Europe By Camper - Travelling Europe By Motorhome

Farewell to Microsoft Autoroute - Discontinued in 2015

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you are familiar with our blog, you'll know Microsoft Autoroute features heavily in our route planning and navigation. For every mile of the 23,044 miles we drove during our 12 month tour we had a <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/03/dashboard-mounted-laptop-gps.html">laptop mounted on our dashboard</a> plotting our position and the location of nearby points of interest and overnight stopovers.<br />
<br />
Last year I spent the best part of a day compiling and formatting a data set in Microsoft Excel for use with Autoroute. Over 130,000 lines of information were formatted as hyperlinks to take you direct to where the information was displayed online from several sources. <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2013/12/2014-autoroute-motorhome-aire-campsite.html" target="_blank">It has been downloaded more than 10,000 times</a> - so at least I know I'm not alone. <b>If you were one of them - please complete the poll at the bottom of this blog post and let me know if you'd download a 2015 version.</b><br />
<br />
However on the <b>31st December 2014</b> you will no longer be able to buy Microsoft Autoroute via the online Microsoft Store. It also seems that all of the CD copies have dried up too and so if you want it you need to act fast, buy online and once downloaded ensure you backup the installation files as I'm not sure you'll be able to access them again. The US equivalent, 'Streets and Trips' which has also been embraced by the American RV are also mourning their loss.<br />
<br />
An extract from the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/mappoint/en-us/history.aspx" target="_blank">official statement</a> (which also covers Map Point / Streets and Trips - Autoroute by other names) reads:<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #0b5394;">"The success of these products would never had happened were it not for the loyal and supportive fans who purchased the product and its various iterations over the years,” shares Larry Petersen, test lead for Microsoft Streets & Trips. “<b>Speaking at RV rallies over the years</b>, I’ve loved hearing about our avid customers’ experiences using the software to plan and enjoy road trips across North America. The feedback and enthusiasm from our users have helped make Microsoft travel planning software a leading solution for nearly twenty years.”</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #0b5394;">We so appreciate the support of our dedicated users over the years. It was a tough decision to discontinue Microsoft’s favorite mapping software products. <b>The retirement of these products will not affect software already installed. Current users may continue to use Microsoft AutoRoute, Microsoft Streets & Trips and Microsoft MapPoint to plan their travel adventures</b> and will have online support until at least July 2015."</span></i><br />
<br />
If you've never used Autoroute you'll be wondering what the fuss is about. It doesn't work on iPads/Tablets or phones or even Mac computers. If you want to use it for navigation you have to buy an external USB GPS dongle. If it was purely navigation you are after then I concede that there are better devices or software available to perform that task.<br />
<br />
However if you want to handle a lot of POI (Point of Interest) data from several sources in a single screen and have full control over those data sets there isn't really a piece of software which can deliver this in the same way. I've always said that a 'Sat Nav' is great at telling you where you are going - but not so great at telling you where you are in relation to points of interest and I don't like the way in which high volume data is formatted and displayed on these devices. In addition, how many times has your TomTom or Garmin deviated you off a main road just to 'cut off a corner'? Having a secondary map view means we have been able to avoid this. It also means that the passenger doesn't have to mentally plot their position on a paper map - their exact position is displayed on screen.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUVaOPZSeIgefQUThVLnHysk7A5J4BbAvUd8VpRWNGD34GJ1heqt9kr9RaOGOCwS2vx_PL8FOVfuVKVKRIvtNp0uqJJZGdwlWzTCLd8jvFbakaiAUQUsyDvZAOm1128rgT6a5-foMzk0/s1600/moreinfo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUVaOPZSeIgefQUThVLnHysk7A5J4BbAvUd8VpRWNGD34GJ1heqt9kr9RaOGOCwS2vx_PL8FOVfuVKVKRIvtNp0uqJJZGdwlWzTCLd8jvFbakaiAUQUsyDvZAOm1128rgT6a5-foMzk0/s1600/moreinfo.png" width="320" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_tqflQBt3BW174otC4tLJ5rRBPt55TmGHhyphenhyphen6TjLZ46OBQbd0xaGlKph90HG0le1jQRrkVqro7qwp5XCicFavX5ntgt-9gzEzzog4uZyULNKS5_uf74_mFv3NFD6bgwmJL9ofwgDUx5I/s1600/pushpins.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_tqflQBt3BW174otC4tLJ5rRBPt55TmGHhyphenhyphen6TjLZ46OBQbd0xaGlKph90HG0le1jQRrkVqro7qwp5XCicFavX5ntgt-9gzEzzog4uZyULNKS5_uf74_mFv3NFD6bgwmJL9ofwgDUx5I/s1600/pushpins.png" width="153" /></a></div>
<br />
Take the way we travel for example, last year we drove to Slovenia which means a circa 900 mile drive. We drive as far as we can in a day and the distance is governed by weather, traffic and so forth and so forward planning is a bit pointless. In addition there isn't a great deal for a passenger and so it's a better use of time to plan while on the move. I'll probably turn to Sophie and say "I'd like to stop in the next 30 minutes" and instantly we can see the list of stopovers pooled from Camping Car Infos, Camper Contact and Bordatlas - plus where we have stayed before. If we have an Internet connection (<a href="http://www.motorhomewifi.com/" target="_blank">which we always do, of course!</a>) we can then click through to the relative websites and view pictures and reviews and make an informed decision on where to stay.<br />
<br />
The above would be fairly tricky (although not impossible) by any other means.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0mO1UJm5kBx9AvkXSWyHyP4N7_RVZ-rp2yQpbo1jWNRPYmXUsBCqsDnlECs0XwzPmsnM39KNfpzw4S_hc1gbZ8GOOhaJaS04j_890LDn3xbJjjiwSwdfxA-L5VcqbdveEJXKuWRngoho/s1600/spain.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0mO1UJm5kBx9AvkXSWyHyP4N7_RVZ-rp2yQpbo1jWNRPYmXUsBCqsDnlECs0XwzPmsnM39KNfpzw4S_hc1gbZ8GOOhaJaS04j_890LDn3xbJjjiwSwdfxA-L5VcqbdveEJXKuWRngoho/s1600/spain.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spain - Lots of POI information here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The sad truth is this software has been a part of my life for almost 15 years. My father had it on his work computer and I was fascinated by zooming into places and seeing such detail and points of interest. In my earlier career as a sales rep it was invaluable to help to plan my call file and when we started to explore Europe, it became an important part of our 'on the fly' navigation strategy.<br />
<br />
The availability of mobile data is perhaps one of the reasons why Autoroute has met its demise. The need for a 2GB offline map is not as essential as it once was and hopefully from the end of 2015 when the <a href="http://www.motorhomewifi.com/blog/the-definitive-guide-to-data-roaming-in-europe/" target="_blank">EU brings an end to roaming charges</a> you should be able to use Google Maps (or Bing as Microsoft would prefer) anywhere in Europe without worrying about the cost of the data it uses.<br />
<br />
So until then, what are the alternatives?<br />
<br />
Open Street Maps is a fantastic resource with detail and built in POI's which far exceed that of Microsoft Autoroute in its 2GB full Europe package. However in order to download the Map Tiles and route them offline you need a piece of software which is also discontinued - Garmin nRoute. We covered some information about this when we were in Morocco (which Microsoft Autoroute doesn't cover) and it worked really well. Where it falls down is the import of third party data sets.<br />
<br />
I for one will be using Microsoft Autoroute for many years to come - we actually <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2012/02/morocco-laptop-gps-garmin-nroute.html">run Garmin nRoute with Open Maps alongside Microsoft Autoroute as nRoute is better as a 'navigation'</a> but for POI data I'm not sure I'm comfortable with any other method. I will of course try and let you know the outcome.<br />
<br />
I don't want to sit here and implore you to download a soon to be obsolete Microsoft product or that you join me in mourning its passing. But consider if upgrading is something you will consider or perhaps try the free trial below and see if you think it will help with your navigation.<br />
<br />
<b>To download a free 14 day trial you can still do so here until the end of the month:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/autoroute/free-trial.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/autoroute/free-trial.aspx</a><br />
<br />
<b>To download our POI data set containing 130,000 locations you can do so here:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2013/12/2014-autoroute-motorhome-aire-campsite.html">http://www.europebycamper.com/2013/12/2014-autoroute-motorhome-aire-campsite.html</a><br />
<br />
<b>If you think you want to buy the software while you still can, the price is £33:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msuk/en_GB/pdp/AutoRoute-2013/productID.278710300" target="_blank">http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msuk/en_GB/pdp/AutoRoute-2013/productID.278710300</a><br />
(if you use Quidco, you can get 15% cashback: <a href="http://www.quidco.com/microsoft-store/" target="_blank">http://www.quidco.com/microsoft-store/</a>)<br />
<br />
Before I sign off, I have just one question for you.</div>
<div id="qp_main199706" style="background-color: #285f8c; border-radius: 6px; border: 1px solid black; margin: 0px; padding: 10px;">
<div style="background-color: #103859; border-radius: 6px; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<div style="padding: 10px;">
Should we publish a 2015 data set for Microsoft Autoroute now the software is obsolete?</div>
</div>
<form action="http://www.poll-maker.com/results199706x0C164605-7" id="qp_form199706" method="post" style="display: inline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">
<div style="border-radius: 6px;">
<div style="clear: both; color: white; cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-top: 5px;">
<span onclick="if((!event.target?event.srcElement:event.target).tagName!='INPUT'){var c=this.childNodes[0];c.checked=(c.type=='radio'?true:!c.checked);}" style="display: block; padding-left: 30px;"><input name="qp_v199706" style="float: left; height: 18px; margin-left: -25px; margin-top: -2px; padding: 0px; width: 18px;" type="radio" value="1" />Yes, please publish it - I'll use it.</span></div>
<div style="clear: both; color: white; cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-top: 5px;">
<span onclick="if((!event.target?event.srcElement:event.target).tagName!='INPUT'){var c=this.childNodes[0];c.checked=(c.type=='radio'?true:!c.checked);}" style="display: block; padding-left: 30px;"><input name="qp_v199706" style="float: left; height: 18px; margin-left: -25px; margin-top: -2px; padding: 0px; width: 18px;" type="radio" value="2" />No thank you, I won't use it.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="clear: both; margin-right: -5px; padding-top: 5px;">
<a class="qp_btna" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4843301963326859142#"><input btype="v" name="qp_b199706" style="background-color: #b3d5f2; border-radius: 10px; border: 3px solid rgb(16,56,89); color: black; cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; height: 30px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px; min-width: 80px;" type="submit" value="Vote" /></a><a class="qp_btna" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4843301963326859142#"><input btype="r" name="qp_b199706" style="background-color: #b3d5f2; border-radius: 10px; border: 3px solid rgb(16,56,89); color: black; cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; height: 30px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px; min-width: 80px;" type="submit" value="Results" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.poll-maker.com/" id="qp_a199706" style="color: white; float: right; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; margin-right: -5px; margin-top: -12px; text-decoration: none;">Poll Maker</a></form>
</div>
<script language="javascript" src="http://scripts.poll-maker.com/3012/scpolls.js"></script></div>

Farewell to Microsoft Autoroute - Discontinued in 2015

If you are familiar with our blog, you'll know Microsoft Autoroute features heavily in our route planning and navigation. For every mi...

