Having safely crossed the border (see previous post) it was straight into the mayhem of Tecate and finding our way around a Mexican supermarket.  

From there it was on to our first stop which was recommended to us by @giasa.inviadi who we “met” on Instagram but who we’d meet for real at the ranch. It was great to be able to sit down with them, Raul (one of the ranch owners) and a map to plot out a route for Baja.

We basically zigzagged across the peninsula from one beach to another, moving from the heat on the Sea of Cortez to the humidity of the Pacific with one stay in the mountains for a couple of cool, dry days.

Baja is known for its beaches but the forested mountains of the Sierra de San Pedro Martin were a welcome change of scenery and at over 8,000ft a blessed relief from the sun and heat.

A little south from the Sierra is the area around Cataviña, a weird landscape of huge boulders and larger cacti.  

The landscapes have certainly been very different to what we expected and much of the central area is remote desert and extinct volcanoes.  

Motorhoming on Baja

The most difficult thing so far has been negotiating the pot holes in the roads! It doesn’t matter if you’re on the main north-south road or in a small town – every so often the tarmac is broken up, undulating or just not there. 

And if you dare to explore a little further then it’s dirt tracks and topes, speed bumps to us Brits, in a multitude of sizes.  On the plus side we’ve encountered no road rage and driving, on the whole, is quite a leisurely experience.  

No-one drinks the tap water here so we’re buying all our water from Agua Purificada shops and they are everywhere.  We are using iOverlander to find those which have a hosepipe rather than using the 20l “garrafon” containers used by locals – think the big bottles on office water coolers.  In most places it would have cost us under £5 to fill our 120l tank and despite our water filter system, we think it’s a price worth paying!

We’ve had no issues with finding fuel and all but two garages have accepted our credit card.  We are aware of a number of potential scams involving fuel stations so are extra vigilant each time we fill up but so far, we’ve had no problems.

You definitely need a constant supply of cash! Most fuel stations and large grocery stores will accept cards but for campsites it has been cash only.  We both each have Monzo and Revolut accounts so can easily withdraw sufficient cash without any UK charges but there are local fees to pay.

Wild camping is not easy in our vehicle as we cannot get too far off the beaten track but campsites are, in relative terms, cheap.  We are also conscious of our security so only wild camp where we feel safe. We’ve paid between MXP150 and MXP500 per night, the equivalent of £5.80 to £19.30 at today’s rate and what you get for that varies widely – just don’t try to compare with any sites back home. We are dry camping so no hook up and we don’t use the campsite water to top up the tank.  It has been a little difficult to truly rate the campsites as we are still very early in the season so have had most places to ourselves (not that we are complaining about that!) and a lot of places are still preparing to open fully.

Campsites used

Rancho La Bellota: no set fee but a donation is appreciated. Our introduction to Baja and a great start.  This is a working ranch and has accommodation for fee paying guests but also a small area set aside for passing travellers with its own toilet and shower.  Spring water is available and the spring also feeds a small swimming pool. All very clean and well looked after. Raul is a font of knowledge for Baja and recommended places all along the peninsula.  He and his wife Caroline made us feel very welcome.  Only downside is the 17km of off-road driving to get to the ranch.

Campo Meneses, nr Ensenada: MXP500 p/n. The most expensive site we’ve used so far but wasn’t really much more than a car park for the beach. Basic showers and toilets.

Don Eddies, San Quintin: MXP325 p/n.  As we didn’t need hook up (extra cost) we were able to park on the water’s edge.  We had access to a shower and toilet.  Restaurant and bar on site.

Parque Nacional Sierra de San Pedro Martin: MXP60.67 per day entrance fee to the park which includes camping.  The access was a bit bumpy and probably not for big rigs.  Forested campsite and we noticed a couple of Portaloos.  Well worth the 100km drive from the main road.

