Our trip across Europe

Sorry for the clickbait style subtitle! We are at the start of our trip and don’t know what will happen apart from our ferries for Greece, Sicily, Sardinia and back to France!

For those who have read my previous posts, we got the awning fitted on Friday and sailed on Saturday. Unfortunately our boat was changed so we couldn’t bring our dog into our cabin. However I think he was more settled in the van than he was in the cabin last year so we might do it that way in future. For the cork Roscoff crossing anyway as it only 13 hours.

So far we have been to Dinan, Dinard and St Malo. Currently parked across from Mont St Michel

Ok! We are a week in and have made it down to Annecy near the Alps. We have been avoiding toll roads for a couple of reasons as we aren’t in a rush, they’re boring and expensive and not always worth the extra speed!

I found an itinerary online that I’ve been kind of copying. https://campervancastaways.com…campervan/

We went from Mont St Michel to Paris. That was about a four hour drive so that was all we did that day! Stayed in a nice campsite on the outskirts in Ste Genevieve des Bois. The train was about a ten minute walk from the campsite and we were able to get the RER C directly into the city. Dogs are allowed on the train but not the metro apparently. Don’t forget your muzzle! Also, don’t drink a bottle of wine while looking at the Eiffel Tower and leave your handbag on the train on the way home. You won’t get it back! lol

After Paris we went to Fontainebleau to see the second biggest chateau in France and then on to Chablis. We found a lovely picnic area overlooking the town to park in for the night using the Park4Night app. Definitely recommend the spot and the town. It is super pretty there!

On Sunday we went to Beaune and then on to the cascades du herrison. A beautiful walk that will definitely make you aware of your legs and your lungs haha!! But the waterfalls are worth it!

Yesterday we made our way through the mountains to Annecy. A gorgeous drive if a little tiring. The town itself is on a lake and very pretty but I felt it was overly touristy for my taste!

The plan today is the go to a nice looking campsite and plug in and relax for the day! Then head across into Geneva and spend a couple of days in Switzerland to see the landscape!

Some photos!









Cascades du Herrison
Fosse de Dianne
Lake Annecy

I forgot the new version included Europe! I will try to give it a go!

Trocadero, Paris
Fontainebleau
Chablis

Yup! He’s a Greengrass lurcher total sweetie breaking hearts all over Europe!

I’ve updated the posts

Just a quick update to remind everyone to bring their vehicle log book and insurance details! I forgot my originals but was lucky I had a copy saved in my phone when the Italian cops knocked on our door in a car park in Trieste. I must get my docs couriered asap!!

Yes! That’s Sprocket’s cross as well! Although possibly a very big whippet. You must post a picture of your guy!

What a dote!!

After my last update we went into Switzerland after staying just outside Geneva. We bought our €40 vignette, turned off our mobile data and hoped for the best. Geneva is gorgeous and I definitely want to go back. Unfortunately we only spent about 2 hours there because I couldn't find parking for any longer lol! We decided to head to Interlaken and the scenery driving through the country was absolutely beautiful. It started to snow though so we pulled into a motorway stop for the night because I wouldn't be very experienced with that kind of driving. Was definitely thankful to have extra blankets and my scruffy lurcher dog to keep us warm

The next day we had a wander around Interlaken and then decided to head for Italy. Unfortunately at this time of year the route options were limited so we had to do a zig zag tour of Switzerland to get to Lugano. Along with half of Italy apparently. What should have been a 4 hour journey took around 8 hours. On the bright side the views were spectacular. I would love to go back to Switzerland but not in my van. I think a train journey around the country in winter would be a lot more fun!

When we crossed over the border we were actually just across from Lake Como. As it was a Friday evening the traffic was insane so we headed to a carpark I had used on my trip in 2020. Well, Covid restrictions are well and truly gone so getting a space there was a miracle! Get there early guys! Or really late I suppose when all of the cars have gone!

The next morning we headed for Bergamo. This is a beautiful city and well worth a visit. If you have a dog, make sure you have a muzzle if you want to use the funicular to the Citta Alta. We didn't so we had to climb the steps. A definite test of my cardio vascular fitness But the views and the gelato made it all worth while! We then drove to Lake Iseo as I had spotted a nice campsite on the ACSI app and we were looking forward to wifi and showers. Unfortunately I hadn't read it properly and the campsite was closed until May. D'oh! But luckily there was a little campsite (Camping Breda) with some stellar reviews on the other app right next door. Well....I don't know who had left those reviews but their bar was on the floor! It was very rough and ready and I wouldn't recommend it, especially at €30 a night. Although, having seen the pricelist today for the campsite in Salthill maybe I'm being unfair!! However, we slept well and had a short metered shower the next morning so we were able to go to Verona. A beautiful city that everyone should go to! Immensely walkable and gorgeous vibes.

We found a stopover for the night a little outside of the city but unfortunately the electricity needed coins and we were out of change. I couldn't connect to the wifi hotspot because there was an issue with my phone receiving the confirmation texts. But it was quiet and really nice.

So then on to Trieste! I decided to save time and take the toll roads. I think we paid about €18 and saved 2 hours. Now, Max, please don't take offence to this! For me, Italian motorways are the scariest roads I've driven on lol! The amount of massive lorries is mindblowing to me! And my poor little van doesn't have the most powerful engine so when a big artic pulls out in front of me to spend 2km overtaking another massive artic, I lose any speed I've built up so I can't go into the fast lane to pass him out. So yeah, that's an experience!!

