Europe By Camper - Travelling Europe By Motorhome

Practical Motorhome: Baltics or Bust

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvzdA2KWAVO1l90FYEKKGiqzHf66lh2_kWFMUDGF3UqbhZT35inxVhDc7r1H4MZAiNeBynbZPs8gW-OU68nZrqlvjkW24N-3IbUmzvbE1g8-BrZBwFm0zNrEDNtFHsWqYiuU5MQ17M94/s1600/balticsorbust.png" 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/AVvXsEjdvzdA2KWAVO1l90FYEKKGiqzHf66lh2_kWFMUDGF3UqbhZT35inxVhDc7r1H4MZAiNeBynbZPs8gW-OU68nZrqlvjkW24N-3IbUmzvbE1g8-BrZBwFm0zNrEDNtFHsWqYiuU5MQ17M94/s200/balticsorbust.png" width="147" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPj-MJOu9Sh0ynwSSPfIGnlj9LlW4HJJ9i3Y45tDX5zt46_cqVMZgRHcmCb81qCFPNLGhQDy6tGepDA0hH5CpLba-tUh7FIJ6LNb_eLIPWCPRyF7MDPaeZeiU2G8V2I0GA0z2kbEe0os/s1600/practicalmotorhome.png" 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/AVvXsEisPj-MJOu9Sh0ynwSSPfIGnlj9LlW4HJJ9i3Y45tDX5zt46_cqVMZgRHcmCb81qCFPNLGhQDy6tGepDA0hH5CpLba-tUh7FIJ6LNb_eLIPWCPRyF7MDPaeZeiU2G8V2I0GA0z2kbEe0os/s200/practicalmotorhome.png" width="150" /></a>We're in the June 2012 edition of Practical Motorhome on page 36,37 & 39 talking about our experiences of touring The Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.  This was our first experience of 'writing for' a magazine and we're really impressed at how some of our photos came out! We didn't choose the title but I'm pretty sure 'Baltics or Bust' was battered around by Catherine @ <a href="http://www.theworldisourlobster.com/" target="_blank">The World is Our Lobster</a> while on tour in <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/search/label/Morocco" target="_blank">Morocco</a>. Thanks to her for proof reading!                   </div>
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We subscribe to Practical Motorhome digitally which can be read on a Laptop or an iPad either through <a href="http://www.exacteditions.com/exact/browse/345/966">Exact Editions</a> or cheaper through <a href="http://gb.zinio.com/browse/publications/index.jsp?sch=true&productId=500626443">Zinio (here)</a>. If you are a new reader who has come to the blog for the first time you can read <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/p/about-us_01.html" target="_blank">About Us and get in touch here</a>!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To read more about the countries featured in the article, click to view <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/search/label/Estonia">Estonia</a>, <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/search/label/Latvia">Latvia</a> and <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/search/label/Lithuania">Lithuania</a> blog posts.  </span></div>
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In other news our Adria Twin has gone to new owners who sound like they will be using her to her full potential in the UK at off road Land Rover competitions. We wish them the best of luck with their first baby and hope that WAVY serves them well. I think they just might be getting her stuck a few more times then we did!</div>
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We have lots of other exciting things to tell you about and article's to write including updating our country guides (long overdue). Despite us being back in the UK our visitors to the blog have actually increased with our recent magazine features! Thank you all for coming and reading about us, I hope that what we have written has been useful and have encouraged you to go and do something similar.</div>
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Adam & Sophie</div>
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Practical Motorhome: Baltics or Bust

We're in the June 2012 edition of Practical Motorhome on page 36,37 & 39 talking about our experiences of touring The Baltic State...

