PJ'S Turkish Tour - February to June 2012

Pete & Judy Jenkins

You are likely to already know Pete and Judy as 'PeeJay', the providers of detailed information (text, pictures, co-ordinates, Google map) of many Night Halts in Greece. In this account of their 12-week motorhome tour to southern Turkey and return, Pete and Judy add to this mine of information with full details of their 92 Night Halts (aka 'Free Camping').

Spending about 7 weeks in Turkey itself, unusually, they took their time (a week) travelling from Calais to Ancona, another week crossing Northern Greece to the Turkish border, 2 weeks returning to Igoumenitsa for the ferry to Ancona and a further week crossing Europe back to Calais.

The following account is well supplemented by their Gallery and Slide Show of 84 Images (many illustrating their Night Halts).

Our 2-week meander to Northern Greece went as follows:

13 February 2012: Left home a day early. When we got near the port of Dover we checked with the nice (?) man at P&O to see if we could get on an earlier ferry. No problems but it would cost us £69 for the privilege so we politely declined and stayed at the Canterbury P&R (N 51.26241 E 1.10258) instead, an excellent facility and only £2.50 p/n, which includes bus into city and a service point. Other UK towns take note.

Next day we got on a 2 hour earlier ferry at no extra charge. A smooth crossing and 'Pride of Canterbury' was virtually empty.

14 February: Overnight at the Calais Aire (N 50.96623 E 1.84396), free out of season. Stocked up with fuel at Auchan (€1.395 ltr). Cold, wet and windy. Water was working at the borne though, so topped up.

15 February: Down through Luxembourg. Topped up with fuel at Cappelen servs (€1.271 ltr), then down to Metz and overnight at the Aire (N 49.12382 E 6.16895) outside the Municipal campsite. First time we been able to overnight there for a while as it's usually full; only us and another French van overnight. Cold, wet and windy but a nice spot next to the river. Water turned off at the borne.

16 February: Down through Eastern France to the border at Basel, toll from Metz to Strasbourg (€19.60), fuel at Colmar (€1.424 ltr), then purchased my 10 day heavy vehicle toll for Switzerland: Chfr 32.50.

Part way through Switzerland to Willisau, where there is a free Stellplatz (inc electric and water) next to the fire station (N 47.11909 E 7.99784). Recent heavy snow but the area had been cleared and the water was still working. Very cold overnight. Strange carnival in the village where all the kids were dressed up and loads of ear splitting drums and trumpet bands made the ground shake - something to do with Witches' Thursday!

17 February: Down into Italy, stopping over at the free sosta at Soragna (N 44.92983 E 10.12566). First fuel stop in Italy (€1.680 ltr): Italian diesel is getting pricey. Autostrada tolls to here were €9.50. Although in a car park in the middle of town, we had a lovely peaceful night's sleep.

Wet and cold overnight, water at sosta turned off. Cora supermarket just around the corner.

18 February: Plan was to stay at San Marino for a few days as we had enjoyed it before but got there to find the snow was so deep and all the sostas were closed. My fault, should have checked the weather first! Fuel before leaving (€1.677ltr). Carried on down to Fano and stayed at the free municipal sosta in town (N 43.84572 E 13.01036). There was a Karnevale on over the weekend so we stayed 2 nights and thoroughly enjoyed it. Cold and snowy but the Karnevale was great. Loads of motorhomes crammed into the sosta. Water turned off at service point. Further tolls so far €13.30. Topped up with LPG here at €0.806 ltr.

20 February: Down to Ancona and overnight stay at large free sosta in the Auchan car park (N 43.5520 E 13.51500) on the outskirts of Ancona. Fuel over road (€1.64 ltr). Loads of snow here as well but car park had been well cleared, though water was turned off. Not particularly picturesque as it's just a car park but nice and quiet overnight and convenient for a stock up before the ferry. This will probably be a regular stop off before the Greece ferry for us in future.

21 February: Depart 1845 hrs Italian time for overnight crossing to Igoumenitsa with Minoan lines on the 'Cruise Europa'. Special deal with inside cabin and free meal for the price of deck passage. Word has it that Minoan has messed up with their new ships and they are not specced for camping on board, so this is their alternative. Cabins OK if a little stuffy but the included meal was great value.

22 February: Arrived 1200 hrs Greek time (Italy + 1hr), straight through Igoumenitsa town to Drepano Beach wildspot (N 39.51440 E 20.21444) amongst the Eucalyptus trees. First impressions were that you wouldn't know there were troubles in Greece; everything seemed as it always was, except the prices which have gone up considerably. Overcast but warm, nice views of ferries arriving in port.

23 February: Eastwards across Northern Greece to Vergina and the car park near the tombs, where a nice little man who speaks a mishmash of Greek and German but no English welcomes you. Good value at €4 per night, with electric hook-up €2 extra if required (N 40.48514 E 22.31957). There is another free car park round the corner but he spouted tales of woe about parking being unsafe there (well he would, wouldn't he). He had plenty of water on tap, so that clinched it for us.

Motorway toll from Igoumenitsa to Vergina €15.

Filled up with diesel here and the man almost proudly proclaimed that Greece now has the dearest diesel in Europe because of the problems. His was €1.55 ltr and I disappointed him by saying Italy can easily beat that!

24 February: Further east on the Via Egnatia (A2) and €10.20 more in tolls before arriving at Paralia Orfani, a nice little freespot by the beach (N 40.74988 E 23.94127). We stopped a few days as it was nice and sunny, though not warm enough to swim just yet.

On the way across the A2 we stopped at what must be the first motorhome dedicated service point that Greece has on a motorway, at junction 28b signposted Moustheni (N 40.84407 E 24.11522), all free and very welcome. Perhaps we'll see more of the same in the future?