Review: Bristops 2014 UK Motorhome Stopover Book

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Xo7meKCvqIR_LB_oqIVKkq4b_8L-qmn1R7WKrR91V7LHi86AWIxgzoNfScwWsPq407_CJdkZ5DAtG7NAi8_XM_wV7FNadEUIUbPjndl6yBfNvHO2s-EPeg_pugZNzTg6zYtqdaInUnw/s1600/IMG_1649+%2528Medium%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Xo7meKCvqIR_LB_oqIVKkq4b_8L-qmn1R7WKrR91V7LHi86AWIxgzoNfScwWsPq407_CJdkZ5DAtG7NAi8_XM_wV7FNadEUIUbPjndl6yBfNvHO2s-EPeg_pugZNzTg6zYtqdaInUnw/s1600/IMG_1649+%2528Medium%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.britstops.com/" style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;" target="_blank">The Brit Stops</a><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;"> book is available <br />from </span><a href="http://www.britstops.com/" style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">www.britstops.com</a><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In 2008 we headed off to France in our trusty Compass Suntor. Being our first foray into Europe there were many things we didn’t get right about that trip, but one of the things we did was purchasing a copy of France Passion. The scheme allows Motorhomes (or ‘Camping Cars’ en francais) to stay at vineyards and farms across France free of charge. The hope is, of course, that in exchange for a stop over guests will spend a little money with the owner and in our case we literally had to chase the owner down to sell us some wine!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG38oj-uBh-T2rlKLkIvdNEqkHBab5wM5DvtOsZJ677QR_pFF0Rex-e6JtD827a_YLoEyTw8_QsWYkPdVewb69GzxVURvA6-pqNyM0ywcjQlaSGziOuPa_oMoIYSaw81_7sm0NhivXZtM/s3200/DSCF5318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG38oj-uBh-T2rlKLkIvdNEqkHBab5wM5DvtOsZJ677QR_pFF0Rex-e6JtD827a_YLoEyTw8_QsWYkPdVewb69GzxVURvA6-pqNyM0ywcjQlaSGziOuPa_oMoIYSaw81_7sm0NhivXZtM/s3200/DSCF5318.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A France Passion <br />
(in France, surprisingly)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The scheme should be no surprise to anyone who has ever been to France as the humble Camping car is deeply ingrained in the French culture. When was the last time you saw a sign with a motorhome on in the UK? Anyone attempting to get such a scheme up and running back in blighty surely had their work cut out for them. You see, something about our culture seems to dictate that motorhomes belong on campsites along with caravans and tents and forget that the majority are totally independent in terms of water, waste and electricity. Buying and running a motorhome is expensive enough already in our view, without having to shell out £25+ a night for a site likely miles away from anywhere.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMJ_SQgXBK0OCasjokZ1vLZSosQ-PBwunjP5qW86FoZKAuEzl-l84gnPhxv9Nft2S0ct926F0ktIuUp7qv0L5qIEvMuscob7ciZuWJ_gQd43GaOlnZz5CVr05mgtMSb3asDSwuaiAlmM/s1600/IMG_1669+(Medium).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMJ_SQgXBK0OCasjokZ1vLZSosQ-PBwunjP5qW86FoZKAuEzl-l84gnPhxv9Nft2S0ct926F0ktIuUp7qv0L5qIEvMuscob7ciZuWJ_gQd43GaOlnZz5CVr05mgtMSb3asDSwuaiAlmM/s1600/IMG_1669+(Medium).jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The brute of a book, you'll hear that<br />
drop through your letterbox!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Enter Steve and Mandy from <a href="http://www.britstops.com/" target="_blank">Brit Stops</a>. After embarking on a similar trip to France they set about getting a British motorhome stopover scheme off the ground. Unperturbed by the lack of understanding of the concept in the UK by potential hosts or motorhome owners alike, they began the arduous task of educating and compiling a list of willing hosts and formatting the information in an easy to navigate book for the benefit of their members. We've been using this book with great success, hindered only by our lack of free time due to work commitments.<br />
<br />
<br />
Now entering its fourth year the book, still with a cover price of £25, now contains over 350 locations where you can stay for free with no obligation.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsm4gDPLFzR6pkiB6EaD5bQtZHtM8OY6aBBTMvlJ7Yn5dEBvxdpoUp9bFFf5eKWelc8lPwO6C1trt65HxobOb6HQb1oLa_XzVmpkAomLIRoi_fkPmheSjv7l9ET52sD5POOqIM46mArfs/s3200/britstop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsm4gDPLFzR6pkiB6EaD5bQtZHtM8OY6aBBTMvlJ7Yn5dEBvxdpoUp9bFFf5eKWelc8lPwO6C1trt65HxobOb6HQb1oLa_XzVmpkAomLIRoi_fkPmheSjv7l9ET52sD5POOqIM46mArfs/s3200/britstop.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farm Shop Stopover</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
While it was perhaps inevitable that many of the locations are pubs and restaurants, as many farm shops, British vineyards and quirky locations have been included along the way. In the spirit of France Passion the hosts agree not to make guests feel in any way obliged to spend with them, this is obviously the hope and many visitors do just that. We arrive at such a stop feeling ‘up’ on the day and so even if its a few beers in the bar of an evening, a hearty breakfast from a farm shop or some fresh local produce to stock up the vans pantry we may spend a little or a lot depending on how the mood takes us.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9mbTyXlSaJ8rDXBu6sjznkTXRNn-e7HKg3GEEctg1h8te_HAxo6QJgyu3EY7OCjzLoc6LJWHnR9gm7_j5EjhHbIBTA9DYTIE7lPVTDCuBeoClUEDkCkdXP48a8bdzhWTywKLKj8HJOc/s1600/15-im-Eng_guide-7150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9mbTyXlSaJ8rDXBu6sjznkTXRNn-e7HKg3GEEctg1h8te_HAxo6QJgyu3EY7OCjzLoc6LJWHnR9gm7_j5EjhHbIBTA9DYTIE7lPVTDCuBeoClUEDkCkdXP48a8bdzhWTywKLKj8HJOc/s1600/15-im-Eng_guide-7150.jpg" width="149" /></a></div>
<br />
Services aren't always available, however some hosts are able to offer water or waste and some even electric (occasionally for a small charge) and so if that is a consideration there will likely be a host that can accommodate you. Each entry in the book clearly details what is available, their location, a description of the stopover, directions and any special information such as a tight entrance. Sometimes it is required that you call ahead and if you were travelling far perhaps that might be advisable anyway.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
So, what’s stopping you from Googling for a pub yourself and phoning ahead asking if you can stay? <br />
Nothing, of course, but if like us you've tried that approach in the past you’ll no doubt find yourself having to explain your intentions to a baffled shop assistant or drive 200 miles to find the owner failed to mention the carpark slopes 45 degrees and he’s already put you down for three courses in the restaurant- we've been there. However, should you find a hidden gem, Brit Stops actively encourages you to submit locations you have found for the benefit of other members and if they make it into the book you are rewarded with a free copy next year. Win-Win!<br />
<br />
You could say that one nights free stopover pays for the book,<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.britstops.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcc8_gmTsKs2TzWVpTDYfpxbq3PE6w51JBJ2nQcPeTmnr7ndTHT85sUxeBsbTLshk_kK3kRrVNkUOkq2ALOdqPSLfnJ699EPt52_YMrC6R9l2Mc6_sjTrBQkYJW03JZ-uZZ7uPE6q5tYQ/s3200/psdlogo1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
however I prefer to think of it as having the freedom to be able to spend some of the money we would have used on site fees (after all, if you close your blinds you could be anywhere!) to being able to enjoy a drink, meal or even just a loaf of fresh bread without starting the day out of pocket. For many it won’t replace sites, but its an excellent way to break up a journey or enjoy a couple of impromptu days away.<br />
<br />
With the 2014 edition published in February, now is the perfect time to purchase a copy and put it to good use over the summer.<br />
<br />
For more information and to buy online, visit <a href="http://www.britstops.com/" target="_blank">www.britstops.com </a></div>

Review: Bristops 2014 UK Motorhome Stopover Book

The Brit Stops book is available from www.britstops.com In 2008 we headed off to France in our trusty Compass Suntor. Being our...