Top 10 Places to Visit in Europe with a Camper

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We have been asked by lots of people over the past year what our favorite places have been on this trip. One thing that we have struggled to do is rank these in order, maybe we should but we find it so difficult as we really love all of these places! So, here is a round up of our Top 10 ...<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Stockholm - Sweden</span></b><br />
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Stockholm is one of the top contenders for our favourite capital city which we have visited so far. Sweden on a whole is very clean, but even more so in the capital Stockholm. It is a mixed bag as during the day the lifestyle is very laid back and has a café culture about the place, by night it is a lively, vibrant city. At one end of the city lies the colourful architecture, old and new, with the most dominant building being the Royal Palace. We were surprised to find that just around the corner is a large park which leads up to the TV Tower, a lovely afternoon stroll can be found here. <br />
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<a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/05/copenhagen-5-nights-for-24.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see our related blog post</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lofotens - Norway</b></span><br />
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Ok, so we are slightly cheating with this one as it is an Archipelago, but the scenery is just fascinating. The E10 takes you from the mainland and steadily winds its way through some spectacular fishing villages for some 200km’s before you reach the small but picturesque village of Å, the last stop at the end of the Lofotens. You won’t be able to drive for long, as at every turn you will want to stop to admire and take in the mountain views.<br />
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<a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/06/lofotens.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see our related blog post</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Vilnius - Lithuania</span></b><br />
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Vilnius was our 3rd Capital of the Baltic States and we were admittedly looking forward to visiting. Only in 1990 did Vilnius announce its secession from the Soviet Union to restore its independence. Vilnius is clean and colourful and has been rapidly transformed into a modern European city. The historical centre has been restored but some old buildings still exist. There are countless astounding viewpoints above the city such as the Hill of Crosses and the Gediminas Tower. There is a strong sense of café culture in Vilnius with a friendly attitude to go with it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/07/vilnius.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see our related blog post</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">High & Low Tatras - Slovakia</span></b><br />
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The Tatras in Slovakia are a paradise for walkers and ski lovers. We visited for the first time in July 2011 and were mesmerised by their charm. New facilities at the bottom of the High Tatras made all of the amazing walks on offer very accessible. The trails are well marked and the maps are in abundance with different scale options to match your requirements. We stayed in the Tatras for two weeks and whilst we were there we met all different types of nationalities who were there to explore the alluring landscape.<br />
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<a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/08/tatra-mountains-slovakia.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see our related blog post</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Meteora - Greece</b></span><br />
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Meteora, the Unesco World Heritage Site seems to be suspended in the air on very small rock pillars which on first impressions astounded us, and still does. The first people to inhabit Meteora were Hermit Monks back in the 9th Century and only 6 of the monasteries remain today. It is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Greece so can get very busy especially at peak times. As we stayed at nearby <a href="http://www.arsenis-meteora.gr/indexen.php" target="_blank">Pension Arsenis</a> we got up early to visit. When we look back at our photos of Meteora we still cannot believe how extraordinary and totally breath-taking the monasteries are.<br />
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<a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/09/meteora.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see our related blog post</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Erg Chebbi - Morocco</b></span><br />
