Our First European Road Trip - Day 8 & 9

The Town of Annecy

As we drove around the shores of lake Annecy the day before to get to our campsite, our first impressions were that it felt very different to lake Thunersee. Firstly, it lacked the 'real' mountains of Switzerland and also felt busier, more cosmopolitan, more developed. None of these were complaints, just observations. Lake Annecy is beautiful and very popular with tourists from all over Europe and rightly so.

Annecy is an alpine town in the Rhone-Alps region in Southeastern France, where the river Thiou meets Lac d'Annecy on its' northern tip. It is 22 miles south of Geneva. It is known for its Vieille Ville, or old town, with cobbled streets, winding canals and pastel-painted houses swathed in geraniums. Overlooking the city, the mediaeval turreted Chateau d'Annecy, once home to the counts of Geneva, now contains a museum.

The lake is brilliantly turquoise, overlooked by wooded mountains. With such a breathtaking backdrop it is hardly surprising that everyone seems to be outdoors - sitting in pavement cafes, mountain-gazing along the lake shore, swimming in the lake or cycling around it.

We woke on our first full day to glorious sunshine and what promised to be a lovely day. I shuffled off to get some baguettes and we enjoyed a lovely breakfast of French bread, meats and cheeses outside in the morning sunshine.

We had decided to go into Annecy to explore the mediaeval streets and waterways that make up the historic old town area. We had two options for transport. A short walk back to the main road to the bus stop where buses went hourly into Annecy of hire a bike from the campsite and use the traffic free cycle path that goes all around the lake. Unfortunately, we had left it a little too late to hire a bike that day so we set off for the bus stop. If we had been staying for longer than three nights in this region we would have bought our bikes with us because the opportunities for cycling are great and it is clearly very popular. As well as the cycle path around the lake there are many trails up in the hills and forest areas to explore.

The bus took us on the 15 minute journey into the old town of Annecy. It turned out to be market day so the little cobbled streets were even busier than usual, crammed with stalls selling fresh produce, cheeses, meats, fresh seafood, artisan breads, that looked amazing.

The old town is full of lovely little shops and restaurants, all with outdoor seating, protected from the fierce sun by colourful umbrellas and canopies. We had wonderful savoury crepes for lunch at one of these pavement cafes.

We managed to spend the whole day wondering round, dipping in and out of shops, exploring the waterfront area and eating wonderful French ice creams. The lake was busy with boat trips, small pleasure boats, swimmers, paddle boarders, windsurfers and little sailing dinghies. We could have spent hours just sitting watching all of the activity.

After a hot day exploring, we happily boarded the bus and went back to the campsite for a cooling swim in the lake before a BBQ, too much wine, some rather competitive rounds of 'Grab a Pig' and bed!

What a difference a day makes.......!

We woke the following morning to some very unwelcome and heavy rain. A quick chat with the campsite staff confirmed that it was likely to stay for most of the day. Not too surprisingly, that meant that there were some bikes available to hire. Somewhat more surprising was the fact that my lovely husband decided to hire them! So that is how we found ourselves a little while later pedalling along a fairly deserted cycle path through puddles with rain plastering our hair to our heads and thinking that there must be other ways to pass the time on wet days!

The cycle path really does hug the lake shore and it is almost entirely flat which is great if you lack any physical fitness or stamina. The views all along are wonderful and there are lots of little cafes to stop at if you need re-fuelling. It was about 6 miles from the campsite to the centre of Annecy. I can't pretend that it wouldn't have been nicer in the sunshine but I have to say that we all really enjoyed our very wet ride.

 By the time we reached the town the rain had eased and we spent a few hours wandering the streets again. With the market gone the town had a completely different feel to it too. It rained on and off while we were there but, as we set off to cycle back the heavens really did open and the journey home was something of a feat of endurance. Nothing that a mug of hot chocolate couldn't put right though!