26 February: East again to Fanari port for another free overnight (N 40.96274 E 25.12609) watching the fishing boats. Fanari is a lovely little place to while away a day or two but doubt if we could park where we did in the main season. Weather cold and windy. I seem to have caught a flu bug; not felt 100% since that stuffy cabin overnight on the ferry.

27 February: Overnight at Maronia harbour (N 40.87611 E 25.51000) and shared the parking area with a French van. Haven't seen many motorhomes at all since leaving UK. Water available in harbour, very picturesque with sea views and ochre coloured hills as a backdrop. It's taken us two weeks to wander down here so far but we're not in a rush.

Weather has been very cold apart from a few days near Igoumenitsa. Today is sunny but with a very cold wind. Flu seems to be getting worse. Once we get into Turkey and head south things should hopefully warm up.

Satnav has been playing up and keeps rebooting itself and turning itself off. Just what you need when you're about to enter an unfamiliar country.

28 February: We have decided to book into Camping Alexandroupolis (N 40.84757 E 25.84688) to catch up on washing etc before entering Turkey. This municipal campsite has good wifi, all for €14 p/n inclusive. Long hot showers are great when you have manflu! The place is deserted apart from one other van. Later, the same van we overnighted with at Maronia pulled in: a lovely Frenchman travelling with his dog. He was on a long tour of Europe and was doing the same as us, stopping to do washing before heading into Turkey tomorrow ...

29 February: Spoke too soon! Today my flu got a lot worse so, on the advice of the lady in campsite reception, we went to the main hospital at Alexandroupolis to see if they could check me out. Straight in to see a doctor who immediately had me wired into a drip, took some blood and x- rays. Rest of the day was spent waiting for results of tests, then given a list of stuff to get from the pharmacist in town before being discharged. Great service and all free but Greek hospitals are a bit grim. Finding a pharmacist that was open proved difficult though and it was late afternoon before we decided to head back to the campsite rather than find somewhere else to stay. Lots of pills, washed down with one of Judy's special hot toddies mixed with a good dollop of whisky, helped me sleep.

Tomorrow hopefully we will finally enter Turkey and maybe the Tomtom will behave itself itself.

1 March: This morning I was feeling much better so we finally decided to press on into Turkey.

About a 60 km drive from Alexandroupolis to the border at Ipsala. Satnav has gone completely pear shaped and just keeps rebooting itself, despite several hard restarts, so it's been abandoned and we're now on manual navigation, ie Judy and a map.

Passage through Greek customs was painless with a quick wave through from the police, then a quick look in the duty free shop, which didn't seem to have very 'duty free' prices to me. On the way through to Turkish customs we spotted the cheap diesel (€1.10 ltr) that Helen mentioned and pulled in to fill up, only to find it's for trucks only - never mind!

Turkish customs went smoothly until I checked the vehicle stamp in my passport (which should allow 6 months). The expiry date looked like March (03) 2012, surely that couldn't be right? I took it back and the man explained that the date was for August (08), it just looked like a three. He overwrote it to make the date more clear. Worth double checking this if you go this way, as it could possibly cause problems on exiting the country.

Anyway, pulled up just outside customs for the obligatory photo near the 'Welcome to Turkey' sign and the camera gave up the ghost as well - not a good trip for gadget reliability so far! Camera consigned to naughty bin under driver's seat with Crapnav. Luckily I had brought an old camera just in case, so will have to dig that out for the rest of the trip.

A few hours' drive, first to Gelibolu where we had our first 'kebap', Didn't have a clue what we were ordering, nor did the man in the shop as we haven't quite got the grasp of any Turkish yet, but no matter he produced the most wonderful chicken kebap in a massive loaf for the princely sum of ytl 5 (less than £2). I think we're going to like the food here. After lunch we carried on down to Eceabat where the ferry crosses the Dardanelles into Asia.

It was mid-afternoon so we decided to stay the night at the parking area near the ferry (N 40.18153 E 26.36107). No problems, though a bit noisy with vehicles coming and going through the night and the regular 'calls to prayer' also take some getting used to. There is an excellent open air museum just along the road on the seafront which is well worth visiting, with scenes and information about the Gallipoli campaign - very impressive and all free.

2 March: We caught the ferry across into Asia (41ytl one way) and stopped off at Canakkale to look around. A bit of a manic place and difficult to park but we whiled away an hour or so for our first stop in Asia proper. Followed by a quick detour to Troy, one of those must-see places, but we were a little disappointed: just a mock up wooden horse and that was it.

We then followed the main road down to the bay at Akcay where we stayed the night in a small parking area on the eastern edge of town at a 'wedding reception area' that we were assured was OK for the night. Turned out to be just that, nice and quiet. We both had a great night's sleep. My flu has improved no end but Judy seems to be getting it bad now.

Saturday 3 March: The following day we had a short drive around the bay to 'Iskele Liman' which is a small fishing village on the outskirts of Burhaniye. We later found out that 'Liman' is Turkish for port or harbour, which turned out to be a good starting point when looking for an overnight spot for the rest of the trip. We pulled into the marina area (N 39.48282 E 26.92412) and asked the man at the security gate if we could spend the night here, 'No problem' was the answer, so we did.

Had another kebap in town but this time we ended up with something beginning with 'C', which turned out to be an offal kebap. Yuk! (Probably 'Ciger' = Liver)

4 March: On Sunday we carried on south, took a detour around the coast towards Foca and found a lovely little cove 'picnic area' (N 38.71978 E 26.73318) where you can stay the night for ytl 10 (about £3.50). Weather is getting better but not swimming weather just yet. There is also an old toilet building here where you can empty your cassette, but it's filthy and definitely a 'hold your breath' job.

