It may well have been Ian The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the best of everything they have.
21st Aug 2018 2:24 pm
Narpy
Member Since: 18 Jul 2011
Location: Stockport
Posts: 7830
Hows the trip going as a whole then Mark, you living the dream?Mods:
Front Fogs + Halos
FBH Remote Control
The 1st Ever RRS Modded Grill
Garmin Nuvi + D4 Surround + Reversing Camera.
D4 Steering Wheel.
Rear Boot Spoiler.
Twin Brake Lights.
Wing Mirror Indicator Repeaters.
Long Roof Rails
Make your own Narpy grill thread
I'm not scared, I'm outta here.
Yes thanks Ian. It beats traipsing round the M60 every day. I would not like to live here as its too hot for me but my wife loves it. I haven't driven for 5 days which must be a record for me. All well with you my friend ?The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the best of everything they have.
21st Aug 2018 2:29 pm
Narpy
Member Since: 18 Jul 2011
Location: Stockport
Posts: 7830
All good thanks, glad to hear you're both having a good time and enjoying the weather.
Stay safe both. Mods:
Front Fogs + Halos
FBH Remote Control
The 1st Ever RRS Modded Grill
Garmin Nuvi + D4 Surround + Reversing Camera.
D4 Steering Wheel.
Rear Boot Spoiler.
Twin Brake Lights.
Wing Mirror Indicator Repeaters.
Long Roof Rails
Make your own Narpy grill thread
I'm not scared, I'm outta here.
21st Aug 2018 2:32 pm
astonbuilder
Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8147
Car packed and good to go at 2.30am Sunday morning.
Loads of power sockets in the car proving useful; TomTom running in parallel with car sat nav (find TT better on long euro legs and car better in towns and cities), powered from top glove box power outlet.
NextBase dashcam wired up under edge of headliner, down inner a-post seal, tie-strap along base of dash, and run under edge of centre console to rear seat power socket.
Two iPhone leads of centre cubby USB slots.
Torch powered on one rear seat USB slot.
And still there are spare USB’s and power sockets.....
1st Sep 2018 1:50 pm
Ja92mie
Member Since: 16 Sep 2014
Location: Newquay
Posts: 1259
Lovely looking car! Have a good trip!
1st Sep 2018 2:11 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73121
I love these modern computer maps for tracking a trip, they even put the creases in.
1st Sep 2018 2:18 pm
astonbuilder
Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8147
SWMBO is ‘the map person’, she loves having a physical map wherever we go but you can’t beat a laid out map for the planning of “where shall we go then?” look-see
I’ve got each journey leg printed out too off Michelin website, really detailed ‘just-in-case’ and good for showing toll stages and costs, etc.
1st Sep 2018 3:32 pm
astonbuilder
Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8147
Did the first run of 750 miles from home to Bordeaux on Sunday. Great journey on great roads. Stopped off in Rouen and (the beautiful) La Rochelle on way down.
Couple of days in Bordeaux and we head over to Spain via Biarritz to San Sebastion tomorrow. Bordeaux is lovely, easy to get around on tram system and walking so partaking in much red wine
Few random pics of journey;
3rd Sep 2018 9:08 pm
astonbuilder
Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8147
back after 3377 miles.........
496.68 litres of fuel, 109.28 gallons = 30.9mpg - not too bad I thought.
Fuel not cheap in France, was paying €1.45 to €1.49 or so but had a few 'splash and dash' partial fills at €1.60'ish. Cheapest fuel I bought was €1.179 in Spain (and then saw it for €1.129 200 yards up the road..... ).
Roads were superb everywhere, tolls racked up in France (not worked it all out yet) but worth it. Few tolls in Spain and think a couple of low-euro one's in Portugal. Highest days drive was 770 miles on day 1 to get to Bordeaux but did 4-500 on a few non 'rest days' quite easily. Everywhere immaculately clean.