We liked Annecy and the immediate area and wished we were staying a bit longer. It has certainly left us feeling that we may visit this beautiful region of France again one day.

Our First European Road Trip - Day 7

The Drive From Interlaken to Annecy

Day 7 dawned and the sun was shining on us. It had rained for most of the day before and intermittently during the night so our day shelter that we use for cooking, eating and keeping dry if necessary was wet. Fortunately things warmed up quite quickly and we were able to pack up quickly to get on the road by 8.30am.

Our journey to the next site was 160 miles through some stunning scenery. Briefly, the route took us from Interlaken to Bern, the capital of Switzerland. From here we continued south-west to Lausanne and then followed the edge of Lake Geneva and the Jura National Park for most of the way into Geneva. At Geneva we turned due south and continued over the Swiss border into France and down to Annecy. We took the journey slowly, stopped a couple of times for a break and arrived at our campsite early afternoon.

We had chosen to stay at the Solitaire du Lac Campsite just outside St Jorioz. St Jorioz is about 6 miles from the town of Annecy and is located on the lake shore. I had chosen this site after doing a lot of research on the internet. It was one of a very few sites that provided direct access to the lake for swimming and boat launching which was something we wanted. It also had direct access to the traffic-free cycle path that goes all of the way around the lake.

The Entrance to Solitaire du Lac

The site was full during our stay and initial impressions were that everything was a bit squashed in. Having said that, our pitch was more than adequate (the pitch was allocated to us with no option to choose one when we booked). It had good shade from mature trees and was clearly marked out. We also had an electric hook-up. The whole site is on level ground which makes pitching very simple.

Pitches arranged between trees for shade

The Reception also serves as a little shop which was open until 9pm each night and sold soft drinks, wine and beer, ice creams, sweets and, in the morning, bread and pastries. There was a supermarket about 5 minutes drive away too.

Takeaway food is also offered every evening by a lovely man who cooks homemade pizzas from a converted Citroen van. They were made to order and were very good.

Solitaire du Lac offered free WiFi in the vicinity of the Reception if required.

The pitches are located about 100m from the lake edge. The site owners have kept the area immediately adjacent to the lake as a grassy area for ball games, sun-bathing and so on. There was a small children's play area here but it looked as though it could do with some repair.

Play area with the lake just visible through the trees

Lake Annecy itself is beautiful. The campsite has a couple of 'beach' areas providing easy access to the water for swimming or boating. The lake bottom is sandy and it is shallow for quite a long way out, making it ideal for children.

The temperature was in the early 30's by the time we had pitched up so we went off for a dip - very nice it was too!

One of the 'beach' areas

We liked this site because of it's location (and pizzas!) but we did find it to be a bit cramped and we were not too keen on the toilet/shower arrangements which were completely uni-sex. Also, and it is a small point, the toilet cubicles did not have their own supply of toilet paper. Instead there were dispensers located at the entrances so you had to estimate the quantity of paper you required in advance! Towards the end of the day the dispensers often ran out and were not re-filled until the morning, meaning you also needed to take your own supply with you just in case. Maybe I am just being picky.

The toilet/shower block was large and also provided several clothes washing sinks, a covered area for washing dishes, a laundry room and disabled facilities. Adjacent to the block was a motorhome service point for water and taps for drinking water too.

Aerial view of the campsite

After a BBQ, some wine and a few rounds of Bananagrams we were ready to retire for the night with plans to head off into Annecy the next day.

Our First European Road Trip - Day 6

A Trip Around Lake Thunersee to Spiez

On our last full day in Switzerland we decided to make use of our free travel pass and head into the town of Interlaken (literally meaning 'between lakes' because on one side is Lake Thunersee and on the other side of town is Lake Brienzersee).

With the option of a free bus or a free boat trip, we chose the latter and headed off to the little jetty situated in the grounds of the adjoining Hotel Neuhaus.