5 March: The following day we stopped for fuel near Menemen and friendly staff also washed the van for free, although it seemed rude not to give them a tip for their trouble. This turned out to be a regular thing on the trip - can you imagine that happening at your local Shell garage? There was also an Eczame (pharmacist's) here and the very efficient lady prescribed a course of antibiotics for Judy for the princely sum of ytl 9.50: just over £3 for a 5 day course.

Carried on down through the middle of Izmir at rush hour, heading south again to somewhere near Kusadasi. Driving through could be described as 'interesting'. I don't think there is a Turkish version of the highway code, red lights are ignored and I think all Turkish vehicles have had their indicators disabled. All good fun though once you get used to it.

After our journey through Izmir we eventually ended up at Pamucak to the north of Kusadasi, next to a beach shack (N 37.94360 E 27.27488) owned by 'Rambo', who will let you stay in his car park overnight with no obligation to buy anything. His first name begins with 'R' and is unpronounceable, hence everyone calls him Rambo. Showers and toilets available but looked a bit iffy. I was waiting for the catch but they were lovely, genuinely friendly patrons. We shared Cay (pronounced chy = tea) with them, no charge, before settling down to an intermittent night's sleep with half the wild dog population having a sing song on and off all night.

6 March: Next morning we said our goodbyes to Rambo before heading down through Kusadasi, glad we hadn't tried to stay there as it was overdeveloped to within an inch of its life. OK if you like all day breakfasts and genuine draught beer but not for us.

Heading south again we decided to give Bodrum a miss, as it's probably worse than Kusadasi, and ended up at a charming little fishing village called Oren. There is a little jetty at the end of the village where we are perched on a rough piece of ground, with the fishing boats to our rear and overlooking the Korfezi bay, an idyllic spot (N 37.03100 E 27.98191) - so much so that we stayed 3 nights here. The weather is glorious and the sea is crystal clear. Spending most of our time sunbathing or watching the fishing boats return with their catches. Judy has been picking winkles on the shore for tea. This is just what I imagined Turkey would be like.

Off for a Kebap this evening, definitely not an offal one this time though.

Moved along the coast a bit today and stocked up for the weekend at a Kipa supermarket. If they have a cafe, then there is usually free wifi too. Tesco own Kipa apparently, so it is true they are trying to take over the world. We used them regularly for our shopping in Turkey, along with Migros and Dia stores.

We are now at a little fishing village called Akyaka. It's a little touristy but not too much. Parked up in the Otopark (N 37.05068 E 28.32779) by the fishing boats and have been joined for the night by a German Carthago motorhome. Akyaka was lovely, a large bay with little inlets crammed full of fishing boats. Further up is the touristy bit and the sandy beach and jetty, where there are boat trips to various places. We had a nice quiet night there in the Otopark before deciding to move on the following morning.

We carried on down to Lake Koycegiz and headed around the western fringe to have a look at the mud baths there. Decided not to indulge but found an idyllic little patch of ground overlooking the lake. There is about one vehicle every hour or so passing by so it's very quiet and even quieter at night, when the only sound we heard was one tractor passing (without lights!) A couple pulled up to take photos the following morning and it turned out they were British and had a property close to Fethiye. We had a nice chat with them before moving on.

Next stop was Dalyan, where we spotted another German van in the Otopark and parked up there (N 36.83721 E 28.64064). Dalyan itself didn't look too motorhome friendly for parking but this part we found is nice and quiet, free and only a few minutes' stroll from the town, in a car park behind the 'Hotel 26'. Dalyan is a very touristy place and appears to be frequented by Brits as the 'all day breakfast' signs were out in force.

Loads of options for boat trips to turtle beaches etc but we were content with a walk along the river to see the famous tombs set into the rocks on the other side of the river. There is also a lone rowboat that will take you across to the tombs for a small fee but we couldn't find it.

Had a nice offal-free meal that evening in the town before settling down for the night and watching the old and new versions of 'The Taking of Pelham 123'. The old version was by far the best.

Following day (Monday) we decided to drive down to the turtle beach at Ekincik instead of taking a boat. It was an absolutely beautiful peaceful spot overlooking the beach, with only one other vehicle there. We asked about spending the night there but it's daytime parking only and there is a barrier at night, apparently to protect the turtles (even though it isn't 'turtle season'), so we carried on around to another Turtle Conservation Area at Sarigerme. Another wonderful spot but no vehicles allowed anywhere near the beach, which was understandable, so we carried on towards Fethiye and found a nice little spot on the strand at Calis Beach (N 36.65599 E 29.11074) about 5 km north of Fethiye overlooking a pebble beach. We enjoyed a lovely sunset before heading for the town and something to eat. Not a brilliant night's sleep, as there was quite a bit of noise from cars driving up and down the prom, and a big storm overnight with heavy rain and mucho thunder. The weather perked up again the following morning.

Into Fethiye and refuelled, where a nice little man washed the motorhome for us for free again, which seems to be standard practice here in Turkey ... then the heavens opened and the van got dirty again, hey ho.

Next stop was a visit to Don Madge at his little holiday home in the Kaya valley. We spent a pleasant few hours with him and Maureen before heading off back to Fethiye for the night. On Don's recommendation we found a small area overlooking the city (N36.62672 E 29.09035) and nestled down for the night. Next morning we also discovered a fresh water spring just over the road, so the water tank was filled and Judy caught up with a bit of washing.

We then had a look around Kayakoy, an abandoned village from the 1923 Greek–Turkish population exchanges. The village has been deserted ever since then, an eerie place a bit like Oradour sur Glane but much larger. There were over 6,000 inhabitants before it was abandoned.