Quinta Cristina, south of San Quintin: MXP200 p/n. A small seaside campsite but a bit of a gem – we planned two nights but stayed for five! There are no specific pitches but there are several palapas scattered around, each with a water tap, table and BBQ grill.  There are also a couple of Portaloos. No beach to speak of but the sea is accessible.  The owner came round a couple of times a day to check everything was ok.  It’s a local fishing point and families would come to fish and have a BBQ.

Papa Fernandez, near Willard: MXP150 p/n.  Beach camping on the Sea of Cortez.  Several toilets  (Portaloo or pit toilets – it was hard to tell!) but the reviews said not to use them so we didn’t.  Restaurant has good reviews but was closed when we visited.  Great beach for bird watching.

Guerrero Negro Campground: MXP350 p/n on a fully serviced pitch. Toilet and shower available.  Nothing more than a large, open car park which was fine for a stopover as we headed south.  The campsite is behind Mario’s Restaurant which was recommended to us.  We ate there and the food was fine but as we were the only ones there, the atmosphere was lacking a little! 

Wild camping spots 

Condor viewpoint – on the road to San Pedro Martir.  Sadly no condors but a great spot with amazing views out to the Pacific.

Cactus camp, Cataviña – a night hiding in amongst the boulders and cacti.

Playa La Gringa, Bahia de Los Angeles – a large area of wild camping on the beach with the town not too far for amenities.  Toilets available as you enter the beach but follow the road round for parking on more solid ground. Great place for bird and wildlife watching.  We took a wildlife boat trip with a company in town and it was amazing – blue footed boobies, ospreys, pelicans, sea lions and whale sharks.  

We picked up the Alaska Highway again at Watson Lake following it all the way to “Mile 0” at Dawson Creek (we did it backwards!). 

By this time our route was being determined by wildfires and we did have to take Jasper off the itinerary after the devastating fire there.

Although the clock was ticking on our time in Canada we still had for a couple of diversions so stopped at Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park where we were lucky enough to secure one of the last camp spots for a couple of nights.  Camping here comes with free unlimited access to the hot springs and we spent a couple of hours soaking in the waters.

We were on a bit of a dash south but broke up one of the driving days with a stop at the Ancient Forest in the Columbia Mountains, a temperate rainforest located 800km from the ocean!  We came across this on Atlas Obscura – a great app for finding weird and wonderful places across the world. 

By not going to Jasper, our route took us past Wells Gray Provincial Park where we stayed a couple of nights.  The park is great for hiking and there are so many waterfalls. 

We crossed the provincial border into Alberta and headed to Banff, one of the main tourist spots in the Canadian Rockies. 

We chose to walk into town one day, about 5km mostly downhill and on a marked path, to explore Banff more and whilst busy, it wasn’t unbearable. Whilst known as a skiing centre, there is plenty to see in the summer and by the time we took the bus back to the campsite we were exhausted!

From the town centre we took the tour bus, about 50 mins each way,  to Lake Louise to see the famous turquoise lake – it didn’t disappoint!  There is free RV parking (day use only) near the station in Banff and from there it’s a short walk to the transport hub. 

Johnston Canyon was also worth a side trip but an early start is needed in order to secure an RV parking space! We’ve taken to getting on the road early and having breakfast once we’re parked.  We can then take our time.

For all things in the Banff area forward planning is highly recommended. Being on the road we didn’t know exactly what days we’d be there so left it late to book anything – our four night stay at the campsite was split over two pitches and the timing of the buses only gave us two hours at the lake.

At the visitor centre in Banff we were advised that some of the Icefield Parkway had reopened and whilst we could still not get all the way to Jasper, we could now get to the Columbia Icefield Visitor Centre.

It feels like we’re always saying this, but this really was one of the most spectacular drives we have done! The road cuts through huge mountains, many of them topped by glaciers.  We ran out of superlatives to describe what we were seeing.

On our way to the US border we stopped at a trail head for the Paint Pots (another Atlas Obscura find!). We weren’t sure what we were heading to and a short walk took us to two small ponds and lots of mineral filled red/orange mud.