 The boats run hourly from here and the trip into Interlaken takes about 30 minutes. Passengers using their free travel pass  into Interlaken sit downstairs while paying passengers travelling around the lake are allowed upstairs into first class. We hadn't realised this and attempted to go upstairs for the better views - we only made it to stair 5 before we were politely intercepted!

The boat takes you into Interlaken right next to the train station. From here we traveled by double-decker train to the town of Spiez, a journey around the lake of about half an hour. For most of the trip the railway line follows the lake giving wonderful views.

Nestled between hills and vineyards and dominated by a magnificent castle, Spiez is a lovely destination. Above the lake the Niederhorn Range stretches as far as the Bernese Alps and forms a beauftiful panorama.

Spiez offers an outdoor pool and lake swimming cove. You can take a cruise on Lake Thunersee from the little harbour or, as we did, just stroll along the lake promenade. There are also no shortage of hiking and biking trails for the more energetic, fishing, windsurfing and sailing are also all available.

The station in Spiez is set up on a hill outside of the old town and harbour areas so it does involve a pleasant walk down and a rather less pleasant walk back up again!

The town  is situated on the lake with a very pretty harbour surrounded by restaurants with flower-decked terraces. The very attractive, small, mediaeval castle with a thousand year old castle-church  is open to the public.

The harbour area was bustling with activity and is a great place for watching the comings and goings of little boats. The lake really does dominate this area of Switzerland and it well used by both individuals and the big lake steamers for transporting people from one town or village to another.

The weather was kind to us and we returned to Manor Farm Camping ready for our last dip in the lake before our journey the next day to Annecy in France.....

Our First European Road Trip - Day 5

Day 5 - To the Top of Europe!

The entrance to the Ice Palace

OK, so this was the big one, this was the main reason I wanted to go back to Switzerland. The town of Interlaken is dominated by three mountains, the Eiger, the Monch and the Jungfrau. The Jungfrau is the highest of them all and it can be accessed by a funicular railway that passes through a 4 mile tunnel carved through the Monch and the north face of the Eiger.

There is no doubt about it, this is an expensive trip. This is the reason that we had to watch the weather forecast like hawks and get up at the crack of dawn on our chosen day to make the most of our day to justify the cost.

Our journey began by bus from our campsite. This was the only part of the trip that was entirely free! We caught an early bus into Interlaken where we caught the first train from Interlaken Ost and journeyed to Lauterbrunnen. The journey was very pretty as we climbed up through the Lauterbrunnen Valley with mountains on both sides to a height of 2,686 ft. From Lauterbrunnen we boarded another train that took us up to Kleine Scheidegg, at 6,770ft. The train passes through the attractive village of Wengen before reaching its' destination. At Kleine Scheidegg we swapped trains again for the incredible ride up inside the mountains to the top of the Jungfrau. Despite the exorbitant price of the tickets there is no guarantee of a seat on the train. When we went it was very busy and we had to stand for the final 45 minute ride in fairly cramped conditions. In recognition of our suffering, the Swiss ticket collector gave us a voucher for a free cup of tea!!

The final train ride takes about 45 minutes, passing through the Monch and the Eiger. It stops twice inside the Eiger for passengers to get off and take photographs from vast viewing windows that are set inside the north face of the Eiger. The views over the glacier are breathtaking. The station inside the Eiger was completed in 1903 but it wasn't until 1938 that the North face of the Eiger was finally conquered.

The train finally arrives at the Jungfraujoch Station at a height of 11,333ft. There is a complete underground complex here with restaurants, an ice palace, a museum tour with information about the creation of the railway and an outside ski, toboggan and zip-wire area. There is also an opportunity to visit the highest Lindt chocolate shop in the world if you feel so inclined! Once you are at the top you can go out onto the snow-covered plateau for wonderful views over the mountains.

