Very much on our way home, Slovenia was the penultimate country (excluding those that we simply drove through) of this tour. We said when we visited briefly in 2022 that we wanted to come back but didn’t expect it to be quite so soon!

Our route was basically straight across the north of the country from Hungary to Italy taking in some of Slovenia’s most scenic spots.  Given we were back in Schengen, the border crossings were simple and usually unmanned.

We were keeping a close eye on the weather forecasts as they were not looking good. Our next stop would be northern Italy where they were currently experiencing severe flooding and most of Europe was wet to say the least!

Having decided to slow down the drive to Bled, we first stopped in the small town of Sentjur where we stayed a couple of nights in a new, free aire. It was a great place to park up but just a shame that they didn’t appear to have switched on the fresh water and EHU posts!

With a small break in the weather forecast we moved on to Velika Planina, which literally translates as “high pasture”, a high scenic mountain plateau. It is home to numerous shepherd huts used by herdsmen when they move their animals up to higher pastures in the summer and some are now available to rent as holiday homes. The area is also a ski resort during the winter with a couple of chair lifts and a cable car from Kamniska Bistrica, although nothing was running at the time of our visit.

Having driven up the mountain roads and paid our park entrance fee, we were directed to a car park where we could stay overnight and set off for a walk.  The break in the weather was sadly brief, so cold and wet, we headed back to the vans for the evening. 

By contrast, two days later we had a fabulous day visiting Bled! Still with Jason and Katie (@forevercopilots), we strolled around the lake, stopping halfway round for lunch and maybe #justtheone, and then stuffed ourselves beyond full with Bled cake delivered by a robot waiter in a lakeside hotel.

Slovenia is a stunningly beautiful country, the Julian Alps and Triglav National Park in particular. After driving the 50 hairpin bends of the Vrsic Pass where it was snowing at the top (1,611m above sea level), we stopped at Camp Soca for a few days from where we could explore the Soca Gorge and swim in the icy waters of the river.

Having seen a write up on another Hymer owner’s Facebook page and having a couple of days spare, we doubled back on ourselves to visit the old mercury mine in Idrija. It’s a fascinating place to spend a couple of hours and have a history and geology lesson all rolled into a 90 minute tour (€15 each entry fee). The town itself grew around the mine and many of the original buildings still stand.

On our way back from Idrija we stopped at the Tolmin Gorges and the lowest point in the national park at the confluence of the Tolminka and Zadlascica rivers. Free parking is available in the lower car park which is a 15 minute or so walk from the gorge entrance. There is an entry fee for entering the gorge of €8 per adult and access is in allotted time slots. You follow a self-guided walk down into the gorge and back up again crossing the rivers whose water is the most vivid shade of turquoise. We thought it was well worth the visit.

So another short but very sweet visit to Slovenia, a country we find to be safe, clean and easily accessible in a motorhome, especially as there seem to be more aires popping up so avoiding expensive campsites.  We haven’t spent any time at the coast but the northern mountains are an area to which we’d happily return.  

Next stop Italy and lots of men in Lycra riding very fast bikes!

Campsites used:

Camp Soca: €29 per night. EHU available at extra cost. Water taps across the site, several black tank disposal points, two toilet/shower blocks (one with washing machines and dryer) and a drive over motorhome service point. Grass/gravel pitches. A large campsite right on the Soca Gorge with all usual facilities plus a small coffee shop and bar. Fresh bread available to order. Wifi was a little flakey and depended on proximity to the router. Parking was a free for all meaning that in the areas close to the river, vans were jammed in – there were no rules/guidance on keeping any sort of distance. We did manage to find a quiet part of the site, still next overlooking the river – turn left immediately after entering the campsite and there are several pitches by the chalets. Private access to the river and gorge.

Other overnight parking:

Sentjur Camperstop: a new five pitch aire with fresh water and EHU which should be available at a small cost but it looked like the services had never been switched on! With the weather not looking great we parked up here in the quiet car park for a couple of days to catch up on stuff. A short walk into the town centre where there is really fast public wifi – a good excuse to stop for a cup of coffee!

