Useful links.

These are some of the sites and companies that we have found useful and helpful.

ACSI - Getting the ACSI book is one of the best investments a caravanned or motor homer can make for around £14. The card which comes with the book entitles discounts at 2739 campsites throughout Europe.

Camping Cheques - Is a discount scheme similar in many ways to ACSI except that you pre-purchase the cheques and give one per night stayed to participating sites.

Vicarious Books - A great source of books pertaining to all aspects of caravanning.

Caravan Talk - Arguably the best caravan forum out there.

ViaMitchelin - If you need to sort a route this route planner is more flexible than Google.

Camperserve - Need spares or repairs to your caravan or motorhome on the Algarve, then Tommy is the man to contact.

ArchiesCampings - One of the most comprehensive databases of European campsite available.

Globelink International - We get our travel insurance form Globelink and although have never made a claim have found them very helpful. Provided we start in UK our policy allows us to stay away for up to 18 months at a time.

Stuart Collins - Every UK car insurance policy is, apparently, required to include cover in mainland Europe, unfortunately most give just between 30 and 120 days EEU cover per year, even the few that give unlimited days generally require you to return to the UK on a regular (mainly monthly) basis. The policy Stuart Collins sorted for us gives all year cover in EEC.

ADAC - We found breakdown cover provided by UK providers gave limited cover in EEU not so with the ADAC that gives cover throughout the EEC without time limit. We have never had need to use them but reports from other UK members are very positive.

LD Lines - Apparently part of DFDS this budget ferry company started a Poole to Gijon, Spain just 177 km west of Santander. The boat is small and moves a lot in even the flattest of seas but the prices are good compared to the standard Santander or Bilbao crossings. Sadly LD Lines did not pass the test of time and closed after less than one year, I can’t say I am surprised, the boat they used was flat bottomed and boy did she rock and roll in a seaway

DFDS Seaways - Currently the only operator running a ferry service to Denmark, although the rumour is that this service will be withdrawn in September 2014. Whenever we cross from Dover to mainland Europe we invariably go DFDS to Dunkirk. The passage is longer but only by 30 minutes but this gives extra time for a meal before setting of into France. The prices have always been very competitive.

DK Eyewitness Travel Guides - There is a wide choice of travel guides about and with no limits on space and weight we would take several for each country visited but we have found that the these are, for us, the easiest to read, and they seem to thing that the same things as us are important.


© S W Ghost 2016