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Erg Chebbi was by far our favourite place in Morocco. The dunes seemed to have some kind of hold over us and although really, there isn’t anything in the Sahara as such, Erg Chebbi did it for us. As of yet we haven’t been anywhere like this and we definitely plan on going back on our next trip to Morocco. The colours are just magnificent; the seemingly endless dunes change from bright orange at sunrise to a rose gold at sunset. The people who we were with really made our trip and we enjoyed every second of Erg Chebbi and its charming ways.<br />
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<a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2012/02/erg-chebbi-sand-dunes-sahara-desert.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see our related blog post</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>St Petersburg - Russia</b></span><br />
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St Petersburg is a crazy place and was a whirlwind adventure for us. We visited on the <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/06/helsinki-to-st-petersburg-visa-free.html" target="_blank">Visa Free overnight ferry crossing from Helsinki</a> and stayed overnight right in the centre of St Petersburg. Russia is like no other place that we have visited, the mixture of new and old is visible and a sense of mayhem during the day leads to a calmer more sociable city in the evening. However, the wacky city never seems to sleep with its traditional and extremely tasty 24 hour cake and coffee shops. One of the main attractions in St Petersburg is the Hermitage Museum of art and culture which is the largest museum in the world and definitely surpassed any of our expectations. Add St Petersburg to your list!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Veliko Tarnovo - Bulgaria</b></span><br />
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Veliko Tarnovo is situated on 3 hills and is based around a medieval stronghold called the Tsarevets, it is surrounded by thick walls and the main attraction is the patriarchate at the top of the hill which recently had its frescoes repainted in 1985. The magnificent drawbridge still exists today but unfortunately has a ticket office just before the gate! If you are stopping in Veliko Tarnovo be sure to visit <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/09/camping-veliko-tarnovo-best-campsite-in.html" target="_blank">Camping Veliko Tarnovo</a> which is owned by a lovely English couple, Nick & Nicky.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0FoLHU3yjnyIup_Gz3eIIB6nJl3lkbz24_yJLWW8SvNslXeBhsKZ29U7lqZwVgeXJos0sKEVLSmrTqE99BJpGGJaVQrKU5Px_p26U39QsfXZExYZZ2byAVwd0BBGtaIAXenUIqr-RZc/s1600/Veliko+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0FoLHU3yjnyIup_Gz3eIIB6nJl3lkbz24_yJLWW8SvNslXeBhsKZ29U7lqZwVgeXJos0sKEVLSmrTqE99BJpGGJaVQrKU5Px_p26U39QsfXZExYZZ2byAVwd0BBGtaIAXenUIqr-RZc/s200/Veliko+.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVNV96z8BMuxXpOTUapziZyms49ROQ80qdEgSi5WGvtwZi0lPt7KxsyM0Hc4AcbSfVvhU4tPLbSE6zybrJUJz-J82y_-kWIC5T4jEfZmbHNSZsL2CEmGDPxsSH44et5-7a_c1fjiOHXk/s1600/Veliko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVNV96z8BMuxXpOTUapziZyms49ROQ80qdEgSi5WGvtwZi0lPt7KxsyM0Hc4AcbSfVvhU4tPLbSE6zybrJUJz-J82y_-kWIC5T4jEfZmbHNSZsL2CEmGDPxsSH44et5-7a_c1fjiOHXk/s200/Veliko.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Papigo / Vikos - Greece</b></span><br />
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Papigo, also known as Papigko and Mikro Papigko is just stunning. It is located up in the mountains of the Vikos National Park and has an attractive and delightful feel about it. We visited in October 2011 when it was still relatively warm so set out to go walking in the gorge. Back up in the small villages there were little terraces and cafes, overlooked by the huge sculptured mountains which towered above. The Vikos Gorge just up the road has a lot to offer for walkers and along the route has a collection of small brick built arched bridges that vary in size.<br />
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<a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/10/papigo.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see our related blog post</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cesis - Latvia</b></span><br />
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Cesis is a small but quaint village in Latvia which is centred on the medieval castle. We were won over by its romantic characteristics and overall allure. For an inexpensive sum of £1.20 you can enter the castle which also includes the grounds and are accompanied by a candle lit lantern for the ancient staircases. The attractive Cesis Castle Park is a delight to wander around with its well-marked footpaths and exotic plants, together with its additional residents; some black swans and signets when we visited in 2011.<br />
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Top 10 Places to Visit in Europe with a Camper