Velika Planina: car parking €20, payable on entry and we were able to stay overnight. No facilities but toilets are scattered throughout the national park.

Preddvor/Hrib: free overnight parking next to a sports stadium. No facilities. Close to a small lake with a cafe although that was closed when we visited.

Bled aire: €25 per 24 hours and payable via a machine in cash only! The parking fee includes up to 150l of fresh water, a small amount of electricity, grey/black disposal and free wifi. The aire is close to a couple of supermarkets and is a 10 minute walk into town and the lake. Not picturesque but definitely functional and the spaces are large and hard standing.

Idrija Camperstop: free aire close to the mercury mine and town. Surprisingly quiet given its location by the bus station and on a supermarket car park access road. A small service point offering fresh water (€1 for 100l of water), black and grey disposal and EHU (paid for as required). Hard standing but slightly on a slope – we are not fussed about being exactly level but we did get the ramps out here.

Blog: www.bobandjune.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/bobclewley

Polar Steps: https://www.polarsteps.com/ClewleysOnTour/5755379-the-balkans-and-beyond?s=0A28668E-486F-4DEF-80BA

Our original plan was to head to Serbia after Romania but we decided to follow Jason and Katie from Forever Copilots into Hungary.

By doing so we were heading back into the Schengen area but at least this time we had no time restrictions other than to be home by the end of May for family reasons. The border crossing was straight forward and with our passports stamped we drove straight into the Great Plain region.

Our destination was Hortobagy National Park, an area known for its bird life and cowboys. Sadly when we arrived at the small town of Hortobagy, it was mostly closed, including the tourist information centre. We took a stroll to see the “famous” Nine-Hole bridge, apparently the most photographed and painted bridge in the area, and then given the lack of overnight spots, drove straight on to the city of Eger.

The historical town of Eger is full of grand baroque buildings, some of which are from the time of Turkish occupation, including an original Ottoman minaret.

Just outside the town is the Valley of the Beautiful Women, home to more than two dozen wine cellars which are built into the rocky hillside. We spent a very enjoyable afternoon wandering from cellar to cellar sampling the different wines (tasting was usually around 80p to £1.50 for a 100ml glass). There are also some food options here if needed. It was then just a short stagger, oops I mean walk, back to the campsite!

We’re not usually city people but thoroughly enjoyed our couple of days in Budapest, a lot of which was down to Jason’s planning! We bought a Budapest Go travel card which for HUF5,500 each (just under £13) gave us 72 hours of unlimited travel on the buses, Metro and trams. The motorhome park up is close to the Mexikói Metro station from which trains departed every few minutes and arrived in the city centre about 15 mins later.

We walked miles, saw lots and ate ourselves silly. We didn’t go into any of the museums but if you have time it might be worth considering buying a pass which will give you free or discounted entry.

We timed our visit perfectly – we had good weather and places were busy without being overcrowded. We’d definitely recommend Budapest as a place to go as there’s something for everyone there to many of the attractions.

City Park was a short walk from the camperstop so, as it was another sunny day, we took a picnic and had a wander around. The Millennium Monument in Heroes Square is also close by and features important figures from Hungarian history.

Our whistle stop tour of Hungary would finish at Lake Hefiz but on the way we stopped for a little Urbex (urban exploration for those not in the know!) of two abandoned areas. Firstly it was the Hajmasker Barracks, one of the largest military barracks of the Austro-Hungarian period. The buildings became a POW camp during World War I and it grew so big it even had its own currency. World War II saw it move into Nazi hands and then post war it became a Soviet army base. The buildings were abandoned in 1990 after the fall of the Soviet Union.

We also visited another abandoned Soviet base at Szentkiralyszabadja which has been out of use since 2004 when the last Hungarian helicopter regiment which was based there was disbanded. The base is gradually succumbing to nature but a few buildings are still accessible.