Sadly that was the end of our time in Canada and it’s somewhere that we’d certainly come back to. Next stop was Montana to see some new to us parts of the USA.

Motorhoming 

On the whole we are using free overnight spots but did use the following:

Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park: CAD26 p/n no services but water and toilets in campground (although water tap was out of order when we visited).  Forest site and some large pitches were shared. Camping fee includes unlimited access to the natural hot springs.

Falls Creek Campground, Wells Gray Provincial Park: CAD23 p/n plus CAD6 p/n reservation fee. Forest site with a number of pitches by the river.

Tunnel Mountain Campground Number 1,  Banff: CAD30.50 p/n no services.  A forested campsite with water and dumping facilities.  A free shuttle bus will take you into town but it costs CAD2 per adult to return to the campground.  

We’re using iOverlander on a daily basis to find park ups, water, dumps, LPG (propane) and laundromats.

Safe to say we had a blast in Alaska and ticked off a few things we had pinned on our Google map from when we originally started planning this trip.

We didn’t spend too much time in the larger cities, stopping mostly for supplies as larger supermarkets are not so easy to find.  Our route was almost a figure of eight starting and ending in Tok taking in Fairbanks, Denali, Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula, Whittier and Valdez en route. From there it was back towards Canada.

We managed to secure a camp spot at Teklanika Campground in Denali from where we were able to explore the park on the transit buses.  We didn’t see too much wildlife but Denali showed herself in all her glory for the three days we were there; on average she is visible for only three days in ten so we were very lucky!  Only about half of the park is accessible due to the road being reconstructed after a landslide a few years ago when the permafrost melted but that didn’t take away from our visit at all.  They anticipate it will be another couple of years before the public is allowed beyond mile 43.

An unusual stop next at the Alaska Scottish Highland Games and a celebration of all things Celtic (they had Irish dancers too so not entirely Scottish!).  We passed a couple of hours watching people throwing various odd shaped things to the sound of bagpipes in the background. 

Before leaving the UK we had a good clear out of all our “stuff”, selling what we could and putting the money into a “days out” pot for doing things we wouldn’t normally do.  We arrived in Anchorage for one of those days – a flight in a float plane to a glacier, spotting wildlife as we flew over the Alaskan tundra.  Big smile time for both of us.

Homer Spit at the end of the Kenai Peninsula would be our most westerly point of this trip.  We spent a couple of days here with a beachfront park up and a couple of visits to the Salty Dawg Saloon, famous for people pinning $1 bills to the walls, ceilings and just about anywhere else they can find!

Seward was home for 4th July where there were parades on and off the water, fireworks and the Mt Marathon race where very fit lunatics run a 3.1 mile course up and down Mt Marathon just outside the town.  The race climbs almost 3,000ft and takes runners across mud and loose rock.  We were amazed to see two runners aged 84 and 88 cross the finish line!

We drove to Whittier to catch the ferry to Valdez but in order to get there we had to drive through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, a shared road and rail tunnel between Portage and Whittier.  Road traffic flows for 15 minutes in one direction, stops for 15 minutes and then the direction changes for another 15 minutes.  When the road traffic is stopped, it’s the turn of the trains!

As we were on the ferry to Valdez we decided to take a boat tour (the power of social media!) and were able to book ourselves on the Lu-Lu Belle for a glacier and wildlife cruise.  We had an amazing day seeing humpback whales, albeit briefly, sea otters, sea lions and stunning glaciers.  Captain Fred gave a running commentary and his crew provided delicious, reasonably priced food and snacks from the galley.

Our final stop in Alaska was Chicken.  The story behind the name was that the original gold mining settlers wanted to name the town after the ptarmigan birds prevalent in the area but couldn’t agree on the spelling so called it Chicken instead!  After a beer in the saloon we camped, for free, in their carpark.  

