France and Germany August 2010

In August 2010 we had both secured employment despite our age and shabby appearances and we were ready to take the Blue Bus back to Europe; unfortunately only for 18 nights as we were now restricted by annual leave requirements.

We made our way through France, stopping at

Chalons en Champagne and Vilsberg, near Phalsbourg, near the German border.

We journeyed happily into Germany, camping at an old favourite site in Stockach and on to Oberstdorf in the Oberallgau.

Oberstdorf provided excellent walking (see photograph on the right) and is a bustling holiday destination, but we had mixed weather and after a few nights, we set off back towards France.

We stayed one night near Rastatt and the Rhine, then continued to Verdun.

Verdun was a good choice and we had an excellent couple of days cycling around and learning about the history of the area.

Our last campsite was at Charleville-Mezieres, near the Belgian border; an excellent campsite, a lovely town within walking distance and a Voie Verte cycle route along the river (photograph on the left) made this a fantastic holiday place for us and we may well return.

A separate post shows the campsites we used.

Campsites in France and Germany August 2010

List of campsites August 2010

ID	Camp site name	Country	Arrival date	Number of nights	Cost per night	Description
170	Municipal Camping, Chalons de Champagne	France	07/08/2010	1	£22.00	Pleasant, flat site by a lake with ducks, facilities fine for summer, showers hot and clean
171	Camping les Bouleaux, Vilsberg, nr Phalsbourg	France	08/08/2010	2	£17.80	Dutch run site with bar, facilities adequate, pleasant site, nicely laid out, water only warm
172	Papier Muhle, Stockach	Germany	10/08/2010	2	£20.00	Excellent toilets and good hot showers, all very clean, good cycling nearby and pleasant town
173	Campingplatz Oberstdorf	Germany	12/08/2010	5	£25.00	Wifi 3 euro per night, excellent facilities, hot showers with push button, warm rooms, nice views, 20 mins walk from village, bar and bread to order
174	Rastatter Freizeitparadies, Rastatt	Germany	17/08/2010	1	£19.00	Large site with a small lake and lots of activities, flat grassy pitches, facilities OK, rubbish bins only open 9.30-10 and 6.30-7pm!
175	Camping Les Breuils, Verdun	France	18/08/2010	2	£22.00	Pleasantly laid out site, in small areas, lots of trees for shade and a brook, pleasant bar, facilities clean, water not very hot, 6 amps
176	Municipal du Mont Olympe, Charleville Mezieres	France	20/08/2010	3	£18.00	Free wifi and free washing machines, hot water, facilities dated and not the cleanest, but good, toilet paper. Large pitches with hedges, 10 mins pleasant walk to town.

Holiday spending August 2010

The photograph shows the pretty town of Verdun.

Spending for the 18 nights holiday in Euros:

Campsites 364
Diesel 232
Food 290
Cafes and restaurants 211
Everything else 222
TOTAL 1319 Euros

The return ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge was £582, including breakfast and evening meals.

The exchange rate was around Euro 1.2 to the £1.