There are so many thermal springs across Hungary but it’s very hard to find any natural springs as they have mostly been developed into spa resorts or health centres. Lake Heviz is a small lake fed by underground springs and even in winter the water temperature doesn’t drop below 22°C. Sadly though it is fully fenced off and you have to pay to access the water. We opted for a “closing hours” ticket which allowed us for the last two hours of the day (and you can’t get in a minute earlier!) which was the cheapest option at HUF3,600 (about £8.50) each and we had plenty of time to float around the entire lake. There are multiple spa and recuperation clinics around the lake and in the town.

However, it is possible to swim in the thermal water for free! You need to follow the river out of the lake, passing by the campsite and to an open area where you can easily get in and out of the river. The water here was just as warm as the lake but as it’s used by locals, is probably very busy in the summer.

And that was our brief tour of Hungary!  The country is very clean (a welcome change) and easy to drive around but we found few opportunities for overnight parking outside campsites.  That said, we were visiting the most popular places so that always limits where we can park but they haven’t really embraced the idea of aires yet.

With the weather taking a turn, it was time to move on an next stop, Slovenia!

Campsites used:

Kemping Tulipan, Eger: HUF8,500 (approx £20) per night, EHU extra. Well marked and maintained gravel/grass pitches. Toilet and shower block with washing machine (paid for token from reception). Fresh water and toilet dumping area are next to each other and people were using the fresh water hose to clean their cassettes – we used our own hose! Despite being advertised as such, the Wifi didn’t cover the whole site. Easy walk into the town centre and the wine cellars in the Valley of the Beautiful Women.

Castrum Camping, Heviz: HUF9,994 (approx £23 per night), EHU extra. Large riverside campsite with grass pitches. Pricing is partially based on pitch size but there are few cheaper pitches available. Two bathroom blocks with washing machines and one dryer (a rarity we’ve found!). Small restaurant on site and daily visit by a bakery van. Easy walk to Lake Heviz and the town.

Other overnight spots:

Stellplatz Budapest: Approx EUR20 p/n, payable EHU available. The actual cost is charged by total parking time via the PARKL app which you need to activate the access gate. Fresh water and dumping facilities are available. It’s a large car park with an area specifically for motorhomes so not picturesque but great for easy access to the Metro into the city and despite being on a main road, it was fairly quiet at night. The City Park is a short walk away.

Blog: www.bobandjune.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/bobclewley

Polar Steps: https://www.polarsteps.com/ClewleysOnTour/5755379-the-balkans-and-beyond?s=0A28668E-486F-4DEF-80BA-D43AA17F7A87

We finished the last post at Camping Honigberg, taking a few days to catch up with ourselves. Whilst there we were joined by friends and fellow travellers, Jason, Katie and Elsa aka Forever Copilots. We had planned to meet up in a couple of weeks in Slovenia but as often happens with this lifestyle, plans change.

We left them the following morning with arrangements in place to meet up again in a couple of days and then wend our way out of Romania together.

Having not seen any bears in the wild we decided to visit the Libearty Bear Sanctuary near Brasov, a large enclosure for bears rescued from captivity and often traumatic lives in circuses, zoos and private owners. You have to take a guided tour (daily tours in English are available) and we were lucky to time it so the lunch truck was doing the rounds so the bears were all coming out for food. Some of the back stories are truly awful and whilst we’d rather not see animals in captivity, they were definitely living better lives here.

We met up again with Jason and Katie at Rupea Castle, the partially restored remains of a 14th century fortress on a basaltic outcrop which separately is a protected geological natural reservation.

Although the town of Bran is closely linked to Dracula, Sighisoara was actually the birthplace of Vlad Tepes, better known as Vlad the Impaler, or Dracula. The UNESCO protected hilltop old town is worth a visit to explore the narrow cobbled streets and take in the pastel coloured houses. There are lots of tourist shops and the town is probably overrun in the summer, but whilst busy when we visited, it wasn’t too overwhelming.