We then headed down to Oludeniz and the bay that is in every Turkish tourism brochure. Motorhomes used to be able to park along the beach front apparently but now it's all been pedestrianised. We found a few possibilities for the night before settling for the small car park next to the PTT post office just back from the beach. Asking at the post office if we could stay the night (N 36.54871 E 29.12006), the usual answer was 'no problem', so we did. Thanks for that one Helen (Homewood).

Took the Satnav out of the naughty drawer this morning, charged it up again and did another full reboot and, lo and behold, the damn thing is working again! To be honest we haven't really missed it, as we're both now used to navigating by map again and wild camping spots are so easy to find without POI's or co-ordinates. If it goes belly up again we'll manage fine without it.

Oludeniz turned out to be really nice, the parking area by the post office was nice and quiet and we discovered a little toilet block in the trees just behind it. What more could you ask for: plenty of water, a place to empty your toilet and a beach to die for. A great time was had lazing on the beach for 3 days before moving on to a little place called Karadere Beach 30 km or so to the south of Oludeniz.

It's found by following a gravel track down past hundreds of polytunnels (tomatoes) until the track runs out at a spot where the little river runs into the sea. Parking is not allowed on the beach as it's another turtle conservation area but we parked by the river, close to a footbridge that crosses the river to a smallholding/farm that grows tomatoes (N 36.32930 E 29.22730).

It seemed only polite to ask the owner if it was OK to stay and he was very happy for us to park up, even offering to get some fresh bread in the morning for us as the nearest shops were about 4 km away. We still can't get over how friendly and welcoming Turkish people are. We spent 2 nights here. The beach was a little bit scruffy with rubbish and there were hundreds of tomatoes strewn all over the beach, probably fallen off tractors transporting their produce. We imaginatively renamed it Tomato Beach.

On the Sunday the owner's children knocked on our door to present us with loads of tomatoes, lettuce and peppers as a gift. As I said, wonderful people and I still can't get used to it.

That night the gas bottle ran out; one bottle had lasted about 2 weeks. The following morning it was time to move on, filling up with LPG nearby (now about £1 a litre here).

Heading east for just a few kms we stopped off at Kalkan, listed as having a population that is 1 in 4 expat Brits. That put us off a bit but it seemed nice enough, clinging to the rock face in a large bay. Parking along the front is next to impossible. We thought about parking at the Otopark at the top of town (N 36.26525 E 29.41426) which was OK but then found a gravel track that runs past the boatyard and along to an isolated hotel complex to the west. Midway along this track is a bathing platform (N 36.26219 E 29.41130), with a few parking possibilities on rough ground next to it. The hotel was closed so hardly any traffic passed and the sea looked beautiful and clear, so we decided to stay here the night. The sea was lovely but blooming freezing. However, us Brits are made of stern stuff and in we went - lovely once you got used to it but there were a few curious looks from the locals.

Next we were bound for Kas (pronounced Kash) about 15 km to the east. The D400 runs along this stretch and it's a lovely scenic route but with only a few places to stop and admire the wonderful views. We stopped for lunch at one little cove before heading into Kas.

It's a lovely picturesque fishing town with a nice little harbour. We really enjoyed our stay here, first stopping at Buyuk Cakil Beach (N 36.19169 E 29.65183) about 1.5 km to the south to top up our tans. This is a nice little cove with a pebbly/sandy beach and a few shanty-style snack bar/restaurants. It's a public beach, so no problem to stay overnight and there's no obligation to use the eateries if you don't want to. There's also a beach shower. We stayed 2 nights here, nice and quiet at night with just the sound of the sea washing the shore to lull you to sleep.

The following day we headed back into Kas and parked up at the harbour (N 36.19916 E 29.64076). Lots of hustle and bustle during the day but it quietens down at night.

There is a fresh water fountain and public toilets next to the harbour mosque (50c to use the toilets and handy to empty your cassette if required). There are also electric points and water taps placed along the harbour wall, which you could use for a small fee. One chap asked us if we wanted electricity (he was trying to sell me a trip to a Greek Island), so it seems to be possible to hook up if required but we didn't bother. In fact the only time we've used electricity on this trip was on the Italy – Greece ferry.

Footnote to above: Had a chat with a few Brits who live here and apparently it gets really noisy later at night in the harbour area, with lots of loud music in all the cafes into the early hours, so we decided to head back to our little beach at Buyuk Cakil rather than risk a sleepless night.

Thursday 22 March: After 3 nights around Kas it was time to move on. We planned to get to Finike but got waylaid at Demre on the way. This place gets a bit of a bad press in Rough Guide, which we think was a bit unfair. The big sprawling town is famous for the birthplace of St Nicholas. RG says the place is full of Santa Claus kitsch but we thought the opposite. There was just one area selling the touristy stuff, the rest was just like a normal Turkish town.

We found 3 potential places to stay the night. One at Suluklu Beach (N 36.22387 E 29.98934), a long stretch of sandy beach with loads of places where you could pull up and several toilets to empty your loo. Second at Demre harbour (N 36.22286 E 29.94223) along the sea wall or next to the boats being repaired. Third we found a beautiful spot on the approach to the harbour along a rough track by a river (N 36.23160 E 29.95931), very quiet.

We spent the night there and as usual got adopted by one of the local dogs, probably because Judy feels sorry for them and sees it as her mission to fatten them up before we leave. Left in the morning and filled up with diesel, which has now crept up to ytl 4/ltr. You still get a free car wash if you ask though.

We carried on to Finike and parked on the harbour up by the coastguard mooring point (N 36.29552 E 30.13995). As usual we asked them if it was OK to stay the night; 'no problem' came the reply.

We liked Finike, not too touristy and we loved the Saturday market: a feast of colour from all the fruit/veg/clothes etc on display and really cheap. Judy was in heaven. The town and beach area were really nice with pleasant parkland and footpaths around the gardens. We nestled down for the night, which wasn't too bad apart from the coastguard cutter returning at 3 am and filling up with diesel at the noisiest diesel tanker I've ever heard.