Trieste itself is an odd city. Very pretty elements but kind of boring? To be fair, we were there on a Monday so not the most exciting day to visit a city. And it was kind of marred by the police questioning us (while ignoring other vans in the same car park) and me realising that I really should have brought my logbook with me like I have done on every other trip. To be fair, we probably looked suspicious cos we had the curtains open as we were waiting for a just eat driver to find us and then I was on the phone when the police came so my boyfriend was talking to them and he didn't know what they meant when they asked for the registration which made it all weirder! It all ended well and the Indian takeaway even gave us a free beer cos I had to hang up on them to talk to the cops haha!

This has become an essay so I'll do photos and Slovenia later

So then on Tuesday morning we woke up early and decided to head to Slovenia. Now, wild camping is a no no in Slovenia and it can be hard to find parking on the coast so I checked apple maps and realised it would only take a little over an hour to get to Ljubljana. We bought a vignette for €15 for a week when we crossed the border and made our way to the capital. It was around 10am when we arrived and we walked through Tivoli Park and into the city centre. Sprocket met a speedy whippet and had a good game of chasing so that was him set up for the day! Ljubljana is such a gorgeous city. I highly recommend it. Beautiful architecture and just a really nice vibe to the place. Luckily we had a muzzle this time so we took the funicular up to the castle and looked out over the city to the alps.

We then headed an hour up the road to Lake Bled. We had a slight sat nav malfunction as the main entrance to the camp site was closed and apple maps couldn't comprehend going all the way around the lake! But we made it and got parked up in a lovely campsite on the shores of the lake (Camping Bled). It is a much smaller lake than I realised but it is super pretty and again, lovely chill vibes. Slovenia isn't cheap but it is a fab place to visit. I also noticed that diesel is €1.44 a litre so I'm definitely going to fill my tank before I return to Italy tomorrow.

The plan now is to go to visit friends in Belluno tomorrow and then make our way to Bari for our ferry to Greece on Monday! I must pick up some sandfly repellant for Sprocket as leishmaniosis is no joke.

I'm happy to answer any questions cos I'm sure my rambling isn't giving the info people actually want! Haha!

Flower Camping Les Vallées - Sainte Brieuc
Shop car park - 38 La Jacotiere Ardevon, 50170 Pontorson, (Le Mont St Michel)
Camping le Beau Village - Paris
Aire des Lys - Chablis
Car Park - Doucier 775 Rues des 3 Lacs (near the cascades du herisson)
La Colombiere campsite - Neydens
Motorway stop 3707 Darligen - Interlaken
Carpark 16 Viale Geno - Como
Camping Breda - Lake Iseo
Car Park - 8 Riva Nazario Sauro - Trieste
Camping Bled - Lake Bled, Slovenia

Photos

I'm in Greece now! Got the ferry over from Bari to Patras (Bari is not fun to drive in!) and had my first experience of camping on board. I would definitely recommend it if you're on a crossing that offers the option. We were hooked up to electricity but couldn't turn on our gas. There are bathrooms and showers available and you need a key card to get in and out of the garage so it felt pretty secure. Getting off in Patras was really quick and I got the cheapest diesel I've seen in Greece just outside the port (€1.55).

For the dog owners, I got my reminder text from my vet that Sprocket was due his bravecto (fleas and ticks) and milbemax (worms) doses. I brought him to a local vet near Delphi who was super helpful and luckily they sell both of those brands here.

He also explained that the collar was the best option for leishmaniasis and how to maintain it (don’t let it get wet, wipe off any dirt that would block the powder from coming in contact with the skin). The collars last 5 months.

In total it came to €55 so that wasn’t too bad really.

On another dog related note, the amount of stray dogs is something else. Especially in the countryside where there are packs of really large shepherd dogs. I’ve been very nervous when walking Sprocket but hopefully when we come down from the mountains they will be less of an issue!

Papingo rock pools in the Vikos Gorge northern Greece

And now my ABS has gone! The light has been on a while but I’ve been guaranteed by multiple mechanics that it’s just a sensor issue. Found out while driving a greasy winding road in Greece (punny) that it’s gone for real. Hopefully I’ll find a mechanic nearby to fix it. Luckily I was going slowly ans there was a lay-by that I managed to stop in when I skidded across the road!!

Apparently it is still just a sensor issue. I just happened to hit spilt diesel. To be honest, that’s almost worse for me. It’s really hit my driving confidence.
On the bright side, the garage were really lovely and have ordered a new sensor so at least I’ll be able to trust the lights doing forward.

We have had a lovely lazy week in an apartment on the Peloponnese peninsula and will get the ferry back to Italy next week.

Well we are vegetarian so our options were limited. I had chips and my boyfriend had pasta with a tomato sauce. But the meat options looked good and the prices were ok. good breakfast options too.

We are now back in Italy! Sicily to be precise!

We got the ferry back from Patras to Bari on Thursday afternoon. Camped on board again and arrived into Bari on Friday morning. It was another lovely crossing. We were one of the first on and had a lovely view of the Greek coast line

We headed to Matera when we arrived and then drove across the foot of Italy and parked overnight in a small town that I won’t mention cos it wasn’t worth the significant detour that I hadn’t accounted for! I guess I’m still a little gun shy when it comes to windy mountain roads and this was very stressful. My own fault for not reading the map closely enough.

This morning we got the ferry to Messina. It was €46 and took about 50 minutes. Now we are parked up in a little camp site near Taormina. Looking forward to some vino later!

And using my awning cos of the rain haha