1st Edition, © 2005 Trade Paperback, 320 pages Publication date:March 15, 2005 ISBN: 1-887140-54-9 Price: $19.95
Nothing beats doing Europe in your own RV, leisurely and at length. Move at your own pace, change course on a whim, and savor local specialties in the comfort of your own home-on-wheels.... And you SAVE big time!
Adelle and Ron Milavsky have done the math to prove that taking your own RV is the least expensive way to see Europe for six weeks or more. They guide you every step of the way, from noodling the costs, to outfitting your rig, to plotting your Grand Tour, to storing your rig to tour another day. Take Your RV To Europe has it all.
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Rating: 5 hearts
This is an absolutely fabulous how-to about the ins and outs of traveling Europe in an American RV. Having lived in Germany a total of five years and having tent-camped all around Europe, I cringed at the thought of this book's topic. I said to myself, "There's just no way this can be done without a wheelbarrow full of money." I was wrong and the authors are right. Their book provides all the info, how-to's, and info contacts to assist RVers in shipping their vehicle over, acquiring both the knowledge and necessary adapters for all the different electrical and gas hookups, and knowing where to go, how to get there, and what to expect once they do.
If you are a serious RVer and have enough sense of adventure to try this, you absolutely must own this book! The authors have been there, done that, and are going again! We rated this informative guidebook five hearts.Bob Spear Heartland Reviews
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"When your road trip dream takes you to Europe, you must have this guide along. The research, practical experience, and detail that is included will ensure that you are ready for your European travel adventure." Carol White Author of Live Your Road Trip Dream
"It's time Americans woke up to this terrific way to see Europe. Camping alongside relaxed and unpretentious Europeans is a fun and easy way to see the sights while getting to know the locals. This book 'pulls out all the stops' in order to help its readers know beforehand what to expect." Carol Mickelsen Author of Camping Europe
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From Chapter 7, "On The Road"
Driving in Europe: Country by Country
We found the driving in each country we visited in Europe a bit different from driving in its neighbors. We'll try to give you some idea of these differences, country by country. (For more specifics about road signs, rules of the road, and required equipment in each country, see Appendix C.) . . .
Driving in France
France is one of the largest countries in Europe. It has a very good system of roads. However, in France, all the "A" roads, that is the autoroutes, are péage (toll roads). Toll roads are indicated by blue signs, while free roads are marked by green ones. There are always signs at roundabouts indicating more than one way to the same city. The blue signs at the crossroads will identify the road that is péage. Be aware that even péage highways have some portions that are free, usually portions that allow free access into major cities. But when there are tolls, they tend to be much pricier than the tolls in the U.S., especially since a motor home pays a higher toll than a car.
On one 130-kilometer (about 81 miles) stretch of an "A" road in France, we were charged €14.55, plus €2.85 value added tax, (VAT) bringing the charge to €17.40. While this charge is high, the idea that we were being charged tax on a toll was mind-blowing! After paying that toll, we avoided péage roads.
Entering Paris, however, we found that we should have transferred to the "A" road, the péage autoroute, at the last entrance outside the city. The "highway" we chose from the map turned out to be merely a clogged city street that ran through a suburb on the far perimeter of the city, through other suburbs, and then into Paris. If we had taken the autoroute just outside the city, we would have saved time and trouble and paid nothing. At this point in the system, the road is free. Unfortunately, the map doesn't indicate which portions of péage roads are free, but there may be signs at the intersection. Keep your eyes open. National roads are designated with an "N" on the maps. There is a large network of these two- and three-lane roads that goes from town to town. While they are old, they are generally in very good condition. They are the equivalent of our old Route 66. However, they are mostly in better condition than Route 66 because Europe's roads were pummeled in two World Wars and therefore rebuilt after World War II. The "N" road that winds across Normandy parallel to the sea, for example, is the same route that American troops followed getting off the beaches after the D-Day landing in World War II. "N" roads are shown in thin red on the maps.
Which kind of road should you take? It depends on what you need at that moment. If you are in a hurry to get to a particular place, or have a long journey and a tight schedule, you may want to take the highways. If you are in Paris and need to be in the south of France at a particular time, for example, it might be worth the cost to take the highway and pay the tolls. In addition, even though you may not want to use an "A" road, it may be the only one going in the right direction. But these non-scenic "A" roads are always full of trucks and cars traveling at breakneck speed. Although we sometimes had to use them to get to a place where we could pick up a smaller road, we found driving on them quite stressful.
If you'd like a good look at the countryside, try those two-lane national ("N") roads. They go through every tiny hamlet that lies in their path and lead into every city. When you find yourself entering a town, you will have to travel at city speeds. "N" roads will slow you down, but you'll also see a lot more. You might even see something that you want to stop and visit. We seemed to be among the slower vehicles in France. But certainly the farm tractors were the slowest, and their drivers in France seemed quite content with their lack of speed. This was pretty funny because the French, like all Europeans, drive so fast. Our theory is that they are all (1) going to a fire, (2) late for an appointment, or (3) practicing for Le Mans.
Sometimes on the main streets of little towns there are not many places that are big enough for a motor home to park in safety. Places where one can park are marked either with a "P" painted directly on the pavement or by a roadside sign with a big huge P on it. You always have the option of going onto one of the side roads and looking around for a parking space. And, as you drive through, there may be unexpected Roman ruins or medieval towns or open-air markets to explore.
Outside of towns, there are rotaries where roads intersect. Within towns and villages there are traffic lights instead of rotaries. The traffic lights in many French towns offer a feature that is puzzling at first, but really is a great boon to driving, especially in an RV. Traffic lights on poles at street corners have the usual large set of red/yellow/green lights at the top of the pole, but there is another set of small lights at just about eye level when you are stopped. Because these lower lights are so easy to see, you do not have to crane your neck upward.
Often, when a city lies in your path, you will reach the outskirts and you will find yourself following signs that suddenly make you change your direction. For example, you are going south, and the city that you are entering is directly in your path. You continue to follow the signs that indicate the city that the map shows should be next on your route. Although this city is directly south of you, suddenly the signs for that city indicate a sharp turn, leading you in another direction. That's because you may not be able to go straight through the town. Cities are very old, and the inner areas may have narrow streets or low overhangs. Traffic is therefore routed through the outskirts. When you leave the city, you will join the original road again. This process can take quite a chunk of time and may also be very confusing. Here is one place where you can get lost quite easily. The trick is knowing which towns beyond the area directly in front of you are on the road that you want, and then following the signs for those towns. Eventually, you will re-enter the road to your ultimate destination, i.e., the one you were on when you first entered the city.
Rotaries are also a bit confusing. The basic rule, which is new in many parts of France, is the same as it is here. Cars in the rotary have the right of way. But this is not always the case. The rule is in effect only where there are signs at the entrance to the rotary that say either Vous n'avez pas la priorité (that is, you who are entering the rotary do not have the right of way) or Cédez le passage (those entering must give way to cars in the rotary). If neither of these signs is present at the entrance, the rule reverts to an old rule that gives priority to cars entering the rotary! There is no doubt that this is both confusing and dangerous, because one has to notice the absence of a sign rather than its presence. Fortunately, not even the French drive fast in this situation. Be careful at rotaries.
Once into the circle, however, you have to take the correct exit, which will be well marked. If you miss it, or if you are not sure which exit to take, simply go around again until you are sure. No one is going very fast in the roundabout, so even if you make a mistake, it's not likely to create a problem. Sometimes your exit is marked Toutes directions meaning that you can get to any location by going this way.
(From Chapter 7, pages 98ff)