In the morning we were treated to the arrival of a trawler after a long fishing session. Locals came from all around to buy the fish as it was unloaded. The huge nets were transferred to the quayside and the local cats all had a feast on the smaller fish that fell from the nets as they were transferred. The final treat here was spotting an adult porpoise with her young exploring the harbour, a wonderful sight.

After breakfast we moved on around the coast and diverted to Mavikent, a lovely little area in a Millipark (National Park). The road along the coast was a bit tortuous with some bits just rough gravel but it was worth it, as we found two lovely picnic areas by the sea. The smaller of the two already had a German camper there (N 36.27891 E 30.38820), so we moved to the other just down the road to stay the night there (N 36.27939 E 30.39267). There was fresh water at a fountain and an old toilet block at the top of the hill to empty your cassette. The beach was pebbles and sand and the water is now getting lovely and warm.

After a swim, supper and a few glasses of the local vino we put our clocks forward (2 hours in front of UK time) and settled down for the night.

On Sunday morning it was off again to Cirali Beach. On the way the Satnav suggested a route via Olympos so we thought we'd have a look on the way. The trouble is that when you get to Olympus, the route to Cirali traverses a ford which was running quite deep. Front wheel drive Fiats aren't renowned for their traction so I didn't fancy it one bit. After a quick look around the area famous for its treehouse accommodation we had to track back to the main road, then carry on a few kms and double back to Cirali from the east, with no rivers to cross by this route. Shame the Tomtom doesn't recognise these hazards!

We arrived at Cirali down a steep descent. A nice little village and right at the far end of the road there is an entrance to a super beach with pine trees and heathland as a backdrop (N 36.42151 E 30.48534). We stayed here two nights, spending the days along the beach before retiring back into the trees and shelter at night. There is an old toilet near the entrance to empty your cassette if needed. We had a visit to the Chimaera 2 km up the road to see the eternal rock flames: well worth a visit but it's a steep 1 km trek to get to them. Entrance is only ytl 3.50 each, with free parking at the base and a water point if you want to fill up the van while you're there.

We then headed for Antalya and parked at the big Kipa supermarket there to stock up and also have a look around. We looked at a few possible parking places on the coast but they didn't excite, so we headed back to a picnic area we had seen on the way in at Kargikak and stayed the night there (N 36.75303 E 30.56810). Not brilliant and a fair bit of traffic noise but we couldn't be bothered to look further. It was quite pricey at ytl 24 a night but there were showers and a good place for a bit of clothes washing.

Probably heading north tomorrow to the Lakes.

From Antalya we moved inland to the north and the Turkish equivalent of the Lake District.

We picked Egirdir as a good place to visit and weren't disappointed. It's in a lovely spot overlooking Egirdir Golu, the 2nd largest lake in Turkey.

We headed for the small harbour and found a little spot overlooking the lake (N 37.87678 E 30.85545). There are plenty of other spots to stay the night, or you can also drive over the causeway to Yesilada island, another lovely spot, but we were happy where we were.

The following morning (Thursday) the place was mobbed with lots of people wandering about carrying bags stuffed with veg etc, which could only mean there was a market going on somewhere. So off we went and found a huge local market, equally as good as the one at Finike. Fruit and veg is very cheap; we've never eaten so healthily, particularly oranges, they are delicious and juicy. I thought I had a good tan but it's probably orange overdose.

Just before we left I checked my tyres and found one on the front had worn unevenly so I went to a little tyre man in the village. He rotated all the tyres, and the worn one kept as a spare (still legal), and checked all the pressures for the grand sum of ytl 20 (about £7.50). I wish Kwikfit could match his prices. Mind you there's no 'health and safety' out here - two jacks were used to raise each side, with no axle stands used, but they were good at what they did and very friendly. Topped up with diesel on the way out, now at ytl 3.96/ltr (about £1.44).

We headed out along the western fringe of the lake, as that is the most scenic route, and found another little place to stay the night by the lake (N 38.04992 E 30.83741), in the middle of nowhere really but very peaceful. Had a great night's sleep. We had plenty of sun during the day but it was very cold at night and in the mornings so we decided to head west from here and visit Pamukkale.

Weren't particularly impressed with this place. It's impressive to see, with the white travertines of calcium deposits, but the place has been spoilt by tourism. Touts annoy you wherever you go and everything is overpriced. We looked for somewhere to park up for the night but there are 'no motorhome' signs everywhere and it was getting late so we picked one of the many restaurant/campsites in town. 'Pamukkale Seyir restaurant and camping' (N 37.91937 E 29.11748) looked popular and had about 6 motorhomes in for the night, while the others around town were all empty. €15 per night including hot (outside) showers and electricity, which wasn't too bad but we've been spoilt and we are used to wild camping prices (ie free!). However, we couldn't be bothered to look for anywhere else so we stayed the night. Not bad if a little ramshackle and there is a pool but it was a bit too cold to use. The following morning it was raining heavily, so we abandoned the idea of a trip to the travertines and heading north to the Black Sea, as the weather seemed against us and would probably be cold up there, and we headed west again for the coast and a bit of warmth.

Heading to the coast we got to Aydin where the motorway begins. We hadn't used one yet but knew you had to purchase a prepaid card (you can't pay by cash). No problem, I thought, I'll get one at the toll booth. Trouble is at Aydin the booth is automated and there is nowhere to buy a card except on the other side of the motorway. On pressing the help button, the man said it was OK to walk across the motorway to get one from him - that was fun, sprinting across 6 lanes of traffic to get to the other side. Anyway the card costs ytl 5, then you preload it with whatever you think you'll need. I stuck ytl 25 on mine and so far it has deducted ytl 2.50 for 35 km of motorway. I don't know if we'll need to top it up or not, we'll have to see.

