mmt@dciem.UUCP (Martin Taylor) (04/03/84)
My wife and I intend to do some casual walking (not really hiking --
perhaps 3-4 hours per day) in the foothills of the Alps for 3 weeks
ending in the middle of June. We thought we would rent a camper van
for flexibility, and go to various places as well as visit some
interesting towns and cities. Starting at Frankfurt, we though
of a tour roughly Bern-Zurich-Venice-Vienna-Munchen-Frankfurt.
At 4000 km allowing for lots of side-trips, the cost is about break-even
with Eurailpass and hotels or car-rental and hotels.
Questions: (1) Experiences, good or bad, with that style of camping
in Europe. I've never camped with a wagon before, let alone in Europe.
I understand that the camping places tend to be very crowded compared
to N. America. Is this true? Is it bad?
(2) Any special recommendations for good walks? If necessary, a
walk from one railway station to another would be OK, with return by rail
(or bus, I guess). Even a 2-day walk recommendation would be welcome,
if it was something special. We aren't climbers, but moderate mountain
paths are OK.
(3) Locations especially suited for staying a few days with walks
(perhaps accessed by train) in various nearby areas. They don't have
to be on the itinerary mentioned above. In fact, since we have to
return by way of Amsterdam in the end, places north of Frankfurt are
quite reasonable to propose.
(4) People to look for or to avoid when renting.
Any pointers will be appreciated, and I promise not to send you any
holiday photos in return.
--
Martin Taylor
{allegra,linus,ihnp4,uw-beaver,floyd,ubc-vision}!utzoo!dciem!mmtljdickey@watmath.UUCP (Lee Dickey) (04/05/84)
We travelled through Europe in a custom converted Volkswagen van that we
bought from a couple at the street market around Australia house on the
Strand in London. It made possible a month long trip that we would not
have been able to make otherwise. There were five of us. That summer
we saw a lot of France, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Spain.
Yes, the campgrounds are more crowded than those we know and love in
North American wilderness areas; not a lot unlike a lot of KOA places.
We liked the conditions in some French campgrounds the best. We were
fascinated at the seemingly infinite variation in tent design. We
North Americans have a lot to learn!
We sold the van for about 100 pounds less than we paid for it.
I think we got a bargain.
--
Lee Dickey, University of Waterloo. (ljdickey@watmath.UUCP)
...!allegra!watmath!ljdickey
...!ucbvax!decvax!watmath!ljdickeydavef@mhtsa.UUCP (04/05/84)
Hiking in the Austrian Alps is beautiful and convient. Innsbruck offers day hikes into the local mountains. The hiking is generally very easy. The hike generally starts by taking a ski lift to the top of a mountain followed by an easy walk down the mountain. If you want more adventurous hiking the Austrian hut system is superb. Most huts are large and clean and about 4 hrs walking distance apart. The huts provide beds and food and most also have hot water and showers. !mhtsa!davef
werner@ut-ngp.UUCP (04/06/84)
<please don't kill this bug> just recently, I called around to compare car-rental-costs in Europe, and found that a small car could be had at a reasonable price, but a camper was outrageously expensive. that's one reason why I would not rent a camper. Second: in Europe, it's not as easy just to find a space to park as in the US, where I enjoy my van a lot more than in Europe. Third: if you want to meet some locals, why not enjoy the hospitality of breakfast and bed, available most everywhere? I have found shelter in old farm-houses, retired city folks in an old saw-mill, castle-like places, garden-houses, attic-rooms. Fourth: showers!!! I can't stand it when I can't get water on me (everywhere) at least once a day. Mountain-lakes are too COLD, and public bath- houses are not as readily available in the ALPS as in cities all over Germany (don't know about other countries). Actually, what you look for are the public indoor-swimming-pools, which often have also saunas, steam-baths, mud-baths, and 'muscles' to make you feel beat up and reborn. Before I forget it, don't dare to soap and shampoo in a European lake (as is done in the US everywhere), me and my friends would not look on kindly - Europe is too crowded to have people do this. So, my recommendation is to use car and tent, and bed-and-breakfast. Consider buying a car (tax-free) and bring it back. You can also do this with campers, motorcycles, bycycles, etc.
2141smh@aluxe.UUCP (henning) (04/07/84)
From the keys of Steve Henning, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, PA aluxe!2141smh <<So, my recommendation is to use car and tent, and bed-and-breakfast.>> <<Consider buying a car (tax-free) and bring it back. You can also do>> <<this with campers, motorcycles, bicycles, etc.>> How right you are. My wife and I have done this 3 times. Each time we got a Volvo on European delivery, and took a pup tent, sleeping bags, and a cook kit with Gaz stove. We usually stayed in B&B's but needed the tent occasionally such as in Munich. There we camped in the middle of the city adjacent to the zoo. In this campground you have to leave a tent or van to hold your spot or it will be gone when you get back. Thus if you have a tent, you can use your car. Since I am allergic to down the sleeping bags came in handy when a B&B just had those big downy comforters on their beds.