Tag Archives: France

2026, Belgium, France, Luxembourg

2026 Euro Trip

22 July 2026 Andy Burrows Leave a comment

We departed from sunny Derby at 2pm with a 4 hour journey time and an ETA of 6.15pm arrival at Dover. Reality was more like 8pm with the usual M25 traffic, but I guess this is what we come to expect in the UK. We stopped in a free carpark overnight in anticipation of our 7am departure for France and woke up at 5am view with a great view out of our newly installed Heki skylight of Dover Castle and the ferry port. It was the first time we had stayed in the van since the new skylight was installed so it was a bit of a novelty!

Suffice to say we arrived at the ferry on time and or plan was for an overnight stay in Dinant, Belgium. This will place us just outside of Luxembourg where we have three nights booked at a campsite from Sunday onwards.

Denant – Belgium

We knew that the first full day was going to be a bit of a slog from a point of view of having to get up early, and then do a four hour drive to the first stop after the ferry crossing. However, the weather was excellent, and the roads abroad seem so much nicer to navigate than in the UK. We arrived in Dinant midday which was perfect.

With this stop just being a single night before moved on to our first pre booked campsite in Luxembourg, we used a phone app called Park4Night to find a place to stay. This is done on a recommendation basis by a person that finds a place that they have stayed at without having issues to move on, and from there others use the location and contribute on the app to say whether or not the location is still valid with no problems.

We we had a couple of options in Dinant, and were happy with the one we chose. It was a basic parking spot with no payment required, a shop round the corner, and a five minute walk to the heart of the town. Doesn’t get much better than that.

We were both happy to jump out of the van, stretch our legs and start exploring as soon as we had parked up. I had advice that this was a nice place to visit on a previously trip suggestion, but we never managed to pull it in at the time. Even though I wasn’t expecting to be disappointed, it certainly exceeded all of my expectations and really glad we choose it as a first port of call on this two week vacation.

Dinant is a city in Belgium’s Walloon Region. It’s on the banks of the Meuse River and backed by steep cliffs. Perched on an outcrop above town is the centuries-old fortified Citadel. It’s now a museum with sweeping views.

Below it is the Gothic Collegiate Church of Our Lady. Nearby, on the site of saxophone inventor Adolphe Sax’s birthplace, Mr. Sax’s House has interactive exhibits on the instrument’s development.

So we had a great afternoon and retired to the van early evening just in time for a downpour. We parked right in the corner of the carpark which had proven to be a slight issue as the rain came down and the water pooled outside our sliding door, so we had to relocate a few meters, but other than that it was a nice evening. We chilled, and could really start appreciating the new living space / skylight as we watched TV on the iPad upstairs, in bed.

We were up early the following morning. The air had cleared and we headed to the ferry departure point after sending an email to the boat company that do river cruises on the Meuse River. We managed to get on the first trip at 9.30, which wasn’t busy and was was really nice lasting about an hour. We think its a really relaxing way of seeing a location, and with the onboard commentary often come away more educated.

After the boat trip we had another wander round, and a coffee on the riverfront before heading back to the van, and on to our next destination.

Luxembourg

The trip from Dinant to the next campsite was just under two hours, crossing the boarder of Belgium into Luxembourg. The weather was noticeably cooler than the first day, and there was intermittent cloud cover.

we caught the free bus in to the city centre. Another amazing place and really glad we decided to visit. One of the wealthiest countries in the world apparently, and I’m not surprised one bit! Everything is pristine. Tomorrow looks like we may have to adapt to a less sunny / predictable forecast. Let’s see where that takes us in Luxembourg. Maybe the caves

Click here for Camping Kockelscheuer website

Strasbourg

We left Luxembourg after filling up with diesel as we were advised that its cheaper there than anywhere else in Europe. This stood us in good stead for the two and a half hour journey covering 224km (140 miles). We arrived earlier than the check in recommendation of 2pm but they allowed us on site, but did ask to be moved from their original pitch suggestion due to overhanging trees. We were pretty happy with where we ended up.

That afternoon we took a walk to the local Lidl and replenished supplies, but got wrestles later in the afternoon and got the bikes off the back of the van and headed into the city

We headed back into the city on our little hitway e-bikes, and it was a blast. Today was another wander around day to take in the amazing architecture.