Next stop – Turda, to visit a salt mine. Oh and it was Mr C’s birthday so we wanted to be on a campsite to be able to celebrate without worrying about getting moved on. We had read and heard various reports about the salt mine so we visited it with low expectations and had a great time! Where else can you ride on an underground ferris wheel and row a boat on an underground lake? The mining operation closed down in 1932 and there are still remnants of the former industry on display as well as information boards explaining the history of the various chambers. Yes, it is aimed mostly at tourists but it’s a fascinating place nonetheless.

We finished the day with a BBQ and birthday cake after the campsite let us decorate the communal outside kitchen with balloons for the birthday celebrations and maybe a glass or two of the local hooch was consumed….

After a quiet night parked outside the Lupsa Monastery, in which is the oldest (built in 1429) remaining wooden church in the country, we moved towards the Apuseni National Park stopping high in the hills outside Garda de Sus to visit the Ice Cave (Pestera Ghetarul), one of Europe’s largest underground glaciers.

It’s a steep climb down a metal staircase to the cave which contains a large lake of ice which also descends into three vertical chambers. The “Great Hall” which you walk around on a wooden walkway over the ice, has many stalactites and stalagmites. You then follow the same route back up the stairs to exit. Visits are all guided and group size varies – we had at least 100 people on our visit and couldn’t hear (nor understand) the guide said!

Our final night in Romania was a quiet night near the village of Finate, next to a small stream and with an occasional flock of sheep passing by.  To get here from the cave we drove along road number 75 which takes you through the Apuseni National Park, a stunning drive with amazing views over the surrounding countryside.

Campsites used:

Camping La Foisor: Lei70 p/n (EHU at extra cost). All usual facilities available plus a washing machine at Lei20 per wash. Flat grass parking. Communal kitchen area plus shower and toilet block. Once parked the owner shows up with his bottles of homemade Palinka and fruit brandy. This scenario was repeated a few times during our stay, ie each time we stepped out of the van! They were very friendly and chatty and not just because they always seemed to have a drink in their hands. It’s an easy walk into the town centre and the salt mine is within walking distance but is about 3km and mostly uphill on the way there.

Other overnight parking:

Poiana Narciselor Nature Park: A small hard standing carpark surrounded by rolling countryside. No facilities and very quiet.

Rupea Castle: hard standing parking in the castle car park. We asked if we could stay when we visited the castle. The security guard puts a chain across the car park entrance at night. Toilets in the upper car park but no other facilities.

Sighisoara: Lei10 per day parking in a busy town centre car park. No facilities but great access to the old town. Lots of restaurants and bars nearby.

Lupsa Monastery: free parking in their car park (we did talk to one of the monks first). Again we were asked if we needed anything and were told the toilets would be accessible all night. There is a water tap just inside the gate.

Ghetari: Lei25 for overnight parking in a field close to the ice cave. All grass and not many level areas. Cars parking for the day got tickets/receipts but we didn’t – there was no advertised going rate for overnight motorhome parking. It’s an uphill walk to the entrance to the cave and there are a few eating places and souvenir stalls around.

Finate: parking at a popular local picnic spot but quiet enough overnight. Grass parking next to a small stream – needed ramps to get somewhere near level. Shame about the rubbish strewn around the place but that has been par for the course in a lot of areas.

Blog: www.bobandjune.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/bobclewley

Polar Steps: https://www.polarsteps.com/ClewleysOnTour/5755379-the-balkans-and-beyond?s=0A28668E-486F-4DEF-80BA

Well the Romania blog is now going to be in three parts! We were enjoying the country so much and after meeting up with friends (more of that in the next post) we extended our vignette twice more to spend six weeks there.

