My first planned trip in my Van!

[saabman]

Hi all ye SMB-ers :a1:

Hmmm wasn't quite sure where to post this :b1:

OK here is my first Chevy Van trip:
Google Map Directions

I hope all will go ok, it wont really be a camping trip but I reckon that the accommodation will be extensively used even so. We are leaving next week for Easter hollidays :a3:

Really looking forward to it.
Trip report will of course be loaded on return as most of the time we shall be web-access-less :a5:

6 people will be travelling: 3 adults, and 3 kids...

Keep you all posted :a3:

 

[daveb-SMB]

I wish I could take my van on a road trip over there. I did zoom up a bit I and noticed there doesn’t seem to be much forest type terrain around. Where do you go to escape rural or city sprawl? Are there spots along the way to camp?
Dave B

 

[saabman]

Hi,

Well first you have to take into account that this is a very densely populated area of the world. However there are nice areas to camp out. Near my departure location there are the Jura mountains which don't stand very high and have nice forest / pastures to camp and trek.

The Alps also offer quite nice places but the roads are very sinuous :d2: The west coast of France is also quite "wild"

Of course there is no way near the territory you have in the US and American continent, regulations are quite strict in some areas and camping can be restricted to official campsites. But stealth camping if you are fully discrete is ok specially in forest areas...

My trip is, as I said, not really a camping trip it is to take family for holidays by the sea. And as I have never traveled in the van it is a sort of "getting used to it" trip. I deed to do some more work on it to get it ready for real adventure :a3: among others fit a trailer hitch and cargo platform on the rear to load fuel and water reserves bikes etc...

I will try and do as good a photo report as I can on the route, kids tend to keep my attention permanently but Missus Saabman miight be prepared to snap a few pics :a1:

 

[jage]

Well? Are you back yet? How did it go?

 

[saabman]

Hi :a3:
Yup I am Back! And all went very well! Shall be posting first photos later today... :a1:
I had to get back to work Monday having arrived back Sunday evening, so had no time yet to get sorted :b1:

 

[saabman]

OK I was a bit enthusiastic on this one, I have finished loading the photos on the web and it is now 00h30 AM and I think I am going to bed :e2:

I will be posting the pics and report tomorrow but that will while most of you are sleeping :a1:

 

[saabman]

Trip report:

Route as per Google map in first post with minor differences.
Non camping trip as the van is not yet completed.

Driven 3200 km (or 1988.38 miles if you prefer)
Fuel used 400 l (or 105.67 US Gal. if you prefer)
That is 12.5 LHK (or 18.8 mpg if you prefer)

Number of people in van: 6 + dog. :a1:

Now for the Photos:

 

[saabman]

First stop in France after about 300km.
The girls get lunch ready on the "Air de repos" benches.
These are motorway rest areas:

The team having lunch:

ScanGauge II doing it job: note the speed in comarison with next photo:

Cruising @ 70 :a1:

Some of these town names may be familliar to you:

Central France is quite flat and large agricultural plains:

A small GPS shot Paris to the West and Luxembourg to the Est:

France have fitted quite a few of these wind generators:

Van loaded on the Calais-Dover ferry:

Looking out to sea, quite a few larger RVs on board:

 

[saabman]

The White Cliffs of Dover come into sight through the salty windows of the ferry:

Now on the M25 South-West of London, note driving on the left now:

GPS shot note London to the North-Est (track-up orientation is confusing):

The M25 is called "The longest car park in Europe" this is why!

British weather:

Getting onto the smaller roads, note the tank crossing sign in the military zone:

Green meadows are the scenery in England:

That Porsche wasn't going that fast or the photo should have been blurred :b1:

Devizes, UK nice little rural town:

This area has loads of thatched houses:

 

[saabman]

You are all probably board to tears by now
Kids still fresh even after such a long route, the chevy really is comfy cruising:

European parking spaces are a bit small:

On M4 direction South Wales:

The Old Severn Bridge (M48):

The new Severn Bridge (M4) taken from the Old:

Entering Wales, green fields, cute villages and baron hills are the scenery:

Old Oak:

Sunset over the mountains, roads more like tracks now:

...

A view of the baron hills of Wales, mainly sheep and horses live here:

 

[saabman]

Chevy parked up for a rest:

And now for some more scenery, fields and stream:

Old crooked trees and standing stones from Celtic times:

Small marsh flowers in bloom:

Spring near old Celtic village, also some sort of worshiping place:

Shield and totem:

Miss Piggy...

... and piglets:

Iron Age fort "Castle Henllys":

Reed thatched huts (note the blackening from the fireplace in the center of the hut):

 

[saabman]

Iron Age tools:

Wicker baskets:

Nature awakening, springtime:

Beautiful Primroses:

More Primroses

Small stream under the trees:

Brave little chap! Water was very cold (10°C):

Carn Fy, Prescelly Mountains, Wales, UK:

Cattle Grid, stops cattle changing fields but allows vehicles past:

Really small road, almost dirt track:

 

[saabman]

More sheep live here than humans! Gorse in flower (Ulex Europaeus):

Semi-Wild horses:

Fole:

Ok dad! When are we really going camping! I am board of staying in the house!

 

[saabman]

Well there you go, hope I didn't get too board :a2:
I loved the trip, but not being able to camp (due to family visit) got me really frustrated and now I really want to get going!

Photos were taken with a Lumix DMC-FZ5
Feel free to ask me any questions :a3:
Hope you like...

 

[Ed in Montana]

Great trip report. It looks like you had good weather for most of the trip. Did you get to Stonehenge while in Great Britain?

 

[saabman]

Hi,
No we didn't pass Stonehenge. We drove down the A303 as far as point A (Andover) then onto the A342. Stonehenge, as you can see on the map (see link below) is further down the road 14 miles, that is point B.

Google Map Link

It is nice to look at but hordes of people just to look at some stones... :a1: I believe nowadays you even have to pay to get close... :b7:

 

[daveb-SMB]

Great report, and thanks for posting it. I’ve never been out of the US and your pictures are very interesting. It’s cool to see a trip report from/about another continent, so keep them coming.
Dave.

 

[twolost]

Cool. By the looks on the faces of those two smiling kids in the van... this was definitely a well received trip.


Cheers,
---TWOLOST--- :b6: :b7:

 

[saabman]

Thank you for your encouragements...
I will do my best to get some EU trip reports coming through :a3:
Maybe one day I will be able to get a PH top fitted and then it would be more real!

 

[jage]

Maybe one day I will be able to get a PH top fitted and then it would be more real!

Maybe on that day I'll be able to look at your table seats without wincing at the thought of you folded in there like a taco! :a5:

Are there old Westys or VW vans with PH tops you could salvage?

See Spurious' Top: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=2327#p21734