2014 Autoroute Motorhome Aire, Campsite & LPG GPS POI's

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3_Xbyo5_FHOiQCZw7GMTns5bSF6lserWchs0HzD8b1mVyGv_eLDpwXGsWOTUywcF7fk8Vw4u7aXbBGc1G8OoBuNY2Ee6DBP23pQ361ubIbu0A1fkdHb3Bp6-tlKQpXHwL5Sg_b3edgY/s1600/fullpage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3_Xbyo5_FHOiQCZw7GMTns5bSF6lserWchs0HzD8b1mVyGv_eLDpwXGsWOTUywcF7fk8Vw4u7aXbBGc1G8OoBuNY2Ee6DBP23pQ361ubIbu0A1fkdHb3Bp6-tlKQpXHwL5Sg_b3edgY/s320/fullpage.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This POI data set contains almost <b>130,000</b> freely available points of interest from some of the best motorhome resources across the internet; all highly relevant to the European motorhome traveller.<br />
<br />
We have been creating this information as our sole source of planning while on the road for several years. While compiling, translating and formatting this information for use on Autoroute takes Adam several hours, we are making the files available here in the interest of helping others who use Microsoft Autoroute and not for commercial or financial gain.<br />
<br />
All POI's remain the property of their respective owners or collaborators and we encourage you to visit their websites or use their own applications for the most up to date information, since changes may have been made since this file was created.<br />
<br />
This is of course likely to be some duplication between POI sets (I haven't de-duped between groups), but see this as further validation that a particular POI exists if it is listed on more than one directory.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Summary of Contents</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>2011 Europe By Camper Trail - 212</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMIBtDcu_Wuc65hMeDVtDeRX-5UYYKOZkdRvBJdWGja0-IXo2izGHLBBfEw3GQw2cyYtx4wQ1vW47HsrwL7HDSEzuybjHyDSOiHTiJyHk2WqPTFlae7CH_1wR0I8-bvgZLD7tEXL79a9M/s1600/pushpins.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMIBtDcu_Wuc65hMeDVtDeRX-5UYYKOZkdRvBJdWGja0-IXo2izGHLBBfEw3GQw2cyYtx4wQ1vW47HsrwL7HDSEzuybjHyDSOiHTiJyHk2WqPTFlae7CH_1wR0I8-bvgZLD7tEXL79a9M/s320/pushpins.png" width="244" /></a></b></div>
Data of where we stayed during our 12 month tour of Europe in 2011. Includes type (eg Free, Wild, Site), a link back to the relevant blog post and if free WiFi was obtainable at the time.<br />
<br />
<b>2014 Discount Camping Card - 2,739</b><br />
Discount campsites for €12, €14, €16 or €18 per night. You must be a member of the scheme and have a copy of the 2014 book (costs £12) in order to benefit from the discounted rates - but it soon pays for itself. See: <a href="http://www.campingcard.co.uk/">www.campingcard.co.uk</a><br />
<br />
<b>2014 Camper Contact - 16,257</b><br />
Excellent resource run by the Netherlands Kampeerauto Club. All push pins link directly back to the free website for more detailed information and often photos. Consider supporting this resource by purchasing the excellent iOS or Android app for £3.99.<br />
<br />
This data is broken down into:<br />
Service Locations (no overnight parking) - 850<br />
Overnight Locations - 15,407<br />
<br />
<b>2014 Bordatlas Aires - 6,010</b><br />
A mainly German based aire guide with POI's freely available from their website. All pushpins link back to the website, for which a valid 2014 book needs to be purchased in order to access. The book also contains pictures for the majority of sites.<br />
<br />
<b>2014 Archies European Campsites - 30,980</b><br />
A collaborate resource giving the best POI data for campsites in Europe. Consider supporting this resource by purchasing the iOS on Android app for £1.99.<br />
<br />
<b>2014 myLPG.eu LPG Filling Stations - 26,678</b><br />
Not for profit resource, reproduced here with kind permission of the owner Matija Matvoz. Visit<br />
<a href="http://www.mylpg.eu/" target="_blank">www.mylpg.eu</a> for the most up to date information.<br />
<br />
<b>2014 Camping Car Infos - 18,432</b><br />
Excellent French language resource Camping Car Infos website might be a bit dated, but the information it provides is excellent. All pushpins link directly back to the website for additional information and pictures. Consider using Google Chrome as your web browser for automatic translation from French to English. Consider supporting this resource by downloading the Android app. The set comprises of:<br />
<br />
Aire De Service - 5,544<br />
Parking Areas Tolerating Motorhomes Overnight - 5,472<br />
Designated Motorhome Overnight Parking - 650<br />
Motorhome Parking - 495<br />
Aires Camping Farm - 263<br />
Campsite Aires Accepting Campers - 4,109<br />
Campsites With Services - 801<br />
Service Point Only - 629<br />
Motorway Service Points - 469<br />
<br />
<b>2014 Womo Wild Camping Spots - 12,521</b><br />
From <a href="http://www.womo-sp.org/" target="_blank">www.womo-sp.org</a> - use these as a guide rather than going too far out of your way to find a Wild Camping location, but we've found some hidden gems in the past thanks to this data.<br />
<br />
<b>2014 LIDL Europe Wide Locations - 9,858</b><br />
Lidl - the motorhomers friend! Locations all over Europe correct as of January 2014.<br />
<br />
<b>2014 McDonalds Locations - 5,761</b><br />
For the Free WiFi of course!<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Total POI's 129,448</span></b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhro1vs0FT-RD1fNUhxhb94qgX9b40K7MEDPggRIms-CugHpmH0D71DgB3PobJ-V1TVVbXftx_hJ8Yi9PPpDexQxYFxAcwYlZLqvcCFXr1NUch9gwRTQbOlgqBSeZoN8L9cach6cNowPf0/s1600/moreinfo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhro1vs0FT-RD1fNUhxhb94qgX9b40K7MEDPggRIms-CugHpmH0D71DgB3PobJ-V1TVVbXftx_hJ8Yi9PPpDexQxYFxAcwYlZLqvcCFXr1NUch9gwRTQbOlgqBSeZoN8L9cach6cNowPf0/s320/moreinfo.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All Camping Car Infos & CamperStop.nl Pushpins link directly<br />
back to the free website for detailed information and often pictures.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Download Links</span></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwSnvBSGRiW0tb7P6hS0st_TL77SbnccSoMw0P3qrTdUQ-PRLfP5xoZHV8lK9wKeUJpsPoe-I_9z68dYI-un9kdhFtUtNPkYgY9_yDpNnzKHyrYghrXDt396Vj9g0TG4iaSUwTXQLVt0/s1600/download.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwSnvBSGRiW0tb7P6hS0st_TL77SbnccSoMw0P3qrTdUQ-PRLfP5xoZHV8lK9wKeUJpsPoe-I_9z68dYI-un9kdhFtUtNPkYgY9_yDpNnzKHyrYghrXDt396Vj9g0TG4iaSUwTXQLVt0/s200/download.png" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a>Download the correct version to match your version of Autoroute to save you having to convert previous versions. I would highly recommend that you consider upgrading to 2013, as the huge differences between 2010 and 2011 were documented on this blog post <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/08/microsoft-autoroute-2011-europe-review.html" target="_blank">here (click)</a>.<br />
<br />
Click below to download the file, if you are unsure on what to press see the image to the right for steps 1 and 2.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://goo.gl/kBd57F" target="_blank">Autoroute 2013, click here and choose 'Download'</a></b><br />
<b><a href="http://goo.gl/UmK7by" target="_blank">Autoroute 2011, click here and choose 'Download'</a></b><br />
<b><a href="http://goo.gl/auX69d" target="_blank">Autoroute 2010, click here and choose 'Download'</a></b><br />
<br />
Unfortunately conversion to Autoroute 2007 or older would be a lengthy process, since the version handles POI data slightly differently, so do consider upgrading or using one of the free trials below. I regret that I cannot supply these files in any other format (eg TomTom) or assist you in installing them on your device. Please visit the website owners to obtain the raw data files for use on your other devices.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZb8u8i5g9FewZLmtnmaeBH8TtiA8Fhoo406Dp9noUM8ruZsxUxckIxsWyMT9m48mRmHJ_O15YVHFob_5zTpKace0gwmjCFjCTTxuyiWtnFipfMa7MOwZYvGvb51leSnrixTffLtTSwWg/s1600/spain.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZb8u8i5g9FewZLmtnmaeBH8TtiA8Fhoo406Dp9noUM8ruZsxUxckIxsWyMT9m48mRmHJ_O15YVHFob_5zTpKace0gwmjCFjCTTxuyiWtnFipfMa7MOwZYvGvb51leSnrixTffLtTSwWg/s320/spain.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plenty of pushpins for Spain and Portugal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Notes & Tips on Usage</span></b><br />
All POI sets are 'turned off' by default. Right click on the set that interests you and select 'Show pushpin set' in order to view them. Unless you have a very fast computer, turning on all of these POI's while in the 'Full Europe' or a whole country view will most likely grind your computer to a halt. If you don't have a GPS dongle (you can buy one for £26, see below) to display your exact location, then zoom to within a couple of hundred miles of your area of interest and turn on the POI sets that are relevant to at your destination or along your route.<br />
<br />
You can always delete sets not relevant to you by right clicking then and choosing delete, or make any other changes you wish by simply selecting FILE > SAVE AS before exiting. Because it is so easy to make changes to the data set accidentally, I would recommend having a backup copy saved on your computer.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Why Microsoft Autoroute?</span></b><br />
Autoroute is one of the best offline mapping tools, despite the many excellent smart phone and tablet apps available. It is able to handle and manipulate a large amount of data from multiple data sets, as well as plot your location with an inexpensive USB GPS dongle. This is what we have, <a href="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360254511011" target="_blank">available on eBay for £26 (click)</a>.<br />
<br />
We use it with a dashboard mounted laptop on <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/03/dashboard-mounted-laptop-gps.html" target="_blank">this blog post (click).</a><br />
<br />
Autoroute already contains millions of built in POI's including Fuel Stations, Cash Machines and Banks, Parking Lots, Supermarkets, Pharmacies and Post Offices.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Free Trial of Microsoft Autoroute / Purchasing</span></b><br />
You can download a 14 day Free Trial of <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/autoroute/free-trial.aspx" target="_blank">Microsoft Autoroute 2013 by clicking here.</a><br />
You can download a 60 day Free Trial of <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/streets/en-us/Products_AutoRoute.aspx" target="_blank">Microsoft Autoroute 2010 by clicking here.</a><br />
Or you can buy it for £33 here (DVD or Download) <a href="http://www.microsoftstore.com/autoroutegb" target="_blank">by clicking here.</a></div>

2014 Autoroute Motorhome Aire, Campsite & LPG GPS POI's

This POI data set contains almost 130,000 freely available points of interest from some of the best motorhome resources across the inte...