The second day always seemed to have the threat of a shower, but the temperature was pleasant and the sun was out for prolonged spells.

Click here for CityKamp Strasbourg website

Liverdun & Nancy

We left Strasbourg all shopped out. We love the city culture, and the hustle and bustle of the shops and eateries. But we are ready for the slow and steady also. So, on that basis we decided to pitch at a campsite just out side of the city of Nancy, called Moselle Camping, and the route chosen was to avoid tolls. I must admit, the scenery off the beaten track was absolutely amazing, and took me right back to 2018 / 19 when we did our larger Euro trips to Italy and Croatia.

Shortly after we arrived at the campsite the van was set up and we decided to stretched our legs . Liverdun, as we found out was a small village next to the River Mosselle with some very steep roads, and not a great deal else. It was scenic and a challenge for both of us to get up to the highest point. Mandy is now keeping up with me on the inclines walking , so it’s brilliant we can both get about and enjoy.

Our original intention was to stay at Liverdun for two nights. However, being so close to the city of Nancy we decided to extend for another day and jump on the train to explore the City. A couple of chill out days at the campsites rural surroundings, we felt it was worth visit. Boy were we glad we did. I think we would have kicked ourselves if we hadn’t made the effort. Its an amazing city….

Click here for Moselle Campsite website

Laon

We arrived mid afternoon at the campsite in Laon. Our first impression of the campsite when we arrived was a little sketchy and it looked a little run down. The shower block and toilets had seen better days, and were clearly lacking attention. We were not issued a pitch location, and many looked on steep slopes or just looked unwelcoming, but as we drove we managed to find a nice flat pitch that had a nice feel to it.

We set the van up, and then decided to head over to check out the indoor pool which was small, but an added bonus. From there we went back to the camp reception where I had a couple of ice cold beers, and Mandy had an ice lolly.

Late afternoon we made the decision to cycle up the steeeeep hill to Laon city. Quiet at 8pm, which was nice, but amazing views and architecture.

The following day we went back into Leon and explored a little more, but we both felt a little disappointed overall. Maybe we had just been spoiled by the amazing places we had visited previously. That sounds a little ungrateful….

Click here for Camping Laon Website

Ardres & Boulogne-sur-Mer

We departed from Laon on Thursday, and headed for our last campsite at Ardres, half hour drive away from Calais, where we would be catching the ferry back on Sunday. Knowing the weather wasn’t going to be brilliant for the next couple of days we ventured into the town of Ardres for a few hours Friday, but rain in the afternoon found us chilling in the van.

On the last full day at the campsite weather was better and our plan was to spend some time reading and relaxing. However, we got restless late morning and decided to take a drive over to Boulogne for a few hours. It was only a 30 minute drive, and I must say both myself and Mandy thought it was well worth the visit.

We were really impressed with some of the wall art discovered around the coastal city.

Le Saint-Louis, camping et restaurant à Autingues entre Ardres, Audruicq et Guînes 62

2019, 2019 Euro Trip, General Posts, Travels & Camping

France (Camping Château du Gandspette )

26 June 2019 Proximity Leave a comment

We reached our final campsite before catching our ferry back to the UK on Saturday morning. The drive was a bit of a challenge and the second longest journey of the trip. We left Heidelberg early in the morning and the temperatures started to soar as we moved into southern, then mid France. On the last leg, the temperature started to drop substantially, and we arrived under grey skies. For the first time in weeks I had to put a long sleeved top on to keep the chill off. The clouds did eventually cleared in the evening and it turned out to be pleasant, although still a little chilly. But that was most likely to do with our climatisation over the last month.

The campsite wasn’t expensive as we could get discount using our ACSI card. We had a walk round on the first evening and were really impressed with the facilities and cleanliness of the campsite

After a good night’s sleep our first full day at the campsite was spent chilling. Mandy read her book by the swimming pool and had a dip and I choose to try and keep cool in the van.

In the evening we were invited to share a drink with an english couple who were, like us on the last leg of their journey. It was during these conversation that they mentioned a German WWII rocket factory…

The Blockhaus

It was an amazing surprise to find out that just 10 minutes cycle ride from our campsite was one of the most interesting historical places related to World War II . It’s called the Blockhaus d’Éperlecques and it’s where they started manufacturing the V2 rockets.

