Travelling by road into mainland Europe is an exciting prospect, especially if you’re new to campervan life. It’s 25 years since our debut tour, but we still love everything Europe has to offer. So with all this experience, we’ll share our Top 5 destinations for a first motorhome trip abroad!
Top 5 Destinations for a first Motorhome Trip abroad
Normandy
Just a few hours drive from Calais to the Pont de Normandie and beautiful Honfleur, Normandy is an ideal choice for a first motorhome trip abroad.
This region of half-timbered buildings and dashing herds of cows offers a culinary taste of France. There’s also so much history here to discover too.
From the heart-wrenching Normandy landing beaches of D-Day to the mesmerising Bayeux Tapestry. History is in abundance without any element of boredom.
There’s even the French heroine herself, Joan of Arc stepping into the history books. Because, it’s in the city of Rouen, where the formidable “Maid of Orléans” met her fate.
must know:
- Weather: Expect slightly better weather than Britain, with highs in June and July being around 21C and lows of 13C. As for rainfall, Normandy has an average rainfall of between 18 and 30mm in July.
- Getting there: There’s a few ferry options, making Normandy an ideal location for a first motorhome trip abroad. Crossing to St.Malo, Caen or Le Harve, means less driving once in France, bringing you to the heart of Normandy. Otherwise the Eurotunnel or Dover ferry routes are about a 3 hour drive away.
- Motorhome Stopovers: France has an extremely useful system known as the Aire de Camping Cars or Aires for short. Otherwise campsites, France Passion or Camping-Car Park Aires are a great option.
Brittany
Brittany always reminds us of our local area of Anglesey. Mainly because of it’s rugged coastline, intimate coves and often remote feel.
So, expect rocky headlands and soft sandy bays, along with plenty of pretty villages to soften the landscapes.
Brittany extends to the Atlantic Ocean, whereby its Northern coast is on the Channel. Therefore its coastline has a mix of wild and charismatic walking routes bringing interesting and changing geography along the way. There’s also an abundance of flowers, lovely stone architecture and half-timbered buildings.
As for food, how about Oysters? If this seafood delicacy isn’t for you then Brittany is also known for its savoury or sweet pancakes!
Finally, there’s its history, with it’s Morbihon region having the worlds largest collection of Megalithic sites. So this is the place to see miles of huge stones or Menhirs and wonder at this strange mystery.
must know:
- Weather: Similar again to Britain, but slightly better. Average High July temperatures of around 21C and 38mm of rainfall can mean wet days. But, when the sun shines, it’s really quite pleasant.
- Getting there: Brittany is within easy reach of its neighbour Normandy, particularly St.Malo. There’s also routes to Cherbourg and Roscoff, making travels to Brittany quicker than from Calais. For the ferry or Eurotunnel from Calais on the short channel crossings expect a journey time of around 6 hours.
- Motorhome Stopovers: Aires, campsites, France Passion and Camping-Car Park Aires are all options.
The Loire Valley
If you want to head a little further south for the first motorhome trip abroad, the Loire Valley is a really good option.
Here, amongst numerous magical and often fairy-tale like Chateaux, is a hint of diverse landscapes France has to offer.
Its position on the Loire River also brings glorious riverside towns and villages. There’s lush vineyards and intriguing Troglodyte cave dwellings, as well as cycling routes to explore by bike.
Last but not least, in Summer, fields of sunflowers bring the most beautiful backdrop to the rolling countryside. This after all is a golden region heading deeper towards the heart of France.
- Weather: The Loire Valley has better weather than its Northern neighbours, with average July high’s of around 23C, but it can still be rainy with July average’s of around 54mm.
- Getting there: With journey times of around 5 hours from Calais, it’s still within easy reach. This can be cut to under 3 hours by taking the ferry to Caen in Normandy for example.
- Motorhome Stopovers: Aires, campsites, France Passion and Camping-Car Park Aires are all options.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands is a really lovely and easy country to tour by motorhome. In late Spring, there’s the beauty of the bulb fields when floral displays fill the fields. Then there’s the incredible cycle routes, all well signed with miles and miles of cycle paths at your disposal.
Although it’s not really known for its coastline, there are long stretches of beach and seaside resorts to be found if the weather is good.
The star attraction though has to be the canals, waterways, windmills and historic towns, not to forget fashionable Amsterdam.
- Weather: Average highs of around 21C in July with average rainfall of about 63mm. Whenever we’ve been to the Netherlands, the weather has been changeable with biting cold winds at times. However, if you go for all weather eventualities, it’s a fantastic country to tour.
- Getting there: Sail direct to Rotterdam from Hull on a long sailing or drive the short distance from Calais and you’ll be in the heart of Holland in under 2 hours.
- Motorhome Stopovers: The Netherlands has a really good network of motorhome stopovers at marina’s, as well as good campsites across the country.
Belgium – Top 5 Destinations for a first Motorhome Trip abroad
Belgium has a strong historic appeal due to its numerous World War sights such as Ypres or Waterloo with its famous battle field.
Add to this a mix of beautiful towns, such as incredible Bruges and vibrant Ghent, and Belgium may be an ideal place for that first motorhome trip abroad.
Not only is Belgium relatively neat and tidy in appearance, but it also has some coastal towns as well as interesting architecture and overall modern outlook. We find it’s a good destination to pass through, often making an overnight stop at Bruges. A city we never tire of.
- Weather: With average high’s in July of 22C and rainfall of 70mm, Belgium can bring sunshine and showers similar to Britain.
- Getting there: Belgium is an easy country to reach from Calais being in Bruges in about an hour and a quarter.
- Motorhome Stopovers: Belgium has some Aires as well as plenty of campsites.
