Trip to Portugal via France and Spain
Hi we spent last Spring and Summer converting our new campervan from scratch....
after a few UK trips to get to grips with it we are planning a trip to Portugal, via France and Spain.
We've lots to learn but I have two questions, well 2 at the moment!
1. Are the toll cards worth it , given the outlay to start with.
2. Where do you dry your damp towels if you are moving from site to site for a few days? We have a shower room.
THANK YOU.
Comments
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1. it depends on your routes, if you’ve got a plan you can cost it easily enough. I’ve done those places quite a few times without spending much on tolls.
2. you just take whatever brief opportunity presents to hang them up inside or outside as conditions allow. I usually hang the up on the door mirrors while eating breakfast, then over the back of the starts when travelling. Not really an issue in fine weather, but lake district conditions make it a whole lot trickier.
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I can't help with 1 but 2, like many things in vanning, just takes a little imagination and innovation and the right tools - clothes pegs.
I've never been a fan of hanging towels on fly encrusted exterior mirrors but many folk do it. You'll find plenty of ways.👍
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Hello and welcome.
As above you will find what works for you but its always good to ask how others do it.
I'd say good microfibre towels if you can. Feel them they're not all the same! But that said we like proper towels.
We had an extendable net curtain pole in our our shower and hung damp things on it. Not too heavy stuff. We bought a round one but I think you can get oval ones which might mean things have less chance of sliding off??
Drape them over seats if they're not too wet. If the weather's good it's amazing how a bit of time outside helps.
A good observational walk around sites gives inspiration 😉
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If your using the autoroutes in France, personally I think it is well worth getting a tag. I believe quite a few are now free in Spain. As far as the towels are concerned when touring in France we always take the collapsable rotary line for when we do clothes washing. Although lots of sites have washing machines, not many of the ones we use have tumble dryers and anyway hopefully it is nice and sunny.😀 Quite a few of the French sites also have communal washing lines near the facilities block. However, we find the towels dry very well in the bathroom when not travelling. If the small roof vent is left open quite a draught comes through the vent at the base of the door, due to hot air rising and it’s amazing how quickly things dry.
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As you are going to be heading through some, hopefully, hot weather I don't imagine drying towels will be a problem, even in the bathroom as in hot weather it will be quite warm in there. We use our wing mirrors sometimes for towels (we clean the flies off first!) We have used the bike rack or just put them on our chairs.
Tags are useful if travelling long distances on the motorways, especially in a motorhome because unless your partners has very long arms they might need to get out of the vehicle to get the toll ticket or to pay.
Enjoy
David
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Thank you s9much for all your help, what a quick and lovely response you all gave 👍🏻
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We almost always put our outdoor chairs up outside. They have a sort of bar at the top - we hang towels over those. Hang them out first thing after use, leave out until packing up - our chairs are last in to the van.
They are microfibre towels - so dry quite quickly.
We dont usually use the drivers seat when stationary - so sometimes use the back of that.
Depends on your van design and what imaginative ways you can come up with.
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I'm retired and not on a state pension yet, so I'm poor. I avoid toll roads, using them really only when there is no sensible option. I tow a lightweight caravan and found you can travel a long way far quicker than in the UK without paying for tolls.
Back in 2018 we could get from Calais to the middle of the Dordogne for less than Euro 20 in tolls with careful planning in a day of driving. If we went full toll it would have been nearer Euro 80 and saved about 1/2 hour. If you added toll card pass/card contract then to me it's not something I would entertain, but we are all different and have a desire to spend our money in different ways. Nobody is correct and it's down to you to make the decision.
Colin
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Don't have a toll card and have no problem at the booths. Re towels; if used the morning we are travelling just lay them out, in our case over the back seats, and they soon dry in the sun. On site just put them on the back of outdoor chairs. Nothing to get worried about.
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We are Winter touring fans as well. We have an over door set of hooks that we occasionally use on wardrobe door if it’s wet outside. Wardrobe is over heater, a showering towel hung on there dries in half hour😁 Don’t try it with a wet towel though, too much condensation!😉
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In anticipation of any other questions you may have here a few points. Its a long way through France to Portugal so I would give a MINIMUM of 4 weeks, ideally 6. If you are going out of peak season (Jul and Aug) there is no need to book. Look at joining ACSI and get another sites book, the Club ones are quite good. Get a good set of maps. Insurance both medical and vehicle and recovery and get an EHIC, it is free (don't know name of it's replacement!). Is house insurance ok with it being left unoccupied? Check how you will arrange gas bottle replacement; I find that I do not use one bottle in a year but I use EHU all the time and do carry a spare. If you will be using gas for the fridge you need to make sure you have this covered (there are people more experienced with this situation than me so I will let them comment). Get a Credit Card that does not charge for overseas transactions. Covid jabs up to date and passport in date. Remember Visa rule 80 days in 170 (or is it 180) is visa free. Most importantly, don't over plan, relax enjoy and be flexible. We have done this type of holiday for many years and would not change.
Oh and finally, as we cannot take dairy or meat products to France you may want to stop at a supermarket shortly after you arrive. That's about the limit of my planning
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Just to add a few further comments. Camping on the Continent is a much more relaxed hobby than here in UK, we are well catered for. No white pegs, the pitch is yours and you can normally position your outfit as you please within the pitch!! No pre booking out of season; it is hardly ever done over there that is why we suggest to Europeans coming to UK on hols that it is wise/essential to pre book. UK hols in the last 2 yrs are the first time I have pre booked sites for over 20 yrs! Stopping places on the motorways are frequent and (usually) much more pleasant than here. Check if your smart phone charges extra for Mobile Roaming. If you have a dog - pet passport.
As we go over there regularly (2 - 3 times a year with caravan) all the points I made re insurance etc are standard provisions in all my insurances etc. So just the Covid docs to get at the last minute before our May trip to Italy
. What we have done is book an afternoon tunnel crossing, will stay at a site near Calais first night, topping up with the banned items at a nearby supermarket so we can have a cuppa. Then hit the road refreshed next morning using the toll free route to Austria.PS AD. Our Gaz 907 is used the Cadac BBQ and, yes, we have a spare of that as well!
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