Using the aires and toll-free roads to lower the costs on an adventure to the Alps
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: Tim Griffiths
Friends frequently ask us where we are going on holidays and our stock answer is that we don’t know beyond having a ferry crossing booked. That was true this time and, whilst we quite fancied going to the Austrian Alps, the weather forecast was unsettled, whilst southern Europe was in a sweltering heatwave. As the weather looked better in the west than the east, we redirected our sat-nav towards the French Alps, resolving to make it up as we went.
The ’van was serviced and had its MoT just before we left home but, to my chagrin, I noticed that a rear marker light was missing its required red/clear cover whilst we awaited our ferry check-in. Fortunately, I was able to improvise a replacement from part of a plastic box and red cellophane… well, actually, part of the wrapper of a Hovis Digestives pack!
A National Trust café en route helped out with the loan of a step ladder and, with the help of a few centimetres of Gorilla tape, we were legal again. It survived a number of fierce rainstorms and was still in place and working when a proper replacement was sourced in a motorhome dealership at Thaon-les-Vosges. A good excuse for carrying digestives!
When we ordered our Pilote G600, one of our key parameters was to be able to live off-grid for long periods and so we are able to holiday in it using aires very extensively, making full use of Camperstop Europe and, increasingly, the park4night app.
After overnighting a few miles inland from Calais, our route took us across rural France, discovering the little town of Le Quesnoy on the way. Heavily fortified, the town was hugely attractive and allowed us to enjoy a siesta in the searing heat of the afternoon, next to a delightful lake.
We paused for the night at a very rural aire at Rozoy-sur-Serre. Perched on a disused railway line, we walked a good distance along a wooded track to the next hamlet. With free facilities, this was a lovely overnight, marred only by competing cockerels at dawn!
Our first real destination was Dole, within striking range of the mountains. We arrived there in late afternoon and found the town’s park next to the River Doubs was littered with motorhomes so we joined them. Whilst there were no facilities there, the town could be accessed on foot in less than five minutes. The town is a really vibrant place, with delightful riverside cafés, wonderful walks a
