I have a bazillion [hyperbole] questions about camping on the continent.

[SlubberdeSuetPudding]

DH announced this weekend that he has got six weeks off in the summer for us to go camping abroad.

The last time I camped on the continent I was 12, we had a big orange frame tent and English men wore sandals and socks with no shame.

I have not done a family camp yet somewhere that is HOT. Properly hot sit in your shorts at 10pm with a cold drink hot.

The very vaguest of plans is to do Germany, Austria, Switzerland and then maybe back up through France.

Here are some of the questions:

Anything else we need to do to the car apart from stick those stickers on the headlights?

Car breakdown cover, how does that work then?

No EHU. How do we keep things cold? Can you do ice block exchange over there? Do we need a deeply impressive new esky?

Is it very hot at night? I'm going to be too hot in a 3/4 season down sleeping bag aren't I? What is the best bedding to take?

Maps. Tell me about maps.

Should we book all our campsites in advance or can we be breezy? How booked up do the campsites get over there in advance?

Anything we absolutely HAVE to take that might be additional or different to two weeks camping in the UK?

Good campsite review website in addition to ukcs?

Um what else.

Strategies to avoid long term campers crack-up please.

We're thinking of taking the kids backpacking across Europe this summer, with tiny tents and not booking. But I think we'll take the warm sleeping bags. The thunderstorm-in-italy experience, where we ended up at 5am in the campsite toilets shivering under a kind man's dog blanket, is etched on my memory.

breakdowndirect.co.uk is very good

Lemon that is brilliant. Just what we need, that and the USB charger thing too. Good to know about Swiss motorway ticket.

It still will be WARM in Austria and Switzerland in Aug and start of Sept won't it? T-shirt and shorts in the day warm?

Have roof box. Despite using the force we have too much stuff. Need to streamline and take less shit. Am hoping that we will not need wellies and 3 fleeces per person as in N Wales.

icod - we boiled in bavaria last year

Oh God Fennel.

Do not dog blanket experiences. Maybe just stick with the sleep bags we've got already and open them out if it gets hot.

there is a pack of stuff you have to have in the car in case you are stopped by sexy eurocop including the warning triangle and vest (as mentioned) also spare fuses and bulbs, firt aid kit and euro cash to pay any fines.

portable DVD player a bonus

upgrade to full euro car insurance which gives you a green card

have up-to-date EHIC for all the family

comprehensive first aid kit, I remember trying to get hold of Piriton-type products for chilren almost impossible.

sat nav a must

i think duvets strategically placed in roofbox take up just as little space as sleeping bags.

you boiled in bavaaria?
we froze in Florida!

i so won on the holiday front last year

I have never ever booked campsites ahead - and that includes travelling with my two alone when dd2 was 18mths. Go with the flow as you may like or not and who wants to be tied on hols - always pltny of sites to pick form and dd1 used to pick the site and if we went in the wrong direction whilst she was map reading any time - then hayho we ended up at another campsite - you can't do that if you pre book.

I packed for the car stickers, spare light bulbs - a must in france, a flourecent jlt and two traingles - a must in spome countries so best to just bung them in.

france give dc under 12 asprin -so pack your own type meds for the dc as I was not keen on giving apsrin.

Ferry to calais and then head north towards belgium and then across to Lux - excellent motorways and no payage!!!! added to which you then fill up the tank in lux as much cheaper fuel... then head onto Germany.

think about taking bikes - ideal for getting around from camp sites and germany etc have superb cycling so easy and relaxed way of getting to and fro shops etc. Cycling is seen in a diffrent light over their and far better drivers give wide berth.

This is great. Had no idea about the bulbs and triangles and eurocop stops.

Can you 4 bikes onto the back of a car with a rack? I hadn't considered taking them tbh.

We put 3 bikes on a bike rack and 2 smaller bikes taken apart in the car, for the last 2 years camping in France. (also windsurf board, kayak, inflatable dinghy, surfboards. all sorts of crap). but it gets harder every year as the dds grow, so their bikes have to be bigger.

I think 3 bikes on a back-carrying back rack is about the limit.

Oh, absolutely no space in the car for bikes.

Might have to hire them there if we find a site that does that.

Get some of those vacuum pak bags that you suck the air out of. Great for packing duvets, towels and clothes.

We have one of these and it is brilliant.

Oh! and pack a couple of spare bags in case one rips :)

Fluro vest has to be stored where you can put it on before leaving the car. If you have to get out to get it, you'll get a fine. Everything else can go in the boot.

We're driving to south Italy for the second time this summer, and i've been all over europe camping with my parents. We've never had to book a campsite and only had one dire one, just outside Berlin!

Weather can be very changeable, we take a thin duvet and Thermals to sleep in if it gets really cold.

Definitely wellies for camping, even if hot.

adn we overnighted in gatwick!

It won't be that hot in Germany and Austria in August! But then I am Italian, anything below 20 degrees to me is cold.

I think though I'd spend those 6 weeks in France, venturing perhaps in the northern coast of Spain (cold)

Noooooo

Really, wellie? I was hoping to get away with just the heinous crocs. There is no room gaaaaah..

Ranty does your pump also suck? It's another THING in the car. What about those roll up vacuum bags, do they work?

Hi vis vest tip excellent. Thank you

crocs will be fine, even if it is wet you won't mind cos it will be warmer.

you need to keep an eye on long range forcasts adn move towards sunny places at all times

Ok good.

I 'm having to sacrifice the utility tent in order to fit in new table (not bought yet), had already mentally removed wellies from the packing list.

I cant imagine how much stuff we would take for 6 weeks. I think I'd have to take some kind of lorry.

We've got some roll up vac bags from Lakeland and they aren't as good at the ones you suck the air out of.

tbh i pack teh same amount if i am going for 1 night or 3 weeks.

I'm going to have to rethink the packing. It's stupid. Your 5 bird roast car metaphor was perfect DB.