200w Solar Panel Install

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUd-q-1wTqk0MTiT4eXHQTtKkfgQClAlWB9y0OpaIhxT8Pg64TeYHheEB6bnzTvh-ZwjnHwN-FIkqxQMmQo0ZaYgiYe37iBvBtFcsr3dNczNXu_qFs1pydm-No2wFVRWSz2vD4b6NPh54/s1600/IMG_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUd-q-1wTqk0MTiT4eXHQTtKkfgQClAlWB9y0OpaIhxT8Pg64TeYHheEB6bnzTvh-ZwjnHwN-FIkqxQMmQo0ZaYgiYe37iBvBtFcsr3dNczNXu_qFs1pydm-No2wFVRWSz2vD4b6NPh54/s400/IMG_0033.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fitted Solar Panels</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After having installed 2x 100w solar panels on the roof of our van, I don't know why I didn't do it sooner. It wasn't nearly as complicated as I envisaged and the install came in at just under £280. It could have been up to £50 cheaper had we chosen a cheaper solar regulator; but Adam wanted one with a remote display.<br />
<br />
The truth is our 2x 125AH batteries actually seem to outlast our requirements. We don't watch TV very often, all of our lights are LED and we have two laptops with an 8 hour battery life (Asus UL30A) both with 12v chargers. I can only recall one occasion where we've run out of power - and that was after three days of running the blown air heating while attending the Harrogate motorhome show in a foot of snow.<br />
<br />
So why have we gone down the solar route at all? Partly for the challenge and partly because the flexibility that it could offer us in the future; should we return to longer term touring. Our dependency on the internet if anything has increased over the last couple of years and so having the ability to run our laptops and charge our devices for extended periods without electric hookup could be advantageous.<br />
<br />
In addition we spent 10 days on site in Lake Bled in glorious sunshine and could have saved 40 euro on hookup had we not required it to charge our devices. With the amount of sun that was present, it would likely have been possible to run the fridge via the inverter with the excess power that could have been generated.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeko6rFQTIC_d4xkBu4WPztIFmqoEkpnsHn-Kb_7JY283U-lgxdFm-lyTgbQkMOghJw3jsKBEMpWuVqUfXzffa1664El16EIyKzqfc1AjQ3_21NtAYjsNHLpmNfQ9t0dDpooh2V9SYog0/s1600/IMG_0037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeko6rFQTIC_d4xkBu4WPztIFmqoEkpnsHn-Kb_7JY283U-lgxdFm-lyTgbQkMOghJw3jsKBEMpWuVqUfXzffa1664El16EIyKzqfc1AjQ3_21NtAYjsNHLpmNfQ9t0dDpooh2V9SYog0/s200/IMG_0037.JPG" width="200" /></a>Lets start with the panels. If you're going to be installing solar, it's no harder to install a 100w panel then it is a 20w panel and so it makes sense to install the most that you can either afford or have available roof space for. In our case I measured that we could fit 2x 100w panels down the right hand side of our van and still have enough roof space to get onto the roof without having to step over the panels.<br />
<br />
Two possible downsides to this was it is possible to see the panels from ground, but no big issue as the aluminium brackets matched the panels themselves and look fairly neat and tidy. The other is that the small roof light over the bed could cast a small shadow on the panel at certain angles - but I think the effect of this will be minimal.<br />
<br />
<b>Parts Required - all bought from eBay</b><br />
2x 100w Solar Panels - £140<br />
Morning Star RM25 Regulator with Remote Display - £70<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqTnZvkGW1h_nRo6kzCdOsrOVfbjTojFUf7WAwme9WrU_E42tRQjArq6oa0Qi8EwTzKFvriAD-hIpyX6MS7LctSKabyHsmrrjbeiAqA58P9SAtTHuYBap0fEHv0-vCZq42neV91CaaiA/s1600/regulator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqTnZvkGW1h_nRo6kzCdOsrOVfbjTojFUf7WAwme9WrU_E42tRQjArq6oa0Qi8EwTzKFvriAD-hIpyX6MS7LctSKabyHsmrrjbeiAqA58P9SAtTHuYBap0fEHv0-vCZq42neV91CaaiA/s320/regulator.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
8x 50x50x3mm Aluminium Angle £15<br />
16x M5 Threaded Inserts £3.50 (pack of 20)<br />
16x M5 Stainless 15mm Bolts - £1.70 (pack of 20)<br />
1x Tube Sikaflex 512 - £10<br />
1x IP66 Weatherproof Junction Box - £5<br />
2x 20mm Glands - £2 (pack of 6)<br />
2x 5m Pre-Crimped MC4 PV Solar Cables - £20<br />
2x 2-1 MC4 Connectors - £5<br />
<br />
1x Inline Blade Fuse Holder ~ £1<br />
2x Spade Connectors ~ 50p<br />
2x Copper Nut Battery ~ £2<br />
2x 1m of 8AWG Cable ~ £4<br />
<br />
<b>Tools:</b><br />
Cable Cutter / Crimp Tool<br />
Threaded Insert Tool<br />
7mm Drill Bit<br />
5mm Drill Bit<br />
Hex driver<br />
30mm Hole Cutter<br />
<br />
Our solar panels were purchased from German eBay, where prices seem cheaper and sellers more reliable. 2x panels were £142 including DHL shipping to the UK. Most solar panels seem to be monocrystalline now and so that's what we opted for.<br />
<br />
The second major part of a solar install is a regulator. These can be bought for as little as £20, but I really wanted one with a display so I could measure the benefit and detect any issues. Originally opting for one with a display on the regulator itself, I soon realised that for a tidy, wire free install I would need a remote display and choices are somewhat limited. Morning Star have a superb range of regulators, I opted for the Sunstar RM-25 bought from Beco on eBay for £70 delivered.<br />
<br />
The regulator has the ability to charge two battery banks, meaning I can charge the cab battery in addition to the habitation one should it be required. This can be undertaken either 50:50 or 90:10 in favour of the leisure battery, which is what I've selected. The only downside is that it is 'only' 25A which means I can only put another 50w of solar on the roof before I need to change regulators for the higher amperage Tri-Star regulator - but I'll see how we get on.<br />
<br />
For me by far the most stressful decision was the brackets. The location of the panels dictated that the brackets would be positioned with the feet tucked under the panels which meant for a custom bracket install. I also wanted the ability to remove the panels from the roof if required - which meant I couldn't permanently attach the brackets to the panels.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbWoo0evRNYVBIPyw4cEogjohtfS5EMqL8AM1tJj5vSzgqnCAeYU9JnVXBlVvCgaRV2gX5AYkqYaGHCeSNptbouCGprR5l_p8agBxbIRh3YmZh8aiSUJ77hbztkryhDBDnREtkF6ncy5Y/s1600/photo+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbWoo0evRNYVBIPyw4cEogjohtfS5EMqL8AM1tJj5vSzgqnCAeYU9JnVXBlVvCgaRV2gX5AYkqYaGHCeSNptbouCGprR5l_p8agBxbIRh3YmZh8aiSUJ77hbztkryhDBDnREtkF6ncy5Y/s320/photo+(3).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mastic still to tidy up!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The solution was found in installing threaded inserts into the aluminium frame of the panel, using a threaded insert rivet gun and attaching to the bracket with a stainless steel M5 allen key bolt.<br />
<br />
The brackets themselves are made 8x 150mm lengths of  50x50x3mm aluminium angle, purchased for £15 for 8 pieces from <a href="http://www.forwardmetals.co.uk/" target="_blank">www.forwardmetals.co.uk</a> - a company geared up towards small orders such as this. They arrived next day with no sharp edges; highly recommended. I would advise for the price, you should purchase a spare bracket just in case.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvWG2p396H7hejO4gHEHGLmJ3b4wTjDm6bULkgxg1B8MNIrjQjQRVps0F3_IcOODhwm959hkukopWA7n2lZQaWgK91PI4WQtThQQ-JRsnD2664sPoE6UpqWwiPAj7DjCjySWVpvm60ak/s1600/IMG_1271+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvWG2p396H7hejO4gHEHGLmJ3b4wTjDm6bULkgxg1B8MNIrjQjQRVps0F3_IcOODhwm959hkukopWA7n2lZQaWgK91PI4WQtThQQ-JRsnD2664sPoE6UpqWwiPAj7DjCjySWVpvm60ak/s320/IMG_1271+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
The bracket allows for a 2cm gap beneath the panel, which is perhaps slightly less than optimum. I drilled the aluminium brackets first and used it as a template to mark the holes for the threaded rivets. Drilling the aluminium brackets free hand was tricky, if you had a bench drill it would be much easier, but this method means that any misalignment can be compensated for in the positioning of the rivets.<br />
<br />
Once attached, the roof was marked where the brackets would be located and the panel removed again and area prepared. Given the amount of dirt on my roof I used a bit of fine grit sandpaper before applying Sikaflex 512. I actually used almost a whole tube for two panels as each panel had a nice bed of Sikaflex.<br />
<br />
Once in place, I located a gap between two panels inside the van in which to drill the 30mm access hole. Drilling from inside the van first, I marked the central point and drilled up out of the roof, then from the roof back down into the van. This was surprisingly simple, although care has to be given to miss any embedded cables. Once drilled, you can breath a sigh of relief.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFaAJ_XjWwywNty5nqc8Pe26-Im8ptE46kvFq9LksG2t6yV8MWTnXzUuDNaCVhNn_pM6m6Jm0KnRJnmo7VGiUqps9GZKlHRFlbvWxS_-adzXDzdBdOvZ2mSV7xI8S5g8ZEzfIgpPzZQdE/s1600/IMG_0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFaAJ_XjWwywNty5nqc8Pe26-Im8ptE46kvFq9LksG2t6yV8MWTnXzUuDNaCVhNn_pM6m6Jm0KnRJnmo7VGiUqps9GZKlHRFlbvWxS_-adzXDzdBdOvZ2mSV7xI8S5g8ZEzfIgpPzZQdE/s200/IMG_0007.jpg" width="150" /></a>I got a deal on a 2x 5m length of pre-crimped MC4 PV cables. MC4 is the type of connector common to solar installs and PV cable is a semi rigid cable which doesn't deteriorate in extreme weather. Its not necessary to run this all the way to your regulator, some installers favor terminating this just inside the van or not using it at all, but given the connectors and crimp tool, junction box etc were a good deal more than this pre-crimped cable; that is what I went with. If using the PV cable, be sure to mark the positive cable internally before you cut the end off! You can actually get two installs from this - I will be using the shorter length for my fathers Autotrail most likely.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Bl0t6Zk9BTZBJqWfUaiCybWvkO4iNlpy_BGDtmoFBJWLHPCiZ7KafISpWP7VCXBAksUhrn7lCsE6fB9kIoLNZ0memooJxqF56PNIapSJj_eMG-_sfS4fH4aFPkkriB38Aq_ur2O-TLg/s1600/IMG_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Bl0t6Zk9BTZBJqWfUaiCybWvkO4iNlpy_BGDtmoFBJWLHPCiZ7KafISpWP7VCXBAksUhrn7lCsE6fB9kIoLNZ0memooJxqF56PNIapSJj_eMG-_sfS4fH4aFPkkriB38Aq_ur2O-TLg/s320/IMG_0006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fitting of the panels & brackets</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I also wanted a junction box on the roof that gave me flexibility to install other roof mounted hardware in the future, so opted for an IP66 unit with 4 screws on the top to access the internals. It has 10 20mm gland holes, so plenty of opportunity to install other equipment. I needed to remove a couple of lugs on the base so that it could be seated flush with the roof - and drilled a 30mm hole on the base to match the one through the roof.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtPPT4FPDNaVe3POX088969YGNWT4NGP4v-19nhhUPDQTRiHQq0TClUh3eEi3fbo7DtPxgZWBzFKobXM6QEypl4C5Xm0rkk5l_6WgC-OUNblRq9rtL7QepNzmfqWvVWQoQsN3gE-VPUE/s1600/IMG_0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtPPT4FPDNaVe3POX088969YGNWT4NGP4v-19nhhUPDQTRiHQq0TClUh3eEi3fbo7DtPxgZWBzFKobXM6QEypl4C5Xm0rkk5l_6WgC-OUNblRq9rtL7QepNzmfqWvVWQoQsN3gE-VPUE/s320/IMG_0036.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cupboard nearly tidy and iBoost in place</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I ran a fair amount of cables at the same time as the solar cables. I ran cab power and RF cables up to the roof for a roof mounted FM radio antenna to overcome the poor cab radio reception (see other post), as well as RF cable for a roof mounted 3G antenna. In addition I ran 12v habitation power up to the same locker, RJ11 cable for the remote solar display (supplied with it) and a separate fused 12v for a 2x cigarette, 2x USB charger unit installed in the same location to run my <a href="http://www.motorhomewifi.com/catalog/iboost-wifi-system/" target="_blank">Motorhome WiFi iBoost</a>, <a href="http://www.motorhomewifi.com/catalog/3g/" target="_blank">Huawei MiFi</a> device and charge our phones.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KH1hFR4R-VRDxJN3TZbNWeLcMAlLKk0uLpoLQSU8KIxJFWxwkea8eyCm0B2GHA6ONeblwDChPbbYnxY8ffGZJD1UORwdTsze0jHjQEXozSM4XFgilJIXm97gZVYjvqLPvdkB2aU2vOw/s1600/IMG_0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KH1hFR4R-VRDxJN3TZbNWeLcMAlLKk0uLpoLQSU8KIxJFWxwkea8eyCm0B2GHA6ONeblwDChPbbYnxY8ffGZJD1UORwdTsze0jHjQEXozSM4XFgilJIXm97gZVYjvqLPvdkB2aU2vOw/s320/IMG_0009.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FM Radio Antenna and some cable trunking</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The regulator was installed next to the battery and the positive 12v connection was fused with a 30A spade fuse. This is the last thing to be connected once you have checked all of your wiring.<br />
<br />
It’s too early to tell what the gains are, but I know that in three weeks of pretty gloomy December I've generated 60Ah, so here’s hoping that summer allows me to generate much more.<br />
<br />
At the same time I installed an FM radio antenna - some more information <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2013/12/roof-mounted-fm-radio-antenna.html">on this blog post (here).</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Tips for Next Time</b><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>A bench drill (or a template) will make drilling the aluminium angle much easier.</li>
<li>Purchase a 'spare' piece of aluminium angle just in case (it's cheap enough).</li>
<li>I purchased a cheap threaded rivet tool for £10, which was about knackered by the time I had finished with just 8 inserts. It was replaced but might be worth looking for a mid range one.</li>
<li>Don't try and fit them under a pine tree shedding needles!</li>
<li>Take more photos during the install, or have someone take them for you!</li>
</ul>
</div>

200w Solar Panel Install

Fitted Solar Panels After having installed 2x 100w solar panels on the roof of our van, I don't know why I didn't do it sooner....