Motorhoming 

For this section we did use a few paid sites, especially in towns.  Denali National Park has several campgrounds and advance reservations at this time of year are essential.

Teklanika Campground, Denali National Park: USD40 p/n for camping only and reservations needed.  No hookups, water for containers only and vault toilets on site.  There are full water and dump facilities for RVs close to the park entrance.  At Teklanika it’s a minimum three night stay and you are not allowed to move your vehicle between arriving and leaving but it’s easy to get around on the transit buses (additional cost of USD33 each but valid for multiple days). 

Fishing Hole Campground, Homer Spit: USD30 p/n for camping only on a large gravel carpark.  No booking for this one, just first come, first served and not much marking of pitches.  Water and dump available at extra cost (free if you head back into Homer).  Great though for easy access to the bars and restaurants of Homer Spit.  We also arrived early enough to get a waterside pitch.

Boulder Campground, Seward:  USD45 p/n in a similar carpark to above.  Being the 4th July all the municipal campsites were fully booked and we just managed to get one of the last places here; lots of pitches but big rigs were taking 2 or 3 places so it was a bit of a scramble.  Free service point just across the road. Good location between downtown Seward and the marina.

LuLu Belle RV park:  USD30 p/n for a fully serviced pitch.  We chanced on this place by sheer fluke as it is where the office of the tour we wanted to take was located. Close to the town centre.

The Alaska Maritime Highway is a network of ferries running between various points on the coast and the outlying islands.  It’s a great way, although not necessarily a cheap way, to see the country from a different perspective and is sometimes the quickest route between two places.  We used the website for booking and they are very adept at getting vehicles of all sizes on and off the ships.

Fuel on average was under 80p a litre!

We’re using iOverlander on a daily basis to find park ups, water, dumps, LPG (propane) and laundromats.

Having taken a few weeks away from driving Route 66, we picked up the road again just south of Kingman, Arizona taking the Oatman Highway over the Sitegreaves Pass and down to the Colorado River after which we were in California.

The drive over the pass was stunning but the town of Oatman, once a thriving gold mining town, is now one big tourist attraction with “wild” donkeys roaming the streets and a daily cowboy gunfight.

In Amboy, California we climbed the extinct volcano cone and walked down into the solidified lava lake in the centre. Definitely a unique experience!

After a couple of days in the Silverwood Lake area we hit the road to Los Angeles – we couldn’t put it off any longer if we wanted to finish Route 66.

Safe to say that the LA traffic lived up to its reputation and it took us 9.5 hours to drive about 150 miles into Santa Monica and out again to a campsite.

We’re not big city people (a bit strange given June was born in and worked in London all her life!) and if it hadn’t been for Route 66 we wouldn’t have even thought about visiting LA in the van.

There’s not a single designated finish point; there’s one on the road on Lincoln Boulevard, the much photographed “End of the Trail” sign on Santa Monica pier and a third, less well known original end sign on the door of the Route 66 booth at the entrance to the pier, where having signed the log book we also had our photo taken.

A few thoughts on Route 66

Planning is essential!  We thought we’d just hit the road and go but you do have to plan what to see and what road to take as there are so many options and unless your time is unlimited you won’t see everything.  As mentioned previously we used the EZ66 Guide for Travellers as our main planning tool along with the  Ultimate Route 66 Guide App.

Understandably many places play up their Route 66 connection no matter how tenuous, but there are some real gems to visit that we are glad we found.  All the business owners we met and talked to were so friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable on not just their area but much of the Route, usually because they had driven it themselves and often several times.  It was sad to see how many places hadn’t made it though and were in various states of decay. 

Travelling when we did in the offseason meant that a lot of places were closed or open only for limited hours.  For us that wasn’t really a problem as we tend to avoid overly busy places but if planning a trip then it’s worth taking into consideration.  The weather is another factor to think about when planning and we were lucky to avoid much of the winter snow

We really enjoyed from New Mexico to eastern California but that was as much about the natural landscapes as what was on the road itself.