We have been asked by lots of people over the past year what our favorite places have been on this trip. One thing that we have struggled t...

Camper Van Essentials for a Girl

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Over the past year we have had hundreds of enquiries but for me, one of the most popular enquiries has been what I think is necessary to take on a long trip.<br />
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As a young woman, the thought of traveling Europe for 12 months was so exciting but the thought of being away from my home comforts was somehow slightly daunting. After returning from our trip I have come to one conclusion, I ended up taking way too much! I massively over estimated how little you can actually live with (or without).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGb76ioSR_faOBhdIGEVLMBvqvmzE85s2IUIrbyzhY8dHQOOuVW1ry_OrS_AgNnNS7RpBpcEODrQ6Z22IzxqErMXkZPkH9nl7yhrSMOSlmw66PgY09RZjJQH4MRCAiufZ3tHtDxMGXq4M/s1600/IMG_5626.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/AVvXsEjGb76ioSR_faOBhdIGEVLMBvqvmzE85s2IUIrbyzhY8dHQOOuVW1ry_OrS_AgNnNS7RpBpcEODrQ6Z22IzxqErMXkZPkH9nl7yhrSMOSlmw66PgY09RZjJQH4MRCAiufZ3tHtDxMGXq4M/s200/IMG_5626.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>
The Scandinavian Peninsula was the first region we had planned to visit and this threw a spanner in the works as to what clothing I would be taking. I didn’t want to get caught out by bad weather so packed as much winter gear as I could tightly squeeze into a plastic stacking box. Ultimately after spending 8 weeks traveling through Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland the only proper winter clothing I wore was:<br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>3 in 1 North Face Coat<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Craghoppers Walking Trousers<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2 x Micro Fleeces<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Berghaus Walking Boots<br />
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Everything else was just made up of simple t-shirts and polo neck jumpers/hoodies. So in reality, I would say if you are visiting/traveling through the colder countries, limit yourself to the above as you really won’t need as much as you think!<br />
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As for the warmer climates, I wore even less! Forget about the bulky items as you just won’t wear them. There are plenty of places to do your washing and in countries such as Greece/Bulgaria and Morocco you are able to wash your clothes out by hand on most beaches. I would maybe consider taking the following, this is only based on my experience and I suppose some of this comes down to the weather and own preference:<br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>6 - 8 Loose Tops/ T-Shirts<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>3 x Shorts<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2 x Jeans<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>1 x Other Trousers (maybe linen?)<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>3 - 4 Jumpers / Sweatshirts / Cardigans<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>1-2 Bikini / Swimming Costume<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFZIVJZMWBLZfMoxJzwoM9vGQsUoXEKZLVa8D1vw-sSnidkBPjWa-MZoMc8cjSXekL7xaagQwPpNxegrsg9l7Vsge9jXEuLJi8Rlqxq25f5TRs93h0uAW6NK7A6Z8Z2T1BiLVTfwgo3k/s1600/IMG_1047_8_9_fused.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/AVvXsEhkFZIVJZMWBLZfMoxJzwoM9vGQsUoXEKZLVa8D1vw-sSnidkBPjWa-MZoMc8cjSXekL7xaagQwPpNxegrsg9l7Vsge9jXEuLJi8Rlqxq25f5TRs93h0uAW6NK7A6Z8Z2T1BiLVTfwgo3k/s200/IMG_1047_8_9_fused.jpg" width="132" /></a>We both really enjoy walking/and in places such as Norway and Slovakia the walks on offer in the beautiful mountains and countryside are in abundance, which meant I took far too many different types of footwear. I would recommend for the whole trip:<br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>1 x Comfy Walking Boots<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>1 x Walking Sandal<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2 x Casual Sandals<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>1 x Flipflops<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>1 x Heel/wedge<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2FLpbdnhuraj9ayZjPYPZPOaMdJ2K9SQpuWZ4SJizHvOw4MWDrfa5To-KmdOOaEzlrKx-WrHv0Nyy4WM1EvVrmlp5a3b6dyPmFhc1hyphenhyphenUGgaJut3sy9LfyaifBb450ZGXtUljWZZ17rA/s1600/UGG-Sundance+18+rld400018_LRG.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/AVvXsEho2FLpbdnhuraj9ayZjPYPZPOaMdJ2K9SQpuWZ4SJizHvOw4MWDrfa5To-KmdOOaEzlrKx-WrHv0Nyy4WM1EvVrmlp5a3b6dyPmFhc1hyphenhyphenUGgaJut3sy9LfyaifBb450ZGXtUljWZZ17rA/s200/UGG-Sundance+18+rld400018_LRG.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I also took my UGG boots on our Europe Trip which I wore quite a lot through the colder countries like Norway; however they did get banished to the storage box as soon as we hit Finland with unexpected temperatures of 25c in May.<br />
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Every woman is different but I preferred not to wear any makeup whilst traveling. I did take my makeup bag with me and on the odd occasion I did put some makeup on for going out etc. Other than this, especially in hot countries, I wouldn’t bother. One thing that I didn’t consider would take up so much room in our Adria Twin was Contact Lenses; I had a year’s supply of these things and trust me, they take up quite a lot of room.<br />
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There isn’t a lot of advice out there for women traveling via this method of transportation and at the end of the day, I found anything that I forgot to take, I could usually pickup anywhere in Europe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uxWMxd6aduk5MaOSXOd9vhcGrs46zTH19HLGnyOitn2FznULjhyHyJInkHq9DdyDpTL_afD177_alJBkOwCaYhcAAzLDcYhIPS5y5XCmsMLg0hrWf0VNsdmipess_8jVWUTVVq2RmSg/s1600/SAM_5157.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/AVvXsEi2uxWMxd6aduk5MaOSXOd9vhcGrs46zTH19HLGnyOitn2FznULjhyHyJInkHq9DdyDpTL_afD177_alJBkOwCaYhcAAzLDcYhIPS5y5XCmsMLg0hrWf0VNsdmipess_8jVWUTVVq2RmSg/s200/SAM_5157.JPG" width="200" /></a>Also, just before we left in April 2011 Adam fitted and installed a <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/06/hairdryer-from-12v-in-motorhome.html" target="_blank">2100W Inverter</a> mainly for me to dry my hair. This really came in useful whilst driving through Denmark, Sweden and Norway. It was great to wash my hair in a morning and be able to dry it straight away, especially when temperatures were a cool 2c outside and 6c in the van.<br />
I hope that this mini guide has given you some advice which will help you when packing to go away in the future, be it a short or long journey. If you would like to ask me any questions just drop me an email.<br />
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Sophie<br />
www.europebycamper.com<br />
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Camper Van Essentials for a Girl

Over the past year we have had hundreds of enquiries but for me, one of the most popular enquiries has been what I think is necessary to t...

Europe GPS POI Files for Autoroute Aires, Wild Camping & Services

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our POI data in Autoroute</td></tr>
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We have literally been inundated with requests for our Autoroute Data File and we apologise in advance if we haven't been able to get back to you with a link.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: yellow;">This information is now out of date. For the most recent version, please see this post here:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: yellow;"><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></b></span></div>
<br />
We have been working to both collate and check our information and are pleased to be able to provide you with our first release which we believe to be as accurate as possible for now.<br />
<br />
We have created two files, one which contains just our information and one which contains our information plus all of the information we used to help us along the way, the latter of which is available further down this page.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">

