OUT & ABOUT | WINTER TOURING
Sun
chasers Continental travel is back on the agenda for motorcaravanners and comes just in time for those seeking sunshine on the Mediterranean coast. By Frances & Michael Howorth
F
or far too long we have all been denied our crosschannel trips through France and Spain seeking winter sunshine because of the pandemic. Now that we can do so again, it’s time to hit the road south and chase the sun. Yes, new regulations have come into force, and more are on their way, but do not let the gloom and doom of those and our own winter months dampen the camping spirit that is so strong among us and our fellow Club members.
are easily available when buying online and will cost less than £5. The second change concerns the contents of your fridge. The rule that bans the importation of meat and dairy products into France is not designed to catch motorhomers who want to stop and have a cuppa and a bacon sandwich. They are there to curtail and prevent commercial operations. We were able to carry milk and cheese into
Regulation Changes
There are two important regulations that have come into force since most of us headed across the channel last. The first concerns the numberplate on your motorcaravan. No longer are you allowed to display the country designator symbol GB. Instead, the rules now state this should read UK. Stickers that cover your existing GB sign on your number plate 42 MOTOR CARAVANNER December 2021
France recently, unchallenged, but we would venture to suggest you only carry enough until you can shop at a French supermarket to replenish supplies for the rest of your stay.
Route
(see p48 box for Route to Spain) The route we traditionally use to drive south through France is from Calais towards Reims then down towards Troyes, Langres and Dijon. The nasty part of this journey is generally encountered passing through Lyon but after that, we head towards Valence, Orange, and Avignon. As we pass Aix en Provence, we consider the end is in sight. By then, of course, the weather is always a lot better than that we left behind. The roads on this route are always fast and are seldom crowded but they are not cheap to use. On this occasion, we paid over £150 each way in tolls and the same sort of amount on diesel. Driving the 750+ mile >>
