13 minute read
Winter touring: Sun chasers
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
For 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.
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 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 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 >>
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Wake up to this unique rural area in the Heart of Wales. Our awardwinning site is perfectly situated as a base for adventures with Wake up to this unique rural area in the Heart of Wales. Our awardwinning site is perfectly situated as a base for adventures with fantastic access roads through the breathtaking scenery. For those who like to pitch up and stay put you'll be in the middle of our 500acre farm; with woodland, waterfalls, open moorland, lakes and fantastic access roads through the breathtaking scenery. For those who like to pitch up and stay put you'll be in the middle of our 500acre farm; with woodland, waterfalls, open moorland, lakes and walks to local pubs to explore straight from your pitch. Dogs very welcome. Open all year. walks to local pubs to explore straight from your pitch. Dogs very welcome. Open all year. www.fforestfields.co.uk www.fforestfields.co.uk
(1200 kms) southbound journey involves 12 hours behind the wheel, and we prefer to break that up into chunks. On our most recent trip we chose to use our France Passion book to selected nightly stopovers at three points roughly 400 kms apart. The first in Champagne country, the second in the home of Beaujolais and the third in the Rhone Valley.
Champagne
Our first stop was in the region surrounding Reims. Just off the motorway and between Tinqueux and Pargny lies the village of Les Mesneux. There, offering views across Villedommange and the hills of Reims is Champagne Trousset Guillemart, an almost perfect overnight spot for just one van. Karine and Jean-Philippe Trousset offer the most wonderful set up to the visitor; custom built hard standing park complete with electricity and water. What more English and she gave us the most valuable tutored tasting of the family made wines. Delighted with what was on offer, we bought several bottles. The site they freely offer for up to three campervans is clean and tidy with a good shower and toilet with the offer of fresh water if needed. A community run Aire nearby made the dumping of our waste easy and the village of Juliénas has a great boulangerie. Fortified, educated and topped up with goodies, we hit the road again and prepared to do battle with the traffic jams of Lyon.
could you want? Champagne? Oh yes there was plenty of that too and very good it was to taste. Of course, we bought some and now just weeks later we wished we had bought more. The next morning, we went in search of a boulangerie and bought bread for lunch before setting off again on our journey southwards towards the sun.
Beaujolais
Located in Fleurie, in the very heart of the Beaujolais crus, Domaine Matray in the village of Juliénas was our next overnight stop. The estate has been in the family for the last five generations and in 2018 the family began to convert it to organic farming. They are wonderfully accommodating hosts whose daughter speaks perfect
Snail's Pace
While it is wonderful to have so many wineries to choose from in the France Passion book, every so often it is good to find an alternative. Perhaps it was as we slowly crept through Lyon that we decided on such a change or maybe that is just a thought now, in hindsight! But whatever it was, >>
it saw us entering the village of Valréas into our Satellite Navigation System. Here we found a slower pace of life and a great food stuff. Les Escargots de l'Enclave is a snail farm and up to five campervans can stop there overnight without charge. Wonderfully farmed, preserved and sold at a little shop on site, the snails are a real delicacy and if you have not tried them, you really should! From our point of view, it was a great overnight location with full motorcaravan services available. Our hostess told us all about snails and how they are farmed and of the many ways in which they are cooked and sold. And having bought some and cooked them there that evening we can confirm they were truly delicious.
At this point in our journey, we were less than 300 kms from our destination of Cannes and, using the A7 and A8 motorways, we were able to cover that distance in less than 4 hours. It had been an easy and most enjoyable way of driving through France and we arrived at >>
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Le Ranch campsite in Cannet (just above Cannes) fully refreshed and ready to enjoy the Cote d’Azur. Business would occupy the next four days or so and it was for this reason that we chose the fully serviced campsite on which to leave our van each day. It was a great place to return home to each evening and the town of Cannes offers great shopping, wonderful restaurants and a vibrant air in which to enjoy the surroundings. Once our business was done, we set off into the hinterland and enjoyed rural Provence before it was time to set off northwards back to blighty. But that is another story!
Freelance travel journalists Frances and Michael Howorth, Club members since 2020, tour in their own custom built campervan. Converted from a LWB Fiat Ductao Maxi, Voyager is their pride and joy, come mobile office and home from home.
Spanish Route
Our tried and tested route through France serves us well when we are heading to southern Spain and in particular the city of Barcelona and its delighful surroundings. Follow our French route until you reach the outskirts of Avignon and then head towards Nimes, Narbonne, and Perpignan before crossing the border into Spain at Le Perthus. The other, slightly shorter, route passes through Paris and then onto Orlean. From there if we were using that route, we would head to Bourges and Riom before joining our original route at Béziers. Of course, neither of these routes work if you prefer to catch a Brittany ferry into Santander or Bilbao from either Portsmouth or Plymouth.
Broadhembury Caravan & Camping Park Broadhembury Caravan & Camping Park Broadhembury Caravan & Camping Park Broadhembury Caravan & Camping ParkBroadhembury Caravan & Camping Park
5 star family park and adults meadows T: 01233 620859 | www.broadhembury.co.uk Email: holidaypark@broadhembury.co.uk Steeds Lane, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent TN26 1NQ 5 star graded separate family park and adults meadows • Generous hardstandings • Fully serviced pitches • Warm, spacious showers & toilets • Family bathroom • Babies room • Fully accessible facilities • Campers Kitchen • Laundry room • Park security • Excellent location for exploring Kent T: 01233 620859 | www.broadhembury.co.uk Email: holidaypark@broadhembury.co.uk Steeds Lane, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent TN26 1NQ 5 star graded separate family park and adults meadows • Generous hardstandings • Fully serviced pitches • Warm, spacious showers & toilets • Family bathroom • Babies room • Fully accessible facilities • Campers Kitchen • Laundry room • Park security • Excellent location for exploring Kent T: 01233 620859 | www.broadhembury.co.uk Email: holidaypark@broadhembury.co.uk Steeds Lane, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent TN26 1NQ 5 star graded separate family park and adults meadows • Generous hardstandings • Fully serviced pitches • Warm, spacious showers & toilets • Family bathroom • Babies room • Fully accessible facilities • Campers Kitchen • Laundry room • Park security • Excellent location for exploring Kent T: 01233 620859 | www.broadhembury.co.uk Email: holidaypark@broadhembury.co.uk Steeds Lane, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent TN26 1NQ 5 star graded separate family park and adults meadows • Generous hardstandings • Fully serviced pitches • Warm, spacious showers & toilets • Family bathroom • Babies room • Fully accessible facilities • Campers Kitchen • Laundry room • Park security • Excellent location for exploring Kent • Generous hardstandings • Fully serviced pitches • Warm, spacious fully accessible facilities • Family & Babies’ bathroom • Park security • Dog friendly • Many local foopaths • Excellent location for exploring Kent • Very convenient campervan & motorhome parking in Ashford for shops, fast trains to London, Canterbury and elsewhere in Kent. T: 01233 620859 | www.broadhembury.co.uk Email: holidaypark@broadhembury.co.uk Steeds Lane, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent TN26 1NQ 5 star graded separate family park and adults meadows • Generous hardstandings • Fully serviced • Warm, spacious showers & toilets • Family bathroom • Babies room • Fully accessible facilities Campers Kitchen • Laundry room • Park security Excellent location for exploring Kent
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