GREECE TO THE UK, JUNE 2018

OVERLAND via ALBANIA, MONTENEGRO, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, CROATIA, SLOVENIA, AUSTRIA, GERMANY and THE NETHERLANDS

Margaret Williamson

INTO ALBANIA

Camping Limnopoula, Ioanina, Northern Greece to Camping/Hotel Mali Robit, Golem, near Kavaje, Albania – 171 miles

Open all year. www.hotelcampingmr.webs.com  Camping in grounds behind hotel/restaurant, €12 inc electricity. Shower inside hotel €1.50. Free WiFi. N 41.233470  E 19.517585

On the first day of June we leave the lakeside camp at Ioanina to start the overland journey back to the UK. Though very reluctant to exit Greece after a wonderful winter, Christmas, spring and Easter, we need to return before our MOT expires and the sun grows too fierce.

North past Ioanina airport and Lidl (no room to park), it's 13 miles to Kalpaki village, with the splendid Military Museum opposite the War Memorial that we had visited in April. The museum is open daily, free of charge, all year from 9.30 am-2 pm, and from 5 pm during the summer (1 May-30 Sept). Shown round the exhibition by a smart young 

man in uniform speaking excellent English, we learnt about the Battle of Kalpaki, which lasted 2 weeks and turned the Italian troops back into Albania after war was declared on Oxi Day (28 Oct 1940) when Metaxas said 'NO' or Oxi to Mussolini. The date is still a Greek National Holiday. The short film we watched was only in Greek but the images spoke for themselves. 

On through Kalpaki village, offering free overnight parking signed for motorhomes near the school, just before our left turn onto E853. Then 23 empty miles to the guarded Albanian border at Kakavia, up at 323 m/1066 ft.

Note that

1. Albania is not an EU member and the currency is the Albanian Lek (100 Lek = €0.8). Current exchange rate is approx 100 Lek=£0.80 or €0.70. Most businesses accept Euros and it's advisable to carry cash.

2.  Albania is in the Central European Time zone (so 1 hr ahead of the UK). Put clocks back an hour if arriving from Greece.

4.  Petrol and diesel both cost around 170 Lek, or €1.20 a litre, and there are plenty of fuel stations along main roads.

5.  Tolls are being introduced on some Albanian motorways during 2018, though we did not meet any.

6.  UK vehicles must buy 'Green Card' insurance at the border (minimum 15 days cost us €49).

After passports and vehicle documents have been checked we park to buy insurance. Directed from one cabin to another, Margaret finally hands over a €50 note and is surprised to be given a €1 coin in change. Barry stays with the motorhome where migrants, beggars and gipsies are hanging about.  

The SH4 is a reasonable road for 20 miles to the busy city of Gjirokaster, where flower-sellers are doing business by the Orthodox cemetery. The country, officially atheist during the Communist era, is now a mixture of Muslims (mainly to the north) and Christians. SH4 continues north along the valley of the River Drino, with a separate bicycle path going as far as a popular lake and park. Clear of the city, we see sheep and shepherds, the land much greener than in Greece. Stalls sell honey, wine and oil in the scenic laybys. A trucker stops to fill his water bottles at a fountain, by a restaurant overlooking the river below on our right. The light traffic includes cars from Croatia, German motorbikes and 3 laden cycle-tourists.

In Tepelene, 20 miles later (at 200 m/660 ft), a large statue of Ali Pasha stands in the square and there are the remains of a fortress overlooking the river gorge. Then it's downhill and away, the SH4 now broader and smoother. In Mermaliaj the roadside car wash is a man with a hosepipe. Head-scarved women are haymaking with pitchforks while one leads a donkey. It is sunny but pleasantly cooler than down in the Greek Peloponnese. Further on a 'nodding donkey' pumps oil that we can smell. Descending to a flat plain, there is strip cultivation in the fields, with more donkey-carts and labourers. Fruit & veg stalls are selling local cherries. Shitet means 'For Sale'.

Meeting the SH8 at Levan, 79 miles since the border, we turn left for Durres and Tirana and stop for a lunch break. SH8 takes us to Fier, its grim tower-blocks looming in a haze of concrete. After turning right at the roundabout for the bumpy ring road, we rejoine SH4, a good dual carriageway to Lushnje, where watermelon sellers line the road. Ever-north to Kavaje, where we notice the first minarets.

At Kavaje it's easy to miss the left turn at a roundabout to the little resort of Mali Robit (we do, and it's quite a way to the next chance to turn back!) The hotel/camp is about 300 metres along, almost to the beach, on the right. Anna, the friendly English-speaking daughter of the owners, shows us to a shady place among the pine trees behind the hotel. The restaurant is open (though take-away pizzas only at the weekend), the WiFi works off-and-on, and we can use the shower in one of the bedrooms for a small fee including soap and towel. We are joined by a single German van.