Roof Mounted FM Radio Antenna

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the things we have always struggled with is cab radio reception. It was something I thought was fairly unique to our Fiat Ducato based motorhomes, but is something our Renault Master suffered from also - with its wing mounted FM antenna. I've tried various windscreen antennas in the past with varying degrees of success but ultimately, nothing beats a proper roof mounted antenna - which is what the base vehicle would have most likely had been a commercial van.<br />
<br />
While running cables for our solar install I decided that I was going to have a go at installing an inexpensive active FM antenna on the roof. This bypassed the need to drill the bodywork and got the antenna to the highest point.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVL2lbICSBjLAUozSkfqLOVOhsrOjHAqayAcBubdzgMeMWuBO0ckW3Yz9Z4FafnTiFnLy3keARyqgzDY81lpNRRu_kMp6DbZUiyCebRRColeGeM2DNBPa8n3TubhL7itE6vp7fJ6dn-hQ/s1600/IMG_0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVL2lbICSBjLAUozSkfqLOVOhsrOjHAqayAcBubdzgMeMWuBO0ckW3Yz9Z4FafnTiFnLy3keARyqgzDY81lpNRRu_kMp6DbZUiyCebRRColeGeM2DNBPa8n3TubhL7itE6vp7fJ6dn-hQ/s320/IMG_0009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Parts Required - all purchased on eBay</b><br />
1x IP65 box - £4<br />
1x Car Audio Active (powered) FM Antenna - £10<br />
1x 5m RF Extension Cable - £3<br />
1x 5m length of 16AWG cable - £2<br />
1x 50cm length of twin core cable ~ 50p<br />
1x In-Line fuse connector and 5A fuse ~ £1<br />
2x Spade Connectors ~ 20p<br />
2x 20mm Twin Cable Glands ~ £1<br />
<br />
~ Sikafix 512 left over from Solar Install<br />
<br />
Total Cost £21.70<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The antenna is an active antenna, which means it requires power. It would usually only require a positive feed as it is grounded by the chassis on a car - but in this situation you will need to run an earth feed also. The cables were run to the back of the radio and the positive feed taken from the ignition feed (red) from the back of the radio. This means you wouldn't benefit from the enhanced signal when the ignition wasn't on, but usually for us reception is fine when stationary.<br />
<br />
The IP65 box isn't the most aerodynamic - but I needed one with a flat top for the antenna and wanted one with a screw down top that was removable. In reality I can't see that it matters a great deal as the Sikaflex is incredibly strong.<br />
<br />
Once installed the results were better than expected. I was a bit skeptical about the benefit of the powered element, but removing and replacing the 5A fuse made a noticeable difference in the sound quality.<br />
<br />
Looking forward to testing it out on the road and seeing how it performs longer term.</div>

Roof Mounted FM Radio Antenna

One of the things we have always struggled with is cab radio reception. It was something I thought was fairly unique to our Fiat Ducato bas...

Friends New & Old and Leaving Behind Lake Bled

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHtXXkyvqZaFe4TacQLOaDTp226998APUoSSw9WL-Rpb8AtUZyo6MfjONfqD68ZD5nr2_RRDn_vVj4AY2i_Bp048sZXIMbAlO48cmTs1JUVCvYGlpWaocNkNiy-rpt0rGiEJbSW52xHs/s1600/IMG_0484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHtXXkyvqZaFe4TacQLOaDTp226998APUoSSw9WL-Rpb8AtUZyo6MfjONfqD68ZD5nr2_RRDn_vVj4AY2i_Bp048sZXIMbAlO48cmTs1JUVCvYGlpWaocNkNiy-rpt0rGiEJbSW52xHs/s400/IMG_0484.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Europe By Camper accompanied by Emily & Steve from Bert The Merc!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">We've probably surprised everyone, not least ourselves, by still being at Lake Bled 9 days after we arrived. The truth is the weather is just so beautiful we can't bring ourselves to up sticks and leave until today, when we need to head back to Hook of Holland for the ferry.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzw5Q-XOy4TscFgnvUP2-11FupYkt7MtMRLBxCgPONUDFOdS7PmUgQj-AeJthNJSBEcZYramm0TZhQJm2shSvCeKSuGUv4Rj8SLw-PgTqxJXGBxKbwI77tMmOrPLWw2QCC6zHUTW2BvI/s1600/IMG_0438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzw5Q-XOy4TscFgnvUP2-11FupYkt7MtMRLBxCgPONUDFOdS7PmUgQj-AeJthNJSBEcZYramm0TZhQJm2shSvCeKSuGUv4Rj8SLw-PgTqxJXGBxKbwI77tMmOrPLWw2QCC6zHUTW2BvI/s200/IMG_0438.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">We've had a good pitch and while we'd have loved to visit the Triglav National Park again, it's simply too hot to do any serious hiking - which we'd like to do. We've driven 1,200 miles to this point, so we're going to make the most of it before we return to the height of the Motorhome Show season and the NEC in October. At the shows we attend we chat to lots of people who followed or read about our year long trip and there is a great community feel. Still, we're never quite sure how to react when people walk over to introduce themselves.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMPGmxg2iOoTt2Wcu0cR4pcZ7Cacsq2i2USRg98tBQwIFj48CnyFFHsv05JeXjPU9dvHUDT98LF94DdsQFohVIkR_5GyiJB7RUsvFC5Elnwfnju3zlrAW3fnfwUzOgaP-Q3S1kWsX_3g/s1600/2013-08-02+12.41.35+HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMPGmxg2iOoTt2Wcu0cR4pcZ7Cacsq2i2USRg98tBQwIFj48CnyFFHsv05JeXjPU9dvHUDT98LF94DdsQFohVIkR_5GyiJB7RUsvFC5Elnwfnju3zlrAW3fnfwUzOgaP-Q3S1kWsX_3g/s200/2013-08-02+12.41.35+HDR.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">"Hey, we're here because we followed your blog!" came a voice and across strode a tall guy a similar age to Sophie and I with an outreached palm. Steve and girlfriend Emily have been traveling Europe for two months with two months left to go before they hit Australia. They had seen some of our pics we've been posting on Instagram and thought that we were heading in this general direction.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
 <span style="font-family: Tahoma; text-align: -webkit-auto;">It's been great to have some unexpected company out here and even more so when you're all of a similar mindset. They had picked up a great Mercedes Sprinter panel van christened 'Bert the Merc' and loaded it with all the outdoor gear we've been promising ourselves we'll one day get into. You can check out their blog by clicking here: <a href="http://bertthemerc.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Bert The Merc.</a></span><br />
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKWC8NwUxMe2KMz3KsWgf12LUNM9TdWucEBW25sYaR2LQOg_bygfYYlrbkWigf97OxhCB3CchM5-3lJ28UKYYl3TEuHvuXrAJA8ATasbKy8Y6EZ4in3PEU6ZE_zjnJa_zkncun377Jaw/s1600/2013-07-28+20.18.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKWC8NwUxMe2KMz3KsWgf12LUNM9TdWucEBW25sYaR2LQOg_bygfYYlrbkWigf97OxhCB3CchM5-3lJ28UKYYl3TEuHvuXrAJA8ATasbKy8Y6EZ4in3PEU6ZE_zjnJa_zkncun377Jaw/s200/2013-07-28+20.18.53.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Safe to say that the BBQ got some hammer over the forthcoming days, when Steve and Emily were introduced to our staple of Indian themed BBQ food; home made Seekh Kebab and Tandoori Chicken are almost always present on our grill!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMynn33cu8l1hiqyDk6mpx2XO39F4HRKYAySOFQncKAjnlaulDKF26T5_9wniHzqCkFnM5WvEXPkpRyL2JSeHio3UTobFmZW4F_oyrr6lItHDLx7A1rLrFL6t8bGDHjPdEld87PPZ0_0k/s1600/2013-08-03+20.36.34+HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMynn33cu8l1hiqyDk6mpx2XO39F4HRKYAySOFQncKAjnlaulDKF26T5_9wniHzqCkFnM5WvEXPkpRyL2JSeHio3UTobFmZW4F_oyrr6lItHDLx7A1rLrFL6t8bGDHjPdEld87PPZ0_0k/s200/2013-08-03+20.36.34+HDR.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">It's not just new friends we've made here at Bled, Steve, Mandy and Melissa from <a href="http://www.britstops.com/" target="_blank">Brit Stops</a> called in for one night on their way back from Hungary. They're on a whistle stop tour of Europe in their new Frankia. The campsite was so full that they had someone turning people away from the roadside, but fortunately a van had left next to us in the unmarked area and so we were able to get them through the roadblock.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">So, an apology to those who had expected an epic adventure or a repeat of our 10 countries in 21 days tour in 2009. We've failed to blog about an adventure, but instead brought you along on our two week holiday to one of our favourite places in Europe. We've had 9 days of wall to wall sunshine and tomorrow is set to rain, so we must have done something right to deserve this. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">With two more Vignettes purchased for the return journey, we'll be lucky to see out of the windscreen on the way back! I've lost track of the amount of time we've spent in a <a href="http://www.awcycles.co.uk/" target="_blank">road and racing cycle shop</a> while we've been away and so perhaps we'll just buy a cheap or second hand road bike and see how we get on with them to begin with.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB2k4adidRGzbNFFg_bV4-vYPFjWrmr1sk88lhqKS0qUIRoMAZj7HTw-DCH98IaY3eV62ZbHvAhw1BzDdyV9hsLIw2qs2EIjtEWZ-I43SPDb4aFIk2gXuaU9LEEV6M49AU2rLJhX0HHog/s1600/IMG_0459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB2k4adidRGzbNFFg_bV4-vYPFjWrmr1sk88lhqKS0qUIRoMAZj7HTw-DCH98IaY3eV62ZbHvAhw1BzDdyV9hsLIw2qs2EIjtEWZ-I43SPDb4aFIk2gXuaU9LEEV6M49AU2rLJhX0HHog/s400/IMG_0459.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Friends New & Old and Leaving Behind Lake Bled

Europe By Camper accompanied by Emily & Steve from Bert The Merc! We've probably surprised everyone, not least ourselves,...

