www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Motor home travel.

We are hoping to get a camper van in the near future for long road trips - will going up places like this trash the vehicle?

Hi Matsukaze,
Chris,a mobile home is the  perfect means of travelling around Europe,I have driven in the Aips,the Pyrenees and many European countries and have had no driving difficulties, however beware there are a few alpine Cols I would not recommend as has already been noted on UKB by Roger G and others, but most present no problems, prudence is the keyword, if you would like to profit from my experience you can contact me privately only too happy to help.
PS I am not  a Mobile home salesman.

https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com/

Very nice, Jim. I fancy one myself when I retire but preferably left hand drive, as I think I'd struggle with RHD on European roads.

I think I'd struggle with RHD on European roads.

No Problem David you can at least see how close you are to the cliff edge.

Medard wrote: ↑Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:27 am

I think I'd struggle with RHD on European roads.

No Problem David you can at least see how close you are to the cliff edge.

That's what I'd prefer to avoid, Jim!

Friendly little HGVs.  Next to my car today. Nuff said. Jack

Jack Harrison wrote: ↑Fri Sep 11, 2020 8:36 pm Friendly little HGVs.  Next to my car today. Nuff said.

HGV it is, Jack. No way something of that size could negotiate all the cols I visit in the south of France.

Hi
I have had MotorHomes/Campervans since the late 1990s
Would NOT be without ne.
Our latest iteration is in the attached photo.
Were it not for the vans I doubt I would have seen every British species in 2012? (can't quite remember the year)
In the UK we very rarely use campsites, relying on two excellent (now) Apps
https://wildcamping.co.uk/app.php#
https://www.motorhomestopover.co.uk/
The first is locations of "wild camping" sites - mostly lay bys etc.
The other is pubs that allow you to overnight for free in their car park (obviously the expectation of some beer and food expenditure is there, and seldom disappointed!!)
We have been to France, and it is excellent. The have a system of Aires, that allow you to stop in many villages and fill with fresh water, dump grey and black waste, and plug into the mains.
Over the years we have become more and more self sufficient.
We carry 4 5L bottles of drinking water.
We have a big solar panel on the roof charging the vehicle and our 2 leisure batteries.
We have a minimum liquid input to the loo (work that out for yourself), and need find fresh water/loo emptying evry 5/6 days or so. Not always campsites!
I have spent the night in the drives of quite a few members of this list!
There is also something wonderful about waking up in the morning actually IN the reserve car park!!!
I can offer tons of advice - contact by PM

Rogerdodge
Roger Harding

Rogerdodge wrote: ↑Sun Sep 13, 2020 4:50 pm
Our latest iteration is in the attached photo.

That's my kind of baby!!

In a couple of years, when retirement is on the horizon, I'll be looking for something very similar.

Thanks for the links too, Roger. Those will come in handy!

Hello David.
Your conversion to the idea of a mobile home brought a wry smile, my advice is don't delay one can never count on the future. I am assuming you are a Francophile so travel in France is easy for you, this website park4night is a "go to" for motorhome visitors to Europe, however a word of advice do not use auto route parking ,a friend of mine had an unfortunate experience, his wife foolishly left her handbag on the passenger seat, whilst asleep the window was broken and the bag stolen, before my friend, a six foot two scaffolder, could catch the culprits they were in a car and away, this was the advice given by the Gendarmes who found the bag but passports money etc as you can imagine , all gone.
Stopping  in designated Air's are OK but we take the prudent approach and always keep in company with the French who would quickly react in case of trouble with the local tearaways, having said that we prefer campsites for the convenience they offer and above all enjoy the social contact with the other campers who I have found overwhelmingly polite and helpful..
At the moment my wife and I are suffering withdrawal symptoms, oh to be in France now that September here.
https://park4night.com

Preparing to cook Mussels and Oysters.  Ile D'Oleron Charente -Maritime.

Medard wrote: ↑Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:31 amYour conversion to the idea of a mobile home brought a wry smile, my advice is don't delay one can never count on the future. I am assuming you are a Francophile so travel in France is easy for you...

I can think of nothing finer than ekeing out my senior years in such a rewarding way, Jim. That said, any immediate acquisition of such transport would be little more than a monstrous white elephant given that I am still working for a living and in my spare time guiding in western Europe in such a way and with such regularity as to preclude the usefulness of any motorhome.

That will change one day, and when it does....


....I'll be converted!

Thanks folks! Sorry for the late response but I have been away from here for a little while...

My real worry was that the Alpine cols might fry the engine or other mechanical effects on what would be an expensive piece of kit - reading through the entomological literature from 30-50 years ago there are folks whose camper vans struggled with the more determinedly vicious roads. Vehicle technology seems to have improved since then, though!

Hopefully we will be able to do this in the next couple of years, though like a recalcitrant Clouded Yellow the means to do so seem to constantly flutter just out of reach...

Medard - love the photos of the French west coast - sea, wine, sunsets and produits régionaux (especially seafood) - my wife will love it.

I would love to meander around in a motorhome. To my mind it has two big advantages:

1. If you go to specific location for a particular species and the weather isn't good, well, just stay another day (or two). Much better than a fixed itinerary.

2. You can be in the right place early in the morning and get to see them as they are warming up, especially in the mountains.

When the lease runs out on our place in Provence in five years, a motorhome is definitely in the offing. All I have to do is convince the missus.

Roger

Medard - love the photos of the French west coast - sea, wine, sunsets and produits régionaux (especially seafood) - my wife will love it.

Hi Matsukaz,if seafood is one of your passions La Tremblade, Charente -Maritimeis is the place to head for, its fish market is a must place to visit, a great experience,La Tremblade could reasonably claim to be the capital of the Mussels and Oyster industry.
The Île d'Oléron also offers great seafood restaurants, try Églade (or éclade): Mussels and Oysters simply cooked by the heat of flaming pine needles, a local speciality.
See video below
https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com/p29 ... #he6ca0a91

Thanks Jim - that would be lovely and would work nicely - Sara will spend her time chatting to all the market stall owners whilst I forage for pine needles and keep an eye open for oedippus.