<b>Our 2011-2012 Trip Information - 212 POI's</b></h3>
<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/AVvXsEgAgG5PU8JflGObJEr6y2BL_Y6zw0e31ucSnzt0NHEfkxtgXQr3oxC9ceQ1_JqRaqtx99rFPsV0AyRjUGt9LsyrZG3oQ4AvmCasFdPC2qB95EFP3B0fnv3Bnok9Tute17iLHsN4X3dES44/s1600/Pushpin+Data.png" 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/AVvXsEgAgG5PU8JflGObJEr6y2BL_Y6zw0e31ucSnzt0NHEfkxtgXQr3oxC9ceQ1_JqRaqtx99rFPsV0AyRjUGt9LsyrZG3oQ4AvmCasFdPC2qB95EFP3B0fnv3Bnok9Tute17iLHsN4X3dES44/s200/Pushpin+Data.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our POI data in Google Maps</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our trip information contains a detailed description of the location, the co-ordinates, the cost, if we were able to obtain free <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/04/wi-fi-access-in-europe.html" target="_blank">Wifi</a> and if it was an aire, wild camping or even a campsite.<br />
<br />
The best way to quickly view all of our information is to <a href="http://g.co/maps/creg4" target="_blank">check out our Google Map (click)</a> from which you can download a Google Earth KML file from the left hand side should you so wish.<br />
<br />
This information is hosted on Google Docs and you will need to press 'download the original document' in order to download the information. <b>Don't right click, click the links and choose 'download'.</b><br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4t_jdH1m_b-eVdsajIzMXpUdUdnOGc4dEY2Und5UQ/edit" target="_blank">Download in Autoroute 2011 Format</a></b><br />
<b><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4t_jdH1m_b-VmQycko5RUpRcWlQZ1FCLXZKSUluQQ/edit" target="_blank">Download in Autoroute 2010 Format</a></b><br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4t_jdH1m_b-VGNrWXExM3JSS08wVG5jOVhEek1BUQ" target="_blank"><b>Download in CSV Format</b></a><br />
<b><br /></b>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">

<b>Our Full Autoroute Datafile Database</b></h3>
The original incantation of this file is credited by Ryan from <a href="http://www.doyourdream.co.uk/" target="_blank">Do Your Dream</a> and we have added our own information to this and redrawn the icons so that they are smaller and can fit more on.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyqWG7gxuVAQi2S0DMC4c07ydFndNaaCaX1BYu2Mdi-C1ObxpPWBizna79cJW2poZk_Tzhn4P0VZtQD_5cYkxCPNLb2oqB-nRMoLnMFOUgg8te_sgtmBobGiGXO05S4XPX08BLPgvCtk/s1600/poi.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyqWG7gxuVAQi2S0DMC4c07ydFndNaaCaX1BYu2Mdi-C1ObxpPWBizna79cJW2poZk_Tzhn4P0VZtQD_5cYkxCPNLb2oqB-nRMoLnMFOUgg8te_sgtmBobGiGXO05S4XPX08BLPgvCtk/s1600/poi.png" /></a>We have provided the following information in this file:<br />
<br />
EuropeByCamper POI's - 212<br />
Full European McDonalds Location (for Wifi!) - 5,761<br />
Full European Lidl Locations - 9,615<br />
Womo Wild Camping Locations - 12,482<br />
Camping Car Info Aire Locations - 12,200<br />
Bord Atlas Aire Locations - 5,624<br />
LPG Filling Stations - 20,540<br />
ACSI Campsite Locations - 2,301<br />
<br />
Because these files are a bit larger there is a slightly different procedure for downloading them. After you click the link below, within Google Docs, you just select FILE and then DOWNLOAD. Once downloaded you can extract the ZIP file and access the co-ordinates. <b>Don't right click and Save As!</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFtSEjg0rugR-WMHl4bseL4H9WgX5QF51oAcGXEi3WIg5twHSOyacGtUSIo5urUUVtGNc9WifyQRpzNr0Hm8nEmzgQCihz8g8VgCedRHy3PAYP01LCyj5JpbLaOirZ7LMDq0uw8z2qBlk/s1600/filesaveas.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFtSEjg0rugR-WMHl4bseL4H9WgX5QF51oAcGXEi3WIg5twHSOyacGtUSIo5urUUVtGNc9WifyQRpzNr0Hm8nEmzgQCihz8g8VgCedRHy3PAYP01LCyj5JpbLaOirZ7LMDq0uw8z2qBlk/s200/filesaveas.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4t_jdH1m_b-NjZpM2s3U0dTMEtkN1F3bmdKRVl5Zw/edit" target="_blank">Click for Microsoft Autoroute 2011</a></b></div>
<br />
<b><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4t_jdH1m_b-R1gwdzZTQ3hSaGViSXh3RFd4ZlBIQQ/edit" target="_blank">Click for Microsoft Autoroute 2010 </a></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Don't have Microsoft Autoroute?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUglzWkn1bL_9YLNN2BsJGCNPJ1XEyXZSOsMB3BMP_49JDErfeO5K0V55xQkwWrmI7OEor52R1C_PSrX8BfFWpq7ZCQocUzurAJwlEPVLeIB-_ge8oVdkv5ypOM9-wNgIpfs9mo9r1zQc/s1600/51mQ7iDuRnL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUglzWkn1bL_9YLNN2BsJGCNPJ1XEyXZSOsMB3BMP_49JDErfeO5K0V55xQkwWrmI7OEor52R1C_PSrX8BfFWpq7ZCQocUzurAJwlEPVLeIB-_ge8oVdkv5ypOM9-wNgIpfs9mo9r1zQc/s200/51mQ7iDuRnL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
You can purchase a copy from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005A98PMQ/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=eurbycam-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B005A98PMQ" target="_blank">Amazon for £35.95</a>* without a GPS receiver and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005A98R24/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=eurbycam-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B005A98R24" target="_blank">£73.40 with a GPS receiver</a>*.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*EuropeByCamper receives a small commission from Amazon for these items. To visit Amazon without earning us a commission <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/" target="_blank">click here.</a></span></div>