It got compromised by British and allied bombing once they realised what was being produced there, so never got to cause the damage it was designed for. I think this is the first time I have seen a structure of this size that has the scars of war with craters in the forest, and massive holes in the concrete from the specially designed “Tall Boy” & “Disney” bunker busting bombs.

” The biggest bunker in the north of France, witness of the 1939-45 dark age, from 1939 to 1945.
Open to the public since 1973 and listed “Ancient Memorials” in 1985.
A 90min-visit, alone or with your family, to discover and learn the history of the Eperlecques Bunker, the technologie of the V2 & V1 secret weapons, in a wooded parc, you’ll be impressed, interested and you’ll keep and unforgettable memory. “

Reception / ticket office consisted of a lot of interesting historic items.

Once we paid we passed through a small doorway where you were encouraged to follow a meandering along which were a whole raft of different and very thought provoking items. Vehicles were dotted here and there along with artillery, unexploded bombs, dummy bombs and german defence items retrieved from the D-Day landings.

Below is a small section of train track with two cattle trucks. One had footprints on the floor to depict how many victims were shipped to concentration camps at the start of the war. These gave the impression that although the truck was clearly carrying a good number of prisoners, there was at least space to breath. The second truck was full of footprints showing standing room only and barely enough room to move at all. This was brought to life by commentary and the sound of discomfort as it travelled to its destination where a return would not be an option for many.

It goes without saying the most interesting thing was the Blockhaus itself. The saddest part is that most of the casualties in the bombing would have been prisoners of war who were put to work building the missile factory.

I would highly recommend visiting this attraction to anybody that finds themselves in France via the Euro Tunnel / ferry at Calais or Dunkirk.

133 rue du Gandspette
62910 Éperlecques
Pas-de-Calais / Nord-Pas-de-Calais – France
Tel: 03 21 93 43 93 – Fax: 03 21 95 74

https://www.chateau-gandspette.com

http://www.leblockhaus.com/fr/

2018, 2018 Euro Trip, General Posts, Travels & Camping

Arras – La Paille Haute

15 June 2018 Proximity Leave a comment

Website: http://www.la-paille-haute.com/

2018, 2018 Euro Trip, General Posts, Travels & Camping

11 – Strasbourg

12 June 2018 Proximity Leave a comment

Part 11 – Strasbourg

Twinned with Liecester
Website: https://www.camping-strasbourg.com/en/

On Tuesday, after a four hour drive from Bern, Switzerland we arrived at the campsite in Strasbourg to a deluge of rain. We were allocated a pitch which seemed to be fine, except for the large tree which I could see may become an issue for my solar / leisure batteries. We weren’t 100% sure what the weather forecast was and saw the combination of tree blocking the light, and potentially dull conditions could provide less power over our three day stop than the fridge would draw. So we donned our raincoats and umbrellas and had a wander to see if we could find a more open pitch. It soon became apparent that although we had a tree close to our van, it was in far better condition as a whole than some which had more mud than grass.

(Technical paragraph for those that are interested) As we had had some issues with the batteries dropping below a safe voltage for the fridge a couple of times during our Euro trip, we felt we would be better keeping our allocated pitch, but paying for electric. So we popped to reception and paid the extra just to be on the safe side. That said on the few times I have paid for electric when the hook up cable is connected , I tend not to have the BBB unit fed with power by making sure the trip isolator inside the van (below the power socket) is in the off position. I can’t see any benefit in having the batteries provided with a 30 year old ‘none intelligent’ feed to the batteries, along with a solar charge. If the batteries drop below 11volts, it’s flick the switch to bring em back up.

which lasted well into the early hours of Wednesday morning. This definitely cleared the air and gave a great day for sight seeing on the Wednesday. Not too hot, with a thin layer of cloud and the odd spell off sunshineio. Our smart watches read close to 20k steps when we got back to the campsite late afternoon…so that’s got to be good. Today we are chilling at the campsite till lunch, then going back into this amazing city for the afternoon into the evening, as I’m sure it will be different again as the lights come on at night. ??