Camping Lake Bled - Slovenia

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPj9mNa7ZWqjLp5Le-YNNkE9JVvWqnMffk-xHfK8svo5Oy1sLvtwXG0r31r_YgkfK5fzsK6qWmpvlXmI3ZCSC_tivSe7pX0zjeXbQ9DMOA3cH62osNxZgXt_n25Tare33sKLbBu1MUvA/s1600/Bled+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPj9mNa7ZWqjLp5Le-YNNkE9JVvWqnMffk-xHfK8svo5Oy1sLvtwXG0r31r_YgkfK5fzsK6qWmpvlXmI3ZCSC_tivSe7pX0zjeXbQ9DMOA3cH62osNxZgXt_n25Tare33sKLbBu1MUvA/s400/Bled+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panoramic View of Lake Bled, Slovenia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We've been meaning to come back to Lake Bled since we left, <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2009/09/lake-bled.html" target="_blank">almost 4 years ago</a>. Having visited <a href="http://www.sava-hotels-resorts.com/en/experiences/camping" target="_blank">Camping Bled</a> out of season in 2009 we found it almost deserted. Fast forward to the last week in July 2013 and the shoreline is a hive of activity, but somehow still manages to hold the same appeal.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjc3R3PNepRFSHaHZL6U-kH8n6W5AvTbhy0kycFQQrKDgL9BVsgSZxtp72rdJqNSKaCnUHmZ7cJ6it5U88dlpuCPKC3XYdGDtxzTozX2sZorVNnWYvZPYngPYi8EFl-jGd5ujbgSocTQ/s1600/Bled+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjc3R3PNepRFSHaHZL6U-kH8n6W5AvTbhy0kycFQQrKDgL9BVsgSZxtp72rdJqNSKaCnUHmZ7cJ6it5U88dlpuCPKC3XYdGDtxzTozX2sZorVNnWYvZPYngPYi8EFl-jGd5ujbgSocTQ/s200/Bled+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Prior to arriving at the site we'd e-mailed ahead, the reply to our e-mail told us that they were in fact fully booked until September but to try our luck at around 2pm in their unmarked pitch area. When we rolled up there were already 4 vans queued up in front of us and so it was with trepidation that Adam walked into the reception area.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioN_QfACv3LRjkWWarmoKFQbUFHZYROo_icpWLcY2W8iMhDPeIizA1c6hchEI_wWK1Ourty-5ovUtzWDgaYNJmpgf_FdVsJGGkiNncx1fwtXG1Y8eBihStdhToi1YMNYzagHOLIz9MSGg/s1600/IMG_1083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioN_QfACv3LRjkWWarmoKFQbUFHZYROo_icpWLcY2W8iMhDPeIizA1c6hchEI_wWK1Ourty-5ovUtzWDgaYNJmpgf_FdVsJGGkiNncx1fwtXG1Y8eBihStdhToi1YMNYzagHOLIz9MSGg/s200/IMG_1083.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
"Do you have any room for a motorhome?", "Sorry, no we're full" came the reply. Not as an attempt to challenge him but in passing I told him not to worry and that we had e-mailed yesterday and were told to arrive about 2pm. Then, he looked at something scribbled on his pad and picked up a site map. "You can try here, if you like" he said, circling a large green area outside the toilet block "But there is no electric". Somehow, to our amazement, we were directed to the front of the queue and into the campsite.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuM3nitXhtkP_5otnRb14ogIqdjIXNRNuKGSTQ5sMxiRNAKpBWbasWgPjDwhVKWCax-Ba09eKWWudh8oysmg3RUAIOCcy42hv7Huo5twf6hmjqOmEOZFKb6j-oV5dYdvrgFXRsBfMpCxg/s1600/Bled+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuM3nitXhtkP_5otnRb14ogIqdjIXNRNuKGSTQ5sMxiRNAKpBWbasWgPjDwhVKWCax-Ba09eKWWudh8oysmg3RUAIOCcy42hv7Huo5twf6hmjqOmEOZFKb6j-oV5dYdvrgFXRsBfMpCxg/s400/Bled+9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
As it transpires, we'd scored ourselves one of the best 'non-pitches' on the site and our 50m hookup cable came in handy once again to plug us up to the grid. I don't know why, but we were very grateful. Looking at how much the prices have increased during the 2012-2013 season its obvious that Bled is becoming increasingly popular. A pitch with electric runs at €30.50 at peak season with a 10% discount for staying 7 nights or more and a further 5% for a Camping Carnet, I'm not sure if we'll stay that long.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOWTQDvR7DNzzeNlj6gpy9LPUjyB9yNCAKgA-MWxaxtsvnqJ94QoFAlWequPQDjuh4fnWcdiok1gBG5vN1y5vOA26OR3oNIgWca0fxGjJWCMXLpcDsHwJilvHw1nvVCVX3pYmSGwvAQE/s1600/Bled+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOWTQDvR7DNzzeNlj6gpy9LPUjyB9yNCAKgA-MWxaxtsvnqJ94QoFAlWequPQDjuh4fnWcdiok1gBG5vN1y5vOA26OR3oNIgWca0fxGjJWCMXLpcDsHwJilvHw1nvVCVX3pYmSGwvAQE/s200/Bled+1.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX52zMcH0YvzukLxJZFe3oMBlU7ezYjfoj6GUoYbi0wwN1p1gdz7CpsYXd6xg8cRYz_qT5d6xSiTM4359GQvJOmz6vOwGYF1FZ0fFY9DR4lLsuY0xemPLThSlqyZCYC56JLX6npn1TdHI/s1600/Bled+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX52zMcH0YvzukLxJZFe3oMBlU7ezYjfoj6GUoYbi0wwN1p1gdz7CpsYXd6xg8cRYz_qT5d6xSiTM4359GQvJOmz6vOwGYF1FZ0fFY9DR4lLsuY0xemPLThSlqyZCYC56JLX6npn1TdHI/s200/Bled+5.jpg" width="200" /></a>Despite being 'full' the campsite does a good job of absorbing its residents and as always European children are impeccably well behaved. The campsite entrance is quite literally on the shore of Lake Bled which extends back a long way and is surrounded by trees and rocky outcrops. There is a well stocked shop, restaurant and ice cream bar along with a bar on the lake.<br />
<br />
It's hot here. Really hot. Upon chatting to a number of campers we've found that people are here having come back from Croatia where it is "too hot". That was our ultimate destination and now we're having second thoughts. Time to enjoy what Bled has to offer around its 6km shoreline.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSoym26bGTF3x5neyZSu3ByYRxy26QjfVq811wISrAiGPIS0oN0pGYbkOp_xRHnTxOVobOXGhTRCxKE-qI2LBhg60ZiQPQzLAhzga8x0-CB7uUIfkV73qWFteQpLvaXSRRynHablDvto/s1600/IMG_1027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSoym26bGTF3x5neyZSu3ByYRxy26QjfVq811wISrAiGPIS0oN0pGYbkOp_xRHnTxOVobOXGhTRCxKE-qI2LBhg60ZiQPQzLAhzga8x0-CB7uUIfkV73qWFteQpLvaXSRRynHablDvto/s200/IMG_1027.JPG" width="200" /></a>The town itself is focused around the hotels that hold the summer and winter tourists, a visit would not be complete without some 'Kremna rezina' or quite simply 'Bled Cake'! There is something about Bled Island and its 99 steps that sets this place apart from elsewhere in Europe. Boats can be hired for 10 euro (euro sign) per hour which if you don't mind rowing yourself you can spend 4 hours out on the lake for the price of someone doing it for you.<br />
<br />
Bled Castle (Blejski grad) offers panoramic views of Bled and you don't have to pay its €8 entrance fee to see them. There is a lesser known snicket around the back from which you can afford virtually the same views, without the price tag, see below.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_CbbY_kSse-RSqQlCo4avKvLwDjS0XCu4hh3recRwrLE8JX_DReVImfZObY3T2YApgcBg-xIWUAGZkGq88EHtCUDRNyLAiYzYI7uW1yue5O2H_SBCTF_PPSj3sYX0Jm2GElVtF3aOb-g/s1600/Bled+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_CbbY_kSse-RSqQlCo4avKvLwDjS0XCu4hh3recRwrLE8JX_DReVImfZObY3T2YApgcBg-xIWUAGZkGq88EHtCUDRNyLAiYzYI7uW1yue5O2H_SBCTF_PPSj3sYX0Jm2GElVtF3aOb-g/s400/Bled+10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7IMbNUwn2REo5hyphenhyphen6vlCODpANNrtG28ThwMqo3dmrpezbUDtabcPR_dd1ihxq6tYqE_NqKxJY3NA_-0AEf041vPAUvpmVf4w3KNli_qVlLaArrwk_49jgREbWnhXpkP5RXuqjtYDLKpJY/s1600/Bled+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7IMbNUwn2REo5hyphenhyphen6vlCODpANNrtG28ThwMqo3dmrpezbUDtabcPR_dd1ihxq6tYqE_NqKxJY3NA_-0AEf041vPAUvpmVf4w3KNli_qVlLaArrwk_49jgREbWnhXpkP5RXuqjtYDLKpJY/s200/Bled+8.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
There is however a better viewing point. Osojnica is an easy 650m climb from outside the campsite, from which you have spectacular views over the lake - seating provided! We loved this little known viewing area, the panoramic views are just amazing. If you dare to climb the rocks you can even get your own campsite panorama - can you spot our van?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="text-align: center;">We're starting to settle in here. Its been 35 degrees in the shade for three days on the trot. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeEZ1oShNI055PBrmr0-MW2MXdtYroZvsbq8f6j67WihjKePMjbolmUrZaoib0KeICm712JTp_qpOLD2HMyaE4H7cepG311CZAsWhugKRa0EOS3xJDxbz9wVmTTmVM6eEx83yZd-loeA/s1600/Bled+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeEZ1oShNI055PBrmr0-MW2MXdtYroZvsbq8f6j67WihjKePMjbolmUrZaoib0KeICm712JTp_qpOLD2HMyaE4H7cepG311CZAsWhugKRa0EOS3xJDxbz9wVmTTmVM6eEx83yZd-loeA/s400/Bled+7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>

Camping Lake Bled - Slovenia

Panoramic View of Lake Bled, Slovenia We've been meaning to come back to Lake Bled since we left, almost 4 years ago . Having vi...