To be honest we were quite pleased to get to the end but at the same time we felt a real sense of achievement at completing the full distance and were pleased we did it.  We saw and experienced a lot of America that we probably would never have seen without Route 66.

Motorhoming

Driving an RV in the southwestern US is so easy.  The roads are wide and the choice of overnight spots is beyond words.  Many of the campgrounds in the national and state parks have service points outside their entrances and therefore accessible to everyone, so we’ve had no problems finding water.

Fuel has remained cheap right up until the California border where it immediately increases by a couple of dollars a gallon, if not more especially in the more remote places – the most we paid was $8.50 whereas back in Arizona it had been around $3.90!

LPG, or propane, is easy to get and prices are pretty much as they are at home.

We avoid the large RV parks wherever possible as we don’t (or can’t) connect to the water, sewage and electrical systems. They are also expensive and in Los Angeles we couldn’t find anything cheaper than $90 a night. By contrast the Mesquite Campground in Death Valley National Park is $14 a night for a pitch without services.

We needed a plan to get us across the country to meet family in Las Vegas mid-December. Rather than drive aimlessly we decided to follow Route 66 to Arizona, have a break over Christmas and New Year, and then return to the Mother Road to do the last few hundred miles to California.

This first section took us through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. We’re using a book called EZ66 Guide for Travellers which (once you’ve read and understood the format – something we highly recommend you do before starting!) gives driving directions and lists what to see on the way.

There are multiple incarnations of Route 66 as development over the years has caused the road to divert from its original route in many places. We’re finding that we’re doing an hour or so a day of route planning – unless you have all the time in the world or are making multiple trips, it is impossible to see everything and drive every mile.

With the exception of St Louis we have mostly driven through the cities and larger towns. Our van is not much bigger than some of the pickup trucks on the road so driving and parking has not been difficult. The southern cities, once away from the main tourist areas, have large numbers of homeless people and I’ve seen more drug taking here in the open in one month than in the 35 years I worked in central London.

We’re not sure what we expected from Route 66 but everywhere along the route plays on its connection and sells the same range of tourist goods. A lot of places are closed for the winter but we are finding the towns and the weird and wonderful sights they have to offer are all rolling into each other.

Once we left the central plains the scenery slowly began to change and we took more time to explore Texas, New Mexico and Arizona beyond Route 66.

As I’m rereading this it sounds quite negative but it’s not meant to be! We have enjoyed this section but it took us a while to get into what we wanted to see and where we were driving. But once we got our heads into it, we embraced all that Route 66 had to offer and yes, we do have some of that tourist tat onboard.

Motorhoming

As previously mentioned our vehicle is not big in the scheme of things here in America so getting around is quite easy.  As we’ve got further south and west, the fuel has got cheaper and we’re paying between 80 and 90pence a litre for diesel – it’s worth shopping around as prices vary wildly.  A word of warning though as not every garage has diesel pumps!

LPG, or propane, is easy to get and prices are pretty much as they are at home.

Water points in the northern states were harder to find as many are shut of for winter.  In the south we’ve had to hunt for free water but there are many places selling it.

As we’ve moved west, the choice of overnight spots has opened up so we have moved out of Walmart and Cracker Barrel car parks to BLM and Forestry Land – no complaints from us about that! 

We stayed on one campsite at Gillespie Lakes in Illinois which averaged $15 a night (we had a couple of discounted nights plus a couple at weekend rates), but we’ve avoided the large (and expensive) RV parks.

After leaving New Brunswick we moved fairly quickly through the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, knowing we were on borrowed time in respect of the weather, pretty much driving in a straight line along the northern bank of the St Lawrence river and the border with the US.

We spent a few hours exploring the old town area of Quebec City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The cobbled streets have a very European feel and French is the main language.

The old buildings are now mostly restaurants, art galleries or tourist shops and parking issues aside (more on that below) we enjoyed our time there.