I live in Alsace (near Strasbourg) where the souvenir shops are bulging with storks in many shapes and kinds. The reasons for the storks prominence in Alsace are manifold.
1. The geography of Alsace (in the plain of the Rhine with abundant marshland (at least before the canalisation of the Rhine after the second world war) made it a good feeding ground for storks. The area was also within reach of their winter migration areas in North Africa.
2. Laying on the border of France & Germany, Alsace has a very turbulent history and has been fought over many a time. The annexation of Alsace to imperial Germany at the end of the Franco-Prussian war in 1871 t was a very traumatic event for France. The drive to “take back” Alsace was one of the underlying factors contributing to World War 1 . The Alsatian author “Hansi” drew irreverent cartoons about the Germans is Alsace and lay the foundations of an idealistic view of an oppressed Alsace longing to return to the bosom of France. Part of this view was the lore that “in the same way the Stork returns to its home patch after its winter migration, Alsace will one day return to France.

3. The Stork as a symbol thereafter took off in a big way. In featured on posters, postcards, art, tableware, textiles etc… This was perpetuated in the 1960’s by famous Alsation cartoonist Tomi Ungerer (See image – Copyright Delcqmpe – Tomi Ungerer)

4. After 1918 Alsace went back to France only to be reclaimed by Nazi Germany in 1940. At the end of WW II there were alleged to be only 10 stork left in Alsace. A breeding in captivity programme was started during which the migratory instinct was suppressed. The stork population took off again, both in the wild and in two Stork based theme parks in Alsace. Due to climate change the necessity to migrate seems to have reduced substantially anyway.

The stork is a feature of the decor in many Alsatian villages and towns with horizontal wagon wheel on the top of poles and chimneys being provided as base for storks nests. They even nest on powerlines (see picture I shop on a motorway just across the border).

….and of course, in Alsace, like elsewhere in the world the storks main job is delivering babies 😉

2018, 2018 Euro Trip, General Posts, Travels & Camping

Lake Annecey

21 May 2018 Proximity Leave a comment

Website: https://www.camping-lac-bleu.com/en/annecy/lake-annecy-campsite.htm

We woke early on Monday morning, had a shower and packed the van. We planned to leave at 8am, but this slipped a little so we didn’t really get underway until nearly 9am. Our next destination was Lake Annecy which we had seen our friends visit previously. This was all the inspiration we needed as it looked stunning if their social media photos were anything to go by . The journey from Troyes to Annecey was going to be one of the longer ones of the holiday, covering a distance of approximately 430km and taking the best part of 5 hours so we knew we were in for a bit of a slog. As we set of from the municipal site we could tell that we were in for another stunning day. The sun was out and it was already getting warm. A few miles onto the motorway toll a fog encompassed us, but we were soon above it as we climbed a gentle incline leaving the soft clouds settling in the fields.

Our journey continued unhindered by traffic, with brilliant sunshine and the camper seemed to gliding effortlessly on the smooth French roads. We stopped around the mid way point at an aire to have a bite to eat and snack consisting of roast beef and mustard salad cobs (remnants of Saturday evenings cob cooked meat).

We chose to travel via toll roads so that we could reduce time between locations, but even so the travel from that point on became increasingly steep in parts as we entered the Alps. The vista was breathtaking in parts, with long elevated sections of road, and longer tunnels. We finally dropped towards the lake and skirted it for a few kilometers until we found our campsite. Although the drive was nice, I felt I had probably reach the limits of acceptable time at the wheel an hour or so before we reached the campsite, so I was just wanting to park the van and cracked open a beer.

We had requested a lake side view when booking Annecy so after checking in we left reception and started to navigated to our pitch. I’ll be honest there was an element of tension as I was directed past the road we should have turned down, and leveling the van became a bigger issue than it should have been. I guess I’ll have to take the responsibility for my short temper, but an hour later the van was set up and we were enjoying an amazing view across the lake. My paddle board was stored on the roof of my van, but it was soon off, inflated and out I went.

Day two at Annecey started sunny but became increasingly overcast and unsettled and eventually rain and thunder arrived. We were happy to chill in the van and watch some of the downloaded Netflix content we had on our tablet. We were monitoring our friends, Debs and Marks travels as they departed for Calais from their home town in Leicester as we had agree to meet up for one night at Annecey just before moving into Italy. An oil leak on their campervan a couple of weeks previously had been fixed by a garage, so they had been on tender hooks as to weather or not they would actually have it back in time. However, oil had started to leak again so the whole trip for them was hanging in the balance. They took the decision to carry on, but monitored the oil at regular intervals. With this worry they decided to simplify their schedule with one stop in Troyes, and an earlier visit to Annecey. After the rain cleared we took a walk along the lake to stretch our legs