10 minutes after getting off the chunnel on way home and caught on the M20 in camera restricted 50mph zones for miles on end with the place looking dirty and grimy. Similarly 40 minute 'usual' delay on M25....
17th Sep 2018 6:13 am
Toni
Member Since: 26 Oct 2018
Location: Maidstone kent
Posts: 36
Very nice pictures
Im planning to go to Portugal on my camper converted discovery 3 on 20th August and i wanted to do a Dover Calais and tour the coast of north of france down to noth of Spain then in to Portugal from the north .and i would like to get in touch with some peaple that done same or similar route to advice me on do's and dont's what to take and places to go or avoid
10th Apr 2019 10:32 pm
astonbuilder
Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8147
I'd well recommend the trip. We were going to get the ferry down to Spain to Santander or that area but when you factored in the cost (about £400 IIRC) and it was an 'overnight' journey (we only had two weeks so every day 'saved' was better) the Chunnel (about £90) and a 'blitz drive' (750 miles to Bordeaux, easy in the RRS) on day one made more sense. Below is our route;
Stratford-Upon-Avon to Calais (Folkstone)
Over on the Chunnel
Calais to Bordeaux
Bordeaux to San Sebastian
San Sebastian to Gijon
Gijon to Porto
Porto to Salamanca
Salamanca to Pau
Pau to Le Mans
Le Mans to Calais
Over on the Chunnel
Folkstone to Stratford-Upon-Avon
3377 miles in total. Stopped in a mix of pre-booked places or on-spec' where it took our fancy for 1-3 nights using hotels, air'b'n'b and holiday lets.
Would recommend any of those places TBH, Pau and Le Mans were really just overnight stops to sleep rather than visit.
Porto is fantastic and going from Gijon to Porto 'round the corner of Spain' we stopped off in A Coruna just 'for the day' but wished we'd got it into an overnight stop. To be honest we had maybe another half a dozen places we'd have done similar and will likely do similar trip again but leap-frogging all/most of the places listed above to stay in the places we just stopped off in.
The North coast of Spain really is a hidden gem, beautiful beaches the whole length (my SWMBO has a house in Gijon so I've been over a few times now) and snow-capped mountains behind you a short drive away. It's quite green and lush, reminded me a lot of Somerset/Devon in places.
11th Apr 2019 12:58 pm
Toni
Member Since: 26 Oct 2018
Location: Maidstone kent
Posts: 36
Ok thanks that more or less the rote we going to take the staying in portugal for a week and came back amos finished my LR3 with bed, water, mains power washing facilities, including a espresso mashine so hoping to be a good trip
15th Apr 2019 12:57 pm
Gazellio
Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Chilterns
Posts: 4130
astonbuilder wrote:
Car packed and good to go at 2.30am Sunday morning.
Loads of power sockets in the car proving useful; TomTom running in parallel with car sat nav (find TT better on long euro legs and car better in towns and cities), powered from top glove box power outlet.
NextBase dashcam wired up under edge of headliner, down inner a-post seal, tie-strap along base of dash, and run under edge of centre console to rear seat power socket.
Two iPhone leads of centre cubby USB slots.
Torch powered on one rear seat USB slot.
And still there are spare USB’s and power sockets.....
Your map made me think of mine in my office when we used to take our campervan to Europe every year. Portugal was a notable exception on the map although I did drive there so maybe it was in the car...
15th Apr 2019 2:15 pm
Toni
Member Since: 26 Oct 2018
Location: Maidstone kent
Posts: 36
LR3 (2006) ADVICE ON CAR TOOLS SPAIRS &preparedness to take with me on my week travelling to Europe am arranging breakdown cover and doing a full service But every one keeps telling me get a recovery lorry to follow you but im going for it i am quite handy person with mechanical and electrical things but just wanted to ask the LR community out their on whats likely to break or go wrong and diy ways to fix it because ive only been a LR owner for 8 now please HO easy on me don put me off to much
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