Once off the motorway we arrived at Selcuk, made famous because of its proximity to the Roman ruins at Ephesus. The town was nice but we're not really into archaeological stuff so gave Ephesus a miss.

Back across to the coast again near Pamucak, where we stopped at Rambo's on the way down. This time we headed north along the coast to a nice little spot by a hard packed sandy beach (N 37.97607 E 27.25367). Many were driving their minibuses and cars onto the beach but we were happy at the edge, where the surface is Ducato front wheel drive proof. Two days spent here doing not a lot but laze in the sun - it's a hard life this early retirement!

We left on the Monday morning and headed up the coast again, through Urla (the Tomtom took me right through the middle, a bit tight in places) before arriving at Cesmealti. Don't know whether this is Turkish for 'old Cesme' or not but it's a quiet little fishing town about 40 km northwest of Cesme itself. There are loads of places around the harbour behind the Dolmus park (N 38.39567 E 26.74966) where you can nestle in for the night.

The following day we carried on to Cesme along the motorway: a 50 km stretch and still only ytl 2.50 at the toll. Had a look around Cesme, which is quite nice but don't be tempted to turn right at the T-junction into town if you have a wide van as it's very tight in places. Nowhere obvious to stay the night so headed out to Altinkum Plaj about 9 km to the south. Rough Guide say there is a nice beach there and they weren't wrong. A beautiful spot right next to a sandy cove and the place was totally deserted, although I think you have to pay from about May onwards. Co-ordinates are for the old Jandarma post at the entrance (N 38.26965 E 26.26629).

Another couple of days were spent slobbing about, doing a bit of sunbathing and not much else. No facilities here except a skip but we had just filled up with water and emptied the cassette so we were fine. One of our favourite spots, where we saw a fox one evening making his way across the beach.

On Thursday we headed out through Izmir (this time on the motorway, much easier - a 70 km stretch and still only ytl 2.50) and ended up at a place called Denizkoy. Parked up opposite a little restaurant that was just starting to get prepared for the season (N 38.95387 E 26.80921), next to a boat store and slipway, overlooking the bay with the Greek Island of Lesvos in the distance. We asked about staying the night - absolutely no problem. Once again befriended by a lovely little dog that kept stealing my flip-flop: a sign to Judy that he must be hungry, so he was well fed and spoilt that night.

We moved on and spent 2 nights at Ayvalik (N 39.30217 E26.66297) on the outskirts by an old football pitch overlooking the sea. The town itself is lovely and you can spend hours wandering around the harbour and cobbled streets shopping. Some great eateries there too.

We then headed north to a little place called Oren near Burnihaye. Oren is a very popular place name in Turkey, there are hundreds of them. This one is by the coast on a rise amongst pine trees, very pleasant to while away a few hours in the cool of the trees (N 39.49779 E 26.93407). Then if you want a bit of heat, head down to the beach. We stayed 2 nights here: the first near the beach but were woken in the early hours by a boom boom car having a party, so the next night we moved to the north of the town and found a nice quiet little place right next to the beach (N 39.50644 E 26.93472).

It had been really muggy for the past few days and that night there was a huge electric storm and rain like you've never seen before. Very spectacular, we sat for about half an hour watching it. The next morning the air had cleared nicely but it was a bit overcast, so a good time to move on again.

We headed inland roughly on a route to Istanbul on some truly shocking roads, via Balikesir and Mustafakemalpasa up to Yenikoy Plaj near Bayramdere on the Sea of Marmara. What a spooky place. The whole place seemed deserted apart from the occasional Turk and half the town had For Sale signs up, including whole blocks of flats. We headed out of town to the harbour with loads of fishing boats. We never saw any movement of any boats but at least it was quiet, so we found a nice little spot overlooking the sea (N 40.39818 E 28.37191) and bedded down for the night. The town overlooks Imrali Prison Island where a Kurd separatist leader is the only inmate on the whole island, so Rough Guide says. The temperature had dropped considerably up here and we had the heating on for the first time in a while.

Next day we headed east, stopping at Bursa on the way and eventually ending up at Iznik by the lake. This place is famous as it supplied all the tiles for the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. Nothing much to see there but we stayed the night in a car park overlooking the lake (N 40.42310 E 29.70907).

Next day we were Istanbul-bound and took the motorway from Izmit to the city. Strangely this stretch of motorway is free but you still have to swipe your KGS card to get the barrier to rise.

We headed for Kennedy Caddesi and the Fishermans Quai (N 41.00191 E 28.97743) where there is overnight parking available. We came in from the east over the Bosphorus bridge from Asia, so we were on the wrong side of the dual carriageway with no turn-off to get to the Quai. This means finding somewhere to double back along the road to reach the parking area, which you can see clearly from the road by a big white communication tower.

The cost here is ytl 30 p/n (about £11). It's a very noisy place, next to the dual carriageway on one side and the Bosphorus on the other with the constant noise of ships and ferries, but its location cannot be beaten. There's a nice view of the Blue Mosque from the parking area and you are no more than 15 minutes' walk from the Sultanahmet, the Grand Bazaar and all the other touristy bits. There is another otopark just down the road behind the sports complex (N 41.00253 E 28.96789) where you can stay but it didn't look as good as the Quai.

We stayed 3 nights on the Quai, which was enough really, but it's such an amazing atmospheric place.We'll always remember it.

Heading back towards the Greek border at Ipsala, we stayed overnight at an old campsite called Gizim Camping (N 40.98421 E 27.96709), just off the D10 east of Ereglisi. A bit ramshackle and more geared for tents but we were tired and asked if we could stay the night. The friendly owner refused to take any money and found us a little level spot for the night; what a lovely gesture and typical of the Turkish hospitality. We had a good night's sleep before heading for the border in the morning.

