First time trip to Europe destination Kefalonia

The Baxter
The Baxter Forum Participant Posts: 1

Your advice is needed please - hubby and I (with dog) are planning to travel to Kefalonia starting in May, making a slow trip staying at sites on the way and stopping over in Salzburg for a week. We will stay in Kefalonia for a couple of months before making our way home. We have never taken our caravan abroad before so helpful advice would be more than welcome please. Are we mad or what!! Cool

Comments

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #2

    Not mad but quite ambitious for a first trip abroad with the caravan but we all have to start somewhere. I think you have made the right choice to take it easier on the way out as this will get you used to towing aboard,usually a more pleasent experience than towing at home. You will need to check out ferries and decide how far overland you go whether some big sections will be by boat. 

    David

  • chasncath
    chasncath Forum Participant Posts: 1,659
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    edited January 2016 #3

    Kefalonia by caravan? We had a week on Kefalonia after a small-ship island cruise. We hired a small car for the day and drove to Fiskardo, at the north of the island, via Myrtos beach. We've never been so terrified in all our lives: unguarded
    roads at the edge of pricipitous drops to the sea!!

    Would anyone out there on CT contemplate what your proposing as a first trip abroad? 

     

  • InaD
    InaD Club Member Posts: 1,701 ✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #4

    Like David, I'd say you are not mad, but quite ambitious.  Personally I wouldn't consider it as a first trip abroad, but not knowing your backgrounds and experience of driving with the caravan etc it's not for me to judge.

    I'd imagine a lot of planning will be necessary as far as routes/ferries are concerned.  There is a website

    MagBazTravels
    which makes good reading; they are very experienced motorhomers, and Greece also features on their website as one of the countries they've been to.  Perhaps an idea to have a look through it if you haven't already found that yourselves.

    We've only been to Kefalonia once on a day-trip by boat and enjoyed it there; I hope you succeed in carrying out your plans; let us know on here if you do, I'm sure a lot of people would be interested.

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited January 2016 #5
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  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #6

    Spent two weeks on Kephalonia about fifteen years ago, one week of which was spent trundling around in a little Hyundai Atos. The terrain, as I remember it, wasn't particularly conducive to towing a caravan. Youy are going to be arriving in Greece at the
    hottest time of the year so a tin box won't be that comfortable.

  • oldagetraveller
    oldagetraveller Forum Participant Posts: 142
    edited January 2016 #7

    We ended up in Greece on our first caravan trip, so it is not entirely mad!!  As has been said earlier MagBaz travels has lots of info on Greece as it is one of their favourite areas.  In contrast to you and me though, they have now been on the road for
    over 20 years non stop, I don't think they have spent more than a couple of days in Kefalonia with their bicycles though, not with either motorhome or caravan.

    I assume, like others, that you have a particular reason for Kefalonia, but I would suggest by caravan is not practical.  Either fly out direct for an extended holiday, or take a leisurely trip, as you suggest, down to Greece with caravan and then find somewhere
    safe on the mainland to leave the van while you go across to the island.  Margaret and Barry (MagBaz) are a lovely couple, our paths have crossed a couple of times. If you e-mail them through their website they may well be able to give you some ideas on where
    you might be able to leave the van.

    If you want a laugh, you can read the blog of
    our first trip here.

  • Pliers
    Pliers Forum Participant Posts: 1,864
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    edited January 2016 #8

    Kefalonia is absolutely beautiful. We were there a few years ago, just booked a cheap flight and stayed in village rooms, travelling by bus.

    There were a lot of Italian motorhomers there, camping "wild" at the back of the beach areas. They said, that if you book with a Greek ferry operator, rather than an Italian one, you don't need to book a cabin, you can sleep in your motorhome on the car
    deck!

    Can't see Brittany Ferries introducing that, somehow.

    Whatever you decide, have a great trip.