Before dinner we take a short walk to the beach (mostly private, guarded at large hotels) and along the single road of shops and cafes that form the new resort of Golem. It was built on a former military zone in the forest, with the dilapidated blocks of flats that housed the soldiers standing gaunt. Anna tells us that Mali Robit means 'a big hill of dead bodies' and refers to a battle fought here in Roman times by Pompey. 

The evening meal cooked by Anna's mother is excellent: stuffed chicken breast, mixed salad, chips and bread, followed by a huge bowl of sweet cherries. She insists we take what we don't eat back to the motorhome, where we have a peaceful night.

Albania certainly feels much less hostile than our previous experiences of crossing the country.

Camping/Hotel Mali Robit, Golem to Camping Legjenda, Shkoder, Albania – 171 miles

Open all year. www.campinglegjenda.com  €17.50 inc electricity, showers, open-air pool. Free WiFi. N 42.043314  E 19.488271

The weather has turned very hot. Unusually so, say our hosts as we leave, driving north on the SH4 dual carriageway to Durres, the busy major port of Albania. Here at 8 miles we turn right onto SH2, the dual carriageway to the capital, Tirana. At Vore 12 miles later, near Tirana Airport, we exit SH2 and follow signs via three roundabouts onto SH52 for Shkoder. There are plenty of fuel stations along the route, an occasional minaret, and a convoy of French motorhomes coming towards us. They even wave!

At 25 miles we pass Nord Park Hotel & Camping, shortly before exiting SH52 to join E762, a busy and slow 2-lane road for 5 miles before it turns briefly into a motorway. We take a break at the services at 32 miles, with plenty of space for overnight parking. To our surprise, the cab radio picks up BBC World Service. The motorway soon becomes a 2-laner again, with numerous police speed checks.

After Lezhe with its hilltop castle, SH1 leads another 20 miles north along the Drin Valley to Shkoder, through green and pleasant farmland now we are clear of the industrial blight spreading from Durres and Tirana. Roadside stalls sell live chickens and rabbits, alongside fruit and vegetables, with watermelons (the Greek favourite Karpousi) in season.

Approaching Shkoder, dominated by the splendid Rozafa castle, we pass the campsite sign on the left. The camp is accessed by circling the roundabout and coming back to turn right along a short narrow lane. It's a good site with 60 marked pitches round a small swimming pool and we find a place under a bower of vines that give some shade from the strong sun. The facilities are good and there are gas rings for cooking, though only cold water for washing up. Greeted by two sisters speaking good English, we learn that their mother is an English teacher and that the family also own the adjacent restaurant/bar. Our assorted neighbours include a Dutch truck equipped to cross the Sahara, a German motorhome, local cycle tourists with a toddler in a trailer and a single British campervan.

We take an afternoon walk into the town below the castle (open 8 am-8pm, €2) but it's too hot to consider the climb. Strolling along by the Buna River, we find an ice cream and cross the old wooden bridge over which we nervously entered Shkoder the first time we came, in a 6-ton motorhome. Now it carries only pedestrians and cyclists, with a new bridge for motor traffic. Reaching the mosque, we realise we're entering a gipsy enclave and retreat. A curious sight is a man swimming the fast-flowing river alongside his dog. 

Back at the camp we try a take-away tuna pizza from the restaurant (€4) and look at the weather forecast on-line. Hot and getting hotter!

Click: magbazpictures.com/albania

VIA MONTENEGRO TO CROATIA

Camping Legjenda, Shkoder, Albania to Camping Solitudo (Sunny Resort), Dubrovnik, Croatia – 172 miles

Open 1 Apr-1 Nov. www.camping-adriatic.com/solitudo-camp-dubrovnik 282.95 HRK (about €38) inc electricity, showers, tourist tax and a small discount for ACSI or Camping Card International. Free WiFi throughout.  N 42.716666 E 18.425000

It's 30°C as we drive through the central bazaar of Shkoder on this Sunday morning, busy with people on foot, on bicycles and in cars, the cafes and shops all open. We take SH1/E762 up the eastern side of the lake, past a sign for Lake Shkoder Camping – a well reviewed Dutch-run site about 5 miles out of Shkoder which we might try next time. On through the villages of Koplik and Bajze, our progress slowed by horses pulling carts (one leading a cow) and a succession of roundabouts, to the border town of Hani Totit at 25 miles.

As we exit Albania (Shqiperia) our passports and vehicle papers, including the insurance we bought, are checked by the Albanian police, who also ask where we stayed.

INTO MONTENEGRO (or CRNA GORA)

Note that

1. Montenegro is not an EU member, though it uses the Euro as its currency. Advisable to carry enough cash.

2.  Montenegro is in the Central European Time zone (so 1 hr ahead of the UK).

3.  Diesel costs around €1.30 a litre.

4.  No road or motorway tolls.

5.  UK vehicles must buy 'Green Card' insurance at the border (minimum 15 days €15 for a car; negotiable for a motorhome – see below!)