The only thing left to do after all of this is to take the lift to the Sphinx (11,723ft) for the highest panoramic view of the surrounding lakes and mountains. This really is the top of Europe. If you are bothered by heights you will struggle with this bit but the rest of the trip is fine. My husband decided to sit this part out! I gave it a go and I was fine for the most part. The only section I had to concede defeat on was the walkway that goes around the outside of the Sphinx. It is made of open mesh grating bolted to the sheer rock face and it moves as you walk around it! I made it half way round before my legs stopped working!

The Sphinx viewing tower just visible

Note the walkway of terror on the right hand side of the picture!

The children loved the outside 'play area' where, for a small additional cost, they could toboggan, ski and go on the highest zip-wire in Europe. My daughter opted for the zip-wire and my son kept his feet firmly on the ground with a bit of tobogganing. We sat in the sunshine and watched!

We all enjoyed the ice palace - everything apart from the handrails (which are there to stop you breaking your neck as you walk around) is carved from ice and it is all very beautiful.

The total journey time for the return trip, allowing time to visit all there is to see and do at the top, is around 6-7 hours. It is a long and tiring day but one that you will never forget.

All of the guide books tell you to take warm clothing, sun cream, hat, scarf and gloves. Having said that the teenage boy spent the day in shorts and a t-shirt and complained of being too hot! To that list I would add camera (obviously) and binoculars if you own any. I would also add painkillers - the altitude may not agree with you (it didn't agree with me and I spent the rest of the evening with a splitting headache). You may also want to take some food and drink with you for a picnic in the snow.

Our First European Road Trip - Day 3 & 4

Day 3 & 4 - Pottering Around Manor Farm Camping

We spent the next two days familiarising ourselves with the campsite, stocking up on some food for the week to come, swimming in the lake, reading, messing around with the inflatable canoe and generally relaxing.

The first thing to say about Switzerland is that it is expensive! We knew this and were prepared for it but it still took us by surprise just how expensive everything was. A pizza in the on-site restaurant (and it was a very nice pizza) was around £18.00! A bottle of wine that might be £5.00 at home will cost you about £10.00. Don't let that put you off visiting this beautiful country but do go prepared for it. I took quite a lot of (non-perishable) food with me and for the first few nights we ate very simply but cheaply (and it gave me an excuse to do an M&S shop before we left!)

During our stay we did treat ourselves to a meal at the Landhaus Restaurant on the campsite. The restaurant is typically Swiss in appearance but the food was predominantly Italian. We just had pizzas and they were very good. In warm weather there is a lovely terrace to sit on and look out over the lake too.

When we arrived at the campsite we were told that the weather in the previous fortnight had been glorious - very high temperatures and not a hint of rain. With a wry smile the nice man in reception told us that was all about to change! The weather we experienced for the 7 days we were there was, we were told, much more typical of this mountainous region - warm sunny mornings followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening. The advice we were given was to get up early and visit the sights in the morning - this went down well with the teenagers as you might imagine!

As part of the tourist tax that you pay when you stay in Switzerland (this is incorporated into your campsite or hotel price) you receive a free travel pass for the immediate area. For us, this meant that travel by bus or boat into Interlaken, the nearest town, was completely free. Before we left home we had read that most Swiss people use public transport and leave their cars at home because the transport system is so well integrated and this was our experience too. Unlike in the UK, the bus, boat, train, cable car and funicular railway timetables are coordinated to make your journey quicker and easier. We didn't need to move the van from our pitch during our stay which was great.

Manor Farm Camping provided us with everything we wanted for our first two days in Switzerland. We all enjoyed the crazy golf (especially as we had never seen a 37 hole version before) and we spent a lot of time either swimming in the lake or paddling around in our kayak. We had decided against trying to transport our sit-on-top kayaks so we took the inflatable Sevylor kayak instead to save space and weight. The Sevylor is only intended for two people but most of the time one of us straddled the back of the kayak while the fourth person was towed behind! Needless to say, progress was slow! This was the first time we had used the inflatable although we had blown it up at home to make sure we didn't look like idiots on the site. The kayak inflates very quickly and easily with a hand pump and is really very easy to paddle.