The Moldavia region of northeast Romania (not to be confused with the neighbouring country of Moldova) is home to the Bucovina Monasteries, UNESCO protected painted monasteries dating from the 15th and 16th centuries and one of Romania’s top tourist attractions. There are in fact so many monasteries in the region, it could be difficult deciding which ones to visit so we opted to follow a route suggested in our Lonely Planet guidebook and take our time over a few days.

Initially we based ourselves at the Neamt Monastery where we were welcomed by one of the priests to stay in the car park as long as we needed. From here visited the monasteries at Sihastria, Varatec and Agapia. We had also tried to get to the wooden Sihla Monastery but access is via a muddy forest track and after the recent clutch incident, we didn’t dare attempt the last few hundred metres up a steep hill to the carpark!

Whilst visiting Sihastria, we were asked if we would like to join the monastery staff for a meal but politely declined as we had so much to see.

As we arrived at Varatec, the man who had earlier invited us jumped out of his car with fresh bread, stuffed cabbage leaves and a bottle of wine which he insisted we took. He also gave us an impromptu tour of the church at Varatec, explaining the different icons and paintings. Our brains seem to be hardwired into thinking that he’d want something in return, but no, he was just a kind man sharing the generosity and hospitality we still struggle to accept.

Following the loop in the guidebook we took in the monasteries at Moldovita, Sucevita, Arbore, Dragomirnaa, Voronet and Humor. The northwestern part of the loop is over the Ciumarna Pass which sits at 1,100m above sea level and is reached via winding mountain roads which were still covered in snow when we visited.

Most of the monasteries were free to park at and visit but we were out of season. Where we paid entry fees, it was usually lei10, under £2, each

After visiting so many monasteries we were looking for something different and headed into the mountains of the eastern Carpathians. Romania has a few famous driving roads and high passses but the two big ones we had on the list, the Transfagarasan and the Alpina passes were both closed for the foreseeable future but luckily for us the Transraraul was open….well sort of!

The Transraraul Pass is reached via either the 175A or the 175B and our first attempt was from the 175A near Campulung Moldovenesc. After tackling a few steep sections (one tight hairpin was on a 16% slope) we found the road closed until 30 April so we backtracked to the main road and tried again via the 175B. All looked good and after spending a couple of glorious nights near the top we tried to rejoin the 175A to come down the southern side of the pass. As we got to the top there was another sign to say this part of the road was also closed but we met a local who told us to ignore the sign – it was definitely OK to drive as he’d done it the previous week. Glad to say we got down the narrow winding road without incident!

We drove through the Ceahlau National Park which includes the 1907m high Ceahlau Massif, Moldavia’s highest point. Unfortunately we were unable to park anywhere overnight so drove straight on to Bicaz, and then the following day we headed into the Bicaz Gorge. The road here cuts through 300m high limestone walls which you can almost touch in places, the road is so narrow.

Following the road 12C out of the gorge you reach Lacu Rosu (Red Lake) which doesn’t live up to its name and even less so on a murky, drizzly day. It is a good place to stop though for lunch and souvenir shopping, not that we did the latter!

One last mountain drive took us to Lake Saint Anne (Lac Sfanta Ana) which is actually a lake in the crater of and old volcano. There is a good path down to the lake from the car park (a minibus is available for less mobile visitors) and there is a walk around the lake. This is bear country and although we didn’t see any, we did spot large birds of prey and got a great shot of an owl sitting in a tree by the road.

As we were in the area we decided to head back to Camping Honigberg to catch up with ourselves for a few days before beginning our drive westwards and out of the country.

Campsites used:

Camping Cristal, Sucevita: Lei40 per night without EHU (usual rate is Lei70 p/n). Flat grassy area for motorhomes. Shower and toilet block. Lots of open space which would be great in the summer. An easy, flat walk along the main road to the Sucevita Monastery.

Cabana Turistica Lac Sfanta Ana: Lei80 (a little over £14) for 24 hour parking. At the time of our visit there was no water to the campsite as it was still too cold to switch it on but toilets are available at the ticket office/reception when open and because of the grass/mud parking it was difficult to find a level spot. We were given a 5l bottle of water and offered firewood when we checked in but it wasn’t the weather to sit outside! The campsite is surrounded by an electric fence to keep the bears out and there is a path down to and around Lac Sfanta Ana directly from the campsite.