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Day three was very warm from the start, and this would prove to be the case for some time to come. I couldn’t resist more time on the paddle board, and the lake was a pleasant temperature to swim in. The elevated terrain around the lake meant it was perfect for parascending and a steady stream of daredevils ascended across the lake, landing close to our campsite. Booking for this activity, along with mountain bike hire, and boat hire could all be done close to the entrance / reception. I thought about booking, but in the four days we were staying, I felt there was more than enough to do without paying for activities. Later on Debs and Mark arrived, but couldn’t be allocated a pitch next to use due to a booking error. Their initial disappointment soon subsided when they realized their allocated pitch was every bit as good, as it was also right on the lakes edge. As the sun began to disappear behind the mountains and day became dusk, bats began to dart around catching insects. We wandered over to Mark and Debs to share opinions on Troyes, find out more about their mechanical woes on the way (This was certainly something that I could sympathize with, due to my gearbox issues in 2017), and what their plans were for the rest of her holiday once we go our separate ways after the VW Bugaloo. After a few beers and an open water swim it was time to retire.

Our fourth and final day at Annecey was a combination of swimming, paddle boarding, drinking 😉 and socializing with Mark and Debs. Tomorrow we would depart for Torino, Italy, so we made sure most of the packing was done ready for the morning. Paddle board and associated equipment was secured back on the roof, chairs tables etc were in the boot box, and the mat and awning were rolled up and retracted . We loved Annecy and we would be sad so leave, but the holiday was in its infancy, and we still had lots to look forward to.

2018, 2018 Euro Trip, General Posts, Travels & Camping

Troyes

19 May 2018 Proximity Leave a comment

Campsite: http://www.troyescamping.net/index_en.html

It took a couple of hours to get to the municipal campsite from the aire at Urvillers which saw us arriving midday. I got the impression prior to arriving at the campsite that it was a lot larger and less well maintained. However it seems pretty tidy, and there were plenty of trees to offer shade. Something we felt may come in handy as it was hot and set to get hotter. Originally we found a spot surrounded by large trees. We were just about to set the van up, but decided to scope the site for something that may offer a better combination of sun for the solar panels, and shade for us. This didn’t take long. The site seemed very relaxed about pitches, with no real designation, just electric points dotted around.

We parked the van and headed to reception on foot to let them know where we had settled for the next couple of days. They explained we didn’t need to let them know the pitch specifics, justice pass on our registration plate details and a contact in case of emergency. Payment would be made on leaving the site but they did keep one of or passports as security which is pretty common. They also offered discount via Camping Card (CC) which meant it would cost us a maximum of €19. This would include electric, but we are hoping to do the whole month using solar for the fridge and electronic devices just to prove our independence.

It didn’t take long to get the van set up. After a day and a half’s travelling, and the sun beating down I decided I needed a beer. We had been informed there was an Aldi just outside the entrance to the campsite.

I will leave the rest of that day to your imagination, but suffice to say I was extremely relaxed to the point of being horizontal. Mandy, tried to read her book, but always reminds me the following morning just how annoying I become after a beverage or two 🙂 .

Sunday started off a little blurry eyed for myself, but it didn’t take long for a spring to enter my step when I realized that this was our first full day of our Euro trip that didn’t involve any driving. I’m embarrassed to say that I hadn’t really researched Troyes as a place to visit. It was really just a convenient mid way point to break the journey up from Calais to Annecey. We always intended to have a days wander around the town, but I didn’t realize just how beautiful it was going to be.

It took approximately 20 minutes to walk the main road from our campsite to the town. The sun was strong even at mid morning, and the heat rose steadily until we decided that as nice as the town was, it was becoming hot to the point of uncomfortable. It was a really nice treat for us to find such a gem of a place so early on in our adventure, especially when neither Mandy or myself ad any real incline just how nice Troyes was.

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The remainder of Sunday was spent with plenty of ice cold coke, and water (no beer for me 🙁 ) , flitting between the shade and the sun in manageable chunks.

We woke early on Monday morning, had a shower and packed the van. We planned to leave at 8am, but this slipped a little so we didn’t really get underway until nearly 9am. Or next destination was Lake Annecey which we had seen our friends visit previously. This was all the inspiration we needed as it looked stunning.