6.  Daytime running lights are compulsory.

The passports and papers are rechecked on entering Montenegro (meaning 'Black Mountain', as does 'Crna Gora'). We are told to buy insurance before proceeding, though it's not clear where. Margaret eventually seeks out a man in an office who reluctantly finds a form to fill in, grumbling that this isn't his job, he only covers it on Sundays. After some time on a computer, he announces that the minimum 15 days costs €177 for a 'truck', as the form says 'Ford Transit'. Naturally, M insists we are not a truck (he won't come out and look), that cars are only €15, that we will transit the country in one day, and that Albania charged €40. Mentioning Albania is a mistake: 'That's up to them, this is Montenegro, and €15 is for a very small car.' Undeterred, M refuses to pay €177 or to move. After more calculations, we are classed as an Autobus for the price of €36.70 – 'but don't tell anyone or I will lose my job'! M gives him €40 saying keep it, which he refuses to do, giving the exact change. All this conducted in German, of which he has a rudimentary knowledge. We leave with relief, an insurance document and no idea of the correct price on weekdays!

Continuing north through the hills on E762, we notice fuel stations with prices in Euros, the unofficial currency, as well as police speed checks along the roads. Approaching Podgorica, the capital, we pass a new Muslim cemetery with many rows of white headstones. As we leave the city behind, we find E762 to Niksic blocked by a police car parked sideways across the road. Assuming an accident ahead, we follow a couple of motorbikes which turn left and loop round to rejoin E762 further on, but the highway is still closed and police tell us that a cycle race from Niksic to Podgorica (about 50 km, mostly downhill) is due to come through in half an hour. We wait in a nearby layby and watch the action go by, trying to imagine a major road in the UK being closed for a morning for a low-key cycle race!

Click: magbazpictures.com/montenegro

Driving the route they have cycled down, we rise gently up the Zeta Valley. After Danilovgrad, where E762 is dual carriageway for a mile, the road climbs more steeply along a corniche above the valley. There are short tunnels before a longer one, up at 600 m/1,980 ft, and we pass a pair of laden cycle-tourists, much more impressive than the lycra-clad all-male racers going down. At 72 miles (alt 620 m) we pause for lunch with a view.

Past the ruins of Niksic Castle we turn west on M6, bound for Trebinje in Bosnia-Herzegovina. A good road, it climbs through green forested mountains and lakes reaching 1026 m/3,390 m. At 97 miles (alt 1004 m/3,315 ft) we meet the border, exiting Montenegro once passports and papers are checked. After a mile of No-Man's- Land, Sunday strikes again! There is no way we (or the Polish campervan in front of us) can enter Bosnia without insurance and the office is closed. 'Come back tomorrow' is the only advice, and No, we can't wait here! As we re-enter Montenegro, the smiling border guard remarks 'No insurance?' (he knew all along!)

The only option, apart from returning to Podgorica, is to retrack a couple of miles, then take the M4 down to Risan and the Montenegrin coast. This proves to be a lovely route across meadows of alpine flowers, then a corniche, dropping over 1,000 feet. Skirting the west side of Lake Kotor, we meet the main E851 road at Kamenari and turn north towards Croatia. The coast road is extremely busy, the tiny campsites full and no other opportunity to stop. We resign ourselves to continuing over the Croatian border, at 145 miles.

INTO CROATIA

Note that

1. Croatia is an EU member but the currency is the Kuna (HRK). Current exchange rate is approx 8.4=£1 or 7.4=€1. Some businesses will accept Euros or bank cards.

2.  Croatia is in the Central European Time zone (so 1 hr ahead of the UK).

3.  Diesel costs around €1.35 a litre.

4.  Motorway tolls can be paid in Kuna, Euros or with a bank card.

5.  UK insurance covers EU countries.

6.  Daytime running lights are compulsory.

We leave Montenegro having learnt a lesson - 'Never on a Sunday' – and enter Croatia with just a passport check and no insurance to buy: welcome to the EU!

Following the coast for 25 miles past Dubrovnik, we glimpse the splendid old city and harbour below. Just before the suspension bridge we turn off round the harbour in search of Camping Solitudo (now named 'Sunny Resort') at Babin Kuk, finding it through a confused mix of satnav directions, signposts and memory. A queue of French motorhomes waits at Reception and the price is absurd, but it's getting late after a long and frustrating day. Margaret's ACSI Review of the campsite says it all:

“This huge site is difficult to access from the main road and badly signed until almost there. It's a tortuous route round the harbour, found only with help from the SatNav. On arrival I wished I had not bothered! Seriously overpriced at over 30 Euros, the site was noisy and crowded. The lone young man on Reception had a long queue checking in and did nothing to speed the process up. ID was required for every single camper, most of whom had to return to their vehicles to fetch it. When I objected to leaving a passport at Reception, rather than the camping cards I offered, payment in advance was demanded.
There was loud noise (can't call it music) from the adjacent hotel bar, long into the night. I left the next morning, just glad to get away. No idea why it is called Solitudo as there was no peace.
Nothing special about the facilities. The free WiFi worked and that was the only positive feature.
The site is cashing in on being the nearest to Dubrovnik, which is a bus ride away.”

