Wanting to do a camper van tour of Europe for 3 months in 2009 with 22 month old and newborn - ARE WE MAD?

[cinnamontam]

Ladies (& gents) - I've never been one for camping so I am completely clueless about it's wonders and trials.

Having said that DH and I are planning to buy a camper van and take our DD (currently 8 months but will be 22 months when we leave) and a newborn (not yet conceived ) around Europe next summer for 3-4 months. Would very much appreciate any advice, thoughts etc...

1. DH is 6 foot 8 and we co-sleep with DD and will do the same with new LO - What kind of camper van would suit us?
2. Will we need to get seats, seat belts fixed so we can have 2 car seats appropriately fixed for the DC?
3. How much money per week (approx) should we budget for to cover food, camping site fee's, fuel etc...

Thanks muchly in advance
xx

[posieflump]

why don't you go this summer?

[cinnamontam]

Would love to but I need to go back to work (still on maternity leave) to save money to pay for it. We will also be selling our house and moving back home to Australia so this trip will be after we've sent everything home and then once we've done Europe will go to the States then home

[Nighbynight]

I personally would save teh campsite fees and sleep at motorway service stations (I do this fairly regularly in germany, and there are always loads of campervans). Also, many German towns have free campervan parking places, look for the signs on teh outskirts. Also they have places wehre you can empty the sewage tanks if you need to.

The loos in aires (motorway lay bys) in France and Germany are free, but the ones in service stations arent.

You can fill water bottles at local fountains in France (but check for the sign saying "Eau non potable." It may have been put up by the cafe selling expensive bottled water next door. Then again, it might not.)
For showers, you can often dunk your children in the same fountains, or use beach showers.
tip: dont drink or dunk if the water coming out of the fountain is warm on a summers day. That means it is the same water circulating, instead of coming out of the ground.

Petrol is cheaper in Luxembourg than in France or Germany, and its cheaper in France than in Germany.

Hotels are cheaper in France than in Germany.

Sleeping out in the Alps is jolly cold, even in summer.

Try to be in Koln in the first week in Feb for the Karneval, and Munich in the last 2 weeks in Sept, for the Oktoberfest (yes, I know).

[cinnamontam]

Thanks Nighbynight. I'm starting a list of tips and your are top of the list

[cinnamontam]

Bump...

[ivykaty44]

Have a look at scout, that is a make of campervan. They are all slightly different each year they are made but my dad is 6.7" and the scout he has has a large bed at the back of the van and he sleeps across the van.

Dad always goes away in January - and heads for Portugal - campsites that are open are really cheap this time of year and the weather in Spain and Portugal is v good. Also the stuff like eating out etc is much cheaper as no tourists. June July and August are going to be much more expensive to travel and personelly would avoid these months due to price hikes.

Stock up on food beofre you go so that you are not spending all your money on food each week in the van.

camper vans will not be cheap on fuel and you would want to think about taking bikes with you for day to day transport when you arrive somewhere and want to stay for a few nights. You will need to pack everything away if you want to go to somewhere else when you get there - does that make sense.

[ivykaty44]

It is set out like this one

www.motorhomedeals.co.uk/47563.63_AUTOTRAIL_SCOUT_FIATDUCATO.html

You get the lounge in the day time at the back - which is great for sitting and reading etc. With the kitchen area and table seperate for colouring and sitting to cook.ie one of you could sit at the back of the van reading whilst the other is cooking dinner. Then at night you can make the bed at the back up and put the dc in and pull the curtain over and you sit in the kitchen area drinking wine or sit outside drinking wine.

[cinnamontam]

Thanks Ivykaty

I definitely like the DC's in bed us drinking wine scenario. Do you know if the scouts have 2 appropriate seats to fix kids seats too? There seem to be very few with 4 seats including 3 point harness seatbelt on all.

[ivykaty44]

There are two bench seats behind cab with four lap straps.