It was a shame we had rain on most days and I was very glad that we had a selection of campervan games to play. Our favourites are Grab a Pig (a ridiculously silly game that is even funnier if the adult players have been drinking!), Bananagrams (like Scrabble but without the tedium of waiting for someone else to go) and card games (we never go anywhere without a pack of cards).

Our favourite rainy day campervan games

After two days of relaxation we felt ready to see some sights. The one I had been looking forward to most (and the main reason we had chosen Switzerland as a destination in the first place) was the climb, by mountain railway to the top of the Jungfrau mountain, via a 4 mile tunnel through the north face of the Eiger, by mountain railway...........

Our First European Road Trip - Day 2

DAY 2 - Reims, France to Interlaken, Switzerland

The sun shone for us, a hot shower and breakfast set us up nicely for another day of driving, and we were ready to drive from the fairly flat countryside of this part of France into the alpine landscape of the Bernese Oberland.

We had roughly 380 miles to do but our reward was to be a lakeside pitch in the shadow of the Eiger, the Monch and the Jungfrau mountains at Manor Farm Camping in Interlaken.

I stayed at this site as a seven-year-old (which was quite a long time ago!) so it was partly for sentimental reasons that I booked it this time. I remember thinking Switzerland was the most beautiful place I had ever seen (to be fair I didn't get out much as a seven year old) and I wanted my kids to experience it too.

We had a pretty good journey through the flat, Champagne producing areas of France, across the border into Switzerland. We had pre-purchased a Swiss vignette for 40 Swiss Francs (they don't have the Euro in Switzerland) which allowed us to drive straight through the border without stopping. The vignette is required for driving on all class 1 & 2 roads throughout Switzerland. It is valid for 1 year and has to be displayed on the windscreen of your vehicle. We were glad we had bought one in advance because all of the vehicles without one were directed into a very long queue to buy one!

We arrived at Manor Farm Camping around 4pm and were welcomed, in perfect English, by a very helpful member of the reception team who provided us with a lot of information and also 4 free passes for local public transport, by bus or boat, into Interlaken.

Manor Farm Camping is located on the shores of Lake Thunersee. One half of the campsite in on the lake side of the road that runs all around the lake. The other half of the site is located away from the lake but access can be gained to all of the facilities and the lake shore via an underpass, making it safe for children.

The beach & lake at Manor Farm Camping

The site has a very well run shop that remains open until 9pm every night. The toilet and shower facilities were superb and cleaned regularly and there is also a lovely restaurant, the Landhaus, specialising in Italian food, on-site. Their pizzas were to die for! There is also a lovely 37 hole (!) crazy golf on site.

Like a lot of continental campsites, the pitches can be a little on the small side and also fairly higgledy-piggledy. Having said that, our pitch was more than generous and we were very pleased with our choice. Booking some way in advance does mean that you have a choice of pitches. I did it all by email and was sent a map of the site and a list of available pitches. We chose one very close to the lake shore with a small inlet behind the pitch, allowing for easy launching of our inflatable canoe.

Our pitch and our own private canoe launch!

The situation on the lake is what really makes this campsite special in this area. The lake bed is gravel and the water was perfect for swimming. Many campers spent their whole holiday pottering about in or on the water. Quite a few campers had bought some very impressive looking inflatable dinghies with outboard motors with them to play with too.

So, we pitched-up, changed for swimming and went straight in to the water to cool down after our long drive.

Lake Thunersee

Cooling off after a long and very hot drive!

Later, as the sun went down, we opened a bottle of wine and sat on the lake shore before heading back to the van for supper and our first night in it on foreign soil, dreaming of adventures to come!