Camping Solitudo, Dubrovnik to Camping Maslenica, Maslenica, Croatia – 220 miles

Summer only. Small simple site behind a bar/pizzeria. €19 inc elec and showers. No WiFi.  N 44.223733  E 15.535794

After 3.5 congested miles to escape from Camp Solitudo, we reach the magnificent Tudmana suspension bridge (Most Tudmana) and continue north up the coast on the popular E65/rd 8, known as the Magistrale. It runs a narrow course between white limestone cliffs and the deep blue sea, dotted with turquoise-fringed islands. A constant stream of motorhomes and tour buses are bound for Dubrovnik; road signs warn of wild boar crossing, presumably at night, out of season! At 31 miles we stop to refuel (bank card OK), just past the exit for Ston.

The next event is the Neum Enclave, where Bosnia-Herzegovina briefly meets the coast and splits Croatia in two. There is a border post at each end of this 8-mile corridor, the subject of many queries we receive about insurance. One solution is to bypass the enclave by turning off at Ston, driving to Trpanj on the Peljesac Peninsula, then taking a ferry to Ploce, though this involves considerable delay and expense. The long-awaited bridge from Ploce to the peninsula is still under construction. The alternative is to drive through the enclave and hope for the best, as we have done in the past without let or hindrance. We have heard of uninsured vehicles being turned back, with no insurance payment possible, but the British campers on the Dubrovnik site yesterday all said they'd hadn't been stopped, and we too are waved straight through by the border guard!

There has been a lot of new development of apartments and hotels along this coastal strip in the last few years and the leisure port of Neum is packed with yachts and visitors. The signs are in both Cyrillic and Roman alphabets but the Cyrillic has been blacked out (an anti-Serbian protest). The free car park where we used to pause now has a charge and is full, so we drive on, again waved through as we exit BiH and re-enter Croatia, its steep hillside clad with vines. Below is a well-watered plain of orange groves; roadside stalls sell fruit, juice and wine.

Click: magbazpictures.com/the-neum-enclave

In Rogotin at 65 miles (shortly before Ploce) we take the new smooth link to the A1 motorway, leaving E65/rd 8 to a continuous stream of tourist traffic. Taking a ticket at the toll booth, we climb inland through the mountains by a series of well-lit tunnels. At the motorway services, 30 miles later, the altitude has peaked at 620 m/2,050 ft and the temperature at 1 pm is 28.6°C. An ice cream would be welcome but the cashier will not accept Euros, nor a bank card for such a small amount. It's too hot for the short climb up a rocky hillock to a monument to Fallen Croatian Soldiers.

Continuing north, the A1 remains well above 300 m/1,000 ft and there are warnings of bears and wolves at tunnel entrances, where they are reputed to shelter from the heat or winter snow. The motorway descends past the exit for Split, then continues on its quiet inland route, well away from the traffic on the parallel coast. Serious mountains loom ahead after passing the Zadar exit and we turn off A1 at 218 miles onto the D8. The toll is 174 HRK (about €24 paid by card) for 153 miles of new uncongested motorway. The lane leads 2 miles to the village of Maslenica, where our satnav lists a campsite.

A friendly woman in the village shop points us to the unmarked entrance of a bar/pizzeria. Its owner, who speaks a little German, ushers us onto the uneven field at the back and demands €19. There is a basic WC/shower, Strom (electric hook-up) and (unsurprisingly) no other campers. Very peaceful except for the noise from the bar, where all the men of the village are watching a Liverpool-Croatia match. The pizzeria is closed, so we dine on rice with a tin of Greek meatballs in tomato sauce. The temperature is now 29C.

The local TV shows many British/American programmes in English with subtitles: 'House', 'Everybody Loves Raymond' and a very dated episode of 'On the Buses' that is too corny (not to say offensive) to watch!

TO SLOVENIA

Camping Maslenica, Maslenica, Croatia to Camping Perun Lipce, Blejska Dobrava, Slovenia – 231 miles

Open 20 Apr-1 Oct.  www.camping-perun.si/en/  €17 (ACSI Card) plus registration fee and taxes = €21.68, inc electricity, showers and free WiFi.  N 46.414544  E 14.105461

It's slightly cooler after light rain overnight: 24°C as we leave at 10 am, driving 2 miles to rejoin the A1 northbound. The motorway climbs through tunnels, skirting the eastern edge of the Velebit Mountains and Paklenica National Park to reach 600 m/1,980 ft, then crosses a pleasant green plateau. By noon the temperature is 27°C, as we descend to 300 m.

