited 14 April 2005).]

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Freek (NL)

Yes: at the top of each posting are a few icons. The envelope gets you the email address. Except yours: you either didn't register one or you hid it. Go to your profile to change it.

Have a great trip and I look forward to meeting you both.

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Salut from Southern France, the bikers' paradise,

Peter.

[This message has been edited by beddhist (edited 15 April 2005).]

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Cheers,
Peter.

Europe to NZ 2006-10