Masons Farm Campsite in North Yorkshire

A Post-GCSE Road Trip

I actually thought long and hard about whether to bother writing this review (and according to the man I married I rarely think like that about anything!) because there have been so many reviews about this particular site that yet another one might become a little tedious. However, since it was one of the nicest sites we have ever stayed on in a truly beautiful part of the country, I decided to go for it.

My son finished his GCSE's this summer and was rewarded with 10 weeks off school! As my daughter was still in school for 4 of these weeks, my son and I decided to take a little road trip up north, accompanied by the fat brown spaniel.

Masons Farm Campsite is situated in Appletreewick in the Yorkshire Dales. The nearest town of any significance is Grassington if you are struggling to find it on the map. It is also very close to the little village of Rylstone, where the original 'Calender Girls' stripped off for their famous alternative Women's Institute calender.

I had been aware of the campsite for quite some time because it has been so thoroughly reviewed by other well-published camping writers and on many camping websites. Thanks to all of these reviews, we knew we were in for a treat. What we weren't prepared for was just how much of a treat it would be.

Due to its' popularity you do have to book well in advance during the main season. I had left it rather late because I was watching the weather forecast and, as a result, was only able to book for two of the four nights we wanted. My forecast-watching did pay off though because we had glorious weather while we were there in late June.

The site is easy to find, my sat-nav took us straight there. It is located in the tiny hamlet of Appletreewick on the banks of the river Wharfe. The camping field is completely flat and surrounded by dry-stone walling. There are electric hook-ups available to those that want them. It is a simple site but this does not mean basic. The toilet and shower facilities are housed in a converted outbuilding and are warm, clean and more than adequate. You are even entertained throughout your ablutions by piped in birdsong (it took teenage boy the whole two days we were there to work out that it wasn't real birdsong - doesn't bode well for the GCSE results!!) The campsite Reception is housed in a converted Airstream caravan which is also home to a surprisingly well-stocked little shop.

 Masons Farm allow the use of firepits BUT, and it is a big but, you are not allowed to take your own! Apparently the Yorkshire Dales National Park authorities will only permit the use of firepits of a certain design so this means hiring one from the campsite. I only mention this so that you don't make the mistake I did and take up valuable packing space with an enormous firepit that you won't be allowed to use when you get there!

The site has branched out into the glamping business and they have a small number of yurts, a couple of vintage campervans and an Airstream caravan for hire. Sadly, but perhaps understandably, these units have been given the prime spots alongside the river. A minor detail though and not one to spoil your stay here.

A short walk away from the site are two very nice looking Yorkshire pubs that both serve food, the Craven Arms and The New Inn.  We didn't eat at either on this visit because we were too busy playing with our huge firepit that I was determined to get value for money from. Both pubs looked very inviting though and it is good to have another option if you don't want to cook or the weather turns and you fancy a roaring log fire and someone else's culinary efforts.

This section of the river Wharfe is lovely and relatively shallow, making it great fun for kids to play in safely. There is a little island they can wade out to too. It really is like something from an Enid Blyton story.

We walked from the campsite, along the river, into nearby Burnsall. This is a short walk that mainly follows the river with the occasional short deviation through some fields with livestock. Here you will find a lovely riverside pub, the Red Lion, a couple of tea rooms and a little shop. The walk continues into Grassington but we were distracted by the cheesy chips and home-pressed orange juice at the pub and stayed longer than we planned, meaning we only had time to waddle back to the campsite.

 As you approach the village the footpath widens out beside the river to a very large grassy picnic area. There are toilets and a wide shingle 'beach'. Children were playing in the river in inflatable dinghies and fishing with nets. On a nice day it would be a lovely place to spend time.

We really enjoyed our short stay in this part of Yorkshire and we will definitely return in the near future because there is so much to see and do here.

Our First European Road Trip - Day 1

DAY 1 - Gloucestershire to Reims, France

We have been planning our very first European road trip in Denzel for some time now and departure day finally dawned. Having spent a full two days packing and loading (and re-loading) the van we were ready to set off. There is no doubt about it, the prospect of 18 days away from home in a VW campervan with four people really does focus your mind on what is really essential equipment and what is not.