Camping Honigberg: EUR18 p/n for two adults, the van but no EHU (available at additional cost). Grass parking within the vicarage garden. Washing machine available. We liked this campsite so much we came back! We were in the general area so decided to come back here to do the washing and make use of the good wifi.

Other overnight spots:

Neamt Monastery: we stayed in the overspill car park, a short walk to the monastery and the Church of St Nicholas. Water available close to the monastery library from an unthreaded pipe, and there are toilets at the monastery (not sure if they’re open when the monastery closed).

Transraraul Pass: in a roughly north to south direction, two roads cover the pass, the 175A and 175B. We initially spent one night at the end of the 175A near Campulung Moldovenesc in a large gravel car park. On the 175B we found a layby close to the top surrounded by snow and with stunning views over the mountains. We had a couple of peaceful nights parked here. No facilities.

Bicaz: a small carpark next to a small stadium. Flat, hard standing car park. No facilities. OK for one night.

Blog: www.bobandjune.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/bobclewley

Polar Steps: https://www.polarsteps.com/ClewleysOnTour/5755379-the-balkans-and-beyond?s=0A28668E-486F-4DEF-80BA-D43AA17F7A87

The second half of our Bulgaria trip involved more monasteries, huge concrete monuments, fortresses, the coast and a peaceful nature park.

From Velingrad we headed to the Shipka Pass and the UFO-shaped Buzludzha Monument perched high above the pass and built as a communist assembly hall. Our tip for driving to the monument is to access it from the south and not take the road by the Freedom Monument to avoid over 5 miles of potholed road! We spent a couple of nights in the car park at the base of the Buzludzha Monument, one of which was very windy to say the least.

We headed back to the Black Sea coast, starting right at the most southerly point on the border with Turkey. In the area of Resovo we were stopped a few times at police checks and also had a subtle visit from the border police whilst we were parked up – they didn’t question us but walked around the van a few times. We also stopped at Varna to find a beachside thermal pool which was an experience – definitely a meeting place for locals.

The Tsarevets Fortress in Veliko Tarnovo is worth every penny of the entrance fee (less than £5 each). It’s a large area to explore and on a good day, it would be a good place to take a picnic and enjoy the views. The unconsecrated church in the Patriarch’s Complex is home to some modern frescoes which are very different to those we had seen so far on historical monasteries. After leaving the fortress we had a wander around the picturesque old town which was full of craft and antique shops.

If you’re looking to escape everything then visit Shumen and the Rusenski Lom Nature Park. Shumen is home to the Founders of the Bulgarian State Memorial, a huge brutal concrete structure high on a hill overlooking the town of Shumen and surrounded by forests which were great for walking. Rusenski Lom is an area of rock churches and steep gorges and again great for walking.

On the whole motorhoming in Bulgaria was easy and there was plenty of parking available. Water wasn’t as easy to find as it was in Turkey as a lot of roadside springs didn’t have tap fittings or were dry so we had to resort to buying bottled water again. Fuel was still relatively cheap at around £1.30 a litre and LPG everywhere, costing just over 50p a litre.

All in all a good place to visit and even more of a reason to visit soon is because Bulgaria, whilst in the EU is still not part of the  Schengen area so a stay here helps to offset the 90 day limit and enables a longer visit to continental Europe.

Campsites used:

Burgas Camperstop: BGN30 (£13.50) for 24 hours. Price includes EHU, fresh water tap, showers, WC emptying and fast WiFi. Flat parking on the dockside inside the marina gate. Very quiet overnight.

Other overnight parking:

Troyan Monastery: Parking is BGN3 (approx £1.35) and we were allowed to stay overnight. A large hard standing car park for the monastery. No facilities.