Europe GPS POI Files for Autoroute Aires, Wild Camping & Services

Our POI data in Autoroute We have literally been inundated with requests for our Autoroute Data File and we apologise in advance if we ...

Touring Europe for a Year - What does it cost?

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just some of the receipts we<br />
accumulated!</td></tr>
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One of the most popular questions about travelling Europe we get asked is how much does it cost. We've decided that in the interest in helping others we'll publish our detailed trip statistics to show you how we did. We did this trip on what we perceived to be a tight budget - perhaps if you are retired then you'll want to do more or if you have more time you will want to do less miles, but with hindsight there is very little we would have changed about our trip. <a href="http://www.quicken.com/" target="_blank">Money management</a> was crucial. Because of our budget constraints we carefully monitored and recorded all of our expenditure to ensure that we weren't over budget.<br />
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<b>First, some statistics from our trip!</b><br />
<br />
We travelled <b>23,044 miles</b> over a period of <b>334 days</b> from 7<sup>th</sup> April 2011 until 6<sup>th</sup> March 2012. We passed through <b>21 countries </b>(stopping in <b>18</b>) consuming <b>3,805</b> <b>litres of Diesel</b> from <b>62 fuel stations </b>and <b>280 litres of LPG Gas. </b>We paid <b>19 road tolls</b>, <b>14 ferries, 5 vignettes </b>and <b>4 tunnels.</b><br />
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We 'Wild Camped' for <b>219 nights (66%)</b>, stayed on Aires or other recognised motorhome parking areas for <b>45 nights (14%)</b> and stayed on camp sites for <b>70</b> <b>nights (21% </b>with 29 of those nights being in Morocco).<br />
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Food wise we visited <b>115</b> supermarkets or other food shops and ate out for usually for lunch but sometimes for tea <b>101 times</b>.<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Our average miles per day were <b>78 miles </b>and our mode fuel consumption (taking into account number of miles travelled between the calculations and averaging that out) was <b>33.4MPG</b>.</div>
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<b>Adam</b> drove for <b>170</b> days (80% of the driving)<b> </b>while<b> Sophie</b> drove for <b>19 days</b> (10%) and we shared the driving on a further <b>20 days</b> (10%). There were <b>123 days</b> (36%) where we didn’t drive anywhere at all.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The maximum number of miles we drove in a day was <b>372</b> on the first day of our trip getting from Calais to Dummerlolhausen. The only other day where we exceeded 300 miles was Asiliah to Marrakesh in Morocco (365 miles). The minimum number of miles we did in a day was 2 miles (leaving one place and arriving to stay at another) from Aghios Konstantinon to Gytheio in Greece.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With views like this available for free why pay to stay on a camp site?</td></tr>
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<b>Totals</b></div>
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Ok, so enough beating about the bush! What was our grand total?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">£9,570.19 or £28.83 per day<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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Or in other words, two people, a little over 11 months full board for £14.41 per person, per day. This is how we broke down and recorded our spending:</div>
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<b>Fuel (42%)</b>We always tried to fill up in the cheaper country.</div>
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<b>Food (26%):</b> Food bought from a supermarket / shop. Includes Wine / Beer but not eating out.<br />
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<o:p></o:p><b>LPG (2%):</b> Our gas for cooking, heating and running the fridge when not on sites.<br />
<o:p></o:p><b>Transport (11%):</b> Tolls, Vignettes, Ferry’s, Bridges, Public Transport & Parking when not overnighting.<br />
<o:p></o:p><b>EO&E (14%):</b> Eating (and drinking) Out and Entertainment / Entry fees.  Also includes personal items such as clothes, shoes, laundry etc.<br />
<o:p></o:p><b>Overnight (5%): </b>Cost of sites, aires or parking overnight where a cost applied.<span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where the money went, 42% of our expenditure was on Diesel.</td></tr>
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<b>What is not included?</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
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Items which we viewed as being outside of our living costs which are: Vehicle Insurance (£500), Vehicle Road Tax (£195), Travel Insurance (£200), <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/06/guide-to-vodafone-data-traveller-data_01.html" target="_blank">Mobile Phone / 3G Internet (£180)</a>. We also didn’t include our ‘side trip’ to <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/06/st-petersburg-russia.html" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a> (£500) as we left the van in Helsinki and felt it would unfairly skew the results. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<b>Comparing Countries</b><br />
In the below table we have broken down our expenditure for all of the 18 countries that we stayed in. The biggest factor influencing costs was if we stayed on a camp site or not, which made expensive countries like Norway (where we only spent £2.78 a day on food over 4 weeks, but spent £0 on campsites) appear comparative to Latvia, where we opted to stay on camp sites because of a lack of wild camping opportunities. All of the figures below are laid bare for you to view and dissect and are of course only representative of what we chose to do on this trip and not necessarily of that country as a whole!<br />
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<b><i>So what's our strategy on keeping costs down? </i></b></div>
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<b><i><br />
</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Our next blog post, Europe on a Budget will be published shortly and a link will appear here!</i></b></div>
</div>
</div>