I filled up with diesel before the border crossing and took advantage of the usual free vehicle wash, as there was a break in the weather, but as soon as we drove out of the garage the heavens opened and it's pouring again. No doubt I'll have to pay and do it myself in Greece - I've been spoilt!

Passage through Turkish and Greek customs was painless, although Turkish customs seemed to be a very miserable lot and the Greeks ones equally sour faced. Good fun driving across no man's land though and waving at the young Turkish conscripts at the picket posts, who gave big smiles and happily waved back.

That's it for Turkey. A great country with lovely hospitable and friendly people (except the customs staff) but some woeful road surfaces in places. Hang on to your fillings if you come this way. We'll be back again.

We're now back in Greece at Camping Alexandroupolis again, just over the Turkish border, for a bit of R & R and catching up on all the big stuff, like all the bedding etc is well overdue for a wash. We'd tried to avoid Easter in Greece but the weather was not so good in the north of Turkey so we decided to cut our losses and have a change of country.

We had a look around the campsite before booking in and there were only about 4 units here, only slightly busier than when we passed through in the other direction nearly 7 weeks ago. We were expecting it to be mobbed with jolly Greeks celebrating their Easter (weekend of Sunday 15 April), so perhaps the austerity measures are really hitting home?

We ended up spending 3 nights at Camping Alexandroupolis (N 40.84757 E 25.84688) over the Easter period. The weather was great until the last day but the main reason we stayed so long (don't normally like staying on sites) is that I managed to get a serious dose of diarrhoea. We tracked it down possibly to some chicken I ate in Istanbul, as Judy had something different that day. This place must be jinxed, as something always seem to go wrong when we stay!

On the last day here the weather turned again and the rains came: strange brown coloured rain. All the vehicles had this strange brown tinge but it washed off fairly easily. A quick note: the campsite doesn't accept cards but there is a cash machine outside the gate, which also accepts a Caxton card if you have one.

Heading west we ended up at Mesis beach (N 40.94204 E 25.19183), just down the road from Fanari where we stayed on the way out. Lots of places to stay here, either overlooking the sea or the lagoons to the rear, in a nice little sleepy village. Water was available and an old toilet block just up the road to empty the loo. Lovely sandy beach but it was raining so we didn't swim. Would visit here again. Still unwell.

Next day across to Paralia Orfani (N 40.74988 E 23.94127), where we stayed on the way over, to spend the night alone. The little stone pile with our names in crayon on was still there!

From here we carried on west hugging the coast and only got a few km before finding a lovely spot at Nea Kerdylia (N 40.75542 E 23.73946) next to the beach, with a beach shower nearby and the lovely scent of Jasmine from the bushes. We decided to stay a night here, the sun was out too! We stopped off and bought some Immodium from the chemist, which seem to be doing the trick so far.

Around the coast to Olymbiada (N 40.59119 E 23.78776) on the Friday, staying for 2 nights at the harbour. A very pleasant fishing village with a delightful little church just by our pitch on the harbour. No bells either - always a bonus. Many little day boats used the ramp to launch their boats over the weekend, which was good entertainment. Some of them are expert at reversing their trailers, some not so good.

From here it was a sprint on the motorway across to Vergina. On the way over we stayed at the first (€4) private car park on my POI's list but this time we stayed at the free car park just across from the tombs (N 40.48450 E 22.32177), which we much preferred. Even though the man who owns the other car park said we were in danger of being robbed by East European gangs if we stayed there, we live to tell the tale!

Next day we diverted down to Meteora to see the monasteries. We had seen them on a previous trip but they are well worth a second visit. According to Rough Guide 'Meteora' means 'suspended in mid-air' and if you ever visit you'll know exactly why.

We stayed the night at a little ramshackle campsite nestled amongst the rocks and monasteries. Imaginatively called 'Camping The Cave' (N 39.71987 E 21.61978), it was not too bad at €15 per night though the men's showers were a bit dodgy, either red hot or freezing cold, with no happy medium. Judy's were fine.

Next day, after a drive around all the different monasteries, we topped up with fuel (€1.57/ltr) and a gave the van a good wash before heading for Igoumenitsa, arriving about 4pm to look for a ferry back to Italy. Bad news at the ferry agents, as we were stung with an extra €45 fuel surcharge on top of the ferry fare. This surcharge had been introduced while we were in Turkey. The days of cheap crossings seem to be long gone.

We are booked for Monday 30th April on the Superfast ferry to Ancona, which gives us 6 nights left in Greece, so we are heading for one of our favourite spots at Sagiada up near the Albanian border. The weather forecast is good so the plan is to do not a lot for a few days and top up our tans. Glad to report I'm feeling a lot better!

We ended up staying 4 nights at Sagiada Dromos (N 39.63532 E 20.16978). The weather was great and we had the place to ourselves. Did nothing but sunbathe, then when it got too hot we had a swim, then a rinse under the beach shower, then another sunbathe, then a swim and so it went on.

For the last 2 nights we headed for Drepano beach again (N 39.51440 E 20.21444) about 6 km outside the port. It's a nice location with a much better sandy beach than Sagiada and a great view of all the ferries coming in and out. Only us and two other vans here, one German and one Dutch.

30 April: Monday came and we had our last swim late afternoon, then headed for the port, had a meal and did a bit of shopping. After a last diesel up (fuel slightly cheaper than Italy), we booked in at the port. The boat is about an hour late so we've got an hour or two to fill.

'Superfast IV' finally came in several hours late and we didn't leave until well after midnight, which makes you wonder if they have the ship's name correct.