Buzludzha Monument: several hard standing parking spots around the monument. Need to check weather (especially wind direction!) and park accordingly. No facilities but stunning views for miles. May not be accessible during heavy snow.

Veliko Tarnavo: a free P4N spot by the State Art Gallery. No real flat spots and no facilities but relatively quiet (apart from the local busker who was there in the afternoon!). We drove to a paid car park to visit the Tsarevets Fortress – it’s a hilly town strung along the steep sides of a river.

Resovo: A couple of nights parked up by a closed beach bar at the most south-eastern point of the EU. Relatively flat and quiet, overlooking the narrow river border with Turkey. No facilities.

Varna: Free parking at the northern end of the town, next to the beach. Flat with no facilities and a short walk into the main beach area with bars and a thermal pool. Parking is next to a road which is busy during the day but was quiet overnight.

Shumen: Free parking in a large car park close to the Shumen Fortress and a restaurant. Flat and no facilities but great for exploring the local area with lots of marked walks in the surrounding forest.

Rusenski Lom Nature Park: One of our quietest park-ups in the nature park close to some rock churches. Flat and no facilities although maybe some cafes during the summer. Great place to walk and then to sit and listen to birdsong.

Ruse: Free parking between a railway track and the River Danube about 20 mins walk from the city centre. The trains run back and forth to the docks but don’t run overnight so a surprisingly quiet stop. No facilities. Close to the Romanian border crossing.

Blog: www.bobandjune.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/bobclewley

Polar Steps: https://www.polarsteps.com/ClewleysOnTour/5755379-the-balkans-and-beyond?s=0A28668E-486F-4DEF-80BA

Our Route: http://www.bobandjune.co.uk/the_balkans_and_turkey_route/

We spent just short of our permitted 90 days exploring Türkiye from December 2022 to February 2023, driving around the Asian side in an anti-clockwise direction. We thought it might be useful to some people to put together a few details of our experiences.

Driving

We covered 4,883 miles in total but with fuel at less than £1 a litre it didn’t make such a huge dent in the budget! We also managed to do almost the whole trip without using a toll road, only using one to go around Istanbul and where we had no choice. We didn’t have the HGS tag which allows easy access through the tolls so selected the cash lane and took a ticket but when it came to the pay station the gates were open and there was nowhere to pay. We fully expected to be charged as we left the country but nothing was outstanding against our registration so it seems we were lucky!

We did very little city driving which we know from Istanbul can be a little chaotic, and whilst we did see some adventurous manoeuvres, the pace seemed a lot slower so never dangerous. The larger roads were in reasonable condition and in the snow in the far east of the country, they were cleared regularly. Off the main roads, the surfaces were a little hit and miss and sometimes nothing more than dirt tracks.

Don’t underestimate the size of the country – it’s huge and there’s still so much for us to go back and see.

Police checkpoints are common and we were mostly waved through.  When we were stopped the officers were polite and courteous, asked us a couple of questions and sent us on our way.  Along the Syrian, Iranian and Aremian borders the checks were slightly more (and understandably) intimidating with plenty of machine guns, tanks and barbed wire on display but again we were politely asked for our passports and our destination before being allowed to move on. 

Costs – a summary of roughly what we spent on the main items

Van insurance payable at the border €140 for 3 months

Food, including eating out – £1,225

Diesel – £820

Campsites – £230 (most expensive on the SW coast which is the main tourist area)

LPG – £32

Entry fees – £167.50.  We didn’t buy any of the available museum passes as although they represent good value for visiting the museums and archeological sites, they are time limited so didn’t work for us as we travel slowly. 

Campsites – we had to occasionally venture on to a campsite to use a washing machine (no self service laundries to be found!) and empty the toilet cassette. We’re not precious about campsites – they just need to be functional rather than look good and offer facilities we won’t use! Prices ranged from free, on a municipal site in Tarsus, to tl450 (approx £20) per night in some of the more popular areas. We also stayed on a campsite for a few nights over the New Year holiday to be able to enjoy the celebrations.