At 110 miles the A1 joins the busier A6/E65, turning northeast towards Zagreb, the Croatian capital. Ten miles later, just after a lunch break at the services, we take exit 4  for Netretic, paying a toll of €19 cash as we leave the motorway. The narrow 2-lane rd 6 leads north across farmland, the fields studded with the little conical haystacks that are typical of Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania. On through Ribnik village to the Slovenian border on the River Kupa at 133 miles.

It has been a swift transit of Croatia, as we have explored the country, its beautiful coastline and historic towns, on previous occasions at a quieter and cooler time of year.    

INTO SLOVENIA

Note that

1. Slovenia is an EU member and the currency is the Euro.

2.  Slovenia is in the Central European Time zone (so 1 hr ahead of the UK).

3.  Diesel costs around €1.29 a litre.

4.  Vehicles up to 3.5 tons need a vignette to drive on Slovenian motorways (€15 for minimum 7 days, €30 for a month). Those over 3.5 tons pay tolls at regular toll points along the motorways. Vignettes are on sale at fuel stations along the way and at major border crossings. A fine is imposed for failure to display one and ours was checked as we left the country. Don't risk it!

5.  UK insurance covers EU countries.

6.  Daytime running lights are compulsory.

Crossing the border river (Kupa), Slovenia is entered with a brief passport check at the village of Metlika. There is nowhere to buy a vignette. We continue on the narrow and bumpy rd 105, past green fields of crops with vines on the hillsides. The road twists its way up from 250 m/825 ft to 616 m/2,030 ft, then drops down through shady woods until we meet the traffic lights causing jams in Novo Mesto. The city looks prosperous compared with Croatia, the shops, supermarkets and streets all busy. We hope to buy a vignette here but the fuel stations are not easily accessible and we soon cross the Krka River, following signs to join the A2/E70 motorway which links two capitals (Zagreb to Ljubljana).

At the next services at Podsmreka we're able to buy the 7-day vignette for Slovenia (€15), as well as one for Austria (€9 for minimum 10 days). The service station has a few parking places for motorhomes with free electricity, next to a water and chemical toilet dump. A stark contrast to the UK, where all vehicles are charged for staying over 2 hours and there are no special facilities.

Continuing on A2 as it begins to rain heavily, we meet Ljubljana's outer ring road, the A1, and follow it clockwise to rejoin A2 and head north, past the airport at Kranj. We pass the exit for Lake Bled - a lovely spot with an excellent campsite that will certainly be busy - and take the next exit, number 2, signed Jesenice-Vzhod (Jesenice East). Camping signs lead us 2 km along a narrow road through Lipce village to a brand new little campsite featured in the ACSI discount book. It overlooks the dammed Sava River, across which we can see the A2 and the railway line running to the Austrian border.

The wooded surroundings are cool and green, there are just a couple of Dutch/German campers and the friendly receptionist speaks German. What's not to like? Answer (a) the free WiFi is out of order since being struck by lightning; (b) meals at the small restaurant must be ordered before 4 pm and we're too late; (c) it's still pouring down! The site still deserves a good ACSI review from Margaret:

“Only 2 km from the A2 motorway, along a narrow road through Lipce village, it's a new small campsite set in green woodland overlooking the Sava River.
The clean modern facilities include a washing machine and the site accepts the ACSI Card for a fair low-season price. The free WiFi wasn't working as the antenna had been struck by lightning and awaited repair!
Meals are available, but only if ordered before 4 pm so we were unable to sample the local produce. Would have stayed longer if the weather had been better.
Very convenient when travelling to or from Austria through the Karawanke Tunnel. Will certainly use this site again.”

VIA AUSTRIA TO GERMANY

Camping Perun Lipce, Blejska Dobrava, Slovenia to Chiemsee Strand Camping, Chieming, Bavaria, Germany – 163 miles

Open 1 Apr-30 Sept.  www.chiemsee-strandcamping.de  €17 (ACSI Card) plus €2.40 tax, inc elec, showers and free WiFi.  N 47.876389  E 12.528889

Returning through the narrow village of Lipce, we soon join A2 motorway north for 7 miles to the Karawanke Tunnel. At the entrance, the border control checks our Slovenian vignette and takes a tunnel toll of €7.20 (all vehicles up to 3.5 tons). The modern tunnel cutting through the Karawanken Mountains is 7.864 km long, with the Austro-Slovenian border in the middle.