Grossglockner Pass Austria in a Motorhome

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajZd_DIpU3BvIdyngJWWonzB_8AOII2uoUo7cSbCuSdbZcdW0-OfbkcX9Q5WeX2MPBOAoLefHIwTI_zE5LYz8x0PZQdVZO1yvGLeCfEUQg1v4-pW6_ZWQqDhLEij2cg5XVo3mIyu3mRU/s1600/2013-07-30+10.10.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajZd_DIpU3BvIdyngJWWonzB_8AOII2uoUo7cSbCuSdbZcdW0-OfbkcX9Q5WeX2MPBOAoLefHIwTI_zE5LYz8x0PZQdVZO1yvGLeCfEUQg1v4-pW6_ZWQqDhLEij2cg5XVo3mIyu3mRU/s1600/2013-07-30+10.10.34.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdJitcb9RUXWHwd8Pw9FZEuABXLVPQOIK9JnW0eOa40WjC78tADc7ugjlUvA8IKBdpK0LbR0jYSEJMGPOya7Ut93XP6p06krQO-LlHu1FEZThSJv9UI9foTWnTZZ2uy3lKCjTmBgtZw0/s1600/IMG_0222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdJitcb9RUXWHwd8Pw9FZEuABXLVPQOIK9JnW0eOa40WjC78tADc7ugjlUvA8IKBdpK0LbR0jYSEJMGPOya7Ut93XP6p06krQO-LlHu1FEZThSJv9UI9foTWnTZZ2uy3lKCjTmBgtZw0/s1600/IMG_0222.jpg" width="200" /></a>Having already conquered the Transfăgărășan pass in Romania and Trollstigen in Norway, we couldn't wait to get our tyres into Grossglockner. After buying some fresh bread in the campsite shop, we left our pitch at sportcamp Woferlgut. It worked out at £32 per night, which wasn't too bad considering we had unmetered electric on our pitch. Filled with Austrian Diesel at £1.12 we hit the road at 9am heading south along the pass. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2fy_j3igqUlaHbSoNg4Wjfca8ECG7VNPsMC2Q_0CeJDVw8jxc9IOCAjdy1TUGWFNmh_F30mZ9ujPJ6hgXJHwD7i2rVeZcxFtztPIzlK2jqtLDFEZrQKZS7cqUi3KcvAyln5NTtDskMKU/s1600/IMG_0340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2fy_j3igqUlaHbSoNg4Wjfca8ECG7VNPsMC2Q_0CeJDVw8jxc9IOCAjdy1TUGWFNmh_F30mZ9ujPJ6hgXJHwD7i2rVeZcxFtztPIzlK2jqtLDFEZrQKZS7cqUi3KcvAyln5NTtDskMKU/s1600/IMG_0340.jpg" width="133" /></a>The cost of the pass in a motorhome under 3.5T (or car) is €33, which seems reasonable when you consider the cost of some of the tunnels in Austria. Despite having a wild camping pushpin right on the pass, motorhomes are not allowed to overnight on the tolled section officially. It did appear that some had overnighted in the carpark before the toll booths, which doesn't appear to be subject to the same restrictions.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivaFWxtHkbrgDzrU-HyCtEZvLEhD4sXzUtbmJ4AcGnteVWvikCvfxSt8aBrJ0WOZ4hrxM7LU2X9mG-yENDuSo9SUnggFXv-0-tF2OatRwgOP304t8tKKWc6650V6Dc6h9CzgeD8YegoA/s1600/IMG_0334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivaFWxtHkbrgDzrU-HyCtEZvLEhD4sXzUtbmJ4AcGnteVWvikCvfxSt8aBrJ0WOZ4hrxM7LU2X9mG-yENDuSo9SUnggFXv-0-tF2OatRwgOP304t8tKKWc6650V6Dc6h9CzgeD8YegoA/s1600/IMG_0334.jpg" width="185" /></a>Passing through the toll, we began our ascent. We chose to set off early as the cloud coverage was set to increase by lunchtime and we wanted to see as much as possible. Checking the live webcams before we left ensured that we wouldn't be driving into a wall of cloud.<br />
<br />
The new van handled it incredibly well and thanks to the new rear discs and pads fitted before we left the handbrake held up so that we were able to get out and take pictures! The temperature at the 'top' was a brisk 3 degrees c, with snow still visable at the side of the road.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOKOuL0EguCvtIensa0zXOn0d4AMiR62adYJdS8byZqMzln1aq8B21xtNn8F2QaMNmKC_diG-qlspsHVa3XxpWKFoE7DFdXgc85Hnkn5krSc6UeFyx4EFTLBPded3N9lntRWkENm2RC8/s1600/Untitled_Panorama1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOKOuL0EguCvtIensa0zXOn0d4AMiR62adYJdS8byZqMzln1aq8B21xtNn8F2QaMNmKC_diG-qlspsHVa3XxpWKFoE7DFdXgc85Hnkn5krSc6UeFyx4EFTLBPded3N9lntRWkENm2RC8/s1600/Untitled_Panorama1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJG2XCysKVI3YWN45SRrqTMkB6JkSEDk3PIB86Tn5qJKtxiPv-WRuriYT_VHXI2tw3OdQVdAX7UPXKrhedSgDrIeilRbcqPGctuUSV7AxhxToC7-s-Y2mXsmkUvxr2rWKYRXTE5z3c8Y/s1600/Untitled_Panorama2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJG2XCysKVI3YWN45SRrqTMkB6JkSEDk3PIB86Tn5qJKtxiPv-WRuriYT_VHXI2tw3OdQVdAX7UPXKrhedSgDrIeilRbcqPGctuUSV7AxhxToC7-s-Y2mXsmkUvxr2rWKYRXTE5z3c8Y/s1600/Untitled_Panorama2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The pass certainly focused on tourists, with lots of parking areas suitable for large vehicles and busses along the way, with some routes marked for motorcycles only that you wouldn't want to attempt in a car nevermind a motorhome!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgc5eyRh1uyY_9LYxuLXpJ7geWHiwD3qH8ezpYAgm3axr_cco66bTrDF7YVaN3Bd2zgN1xzpa9A56HWJ9ccgEf-gqF7YOSUXH5C-cEU7zHKpYMGxqNsxtWyLz-DTZh-KDrz_qotLHv2uw/s1600/IMG_0313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgc5eyRh1uyY_9LYxuLXpJ7geWHiwD3qH8ezpYAgm3axr_cco66bTrDF7YVaN3Bd2zgN1xzpa9A56HWJ9ccgEf-gqF7YOSUXH5C-cEU7zHKpYMGxqNsxtWyLz-DTZh-KDrz_qotLHv2uw/s1600/IMG_0313.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEtBC9OH1pn9RVc8bTDzJSvO79J6r38dbm8jhLNxtRfC4sDUhrxJqETvVy0zce43zi4gntqCSAIbY5Yc0LyxQEIFICDa0kJBxi3IwxboUs3CGtm5i48kP-ZtpnDMi98IeUiuL8cPk_ATY/s1600/IMG_0266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEtBC9OH1pn9RVc8bTDzJSvO79J6r38dbm8jhLNxtRfC4sDUhrxJqETvVy0zce43zi4gntqCSAIbY5Yc0LyxQEIFICDa0kJBxi3IwxboUs3CGtm5i48kP-ZtpnDMi98IeUiuL8cPk_ATY/s1600/IMG_0266.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
We approached the pass from the north and headed out of it South, where the landscape gets even more impressive, this post is certainly lending itself more towards photos than it does words!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEnWS-l9a3mVYe_C_Ef5P5xlOSjEAJ3euPlZUxivKqFrhzxMY4u5AjqczCyn3ZOSQiMsqqU-I5Ug4soFAQC8kpX71RKbHFQQM_zo2V9yAmsdosM_Qs3_IhTspYKrzOJo2c6aN5gzz1aA/s1600/Untitled_Panorama3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEnWS-l9a3mVYe_C_Ef5P5xlOSjEAJ3euPlZUxivKqFrhzxMY4u5AjqczCyn3ZOSQiMsqqU-I5Ug4soFAQC8kpX71RKbHFQQM_zo2V9yAmsdosM_Qs3_IhTspYKrzOJo2c6aN5gzz1aA/s1600/Untitled_Panorama3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
After purchasing another Vignette for €15 and paying €6 for the Karawanks tunnel, we crossed over into Slovenia. Lets just see how long we stay in one of our favourite countries in Europe... </div>

Grossglockner Pass Austria in a Motorhome

Having already conquered the Transfăgărășan pass in Romania and Trollstigen in Norway, we couldn't wait to get our tyres into Gro...