Camping on board was different from the Minoan and Anek crossings we've used before. The camper deck is at the rear of the ship on open deck, whereas on the others campers are down the side of the ship and covered, apart from the sides of course. Quite a lot of vibration from the engines compared with other 'on deck' crossings but we got used to it. There were only about 8 camping-on-board places, with no room for any more vans in the open, although they had put an articulated truck along one side of the camping bit. We sunbathed outside the van during the day to pass the time.

Docked at Ancona late evening, then back to the Auchan Sosta (N 43.55200 E 13.51500) on the outskirts of Ancona for the night before starting our leisurely tour home.

Just to close down the trip, rather than bore you with what happened etc we've just listed the places we stayed en route during a leisurely month or so back through Italy, Switzerland, France and eventually home.

1 May 2012 - Ancona (Italy) Free Sosta at Auchan superstore with mh service point. (N 43.55200 E13.51500)

2 May - Fano (Italy) Free Sosta in town with mh service point for 2 nights. We love Fano. (N 43.84572 E 13.01036)

4 May - Urbania (Italy) Free Sosta behind monastery with mh service point and free electricity. (N 43.67920 E 12.51316)

5 May - San Marino (RSM), Borgio Maggiore. Excellent free Sosta and service point for 2 nights. At base of the funicular, which takes you up to San Marino itself. (N 43.94042 E 12.44165)

7 May - Salsomaggiore Terme (Italy) Free Sosta a short walk from the interesting town with mh service point. (N 44.82017 E 09.98954)

8 May - Castel'arquato (Italy) Parking area at the top of this wonderful ancient town. Water and rubbish bins, possible to empty cassette in public toilets. Follow signs for 'P4' from the town below. (N 44.84973 E 09.86324)

9 May - Cremona (Italy) Free Sosta a short walk from the city centre with mh service point. Noisy Italian family. Great shopping here. (N 45.13829 E 10.03598)

10 May - Madonna del Sasso (Italy) Fantastic free Sosta overlooking lake Orta for 2 nights. Just us, supremely quiet and views over the lake to die for. Very narrow approach up very steep hill. (N 45.79010 E 08.37252)

12 May - Baveno (Italy) By Lake Maggiore. Not brilliant, paved parking area with service point but lots of noise from adjacent railway. Not worth €12 a night. (N 45.91130 E 8.50095)

13 May - Willisau (Switzerland) Excellent transit stop. Water and electrics all free but no toilet dump. Willisau town is nice. (N 47.11918 E 7.99783)

14 May - Ferrette (France) Nice little Aire just above the sleepy village. €2 for water, the rest free. Steep walk via footpath down to town. (N 47.48882 E 07.31112)

15 May - Hirzbach (France) Free Aire next to old railway station. Short walk to lovely picturesque town. (N 47.60075 E 07.22527)

16 May - Bourbach le Haut (France) Small parking area in tiny village high up in the Vosges with lovely views. €5 but no fees collected on our visit. (N 47.79469 E 07.02899)

17 May - Le Markstein (France) Large gravelled parking area at the top of the pass. Superb walking area and on a clear day there are spectacular views of the Alps in the distance. (N 47.92305 E 07.03107)

18 May - Linthal (France) Newly refurbished Aire on the road down from the pass. Free overnight. €4.30 for service point by credit card. (N 47.94484 E 07.12819)

19 May - Orschwihr (France) Immaculate Aire on the outskirts of a very picturesque village. Free overnight. Service point €4.30 by credit card. (N 47.93715 E 07.23206)

20 May - Equisheim (France) Free overnight parking in large car park opposite the graveyard. One of the most beautiful villages in the Vosges region. (N 48.04379 E 07.31281)

22 May - Les Trois Epis (France) Great little Aire at the top of the Trois Epis. Free overnight. €3 for water, €1 shower (2 x 50c jetons). (N 48.10104 E 07.22934)

24 May - St Hippolyte (France) Beautiful little village with no less than 6 separate motorhome-friendly parking areas around the village. We used two of them: Etang de Peche (N 48.23366 E 07.36220) and Rue Schlossreben. (N 48.23463 E 07.36618)

26 May - Col de la Schlucht (France) Great spot at the top of the pas. (N 48.06522 E 07.02240)

28 May - Gerardmer (France) Aire just on the outskirts of the town. €4 overnight, €2 service point. (N 48.07240 E 06.87359)

29 May - La Bresse (France) Lovely quiet spot amidst beautiful scenery next to a small lake, no facilities. (N 48.04340 E 06.93369)

31 May - Thaon les Vosges (France) Nice free Aire next to the river, short walk into town. Very popular so arrive early. (N 48.25065 E 06.42484)

1 June - Richardmenil (France) Nice little free Aire (inc electric) just over the road from the river on the outskirts of town. (N 48.59479 E 06.16112)

2 June - Commercy (France) Great little free Aire next to the canal and behind the velodrome. Short walk into Commercy. Overflow parking down track to the left if Aire is full. (N 48.76414 E 05.59621)

3 June - Dun sur Meuse (France) Aire on the riverbank. €7 p/n inc electric. (N 49.38881 E 05.17807)

4 June - Charleville Meziers (France) Nice free Aire outside the Municipal campsite overlooking the marina, short walk from the town. Very popular, get there early. (N 49.77902 E 04.71993)

5 June - Tournai (Belgium) Large free motorhome parking area and service point just across the road from this lovely Belgian town. (N 50.60398 E 03.38087)

6 June - Dunkerke Malo (France) Free motorhome parking area just over the dunes from the beach, no facilities. (N 51.05364 E 02.41522)

7 June - Calais Ferry Terminal (France) No problems parking overnight before or after crossing in the terminal car park. Follow signs for 'sans billets'. No facilities. (N 50.96754 E 01.86890)