Touring Europe for a Year - What does it cost?

Just some of the receipts we accumulated! One of the most popular questions about travelling Europe we get asked is how much does it ...

Check out the April Edition of Motorhome Monthly!

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<br />
<br />
Check out this months edition of Motorhome Monthly, we're taking over 11 pages (54-65) with our travels through Sweden and Norway! More to come next month which will be covering The Lofotens and Finland!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTL6EXo4IzXkTA6SsoRMyyLl_j38kRtT7vaEFtITHW1eL-4dxNubycuvxzmu22DLhwO5BdNhqDf9l5056JtV_5t-cawQDLoxjhyx22jGxpykOVE02IpyQTRioSVKwvaVgXgShZxvuKXQ/s1600/MM+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTL6EXo4IzXkTA6SsoRMyyLl_j38kRtT7vaEFtITHW1eL-4dxNubycuvxzmu22DLhwO5BdNhqDf9l5056JtV_5t-cawQDLoxjhyx22jGxpykOVE02IpyQTRioSVKwvaVgXgShZxvuKXQ/s200/MM+2.png" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.calameo.com/read/000004306fab6b5f7ec6e" target="_blank">Click this link to view the April copy of Motorhome Monthly Magazine in full.</a><br />
<br />
<br /></div>

Check out the April Edition of Motorhome Monthly!

Check out this months edition of Motorhome Monthly, we're taking over 11 pages (54-65) with our travels through Sweden and Norway! ...

Whistle Stop Tour of France & We're Home!

