The Eurotrip – How I’m going to tackle 9 days in Europe.

Look, I know what you’re thinking. 9 days?! Is that it?! Well, that’s all the holiday I have left to take, so yeah, that’s it, unfortunately. But, by God, I’m going to make it the best 9 days possible. I hope. 

Year after year I (Ashley) have been booking a week off work for my birthday in September. Honestly couldn’t tell you the last time I worked on my birthday, and long may that continue. I’d like to see the manager with the BALLS tell me I can’t have it. No sir, pass me that P45 and fire up your hiring process pal! This year was no different. Come the week around the 12th of September and I’m a free man. The world is my oyster. For a short while anyway. 

SO THE PLAN! Sorry for shouting. My original idea was Dover-Calais and do an 11-12 hour drive to Bidart, down in the beautiful Basque Country of France. It’s my favourite place on the planet. A campsite named La Pavillion Royal. It’s situated right on the coast. Literally, there is a gate that leads right onto the beach. I used to go there every year as a kid for 6 weeks in the summer. We had the same friends who would also return there and it was fucking awesome. In my adult years, I have only been once with a group of friends, but trying to get down there proves to be more difficult recently. Adulting sucks. After logically thinking about it, this was not going to work. Mainly because we would lose 4 days travelling there, kind of. So this plan went in the drawer for now, hopefully resurfacing next year! 

Plan numero dos. Getting ready with some language changes there. This new plan is more achievable and a lot more travelling, in a sense. Keeping my original ferry crossing of Dover to Calais, we will then venture on East. My first stop will be a total gamble and my first experience of how to “wing it” in Europe, starting with Belgium. More specifically I’m aiming for Gent. I’m going to try one of the “Motorhome stops” I have read about online. After scouring through Park4Night this seemed doable as long as we get to the park up early. I am kinda placing my bets on it being quiet as it will be September time, but we’ll soon see. 

Following on from a very nervous first night I’m going Northwards up to the beautiful and naughty city of, you guessed it, Amsterdam. This time I’m not winging it. This time I will be booking a campsite as close as I can to the city. My thinking is that I can spend 3 nights here, one across my birthday, so I can go out and celebrate. Party night in Dam? Oh, go on then. Going to museums and tourist attractions most of the time is something I’ve been dying to do with a partner for years, so this will be amazing. 

Next on the to-do, South. Through Germany as far as we can get, but in my head, it’s “wine country” just near Frankfurt. Apparently, there are miles and miles of hill roads through beautiful green country with plenty of places offering overnight parking. Perfect. Park4Night confirms plenty of options along the trail so this one I am not so nervous about “winging it”, fingers crossed. 

After stopping just for the night I’ll roll on further south down to somewhere I have always wanted to go. It’s a place I want to spend a month exploring, let alone 2 days or whatever it ends up being. We are hitting Switzerland, or more specifically Lauterbrunnen. If you haven’t seen what this looks like, go and google it now. The quiet and remote town is situated in between two colossal mountain ranges with possibly one of the most picturesque waterfalls I have ever seen. This one will be beautiful to experience. Google Maps doesn’t show too much in the forms of entertainment or things to do, but by god that doesn’t matter to me if it lives up to its beautiful expectations. 

2 nights are planned at a campsite in Lauterbrunnen (there isn’t a lot of choice here) before the journey slowly comes to its conclusion. Heading a more depressing climb back North I’ll aim to stop in the vicinity of Reims. Aiming for more country and rural vibes than the city, trying to find a lovely little aire to spend the night. Should be fine I hope. I think by now my enthusiasm will be very low as the thought of going home has hit. Still, if I can find a nice little spot to sleep easy, that’ll do. 

The final day will be a long and gruelling one where I’ll leave mid-France heading straight for Calais. From there I get the Ferry back to Dover and then more driving back to Swansea. This day is probably going to suck something special, but it’s the price you pay for planning a long as trip in 10 or 11 days. 

Is this doable? Probably? Is Diesel going to kill me? Definitely