What do I need to drive my westfield on the continent.

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

Now

 

Loads of space on top of the spare wheel. 

Now that IS an idea.

[Petemac]

Lovely bit of packing that mate made me chuckle.

It was do-able and I didn't have any real issues to worry about, I did tend to find accommodation on the outskirts of towns which seemed to be cheaper. Suggest you try searching the net which is what I did before I set off, and just noted 3 or 4 places to try along my route, it worked ok for me and I was fine. I looked at the route I was going to do each day and pretty much stuck to it "unless" there was something I fancied seeing and was not afraid to deviate from it, that was half the fun, some of the small villages are really scenic another tip is to "write down" a few phrases that may get you out of trouble if it happens, or a phrase book, I did need it once! but only once.

My Sat Nav was "geographically bewildered" ok, it took me down the wrong F@@@@@g road for a short time, even though I'd up dated it, by the way if you intend to take one it may be worth having a ciggy lighter adapter put in your car to keep it charged, mine was worth every pennie, I got a mate to put one in for me on the dash.

You have already got some great tips from the guys and no doubt more to come.  Just take each day as it comes and enjoy, check  you have ticked off all the important boxes before you set off and enjoy, I was in no hurry to get there so no need to hammer the throttle (apart from when the car was empty of luggage and there were some nice quiet roads to have a little "safe" fun) I see your from up North, I'm from Stockton -on-tees but live in the Black Country (Midlands)

Nice chatting to you.

 

Pete

[The Molestrangler]

There will four of us in two cars going to the south of France next year and we are going to replicate what we have done when motor biking in France over the past many years.

Rule one is always to stop for fuel when the gauge says half a tank as you never know when the next fuel stop will be and we have been flagged down by quite a few bikers who were out of fuel. This can be even more critical on a Sunday where the major supermarkets will have fuel but the rural garages tend to be shut.

We always pre-book hotels etc. as we can then take our time and enjoy the days knowing that we have somewhere to sleep, the Camponile Hotels chain and the Welcome B&B Hotel chain offer good value for money en-suite accommodation.

If you get off the major roads and into the twisties(we're going to play in the Alps next year) then don't expect to do much more than 150 a day. The scenery is far too good and the roads demand full attention so frequent stops are required for photos etc.

The breathalyser rule never became law in France so don't worry about carrying those and as has been said before watch your speed. The speed cameras are well hidden, dark grey in colour and very close to the ground but there is always a warning sign within 2kms of the camera and you soon get used to spotting them. With regard to mobile cameras the French are like us and will flash their lights to warn you. If you have radar warning on your sat nav turn it off as the penalties for not doing so are large.

The best bit about France in a Westfield is the attention it creates, several times we have returned to the car to find dads posing their kids in front of the car for pictures and once even sat in the car. Try speaking French to the locals and let them laugh at your accent, it's a great ice breaker and usually leads to much merriment and occasional drinking.

Hope this is of use, let me know if I can be of further help.

Ian

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

Hello Ian.

 

Thankyou for the detailed reply.

 

The breathalyser would be of no use to me anyway as I am not a drinker....More an eater.

 

I will have a look at the hotel chains you mention as the ones I have looked at have been too expensive for my budget.

 

Thankyou again for the detailed reply. it is appreciated.

[Petemac]

Forgot to add, I gave my car a really good service before I went and checked as much as I could, even down to the plugs being cleaned and gapped I also added a little more air to the tyres and found it improved my mileage quite a lot. bearing in mind more weight with full tank most of the time and luggage.

[markcwalker]

Would swap the Spanish or French roads for Buckinghamshire potholes any day of the week  , btw if you have the time and going through the limousin region try to stop at lac du vassiviere , Its France's largest man made lake and in the summer import sand up from the southern beaches , Fantastic windey perimeter rd which is worth doing in it own right  , Also if you decide not to travel on toll roads and follow alongside the main autoroute there are plenty of small campsites (some that are free) to stop off at ,  Hoping to travel myself  next year down to Denia in Spain so looking forward to your adventure scribblings .and good luck

[Snappy]

We have done loads of trips in europe the only bit we book is the tunnel!

Then drive untill youve had enough.

 

I have always been a map man but have to say a few years ago was bought a sat nav as a present, i am now converted!

 

Tthe sat nav tells me at the push of a button how far the next fuel station is and in what direction which alllows you to go that extra distance before stopping.

 

When you fine somewhere you wanted to stay we always stopped pressed few buttons on the sat nav, picked the star rating and it came up with hotels on the map with phone numbers, we would pick town center as thats what we wanted phoned checked costs etc and always picked somewhere with secure parking almost aways undercover, job done. Saved so much time.

 

We always haggled a bit and had fun with the people we meet which often resulted in somekind of special deal. Its not for everybody to book on the fly but for us its so much more flexible be driving through a fantastic place and be able to just say thats it we staying here.

 

Practiacl tip if you dont have a spare wheel; for motorcycles you can get a punture kit which has a metal tool in to insert rubber bungs and some mini gas cylinders for inflation, buy some extra gas for our bigger tyres, these are ideal for the westfield as that up very little space. Not a permanant repair but has got me a few hundred miles home with out and trouble!!

 

Babywipes!!! Very handy for alsorts of cleaning eg hands, flys off windsceens etc etc

 

Also have a good clear out! Pack clothes you have had for too long and throw it all away at the end of each day, you load gets lighter and no washing when you get back..........result

[tex]

top of the list is breakdown cover - fone the rac for example - it cost me last time bout 80 quid for the duration of the journey only - make sure you tell them its just for the duration - you can get yearly.

get used to driving on the right lane! not easy if youv not done it before.. but straight forward enough.

most the rest is as here - just plan for breakages - one thing i noted from scotland trip last week was take a selection of nuts [nyloc] and matching bolts - stuff like wheel arches come loose easy.

one thing i would recommend is if you have a smart fone using android theres a program tom tom now have called tom tom go.

great for that kind of stuff - very very good for the westy. use clear freezer bags to keep it dry. power it with a cigar lighter power lead then tie it off with a twist wrap to seal it water tight.