INTO AUSTRIA

Note that

1.  Austria is an EU member and the currency is the Euro.

2.  Austria is in the Central European Time zone (so 1 hr ahead of the UK).

3.  Diesel costs €1.56 a litre on the motorway (probably less elsewhere).

4.  Vehicles up to 3.5 tons need a vignette to drive on Austrian motorways (€9 for minimum 10 days, €26.20 for 2 months). All vehicles over 3.5 tons must buy a Go-Box for mileage-based tolls. Vignettes are on sale at fuel stations along the way and at major border crossings. In addition, there are separate tolls on the longer tunnels (eg Karawanke and Katschberg).

5.  UK insurance covers EU countries.

6.  Daytime running lights are compulsory.

At the Karawanke Tunnel exit at 14 miles, up at 680 m/2,245 ft, the Austrian border guard checks our passports. We already have the vignette sticker, bought in Slovenia, but they are on sale at the first services we pass along the A11. At Villach we join A10 north to Salzburg, through magnificent scenery and several short tunnels, climbing above 1000 m/3,300 ft, on a fine cloudy morning.

At the Katschberg Tunnel, (length 6 km, height 1189 m/3,924 ft) the toll is €11.50. It lies on the border between the Austrian states of Carinthia (Kärnten) and Styria (Steiermark) in the eastern Alps; mountainous and forested, this is the green heart of the country. After a series of short tunnels and a lunch break at a service station, we gradually descend to Salzburg (430 m/1,420 ft) and turn west on A1 at 135 miles.

INTO GERMANY

Note that

1.  Germany is an EU member and the currency is the Euro.

2.  Germany is in the Central European Time zone (so 1 hr ahead of the UK).

3.  Diesel costs around €1.49 a litre on the motorway (probably less elsewhere).

4.  There are currently NO TOLLS on German motorways for vehicles up to 7.5 tons.

5.  UK insurance covers EU countries.

6.  Daytime running lights are recommended but not obligatory.

At 137 miles we cross the border into Germany. There is a short queue but we are waved through and continue west on A8 towards Munich. After 23 Bavarian miles we take exit 109, then 3 miles north past Grabenstätt to Chiemsee Strandcamping on the eastern shore of the Chiemsee. This, the first of at least 3 popular lakeside campsites, is one we stayed on in April 2015 when it was called Camping Sport-Ecke (and was much quieter!)

All the pitches by the shore (which cost extra) are taken but we find a peaceful place with a glimpse of the lake and settle down to catch up on correspondence, as the free WiFi works well. The 60-km Chiemsee Uferweg (cycle path around the lake) runs past the campsite gate so we'll sample that tomorrow.

At Chiemsee Strand Camping, Chieming, Bavaria

A busy morning of laundry, emails and phone calls. Most importantly we arrange a service and MOT at Dick Lane Motorhomes in Bradford (the reason for our return to the UK at this time of year). The weather is cooler after overnight rain.

Cycling 24 km to Seebruck and back: Later we cycle to nearby Erlstätt (to shop at Lidl), then join the Chiemsee Uferweg as far as Seebruck at the northern end of the lake. The gravel cycle path skirts the lake shore past Chieming, on through two campsites, then follows a quiet road to Seebruck (= lake bridge).  We cross the bridge over the River Alz, take a look at Bavaria's largest yacht harbour and learn that the town lies on the old Roman trade route between Salzburg and Augsburg. Traces of a Roman settlement (Bedaium) have been found and there is a museum displaying Celtic and Roman finds from the archaeological site. The museum (€4, closed Mon & Tues) is located near the centre of the village close to the 15th C church of St Thomas, which was built on the foundations of an earlier castle. Having arrived too late for museum entry, we sample ice creams at one of the cafes before cycling back, reaching our camp just before thunder and rain set in. 

A small tent has appeared next to our pitch, containing another cyclist called Barry, who has ridden from his home in London, bound for Vienna and Budapest. After an interesting talk about routes and the Danube Cycle Path he retires to the campsite bar. Here is M's ACSI review of the campsite:

“A very popular campsite along the shore of the Chiemsee lake, easily accessed from the A8. Fair price low-season with ACSI Card, with an extra charge for lakeside pitches, which were all taken.
The facilities are reasonable, though only two washing up sinks was not enough. There was also a queue for using the washer and drier (only one of each in the laundry). The free WiFi worked well.
Pizzas are available at the bar.
The cycle path around the Chiemsee (60 km in all) goes right past the gate and we had a pleasant ride along it to Seebruck and back. A good base for cycling or water sports.”

Chiemsee Strand Camping, Chieming to Wassersportclub, Eibelstadt, Nr Würzburg, Bavaria – 243 miles

Open all year.  www.wsc-wohnmobile.de/stellplatz/   €10 inc elec and WC. Showers €1. Water fill €1. No WiFi.  N 49.73146  E 9.98701   

It's 3 miles south to the A8 (J 109) before heading west along the south shore of the Chiemsee, through green rolling countryside with a view of the distant Alps. Bavarian villages cluster round onion-domed churches until the lovely scenery gives way to the busy Munich Ring (rd 99). Circling anticlockwise, delayed in a Stau caused by an accident, we eventually take exit 13 onto the A9 northbound, pausing for lunch at 89 miles at Fürholzen, the first services. At Ingoldstadt we cross the Danube, continue on the busy A9 to Nuremberg, then join the A3 at exit 51, turning west for Würzburg through successive roadworks. The weather is very warm with no wind.

