Period february/march 2002. Rig: Volvo 440 (1991) and BIOD 400TL (1990)
day 1: saturday 9 feb 2002
From the north of the Netherlands to campsite Steinfort in Steinfort (Luxemburg), almost 500 km, departure 9h00, arrival 17h00,
day 2: sunday 10 feb 2002
start 8h15, motorway to Toul, then normal road to Neufchateau.
18h00 arrival in Dardilly, campsite International de la Porte de Lyon (don't take hook up: to expensive) [foto]. 530 km.
day 3: monday 11 feb 2002
9h15 departure. Through Lyon using the N7 southbound.
Near Nimes onto motorway (junction 24 t/w 28, 4 eur).
Nice trip, 15h15 in Castries, campsite Le Galipot [foto]. 310 km.
day 4/5: tuesday/wednesday 12/13 feb 2002
Using route nationale through Perpignan-centre.
Heading for campsite Can Toni Marescal below Gerona at Fornells [foto]. 380 km.
6: thursday 14 feb 2002
10h30 to Sitges, almost 150 km. Using N11.
Using Ronda de Port (c31 / 32) through Barcelona. Then coast road
c31 to Sitges. The coast road goes up and down along the hilly seaside. Fear for heights? Take the motorway.
Arrival about 14h00 at campsite El Carrofer (not heated toiletblock).
7: friday 15 feb 2002
Our English neighbours suggested to move to Vilanovapark (www.vilanovapark.es) in Vilanova i la Geltru [foto].
Excellent campsite. Excellent toiletblock, nice and warm. Not at the coast. Bus
to Vilanova. Trains to Barcelona.
Trips to: Barcelona, Montserrat, Tarragona, Sitges (very nice paella in La Santamaria).
15: saturday 23 feb 2002
9h30 departure from VilanovaPark. Using autopista(toll) to Benidorm. Queue at Valencia of 20 minutes.
After 470 km about 4 pm at campsite Sertorium (http://www.sertorium.es), at the coast just above Vilajoyosa [foto], 5 km below Benidorm. Nice coastpath to Benidorm.
21: friday 1 march 2002
Departure 9u30. Target is campsite Los Gallardos, beside the E15 to Almeria.
The campsite is not signposted and because of the wind it is very dusty.
That is the reason we take the old N340 to Sorbas, nice on a cliff, and the desert of Tabernas.
The coast from Almeria to the west is covered with plastic glasshouses, like a double Dutch Westland (the glasshouse area of Holland). There is a glasshouse on every possible spot. Especially the level area between Almeria and Adra is one big plastic town. Ugly. The motorway (autovia (no toll)) becomes the normal N340 at Adra, a 2 lane coast road, but well to drive. We stop in Castillo de Banos (http://www.doncactus.com) where we pitch on the campsite with the same name [foto]. After 423 km.
23: sunday 3 march 2002
It is clouded and rather windy. We are heading for Granada, 100 km further on. When going inland the road leads through an impressive gorge. Then gradually up to 845 m.
On the south circular motorway exit to La Zubia, campsite Reina Isabel [foto]. Looks good. Good public transport to Granada centre.
NB: campsite Granada [foto] in Peligros is okay too, but bus to centre about 1,5 km. Views to Granada.
26: wednesday 6 march 2002
Left La Zubia at 11h. Weather moderate: cloudy with sunny spells, temperature low. Direction Ronda. Using the A92 and N382.
Passing a.o. Olvera, whitely draped on a hillside with the church on top.
The N376 to Ronda. Crossing the new and old town direction Algeciras.
campsite El Sur [foto] 1,5 km outside Ronda. Arrival at 15h30. 240 km. Nice view to Ronda from pitch 41. It's cold with some clouds.
30: sunday 10 march 2002
First surfing the internet with the campsite's pc. Left for Sevilla at 11h. First back to the N382. After Villamartin
north-west to the N-IV. The landscape changes from mountainlike, via hilly to flat (Campina Betica). In Dos Hermanas campsite Club de Campo [foto] was not easy to find.
Dos Hermanas is not really interesting. On a sunday everything is closed except for one bakery shop / coffee bar, which is very crowded with the inhabitants. The motorvan of our neighbours has been broke in and robbed at the parking space of a supermarket. The local police is not very helpful.
The bus to Sevilla departs close to the campsite. Train station is on a distance of 400 m.
33: wednesday 13 march 2002
It's raining cats and dogs. Left for Cordoba at 10h30. Using the NIV. 160 km. Arrival 12h30, the campsite is badly signposted. So searched more then 0.5 hour. The town campsite [foto] is okay. About a 40 minutes walk to the Mezquita. Public transport also available.
36: saturday 16 march 2002
We are glad it is not raining, but it is very cloudy. When we leave at 10h00 it starts to rain again. Once on the road it's clearing up.
Good trip over the NIV with back wind. The NIV hairpins over the mountain ridge after Bailen.
After Valdepenas the plain of La Mancha is there. We can see the chocolate box mills of Consuegra from far.
Arrival at 15h30 in Toledo via the well paved C400. campsite El Greco [foto] gives views to the city. 370 km.
37: sunday 17 march 2002
There are some clouds and it is dry. Left Toledo about 10h00. The N401 to Madrid. There the circular motorway M40.
Then the NI to Burgos. Through the clouds crossing the Sierra de Guadarrama.
The N120 to Santo Domingo and the LR111 to the campsite of Haro [foto]. Arrival about 17h00. Half clouded. 420 km.
38: monday 18 march 2002
Clouded. The crowded NI to
France. Perhaps better take the autopista (toll). Via RN to
Riviere, campsite Lou Bascou [foto]. 260 km.
39: tuesday 19 march 2002
To Gondrin (to visit friends)
40: wednesday 20 march 2002.
We leave Gondrin at 11h00. Everything looks well until we leave Condom up hill. The car stops up hill. Difficult position, so triangles placed. Walked back to garage. It is just 12h00 so siesta till 14h00. At 14h00 the dynamo is being repaired. The job is done at 15h00. We can go on after paying 155 eur (+ 10 eur tip). A happy end eventually
We decide to drive to Limoges as planned before, because there are no open campsites on the route.
At 20h30 in Limoges, junction 31. The campsite (Municipal d'Uzerat) [foto] is not signposted, but the lake d'Uzerat is. Campsite found at 20h45. 357 km.
41: thursday 21 march 2002
8h30 departure from Limoges, nice sunny weather.
Via the A20 and N20 to Etampes, then the N191 via a.o. Ballancourt to
Corbeil. Using the 104 to the N2. In the meantime it started to rain cats and dogs.
Target campsite Municipal of Soissons [foto] (good *** 8 eur without electrics). 509 km.
42: friday 22 march 2002
To home via Vlaardingen. 380 + 245 km.
Some campsites in France en route (All used and found okay for what we want: overnight stay.)
Middle France:
- La Courtine [foto] in Chatel-de-Neuvre (south of Moulins).
South France:
- Les Clairettes [foto] in Fontes (north of Pezenas)