Our plan was to spend two days driving through France into Switzerland where we would be staying in the Bernese Oberland region, just outside Interlaken. We had 6 nights there before heading off back in to France to Lake Annecy for a further 3 nights. After this we were bound for St Simeon, a small village about 20 miles from Paris, where we were booked in to a cottage for 7 nights. This might sound like 'cheating', but we decided to treat ourselves to an extra level of comfort at the end of our holiday in case we weren't talking to each other by then.

With some sadness, we made the decision to leave Milly the chubby brown spaniel behind for this adventure. Throughout the holiday, however, we were surprised by the number of British campers who had taken their dogs with them. Certainly the regulations around pet passports were eased in 2014 so we might consider it another time.

Our total journey time from home to Reims was around 10 hours but not all of this was driving. We left home at 7.15am and made the Eurotunnel terminal by 11.00am having had one short stop for chocolate and toilets (not in that order!). We had hoped we might be able to board an earlier train as ours was not departing until 1.10pm but we were out of luck. My daughter was delighted as this gave her two hours of browsing time in the duty-free shop - my son showed considerable less enthusiasm for this unexpected development.

Passage through the tunnel was straightforward and very efficient. We had completed the advance check-in on-line so the whole process took under 5 minutes when we arrived at the terminal. As we were in the van we went into the carriages with all the other campervans, motorhomes and coaches. The journey time through the tunnel is 30 minutes during which you can get out and stretch your legs and use the toilet (although judging from my daughters description of the toilet you might prefer to use the ones in the terminal building before you leave).

If you have never driven in Europe before and are perhaps a little anxious about the prospect I would say don't be. The French motorways are quiet (probably due to the cost of the tolls) and well sign-posted. A sat-nav equipped for Europe really helps as does having a front seat passenger because the toll machines are on the 'wrong side' for right-hand drive vehicles. All of the French towns we drove through were quiet too so the driving really wasn't stressful at all (having said that I wouldn't want to drive through the middle of Paris!)

So, we arrived in Calais at 2.40pm French time and set off for Reims where we were booked into a Novotel for the night. We had given serious thought to a campsite for one night but decided against it as we did not want to completely unload the van just for one night.

The trip to Reims was very straightforward and uneventful. For the best part of 145 miles we were on one road, the A26, only turning off about 2 miles from our hotel. This section of our journey did cost us €32.50 in tolls though! So although it was a lovely fast road it came at a price. We stopped at one of the roadside 'Aires' to use the toilet and have a late picnic lunch. This is one aspect of driving in France that we really appreciate and wish that us Brits would replicate. Their roads are dotted with regular 'Aires'. Some are well equipped with a shop, cafe, petrol station and so on, but many are just parking areas with toilet facilities and picnic benches set amongst the trees. You might find a small children's play area too. They are free to use, the toilets are usually very clean and they are great for a quick pit stop.

We arrived at the Novotel outside Reims just before 6pm. I had found this hotel on TripAdvisor and it was apparent that it was used by a lot of Brits as a stop-over after a day of journeying from the channel ports. We paid €125 for four of us and this included a breakfast. I have to say that the hotel did not disappoint. It was easy to find, clean, bright and friendly. The rooms were a good size with nice en-suite facilities. The restaurant was excellent and fairly reasonably priced although there were several other eating options within easy walking distance to cater for all tastes and budgets. But the highlight was discovering a lovely terrace, positioned to catch the evening sun, complete with an outdoor swimming pool and surrounded by a vast grassy area with table tennis, two boules areas and a small play area for little ones - very unexpected. The rooms were comfortable and we slept like logs. Breakfast was buffet-style and was very good indeed. Overall, we felt ready for another long drive to reach our first campsite........