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">Montreuil-Bellay</span> </span></td></tr>
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From Spain we entered France and our first French overnight stop of Capbreton. It's actually quite shocking how much prices increase as you cross over the French/Spanish border. Not just fuel and wine (and the total absence of any beer worth drinking) but just general produce as well. Lidl is 20-30% more expensive on most items and we find ourselves wishing we had stocked up. The perils of crossing a border on a Sunday.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capbreton Fortifications</td></tr>
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Still, Capbreton makes for a nice overnight stop right on the beach with its eroding and toppling WW2 fortifications. Most of our stop over points here on in are chosen for convenience and because they are free; Contis Plage, Roullet-Saint-Estephe and Montreuil-Bellay. This method doesn't always yield a spectacular aire but the small town of Montreuil-Bellay proved a worthy stopover and a fantastic location next to a river and a few minutes walk from the town.<br />
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Back on the motorway we keep seeing decorated Renault 4's hurtling past at breakneck speed. It turns out they are all returning from a 6,000km charity rally to Morocco, the <a href="http://www.tousen4pourletrophy.fr/" target="_blank">Tous En Pour Le Trophy</a>, where each car must carry at least 50kg of goods to donate to local causes. Much of their route in Morocco is off piste which could account for the poor state of many of the cars. Yes, that's right we couldn't not mention Morocco even though we're in France!<br />
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We're aiming to get 200 miles a day under our belts as we head up towards Calais and our next stop is Le Mans. A big city it might be, but it has a free aire right in the center with free water and waste. A grey day contributes to a relatively uninspiring walk around and back in the van for tea. We're really not fans of big cities, it has to be said.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gace Aire infront of the Chateaux</td></tr>
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Our overnight aire of choice this time is Gace, with it's impressive Chateaux where motorhomes are allowed to park only between 5pm and 10am it can't really be anything else. The bells fortunatly stop chiming at 11pm and resume at 7am to ensure we are on our way the next day.<br />
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We arrive at Saint-Valery-en-Caux and then realise it is in fact a weekend and the aire is no longer free. Still, we've managed to avoid paying for the last 6 nights so we cough up €4.50 a van for the privilege. The aire is a prime location right on the harbour walls and we watch fisherman bringing in their catch followed by a swarms of seagulls. Wrapped up in our winter coats which have been unpacked from the depth of our van, we walk up to the top of the cliffs. Why can't the French clean up after their dogs?<br />
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The rain is belting down the following day as we edge ever close to Calais and Le Touquet Paris Plage want €14 for the privilege of staying overnight. I don't think so. We settle for an aire in Bologne Sur Mer where we chance that the appalling weather and gale force winds means the man won't come to collect his €5. We're right and we escape without paying the fee.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocW2w5aMEpjGeYCwunyefYuQ7fcoBOfs-223cO6XFk_CdyCXocuqvOQ8lPVnhp-8D3WG_SuVSYFkuAnSqzUknC1T_scxjOnVHDNoKtgkTzzjKNGRGgRtND4SHPE8ien3vs8tNej2-kV4/s1600/IMG_8332+(Large).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocW2w5aMEpjGeYCwunyefYuQ7fcoBOfs-223cO6XFk_CdyCXocuqvOQ8lPVnhp-8D3WG_SuVSYFkuAnSqzUknC1T_scxjOnVHDNoKtgkTzzjKNGRGgRtND4SHPE8ien3vs8tNej2-kV4/s320/IMG_8332+(Large).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Saint-Valery-en-Caux</span></span> </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe8XGFgfiKcmvvQdA3rSiK259upDcU9-W_vdSMGdZUXbhmJ8roJHfo2dtD5IiLLFXxswCEQj1O7ZQHtOgx1n7YGqt8PHbqSQWaFo4-QObNzoxCWwBqEM6Je5J0rShhDR36afxYDhsJ2n4/s1600/P1010310+(Large).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/AVvXsEhe8XGFgfiKcmvvQdA3rSiK259upDcU9-W_vdSMGdZUXbhmJ8roJHfo2dtD5IiLLFXxswCEQj1O7ZQHtOgx1n7YGqt8PHbqSQWaFo4-QObNzoxCWwBqEM6Je5J0rShhDR36afxYDhsJ2n4/s200/P1010310+(Large).jpg" width="200" /></a>We're getting nervous now, the winds have not let up and we sail tomorrow back to blighty. The Dover Port website describes sea conditions as "Rough" and "Gale Force 8-9 winds". Sophie starts looking pale. Adam's mum, despite her not long conquered fear of ferry's, seems game for anything. We arrive at Cite De Europe, all the motor homes are abandoned at funny angles all over the car park and we soon see why as we are buffeted in danger of being toppled over unless we do the same. We do the only sensible thing - buy as much wine as possible to weigh down our vans! After which we head for the ticket office in Calais where the winds rock us to sleep.</div>
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The next day the wind subsides but the ferry is still running late as a result. This gives the dog patrol longer to inspect the waiting cars and it's not long before 4 illegal immigrants who get bundled out the back of a French curtain-sider alongside us in the queue for the ferry, sniffed out by a playful black Labrador. The crossing is like a mill pond and somewhat surreal given the previous two days weather.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful Montreuil-Bellay</td></tr>
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We roll off the ferry and towards customs. We don't actually know how many bottles of wine we have or if the limit is 90 liters per person or per van. As we snake through the checkpoint 8 customs officials stand with arms folded and weigh us up. Adam almost makes the decision for them, since we always get stopped here anyway. But not this time! We get waved on through, maybe we're looking too respectable in our old age?<br />
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Despite 23,000 miles on the 'wrong' side of the road and it feels like we've never left home. Roundabouts feel a little strange though, but apart from that all seems fairly normal and we cruise back up to York in a little bit of a daze. Nearly home we stop for for Fish and Chips. Well you have to, right?<br />
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So that's it. We're home. Or is it? Over the next few weeks we will be writing about all sorts of topics which have been asked by our readers that we would like to share for the benefit of others.<br />
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The BIG question - did we manage to spend 334 days and 23,336 miles away in Europe for under our budget of £10k? Find out next week as we start to blog our breakdown, tips and a little bit about how many people have been in touch with us during our trip.<br />
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Is there anything you would like to know? If so please don't hesitate to e-mail (you can reply to our blog subscription e-mail), comment, tweet @EuropeByCamper or post on our Facebook timeline.<br />
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Thank you all for following, it's over for now but not for long!<br />
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Adam & Sophie<br />
EuropeByCamper.com</div>

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