We found a great spot near St Geneviève-de-Berthier where we stopped in the carpark for a nature reserve on one of the small interconnected islands in the St Lawrence River.

After a good walk along a couple of the marked trails, we awoke the following morning to our first sprinkling of snow!

On our way to Niagara Falls we drove through Toronto but didn’t stop having visited just a couple of months previously.

Niagara Falls are as you would imagine and the noise of the water and the water spray can be heard and seen long before you get to the actual falls. We found the actual town to be quite underwhelming!

Our final stop in Canada for this visit was near Fort Erie on the banks of Lake Erie and looking across the water to Buffalo, USA. Whilst here we were on a mission to eat anything we couldn’t take into the US which was mostly fruit and vegetables so we had a very healthy couple of days!

This was the end of our stay in eastern Canada and we will return to the western provinces when the weather starts to warm up a little next spring. Now all we had to do was clear the van of anything not allowed into the US and hope that they let us in when we cross the Peace Bridge into New York State.

Motorhoming in Quebec and Ontario

We’re having no problems finding diesel (despite not all fuel stations selling it) and LPG, but water sources are starting to get harder to find in these northern regions where public taps are switched off for winter.  

Park ups have also been easy to find via iOverlander but day parking in Quebec was a nightmare – we had parked overnight in a small carpark a few kilometres outside the city which was just too far out to walk and despite our best efforts, we couldn’t really work out the buses! Parking for RVs was shown by the marina but when we got there we found the space full with boats that had been taken out of the water for winter. We eventually found another carpark where we fitted into one space and where another (Canadian) van had stayed overnight without an issue. However when we came back to the van after exploring the city, we had a ticket, thankfully without a fine, telling us there was no RV parking in that car park. At least we had seen all that we came to see.

Niagara, not surprisingly, has plenty of parking. We opted for the car park furthest from the city but still within walking distance (shuttle bus is also available).

The guidebook mentioned that the province of New Brunswick was heavily forested and it wasn’t wrong! However there is more to New Bruswick than trees and the whole of the Fundy coastline is stunning.

The province is also home to the world’s largest axe (Nackawic) and lobster (Shediac), a waterfall where the water flows uphill (Saint John), a road where you appear to roll uphill (Magnetic Hill) and the world’s longest covered bridge (Hartland) – thanks to our Atlas Obscura app for these gems!

We had to spend a few days in and around Moncton for an appointment at Mercedes to get the handbrake checked. They were really helpful and squeezed us in following a cancellation. They even offered us a cab back into the city or a courtesy car whilst the work was being done however we decided just to wait around to drink their coffee and use the wifi – seemed fair enough given the £££s we’d soon be handing over!

We’d also managed to get an appointment for a COVID booster through the local NB healthcare agency (really easy and free, which we weren’t expecting). And once we arrived for the appointment at a drugstore pharmacy we were also offered a flu jab at the same time.

We spent most of the time in the province on the coast exploring more of the Bay of Fundy, visiting Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park, Fundy National Park and Fundy Trail Parkway. The extreme tides in the bay have created some amazing rock formations (our inner geologist went into overdrive here!) and although we didn’t get to see the tidal bore wave, we saw so much else.

There are multiple walking and hiking trails ranging from a few hundred metres to multi-day hikes in the parks. We did a couple of hikes combining a couple of smaller trails and found ourselves wandering through forests, clambering over rocks and up the sides of waterfalls.

We entered the National Park using an annual pass but there were separate entry fees for Hopewell Rocks and Fundy Trail Parkway (around £20 and £13 respectively for the two of us) but both were well worth the fees.

Motorhoming in New Brunswick

We didn’t use any paid for campsites or car parks during our time in New Brunswick, staying at places we found via iOverlander.

Many attractions have specific motorhome parking areas which makes visiting really easy.

Again we picked up water at fuel stations and in the National Park.

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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/