Availability of essentials

We had no issues finding fuel, lpg, food and water.  We filter all our onboard water as it leaves the tank, plus a pre-tank filter if needed, so we’re happy to fill from roadside water taps along with locals. The only time we had an issue with this was during a snowstorm and we physically couldn’t get to the taps or they were frozen!

The local markets were great for fresh produce but it’s worth getting store cards for Carrefour and Migros to get cheaper prices.

Weather

Safe to say we had it all! We spent Christmas and New Year on the south-west coast and were on the beach a lot of the time, swimming and paddle boarding in temperatures of over 20°C. However, when we headed to the eastern regions we had driving snow and roadside drifts higher than the van. In one place we experienced a daytime temperature of -11°C, admittedly we were at about 8,000ft in altitude, but had regular overnight temperatures of -5°C.

Stray animals

We had seen and heard lots of stories about stray cats and dogs. Yes, there are a lot of dogs running around and we noticed cats in towns and at tourist sites, but we have to say they all looked well fed and healthy. We saw locals pulling up in their cars and leaving food out for the animals and a number of dogs were tagged to show they had been neutered. A couple of places we visited even had machines dispensing food either for cash or when you deposited items for recycling. We can only speak for what we saw and appreciate this may not be everyone’s experience.

The people

Quite simply some of the most hospitable and welcoming people we have ever met.  Turkish hospitality is renowned and we were frequently given tea wherever we went.  We even left a fuel station with a cup of tea and a bag of fresh eggs!  At no point did we feel unsafe or in any danger.  

If for any reason our plans for the rest of the year fall through then we will be heading straight back to Türkiye! 

Blog: www.bobandjune.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/bobclewley

Polar Steps: https://www.polarsteps.com/ClewleysOnTour/5755379-the-balkans-and-beyond?s=0A28668E-486F-4DEF-80BA

We had a great couple of months in the UK catching up with family and friends taking us from Hertfordshire to Oxfordshire and then down to the West Country to Wiltshire, Devon and Somerset.

In addition we the van had new tyres at Costco Watford, was MOTd at Intercounty Mercedes Milton Keynes and warranty work done at Southdown Motorhomes in Portsmouth. Throw in medical and dental appointments, it was a pretty busy time!

With the sudden death of the Queen at the beginning of September we delayed our departure for a few days and like a lot of people, were glued to the TV watching all the events as they happened. We decided we would book our Channel crossing for the day after the funeral so we could watch that day’s services with uninterrupted wifi.

When home we have a couple of go to CLs we use with our favourites being Balmers near Tring and Home Farm, Iver.  Both are basic grass fields with no EHU but have clean water and dump facilities, and work out real value for money at £8 and £13 per night respectively (Home Farm also offers a weekly rate of £85).

Other sites used during this visit:

Friars Court Island CL, Radcot: £12.50 p/n, grass field, no EHU but clean water and dump facilities. Great riverside location and pub nearby.

Newbridge Campsite, near Witney: £6 p/n, grass field, no EHU but clean water and dump facilities. Close to the river and a couple of puts

Stroud Farm, Maidenhead: £6 p/n, grass field, no EHU but clean water and dump facilities. Close to Heathrow so expect aircraft noise!

Kingstones Farm, near Marlborough, Wiltshire: £12 p/n (£15 with EHU). Two hard standing pitches and large grass area. Clean water and dump facilities. Easy bus access to Marlborough and plenty of walking from the site to the Savernake Forest and the Kennet and Avon Canal.

Pitt’s Farm, near Wells, Somerset: £12 p/n. Grass pitches with EHU. Clean water and dump facilities. Wells and Glastonbury easily accessible with a vehicle.

We also overnighted at The Drove to visit Stonehenge and Port Solent car park, close to Southdown Motorhomes where the van was having some work done. Both of these are free and at Port Solent you are asked to call the port office to let them know you’re staying the night.