Three-Week Roadtrip Through France and Spain: The Ups and Downs
Embarking on a 4,000km roadtrip through France and Spain with our charming, red, 1992 camper was an adventure to remember. Starting from Zandvoort with our kids (4 and 5 years old) playing in the back, we savored the fact that a holiday with a camper literally starts at your doorstep. However, every holiday has its downsides, and this one was no exception. Here are some of the challenges we faced during our journey.
Health Challenges on the Road
Those who know us are aware that our vacation track record in combination with health is not very good. We’ve visited multiple hospitals around the globe. This time, we were fortunate to skip hospital visits, but Kev had some physical discomfort with his knee.
Kev and His Knee
Our old camper, while full of character, lacked modern driving comforts. This meant manual shifting and a significant amount of force needed for coupling. Kev, being our designated driver, started experiencing knee pain three days into the trip. We made makeshift icepacks to help him manage the pain. Despite the discomfort, Kev managed to drive us 4,000km back and forth. Upon returning home, a visit to the orthopedist was in order.
Scary Times in the Mountains
During our roadtrip through France and Spain, we used an app to avoid traffic. However, this led us into the mountains, which proved to be a challenge for our old, 3,500 kg camper. The steep inclines and declines, combined with the manual shifting, caused our brakes to overheat, leading to a scary situation. After a call to the camper garage in Netherlands and a tense 30-minute break to let the brakes cool down, we continued our journey, albeit at a much slower pace.
Budgeting Lessons
Estimating the costs of a three-week roadtrip through France and Spain proved to be a challenge. My initial budget was off by €1,000 to €1,500. The toll costs, groceries, and activity expenses were higher than expected. This experience taught us that even with your own camper, a trip through Europe can be quite expensive.
Lessons for the Next Trip
For our next camper trip through Europe, we plan to avoid narrow mountain passes and budget more realistically. We now know that a daily budget of €180 – €200 is not excessive when traveling with our own camper. As for Kev’s knee, we hope that with the right treatment, the discomfort will soon be a thing of the past.
Despite the challenges, we thoroughly enjoyed our trip. The kids behaved well, and we had our share of memorable moments. After all, these ups and downs are all part of the game.
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