Leaving at exit 71 onto B13 towards Ochsenfurt, there is a well-signed camperstop just 2 miles along, at the harbour on the east bank of the Main. This splendid Stellplatz (listed in the 'Bordatlas' and 'Camperstop Europe') with room for at least 50 motorhomes shares the facilities (which include a washing machine) with the marina, where there is also a floating café/bar, packed with weekend sailors. The River Main Cycle Path goes past the entrance and we have a view of the Frankenwein vineyards on the south-facing slopes directly across the road. We're tempted to stay another day to cycle by the Main but decide to leave that until we have more time in hand.

A couple from Queensland, Australia, come over and talk to us at length, glad to find English-speakers. They are on a 6-month tour of Europe in a campervan … sounds familiar!

Wassersportclub, Eibelstadt to Camping De Pampel, Hoenderloo, Gelderland, Netherlands – 301 miles

Open all year. www.pampel.nl   ACSI Card €17 plus €2.60 tax (and every 7th night free) inc electricity and showers. Good WiFi €2/day.   N 52.11771  E 5.90641    

Lovely to watch a fieldfare (large member of thrush family) outside over breakfast. They're winter visitors in the UK but year-round residents in this part of Europe.

We return 2 miles to the A3 and continue west, crossing the Main by Würzburg and again near Aschaffenburg. Again we're delayed by road works; it seems every Autobahn needs widening. German truckers probably have the weekend off, since all the lorries on the road today (Saturday) are from Eastern Europe: PL, CZ etc.

Before Frankfurt (capital of Hessen) we turn north at exit 56 onto A45 for Dortmund and Bochum, which proves quieter with fewer trucks and no holdups. Crossing the forested rolling country of Nordrhein-Westfalen at around 350 m/1,155 ft, we have a quick lunch stop at Siegerland service station, then on into Bochum in Germany's busy industrial heartland, between Essen and Dortmund. Following the satnav's guidance, changing lanes and route numbers rapidly (A44-A43-A42-A516), we join the A3 northwest towards Holland.

The scenery changes to lowland with fields of black & white Friesian cattle as we pass Wesel on the Rhine and approach the Dutch border at Elten at around 3.30 pm, after 275 miles on German motorways.

INTO THE NETHERLANDS

Note that

1.  The Netherlands is an EU member and the currency is the Euro.

2.  The Netherlands is in the Central European Time zone (so 1 hr ahead of the UK).

3.  Diesel costs around €1.39 a litre.

4.  There are currently NO TOLLS on Dutch motorways.

5.  UK insurance covers EU countries.

6.  Daytime running lights are recommended but not obligatory.

Entering the Netherlands without any formalities, we continue on A12 to Arnhem, then take A50 north to exit 22, 20 miles from the Dutch border. We are immediately aware of the cyclists who share the country lanes for the next 6 miles until we reach Camping De Pampel, half a mile before Hoenderlo village.

It's a very large and well equipped site, with indoor and outdoor pools, snack bar, shop and restaurant. We find a quiet pitch tucked away on the edge of the woods and settle in, ready for a couple of days of cycling before we must take the ferry to Harwich.

At Camping De Pampel, Hoenderloo

Over the next 4 days we enjoy afternoon cycle rides, as well as making good use of the site WiFi on our shady pitch. The swimming pools are not so inviting as it appears to be school holidays! We're near the northern boundary of the Hoge Veluwe National Park (which has an entrance fee) but the Veluwe region, a nature reserve of heath, woodland and dunes, can be freely explored, as we have previously when based at Camping Beek en Hei in Otterlo, 10 km east of Hoenderlo. It's excellent cycling territory with an extensive network of Fietspads (bike paths) and plenty of cafes to provide the essential coffee and Appelkoeken met Slagroom (apple cake with whipped cream).  

Ride 1 (40 km) – To the monumental Radio Kootwijk, on to Harskamp village for excellent Appelkoeken met Slagroom, then return via Otterlo. A lovely varied ride, with a light wind to keep us cool. Plenty of cyclists of all shapes and sizes on the Fietspads on this Sunday afternoon mid-June.