500 Miles through Germany and Sportcamp Austria

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfSIjgb9w6xmJ0xxM7W93QYFcERt4zDhO9iUIUbEYy0kfjkabdxYu5Ma9LhpVM5_QScM6qk-qdWgK1fjjpO6VANUiriNTeCdLKw-HLBJbmsNqf8LNlUmrRXQ-EfYc6J0SYgcW-9lU6sU/s1600/IMG_0149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfSIjgb9w6xmJ0xxM7W93QYFcERt4zDhO9iUIUbEYy0kfjkabdxYu5Ma9LhpVM5_QScM6qk-qdWgK1fjjpO6VANUiriNTeCdLKw-HLBJbmsNqf8LNlUmrRXQ-EfYc6J0SYgcW-9lU6sU/s400/IMG_0149.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sportcamp Woferlgut, Austria</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
No sooner had we departed the ferry and fueled up, we hit the road, determined to get a days driving under our belt. We love Germany for its motorways and before we knew it we had notched up 400 miles along the E41. Somehow driving in Germany is just easier, you seem to get places much quicker and the driving itself is largely effortless as Germans and Europeans alike exercise excellent lane discipline, with few exceptions. The van was running well and the new tyres have really improved the noise (or lack of it) in the cab.<br />
<br />
It wasn't until about 3pm did we open the window and realise that the temperatures had risen to over 30 degrees. Having driven through a couple of rain showers, this was a welcome realisation and we began thinking about where to stay the night.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiozIwxIbgPiF7yy89RbzoqnLI9naSTVNKPfOkrk3H7DBwIywTATkKrxtRQ6s1NsN-XeUO7P9D9zWIdX_8s_Z100g8mwEB1nGP4nJp9q1qUosXQ9GCCbGmGmgZ-sLErrPv4w-jaTzc-pk/s1600/IMG_0100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiozIwxIbgPiF7yy89RbzoqnLI9naSTVNKPfOkrk3H7DBwIywTATkKrxtRQ6s1NsN-XeUO7P9D9zWIdX_8s_Z100g8mwEB1nGP4nJp9q1qUosXQ9GCCbGmGmgZ-sLErrPv4w-jaTzc-pk/s200/IMG_0100.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8-sJ_AXR-4Url2EB6_1unQeDN1S63DVnHMGbZTGUmsNCwkOLL4vFjwS6oDk2-qtlKM0n5TwQjnEJPu7eEV4a9bKfdvlw9tCQsBiZoAAKVuk6t-MSu9yFVOmg1KKSZc9e1B8u8doxXVA/s1600/IMG_0104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8-sJ_AXR-4Url2EB6_1unQeDN1S63DVnHMGbZTGUmsNCwkOLL4vFjwS6oDk2-qtlKM0n5TwQjnEJPu7eEV4a9bKfdvlw9tCQsBiZoAAKVuk6t-MSu9yFVOmg1KKSZc9e1B8u8doxXVA/s200/IMG_0104.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKvYWjelayS_Nu10SgSYyc5pdQhhLCNTvH1lQh1HLr8BCgbp8xYcuubr7AEElV8lv9dNH07oomXPBhpE8KNb03vilu3WZPtQ9E1bp-009igV11DKMpW4EMKugFIQS-liH2j2_K4wJNC0/s1600/2013-07-26+20.50.55+HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKvYWjelayS_Nu10SgSYyc5pdQhhLCNTvH1lQh1HLr8BCgbp8xYcuubr7AEElV8lv9dNH07oomXPBhpE8KNb03vilu3WZPtQ9E1bp-009igV11DKMpW4EMKugFIQS-liH2j2_K4wJNC0/s200/2013-07-26+20.50.55+HDR.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
While on the road we use our <a href="http://www.motorhomewifi.com/product/europasim-unlocked-m5350-mifi/" target="_blank">EuropaSIM and MiFi</a> device to give us an internet connection while driving. This means we can cross reference our POI file for Microsoft Autoroute with Camping Car Infos which provide photos and prices. The first aire we tried had been turned into a festival, which looked pretty interesting; we just weren't in the party mood. Second time lucky, we stumbled upon <a href="http://gasthof-lindenwirt.de/wohnmobil/" target="_blank">Gastof Hotel</a> in Denkendorf. They have parking for upto 8 motorhomes at the rear for €4 a night including electric, beer €3 for 500ml and what looked like a pretty good food menu. The garden was beautiful and while the town was small we could have stayed for a couple of days.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAp74fDiJtX51K7JmKtzazsAPhFX2AVUsUQ2JiwhQyKwJrtPZGOoQ5SAyJibjNUd5q5yMfBHWZE-HI4FRi2gWxXGcVaF64UiV6F0-lvw_Se0EABIq-XIlveHlRO_OvUU1-hsOxhGVv4E/s1600/IMG_0120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAp74fDiJtX51K7JmKtzazsAPhFX2AVUsUQ2JiwhQyKwJrtPZGOoQ5SAyJibjNUd5q5yMfBHWZE-HI4FRi2gWxXGcVaF64UiV6F0-lvw_Se0EABIq-XIlveHlRO_OvUU1-hsOxhGVv4E/s200/IMG_0120.jpg" width="200" /></a>In the morning, we hit the road again. Destination - Austria. A slight de-tour in Munich to a Real supermarket in order to stock up with Erdinger Weissbier @ 50p/bottle. The roads were incredibly busy being a Saturday and we were glad we picked up our Austrian Vignette (€8.30 for 10 days) early doors because the queues for the fuel stations were halfway down the sliproads.<br />
<br />
We decided to try and avoid the traffic and take a less than direct route into Austria along the B178, somewhere we had driven down previously in our 2008 tour. You start to realise just how small a place Europe is when you start visiting places twice!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2p3SzQ38TNQPxY3FboEce-FR14m5mNYNG5fuOeDEQ8gdS4CG2SA0JV6AREJut1stMpktS4LgDGUn429tFIW-6mBLOb-coa9Qb-5a_u6pY1f3EGOsXrnMZ8kaQrKW8QOj4Dv_P8k920x8/s1600/IMG_0147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2p3SzQ38TNQPxY3FboEce-FR14m5mNYNG5fuOeDEQ8gdS4CG2SA0JV6AREJut1stMpktS4LgDGUn429tFIW-6mBLOb-coa9Qb-5a_u6pY1f3EGOsXrnMZ8kaQrKW8QOj4Dv_P8k920x8/s200/IMG_0147.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbu3v_sqeEY8XSZnM1D_7TmzeQ6JiB8VGF11d2bLnKmyCCVuac4mdQBAB5rBlpqz0x_cP1vFhIvrEn6wLq6oIC3xFKfCzwT8NXzSDqQ8ipAeDdgPuEjwgYK9___q10W0sBGNU42THJFs/s1600/IMG_0125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbu3v_sqeEY8XSZnM1D_7TmzeQ6JiB8VGF11d2bLnKmyCCVuac4mdQBAB5rBlpqz0x_cP1vFhIvrEn6wLq6oIC3xFKfCzwT8NXzSDqQ8ipAeDdgPuEjwgYK9___q10W0sBGNU42THJFs/s200/IMG_0125.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWB30HdCl0dBEmt1E4DaLIVnc9UVHBGMWNdRE8DLLNbYgMwLwXHMwLnro5kl6BeYYshL742SVMVwIQh3qwGduAKwAqCQdKfeY90YDv2zvmWp0652vmn8sKcPPvbKMsmq7Vr0tbv4Kxx0/s1600/IMG_0142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWB30HdCl0dBEmt1E4DaLIVnc9UVHBGMWNdRE8DLLNbYgMwLwXHMwLnro5kl6BeYYshL742SVMVwIQh3qwGduAKwAqCQdKfeY90YDv2zvmWp0652vmn8sKcPPvbKMsmq7Vr0tbv4Kxx0/s200/IMG_0142.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9DJtY_AYN9zTtcj2T2spukentwplHxCvznlH1UP1PAHEQFH59Um-P12rWQz9Gm-iD-LWlJ6_bC8JD9LBZWhsW3BxZywo3F58FsD-py-uVD3hR009cISCwVES8L4i6rc-ZRoO2VD3ITE/s1600/IMG_0132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9DJtY_AYN9zTtcj2T2spukentwplHxCvznlH1UP1PAHEQFH59Um-P12rWQz9Gm-iD-LWlJ6_bC8JD9LBZWhsW3BxZywo3F58FsD-py-uVD3hR009cISCwVES8L4i6rc-ZRoO2VD3ITE/s200/IMG_0132.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
Our destination was originally Zel Am See, a large lake in the Salzburg region of Austria. However, the campsite here was full and the area around the lake was chocablock with tourists. Instead, we decided to spend a few days at <a href="http://www.sportcamp.at/en" target="_blank">Sport Camp Woferlgut</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCc-Vrzm6EY65kHZwdBECNoQYbpqVflTzbl6Nj8eKf2JD19ur2xH0HJWKHnf3iqNJdlqrhFSmHrSTo5chqtj9IbXffTdz5djV7CyeW8HgckdB5x9ueaSXDnGHBfJZIWXC89_0j7RlHd4Q/s1600/2013-07-28+18.06.09+HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCc-Vrzm6EY65kHZwdBECNoQYbpqVflTzbl6Nj8eKf2JD19ur2xH0HJWKHnf3iqNJdlqrhFSmHrSTo5chqtj9IbXffTdz5djV7CyeW8HgckdB5x9ueaSXDnGHBfJZIWXC89_0j7RlHd4Q/s200/2013-07-28+18.06.09+HDR.jpg" width="150" /></a>The initial reaction at reception was that we weren't going to like it. It looked rammed, with loads of screaming kids and rent-a-tents. However, once escorted to our pitch it seemed we were in fact at the other side of the campsite in a sort of overflow area which suited us fine!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVwFLW1vV0eFAHiOCGjEr4X4u_IBRmBbR4ZquPOhbzkgZ8Kss1MxpX6dFYBcvbDv_wDupFhUR_GOHH7x9ziKUlAw251_P2rHg-uAeOpwanXsuHWdkM4tWe945KesdV2x-7iaToVLVr38/s1600/2013-07-28+19.58.16+HDR-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVwFLW1vV0eFAHiOCGjEr4X4u_IBRmBbR4ZquPOhbzkgZ8Kss1MxpX6dFYBcvbDv_wDupFhUR_GOHH7x9ziKUlAw251_P2rHg-uAeOpwanXsuHWdkM4tWe945KesdV2x-7iaToVLVr38/s200/2013-07-28+19.58.16+HDR-1.jpg" width="200" /></a>We've never really been campsite people, but our new van, time of year and our location lends itself more to this method of travel. It means you can setup camp, something we've never really done before. We have an awning side which came from the previous owner of our Adria Twin (<a href="http://www.fabricworks.co.uk/">www.fabricworks.co.uk</a>) which works great as a sunblocker with a window that can be rolled down which provided much needed shade in the 40 degree heat.<br />
<br />
With WiFi at an eye watering €7 per day, we enjoyed a great 3G connection with our EuropaSIM and MiFi device which enabled us to spend Monday processing orders and responding to e-mails while we were out of the office. This is our first attempt at running our business from the road and even though we're only offering one delivery slot per week our customers have been great.<br />
<br />
Before we left on this trip we were<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><a href="http://www.eurekacyclesports.co.uk/" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">looking at road bikes</a> but just couldn't decide which one to buy. As it turns out the weather is going to be so hot its probably for the best that we didn't!<br />
<br />
With temperatures rising, we're starting to wonder if Croatia is such a good idea. This is supposed to be a relaxing holiday after all, not an attempt to roast ourselves! Perhaps we can find some cool air at 2,504m above sea level - if you can guess where we're going tomorrow!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4-36g1QomddJsuq1XSF71vXn7PPsI0wjgCZIA2Zt8pvDy_UQxbsvmsaWdHuNXdEAMprUKhXZLeSUcSYVEGKLeN-Jw867iu4sRxJ6jBgNF9ifK1iH2pIFCQwE1_eZ0NVy8Jij60dXZe4/s1600/lake+private.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4-36g1QomddJsuq1XSF71vXn7PPsI0wjgCZIA2Zt8pvDy_UQxbsvmsaWdHuNXdEAMprUKhXZLeSUcSYVEGKLeN-Jw867iu4sRxJ6jBgNF9ifK1iH2pIFCQwE1_eZ0NVy8Jij60dXZe4/s400/lake+private.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Private Lake on Woferlgut Campsite</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYCVJn_hDzECWATrUOcjQTgwWKAZqJ0B4lW-I6QS6VE36zWtt4-cmdo_PA62iRlzeXFKHxNfHwTylN_eInL3sNSgTrEMgfsj3cHgsR8i9h-lBiblTdWVvLZuZB2QDB8lZvuTcfPOGVT3M/s1600/2013-07-27+20.45.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYCVJn_hDzECWATrUOcjQTgwWKAZqJ0B4lW-I6QS6VE36zWtt4-cmdo_PA62iRlzeXFKHxNfHwTylN_eInL3sNSgTrEMgfsj3cHgsR8i9h-lBiblTdWVvLZuZB2QDB8lZvuTcfPOGVT3M/s400/2013-07-27+20.45.47.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stormy Skies at Sunset </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>

500 Miles through Germany and Sportcamp Austria

Sportcamp Woferlgut, Austria No sooner had we departed the ferry and fueled up, we hit the road, determined to get a days driving un...

Farewell to Microsoft Autoroute - Discontinued in 2015

Review: Bristops 2014 UK Motorhome Stopover Book

2014 Autoroute Motorhome Aire, Campsite & LPG GPS POI's

200w Solar Panel Install

Roof Mounted FM Radio Antenna

Friends New & Old and Leaving Behind Lake Bled

Camping Lake Bled - Slovenia

Grossglockner Pass Austria in a Motorhome

500 Miles through Germany and Sportcamp Austria

Essential Guide

Country Guide

Most Read

View By Date