Travelogue In our family we have a passion for travelling to far away places. Package holidays don't really appeal to us, so we opted for a motorhome. And before we knew it we were off to Europe to explore.

Why motorhoming? Freedom. The lovely thing about motorhomes is that you pull up at your destination and put the kettle on... You've got your home with you, and you can go as you please. We chose a Romahome, which is a bit cramped for a family, but we gained the mobility to nip into city centres and park on the street. The awning was useful when we stayed in one place for more than a night, but we didn't always use it. The boys were small enough to share the bed with us or squeeze into the luton (over cab) area.

A report with a difference The usual report on Fabhols is about a single destination or perhaps country. We had a broad goal to “spy out the land”, but didn't care much where we ended up. One of the aims was to get to Italy quickly and then work our way back. This holiday was more about the journey than the destination. For us it was a steep learning curve but well worth it. I hope it will encourage some of you to try it as well.

Preparations We used the internet for most of our research. I will drop some links into the text at the relevant points. It pays to read up as much as possible about motorcaravans (if this is new to you), and particularly driving in Europe. The Haynes Manual “Driving Abroad”, by Robert Davies, was a great help. It gives some general advice, as well as specific instructions for each country.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1859608035/

We are members of the Camping and Caravanning Club, and made use of their international travel service, Carefree. They offer a selection of campsites in Europe, with discount vouchers for the low season and ferry bookings. Remember to get the "Camping Card International". It can be used as a form of identity and is accepted by many campsite proprietors as security in lieu of a passport.
http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/carefree.htm

Personal Travel Insurance is important. We've always used Direct Travel Insurance. They are particularly helpful on the telephone, and you can also book online.
http://www.direct-travel.co.uk/

We can recommend Lifesure for motorcaravan insurance. They do many different types of insurance, including personal and breakdown. Remember to arrange cover for Europe and order a Green Card.
http://www.lifesure.co.uk/

We opted for the AA Five Star European Breakdown Cover because of the 10% member discount. Make sure your breakdown company will be able to fit your motorhome onto their recovery vehicles.
http://www.theaa.co.uk/motoringandtravel/5star/

Finally: Make sure your Passport is in date and your driving licence is the suitable type for Europe.
You'll also need your vehicle Log Book (VO5 Document) to prove you're the vehicle owner.
It is good to have some Euros or other local currency available for toll roads and fuel stations. Debit and Credit cards are accepted, but not universally yet.

Driving in Europe During our trip of two weeks we covered 3000 miles and visited or passed through 6 countries. Our two boys, aged 3 and 5, really enjoyed it and (honestly) never once uttered the dreaded “are we there yet”.

Driving on the “wrong” side turned out to be much less of a hurdle than we first imagined. The roads were generally quiet in France, but as we crossed over into Germany and Switzerland the GB stickers dried up and the roads became a lot more congested. By the time we hit the busy motorways of Italy it was second nature to cruise in the right hand lane and dodge the lorries.

Italy The section between Lucerne and Milano took us through the Gotthard tunnel, which is endless, and there are many more like it. These tunnels proved to be a great excitement for the boys at the beginning, but they soon tired of them. Our well stocked supply of story tapes came in handy with no views to admire.

Our first destination was Malcesine, on the east coast of Lake Garda, which turned out to be a good base for exploring the area.
http://www.malcesine.com/eng/

We can recommend our campsite, “Camping Lombardi”, which is situated in an olive grove. The campsite was built new recently and the facilities are superb. It is quiet in the low season, featuring a small play area for toddlers, with a stream running through it. The boys spent every spare minute there. http://www.campinglombardi.com

We enjoyed a day trip to Venice, where it poured with rain but we still loved it. (We joked: it rained so much all the streets were flooded!)

The area, including the villages around lake Garda, is very pretty, although commercialised. German is widely spoken, food is cheap and accommodation fairly pricey as you would expect. Don't miss the ice cream! A boat trip on lake Garda is strongly recommended.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/venice/attractions.htm

Austria We needed to meet up with friends in Switzerland, and just passed through Austria. This is one country we would have liked to explore for longer, and we will definitely return there.

Switzerland Our first port of call was the campsite in Vitznau, situated in the village high above the shores of lake Lucerne. We arrived late at night and woke up to a stunning view!
http://www.vitznau.ch/english
http://www.camping-vitznau.ch

Although Switzerland has a reputation for being expensive the campsite fees were no different than the rest of Europe. We spent some time with our friends, and made one day trip to Lausanne. This city is well worth a visit.

It was interesting seeing some familiar places through the children's eyes. We noticed the views and architecture. The boys were fascinated by the self-cleaning toilets and trolley escalators in one of the supermarkets.

France We used “La Ravoire”, set above the shore of Lake Annecy, as our last base. From there we made a day trip to Chamonix. This site can become very busy, but during the low season this proved to be a tranquil place to rest for a few days before setting off back home. The site facilities are excellent, and the proprietor, Monsieur Bérard, very welcoming. The following website has information about this campsite.
http://www.select-site.co.uk

Chamonix is about 60 miles away, and we took the scenic route over a narrow mountain pass to get there. During the summer months it is still an amazing place to visit. We headed for the Mer de Glace, France's largest glacier. A hundred year old rack-railway takes you 871 metres up the mountain. At the visitor centre you can see a crystal collection and an exhibition of local fauna, but the main attraction is the ice grotto, carved each year into the glacier. To our surprise the car park at the bottom of the rack-railway was free of charge. http://www.mer-de-glace.com

After the delights of the French Alps it was time to return home. We made a push for Calais on the Thursday, and stopped too late to find a camp site open. On this occasion we slept in one of the “Aires”, (rest areas on French motorways) with a couple of lorries to keep us company. A quick word about these places: they are everywhere, and usually maintained in good order, landscaped, with toilet and even shower facilities. Some of them resemble our motorway service areas, with restaurants, but the majority are simpler.
There are some good campsites around Calais, and we chose “La Bien Assise”, which is ideal for short breaks, but will also suit longer holidays in that region. We tended to go for quiet sites with facilities for small children, although this one offers plenty for older children as well. If you intend to buy some wine on your return to Calais it is a good idea to get a few bottles before you continue into Europe, so you can sample them on the way – obviously after the day's driving.

Fab Tips In addition to the experiences we have already shared here are a few more useful insider tips:

1) European supermarkets and petrol stations often close for a siesta. This can work both ways: Make sure you get your supplies before lunch, and make use of the lull in the traffic on the roads, when the sensible locals are taking a break.

2) Traffic lights: There often isn't a light on the opposite side of the crossing. Stop far enough back so you can see the lights change.

3) Launderettes in towns and campsites are very expensive. Take enough clothes!

4) Budget for the toll roads. Online mapping is available, and often shows the toll charges.
http://www.viamichelin.com

Independent and indispensable, this up-to-date guide to Western Europe will take you around Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.

• 
  168 detailed maps
• hand-picked places to stay and eat for all budgets
• the lowdown on the highlights, from the Eiffel Tower to the Acropolis
• road-tested tips on getting around the region
• comprehensive language guide