Ireland is a fantastic non-Schengen option for motorhome travel. UK citizens can only stay in the Schengen Area (a zone in Europe where countries have no internal borders and allow the free and unrestricted movement of people) for90 days in every 180 daysin the Schengen Area. Many other times police drove by, looked us over and moved on. An interest in frescoes would be an advantage. A shake out is a great idea to make sure things work, get to know your van and understand what kit you need to enjoy the motorhome lifestyle. Having said that, in the two years since Brexit, we dont know anyone who has been asked to produce either a ticket of evidence of their financial position. Generally Greece doesnt have Aires dedicated motorhome parking with services. Foralmostall of our trip the roads were quiet - weencounteredonly six vehicles on the Kosmas pass - and that made driving much easier than it might have been. with Max and Elsa. Motorhoming in Winter: A Motorhome Advice Guide By Neil E Walker | Submitted On November 24, 2010 The winter months represent something of a challenge when it comes to motorhoming, but with the right precautions and attitude can be just as enjoyable and safe as the sunnier months. They tend to be worse through villages, where regionalroad maintenance clearly doesn't extend. Ju, Your email address will not be published. Packed with ancient sites, beautiful beaches and turquoise seas, historic towns and cities, and majestic mountains, Greece is a country just waiting to be explored. You go to a dedicated website which tells you how much time and data you have left and you can type in the codes from your top up here and select what top up package you want next 30 days, 14 days or 1 day. Three places where we stayed were visited by police. When travelling to Norway from Sweden, the animal and documentation need not be shown to the Norwegian Customs if the animal has been kept legally in Sweden and meets all requirements for entry. Drive your motorhome to one of the beautiful Greek islands. Going on your first motorhome or campervan trip with your brand new shiny van is a bit of a rite of passage. Weve spent months touring in France and from tips about driving, budgeting, where to stay overnight and off-grid and wild camping, to motorhome services and a round-up of the best motorhome destinations, youll find all the information you need for an amazing road trip in France. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Global air temperatures reached a new high on July 3, surpassing the record set in 2016 and tied in 2022, according to multiple recent analyses, including from the University of . We asked at campsites when we needed a service point, some was let us use it for free others charged around 5. If you take it slowly, watch for high level balconies andbranches, and are prepared to reverse, then you should be able to drive most places that you want to go. Dont be surprised to be overtaken on a blind bend with double white lines, or for someone to run a red light, honk their horn in a built up area or scooter down a street with a tray of drinks in their hand. AB and Masoutis were good middle market options. After three months over winter in Spain, we wanted to get to Greece for springtime, given that the summers would most likely be too hot for us (read me - Myles was born in Cyprus so he's a sun-baby). In Greece prices varied by about 20c between stations, even if they were right next to each other! Many people have been doing this for years, and are a good source of information and tips. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Motorhome aires in France have paved the way for other countries to set up similar schemes, where the aire is funded by the local municipality to encourage motorhome visitors into the area. Theres usually a road runningparallelto the toll road, but it is often just a single carriageway and will take your through the local towns and villages. Double white lines are common and may prevent you from making a left turn towards your destination. The United States has reached a milestone in the long struggle against Covid: The total number of Americans dying each day from any cause is no longer historically abnormal . Are you taking a 2 week campervan trip in Europe or longer? If youre in an urban area, the public transport may work, its defiantly the best way to get into cities. RELATED POST: An Easy Guide to Motorhome Gas & LP in Europe. The one we used was just a car park near a beach but did have manhole cover that you could lift to empty your black and grey water, and was free. RELATED POST: An Easy Guide to Motorhome Electrics. How do you fit it all in? For more information and pictures of the places we visited, see the links to our individual blog posts at the bottom of this post. We carry two collapsible 10l water carriers, and we used them to fill the tank via the internal cap on half a dozen occasions in Greece. Read ourguideto understand how motorhome weights work and dont forget to include your toys bikes,kayaks,gadgetsand so on when thinking about weight. We use a Gaslow cylinder for cooking, heating water and for the fridge when not on hook-up, which is most of the time. The fine must be paid at a Public Treasury office within 10 days. The edges of the roads were usually in acceptablecondition, with cones, rocks or barriers placed where crumbling was likely to be a hazard. Motorhome Washing Machines Which Is Best for You? We paid 20 for two 7 kilo loads in Sparta. If youre planning to visit Morocco in your motorhome, gas at the pump isnt available (nor in Finland) so this does need careful planning. From France Passion to Portugal Easycamp, In Camper Con Gusto in Italy and Espana Discovery, all these schemes offer a place