Ride 2 (54 km) – To Otterlo, where Barry replaces a broken cycle mirror at the well-stocked Tweeweeler shop. An interesting guy in the adjacent Café De Waldhorn generously shares his Dutch cheese platter and his life story with us: born locally but resident in the USA for many years, he is here visiting family and doing business. Thoroughly American, he turns out to be strongly Christian and pro-Trump but we manage to part amicably! On through the woods to Ede (at 19 km) and our favourite café by the market place for coffee and dessert. So far, so familiar. Then a longer route back, past the German WW2 airstrip and museum at Deelen. The long straight north from there to Hoog-Baarlo (a narrow road with a stripe painted down each side for cycles) is busy due to a traffic diversion, slightly uphill and into a head wind. Not a pleasant return.

Ride 3 (44 km) – To Ugchelen on the outskirts of Apeldoorn, on to Assel (coffee and applecake at the railway halt café, popular with cyclist) and thence to Radio Kootwijk, which is eerily deserted in the late afternoon drizzle. Turning for home, we talk to a man cutting the hedge at his beautiful house (contemporary with Radio Kootwijk and built by the same architect) on the edge of the heath at Hoog-Buurlo. We learn that a century ago there were very few trees on the Hoge Veluwe, just sandy heathland pushed up in the Ice Age to its present height of about 150 m/500 ft (in a country with 25% below sea level!) The forest was planted to provide a hunting ground, stocked with the deer and wild boar that still roam here.

Ride 4 (54 km) – A very different ride, north out of the forest via Beekbergen, a stretch alongside the Apeldoornach Canal, returning past Klarenbeek and re-entering the woods after Loenen. In this less touristed area we found the obligatory coffee and apple cake in a small Chinese restaurant – and very good too!

Hoenderlo is an excellent base for cycling, our only regret being the need to leave for the ferry! M's ACSI review of Camping De Pampel:

“We loved this large site, set in the lovely woods of the Hoge Veluwe National Park near Hoenderloo village. Although it looked busy, we found a quiet pitch tucked away among the trees. The ACSI Card price was a bargain.

It has excellent modern clean facilities. There is a heated indoor pool, as well as an outdoor pool, and cycle paths in all directions. The snack bar has chips, ices, etc and there is a more formal restaurant.

WiFi, costing an extra 2 Euros per day, worked well.

My only criticism is that check-in took a very long time, handled by a friendly receptionist who had only just started the job. She had no idea about ACSI discount or how to pay by bank card and needed more training or supervision. I hope she has now settled in!

Highly recommended, we'll be back.”

Camping De Pampel, Hoenderloo to Hook of Holland, Rotterdam – 96 miles

Stena Line Ferry Terminal.  N 51.9806  E 4.1342

Away at 9.30 am for the 2.15 pm ferry from the Hook of Holland to Harwich. We drive 6 miles north to Ugchelen to join the A1 to Amersfoort, then take exit 14 onto the A28/E30 to Utrecht. Clockwise on Utrecht Ring to the A12, which heads west to Rotterdam.

At 50 miles we exit onto N223, a narrow 2-lane road, inadequate for the heavy port traffic. It has turned wet and windy, after weeks of settled weather. On through a typically Dutch watery landscape of canals, dykes and glass greenhouses, following signs for the ferry to England.

At the Stena Line terminal, on the north side of the New Waterway shipping canal into the North Sea, we drive straight to the short queue at check-in. Thanks to the efficient number plate recognition we are soon on board, settling into a daytime cabin (all booked through the Camping & Caravanning Club with member's discount). In addition to the usual TV and en-suite, this 'Comfort Class' cabin has a kettle and fridge, with complimentary tea, coffee, nuts, crisps, wine, beer and soft drinks! The 6.5 hour crossing is remarkably smooth, given the high winds, and we enjoy today's special of Chicken Satay in the self-service restaurant before arriving in Harwich at about 8 pm British time (clocks back one hour). 

ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND

Harwich Port to Strangers Home Pub/Campsite, Bradfield, Essex – 10 miles

Open 1 March-14 January. www.thestrangershome.co.uk  £25 inc electricity and showers. Possible £5 discount for ferry passengers. Free WiFi in the bar.  N 51.93444  E 1.11722   

Ten miles later we arrive at the Strangers Home for a night on the campsite behind the pub. Once we've checked in at the bar, we try to adjust to our native land by watching TV and phoning a friend. Margaret reviews the site:

“The nearest campsite to Harwich, on a large field behind the Strangers Home pub. The new owner has improved the toilet/shower blocks, though the washing-up area remains basic. Free WiFi only works in the bar/restaurant.

Camping is overpriced at £25, though the ACSI book says that ferry passengers get a £5 discount on their first night (as I have in the past). The new owner insisted that he no longer gave this discount but offered me the same reduction for having an ACSI Card, though he is not in that scheme. He needs to decide what offer he offers! I found him very confrontational.

Didn't try the food as we arrived late from the ferry and the bar didn't open until noon next day.”

We look forward to a warmer welcome at Club Brownhills in Newark tomorrow.

(to be continued)