A Simply Fab LifeJournal of our road trip following the coast of Europe from Netherlands to Greece (if we make it)
Camping is our favourite form of relaxation and our Land Rover, Dakota, is fabulous for this. But it might be a little tight for daily living.
Camping out of season has its advantages, notably having the place to yourself. Except for when the local shepherds invade the campsite with a flock of woolly ruminants.
The Best Campsite in Western Europe?
Searching for Sagres on the most (south) westerly point in Europe
Portugal has been calling for a long time and we finally leave the coast and head inland…
We’re updating the Roadtrip EU route on Google Maps, for family and friends to follow. We hope you guys enjoy, or are perhaps inspired too! See you on the road!
We end up on a building site as we eye out the frontier with Portugal, but are ultimately seduced by the glorious beach…
After a lovely (olivey) change of pace in the mountains it is back towards the coast – and a cold reception
A side of Motril probably never seen. A rocky outcrop. And millions of olive trees…
Just when you think you’ve seen some pretty incredible European scenery that can’t possibly get more dramatic, nature comes along and says: hold my beer
Six hundred pitches and none to spare even at this time of year? That is a LOT of campervans. We go undercover to investigate…
Between Valencia and Alicante lies the sleepy (at this time of year) village of Xeraco near Gandia. And a quirky little campsite. What does it have to offer?
This one is a pretty cool campsite with direct access to a really, really nice beach. Pitch space is limited, but…
Ryanair FR9163, you are cleared to land runway 07R. Slight tailwind. Clear skies. Keep an eye on the campsite below…
Yes. Palm Trees and a heated shower block with Star Trek doors… What more do you want?
Would YOU trade in your trusty Land Rover for a Lagoon 40 sailing catamaran? And spend a week sailing around the French south coast?
Domaine de Villemarin is a hidden gem near Mèze a couple of km from the shores of étang de Thau between Agde and Sète
The dramatic drive from Puigcerda towards Carcasonne is one of those well-kept secrets…
This is a pretty comprehensive (video) review on the campsite Gaset near Talarn in Spain, before we tackle some fearsomely steep hills into the Pyrenees…
We cross over the endlessly long Spanish plains from northern Portugal in a virtually straight line directly east and take in three campsites: Mogadouro, Tordesillas & Vera de Moncayo
The road from Rio Caldo to Lima Escape is epically amazing, or amazingly epic! Very cool indeed
We’re on a roll now! Having crossed northern Spain east to west and now heading to another country!
It is so chilled and laid back that the owner prefers to continue his lunch rather than do paperwork and waves us away to find a spot to our liking. He’ll do the details later… but never does!
Granted – France is a lovely country – but we have now spent the better part of a month trying to get over the border!
Needing some car parts as well as doing our obligatory tests found us in the town of D(r)ax (couldn’t resist) for a couple of days.
The reception/bar is quaint with some nice shaded pitches available near the river, however…
I’m still not sure what to make of the French language when they name a town after a bitumen glue…
If you would like some peace and quiet in a setting surrounded by nature this is a good, basic campsite to spend a couple of days while you explore the surroundings.
As a transit camping this is perfectly agreeable for a one-night-stopper being well established and partially shaded by some large oak trees
We were entertained that evening by the ‘bull’-run show held next door. No idea what was going on but the presenter was certainly lively! The next evening the disco at the camping across the road started up and lasted quite late. But they had an awesome 80’s playlist!
A little bit wild, full of green pine forests and a rough sea when the wind is blowing hard…! This place reminded us of South Africa in some ways.
La Rochelle is a surprisingly vibey place to visit. It has an historical city centre, excellent aquarium, the maritime museum, nearby seashores and beaches… And more, I guess. We shall have to come back!
From Mont St Michel Saint Nazaire is only about 200 kilometres away. But this meant we would cut away most of the coastline of Bretagne which caused some lengthy discussion.
This tiny island first looms up on the horizon as a fascinating rocky feature in an otherwise featurelessly flat area of coastland. Like a spire reaching for the heavens – which is exactly what it was built for…
For those with a keen interest in World War Two and the D DAY landings, in particular, I can recommend spending a week in this area of the French coast.
From a fittingly moody, overcast and rainy backdrop rise two impressively tall flag masts before a lily pond leading to the memorial.
We visit the sweet little town of Port-en-Bessin with its quaint buildings, fishing boats, take a stroll down the promenade and then brave a very stormy night on camping Omaha Beach
Omaha D-Day Museum Overlord Museum American Cemetery Port en Bessin We visited this one in 2008 and were very impressed with the exhibits, notably the abundance of sea…
Overlord Museum American Cemetery Underwater Wrecks Port en Bessin The Normandy coastline from Caen to Barfleur is a must-see destination with dozens of museums scattered about the countryside,…
Camping Le Rivage has incredible views of the coastline up towards Fécamp and overlooks the village of Yport. Is it just another seaside town with a couple of fishing boats dragged onto the pebble-covered beach? Or is there more to it?