to stay overnight in a motorhome. Police can impose fines but not collect them on the spot. A popular winter destination with French motorhomers, Morocco is also a stunningly beautiful and interesting country to visit. RELATED POST: The Best Motorhome Bike Racks & Bikes. A Campervan Greece Road Trip: The Ultimate Guide 14 December 2022 Maybritt Bos Winter motorhoming: these are the 6 best regions to spend the winter! Forecast Eye Path updated 2 hours ago. Youll save money every time you fill, LPG (called GPL in Europe) from the pump is around 70% cheaper than buying it in a bottle. Out of season dishes that require long preparation times may not be available. Back in December 2017 another one of our camper clients enjoyed the beaches of Croatia and Montenegro. You can use ViaMichelin to calculate tolls. Another popular option, motorhome wild camping is widely accepted across Europe (with the exception of Portugal, who have really cracked down on this in 2021). You can also get spinach ones and meat ones, theyre all baked in flaky pastry and under 2 make a great lunchtime snack. Most campsites in Greece close over winter, but not all. They are preceded by flashing amber lights to warn you of an approaching red. The minimum profile depth is 4mm. The only problem we had was kids drawing on the side of Dave while we were sleeping in a car park Galatas, but it easily came off with some alcohol hand cleaner. Dryers on sites are rare, hardly surprising given the climate, so do your wash when you know you can hang up the damp clothes. But what is an aire, how can you stay in them and how do you find them? Vehicles may be towed away if parked illegally, or if violating traffic regulations. The second time it was to enlist our help to find a missing person who'd been seen travelling with someone in a motorhome. With one of the best winter climates in Europe and friendly locals, Spain is a perfect country for a motorhome road trip. The prices varied considerably with the cheapest being 13, the most expensive (in Athens) 26 and the facilities at both were very similar. Are you feeling a bit nervous about wild camping for the first time? Greek drivers are very confident, especially confident that they will pass you before the car coming in the opposite direction will reach them. Off Season Travel to Greece. Jill Malcolm is a travel writer, author and editor. A tread of at least 4 millimetres is a must to prevent slipping and sliding. Morocco, Greece or Sicily in winter.that old chestnut! If you are going any sort of distance it might be worth paying the tolls as the local roads can be very windy and slow. Generally Greece doesnt have Aires dedicated motorhome parking with services. Your pet will need amicrochip, a validrabies vaccination and ananimal health certificate (AHC). Winter motorhome life in the sunshine. July 17, 2023. Being with your other half 24/7 in a small tin box may not be quite as romantic as you imagine! Where we failed to find public toilets or portaloos, and we were between campsites, it was not hard to find remote places to take a shovel. This comprehensive post about motorhome travel in Europe post Brexit explains all the details and offers advice and insight into how long-term motorhome touring in Europe is still possible. Andthey are the best security system you could have. A Positive Covid Milestone - The New York Times RELATED POST: Motorhome Accessories, Equipment & Options. Miles driven - 2405 Average daily spend - 36.97 (33.70 not including repairs) Average spend on overnight stops - 2.69 (63 free nights - 3 free aires, 60 free/wild camping, one charge of 5 to use service point. Before a set of traffic lights there are yellow lights which flash if the main set are going to change to red shortly especially helpful when the main set is around a corner if you see flashing yellow lights, start to slow down as you wont make the main set before they go red. Motorhoming in winter: How to winterize your RV for use or storage On one occasion roads to the fountain were too narrow to risk, and we had no problem filling at a local garage, but we rarely had cause to ask. We stopped regularly on waste ground and let it run into the gravel. This gorgeous country, full of beautiful light, fabulous food and landscapes straight from a film set, will not disappoint. If youre planning on going to Portugal as youtour Europe in a motorhome, our Portugal tips are a must-read before your trip. LPG was widely available above the Gulf of Corinth, but was more difficult to find on the Peloponnese. At most harbours and beachespeople will turn up to gonight fishing. Europe is your oyster,you just need to go and grab it! Hi, We will be driving through Greece in our motorhome. For anyone who wants to get away from the dreary UK winters, heading south to places like Spain or Portugal in a motorhome is the perfect solution.. Of course, the BREXIT rules of only being able to spend 90 days in every rolling 180 has made it difficult to stay away all winter, but it's still possible to spend nearly 3 months in the sunshine. June 18, 2023 - 8:59 am by Paddy van Raepenbusch, Copyright 2023 - The Our Tour Travel Blog -, Expat Temptation Leads us to Veliko Tarnovo ( ). This guide has been written based on our own experiences in Greece and is published to provide you with some basic information on Greece to better equip you for your visit. Tolls only apply on motorways, but they can quicklybecome expensive. Use a screen wash that gives at least -45 protection for extreme cold. The 90 in 180 day rule works on a rolling basis and it can be difficult to work out whether you are within the rules or not, especially if you have visited the Schengen area on several occasions in the preceding 180 days. These were usually familiar, and not too hard tofollow, although both signs andwhiteIines are often badly faded. Post Distances are all in kilometres, and so are speed limited. Country Greece Most strays are fearful and submissive, and will quickly slink away. The roads across Greece were generally good. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. So leaving end of March or beginning of April gave the weather enough time to warm up and yet not fry us to a crisp. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The two garages and camping shops we visited also spoke good English. We used our Europa SIMwhen we first arrived in Greece, then at our first big town we stopped at a Cosmote shop and bought their Internet on the Go SIM. When it comes to where to stay overnight in a motorhome or campervan, Europe has lots of great options; Campsites are a great option if you have a family or you like to stay out for more than a few days at a time. No vignette required. S4 Ep 18 Motorhoming in Greece Athens and the ferry to Italy Diesel Winter Motorhoming in France Tips & Vango Heat Mat Review Yes, you can take dogs, cats and ferrets to Europe. To keep costs down we also refilled our water bottles from the numerous drinking fountains in towns and cities wewerentthe only ones! More and more motorhome owners are choosing to camp in the winter, and for good reason! Nemea red was consistently reliable. Motorhome touring in the beautiful and varied country of France is a pleasure. # Motorhome stopovers in Greece [Greatest overview of the most Its boring, but spend just one day doing the research before you head off, and youll be glad you did. In some places where a motorway has replaced an old national road, the old road may now ban traffic over 3.5t (eg the 8 between Corinth and Patras) and all maintenance will almost certainly have ceased, making these some of the worst roads to drive, albeit the most picturesque. The down-side with a refillable system is that in the UK lots of garages have stopped selling LPG at the pump as the take-up of gas driven vehicles has ben surpassed by electric technology. If you say hello and don't get in their way they will just work around you. Styled differently and significantly smaller (even if it feels large to us Brits! Unleaded fuel was quite a lot more expensive than diesel. But the stray problem is persistent and widespread. We travelled overland from the UK through France and Italy and then from Ancona to Patras via ferry. Wild camping is illegal across the whole of Greece, however the law doesnt seem to be enforced even when additional signs are added to warn that youll go to jail or face a huge fine. Oct 22, 2013 Anyone planning on overwintering in Greece this year ? Pulling over to make it easier is appreciated, and you'll often see lorries driving on the hard shoulder so others can pass. When buying stamps we take with us what ever it is we want to post to make it easier, but often the people behind the counter speak some English. When pets are travelling to Norway from countries in the EU/EEA (such as Germany or Denmark) the animal and necessary documentation must be presented to Norwegian Customs for checking. As we further up the country the cost seemed to decrease. Are you planning a motorhome holiday in Europe? Eating out However, things do change, so before you set off its worth checking for up to date travel information from theForeign Office website, and the latest driving regulations on theAA website. With summer temperatures regularly getting into the early 40s in Europe, air conditioning can literally be a life saver. We found only one official motorhome cassette emptying point in Greece. Oranges are 3-4 a bag at roadside stalls - don't forget to bring a hand juicer. Others we met were told the same by the attendant at a motorway services. Our 2012 Tour Map. We asked at campsites when we needed a service point, some was let us use it for free others charged around 5. We free camped most of the time, venturing onto campsites when we were in Athens, and when we needed to do our laundry. They also make great pit-stops if youve been on the road for a while, and facilitate things like clothes washing and cleaning your van. Wherever you decide to go in Europe, happy and safe motorhome travels! Email/Internet Youll need to book a pet-friendly cabin or kennels on the ferry or travel via the tunnel from the UK. Do you want to explore Europe in your motorhome or campervan? Stop signs arefrequent where we would expect a Give Way - on roundabouts, when merging with a main road and even at traffic lights. A motorhome is treated the same as a car as far as parking is concerned, i.e. Generally we avoided toll roads, but there were occasionsaround Thessalonika andAthens where it was easier to use the motorway. In winter everyone pays the reduced rate, usually 3-6, which will also allow you entrance to the associated museum. Do you want access to our FREE resource library packed with travel resources & motorhome checklists? Being a first time motorhomer can be daunting, so were sharing our top motorhome tips and hints for beginners so you can learn how to motorhome with confidence. You must carry warning triangle in your vehicle as well as a fire extinguisher and first aid kit. We love not having to buy bottled water and then having to cart the empty bottles around until we find a recycling point. Motorhome aires are a great way to stay overnight for very little money, often in out of the way spots. You can find out all the detail you need in our guide to motorhoming in Europe after Brexit, and in our guide to motorhoming in Ireland, which due to being in the common travel area (CTA) has some different rules. You cant take a UK gas bottle to Europe and exchange it. There are lots of ways of getting tv in a motorhome, and when youre abroad there are a few things to be aware of if you want to watch UK television. We only stopped in a few campsites, as we only go to them when we needed to do the laundry or when the location prevented us from free camping (such as in Athens). But there are lots of other warm, beautiful and interesting places to motorhome in winter, read on to find out more Will you be travelling Europe in a camper vanacross seasons and into different regions of the continent? Romania and Bulgaria are beautiful, fascinating countries to visit, Transylvania was one of the highlights of our trip, and we would have no hesitation in recommending that route to Greece. Be inspired by stunning landscapes, mountains and coasts and incredible road trips. Lots of people ask us how much it costs to live in a motorhome in Europe. RELATED POST: 101+ Motorhome Essentials You Need + Packing Checklist. You may find stress levels higher in cities and in the summer season. Nibbles are usually given free with drinks. If you want to know more, you can follow our journey using the map link. They often have free Wifi so you can browse the internet while your clothes go round and round. Violent Typhoon DOKSURI 2023 | AccuWeather The first Sunday of the month is free. Eventually, we ended up doing 12 months of campervanning in Europe. Sometimes snow chains are also mandatory when indicated. Check out our destination ideas and plan your European road trip with our helpful guides and motorhome travel tips. The prices varied considerably with the cheapest being 13, the most expensive (in Athens) 26 and the facilities at both were very similar. Winter motorhoming | where is the best place to camp in the winter If youre touring for more than a month or so, we would highly recommend a refillableGasloworGasitsystem which can be filled in any EU country (including the United Kingdom) at the pump using a set of special adaptors. If youre travelling in summer, then an awning of some description is an absolute must. Our insurance only covers us for the EU and a few other named countries, and we would have had to buy extra cover, We do not have titration test results to prove the dogs have rabies immunity, required to cross some non-EU borders. drivers are very confident, especially confident that they will pass you before the car coming in the opposite direction will reach them. The costs and arrangements at each aire differ, so make sure to read the rules when you arrive. Take your motorhome directly to the beach and experience ultimate freedom. Let's face it, the reason for spending the winter in southern Europe is in the hope of better weather than in the north. The below guide has been written based on our experiences touring Greece by motorhome and will hopefully give you a good idea of what its like to travel there. The surface was sometimes a bit bumpy, but not too potholed. Greek motorways (many of which are more like UK dual carriageways) are toll roads and the prices vary depending on which one you are on. Severe Weather AccuWeather Ready Winter Center. This is the most challenging aspect of motorhoming in Greece over winter if you do not use campsites. They sometimes seemed reckless and impatient as solid white lines are routinely ignored, even double white lines are often crossed on blind corners. Norway is one of the most beautiful countries we have ever visited and a real bucket list destination. When planning and taking a motorhome or campervan road trip across Europe youll need to consider whether you have the right accessories in and on your motorhome for touring. At the time, it can be very anxiety provoking, especially if you dont speak the language. This might include a solar panel and you may want to upgrade your leisure batteries. We only stopped in a few campsites, as we only go to them when we needed to do the laundry or when the location prevented us from free camping (such as in Athens). Much of Europe is much less densely populated than the UK and there are vast areas of land which are not populated at all. There is also an all-year campsite at. However, that was just one of the very many things that changed on the journey. As we further up the country the cost seemed to decrease. Ourtour.co.uk is a participant in the Amazon Associate scheme. Just make sure you have the right documentation and required safety equipment, and youre good to go. The prices we paid were between 1.41 and 1.29. Locks can be lubricated with graphite. Greek Islands with Motorhome - Greece Message Board - Tripadvisor This saves effort when keeping the roof of your motorhome snow-free. Motorhome Germany A Complete Touring Guide, The Complete Guide to Motorhome Touring in France, How to Tour Spain in a Motorhome A Complete Guide, Top Tips for Touring Portugal in a Campervan & Motorhome, The Complete Guide to Touring Italy by Motorhome, guide to motorhoming in Europe after Brexit, Everything You Need to Know About Motorhome Hire, Motorhome Accessories, Equipment & Options, Winter in a Motorhome Tips, Tricks & Essentials, An Easy Guide to Motorhome Gas & LP in Europe, electricity when youre overnight parking off grid, 101+ Motorhome Essentials You Need + Packing Checklist, An Easy Guide to Motorhome Wifi & Internet, Motorhome TV Five Ways to Watch in Your Van, How to Plan a Europe Road Trip The Complete Guide, Living in a Motorhome in Europe Your Complete Guide, What Is the True Cost of Touring Europe in a Motorhome A breakdown of weekly, monthly and annual costs + tips to help save money on the road, Route des Grandes Alpes: An Epic French Road Trip, Atlantic Highway: An Epic Devon & Cornwall Road Trip, Driving to France from UK: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know.