Tips on how to retire early and travel full time on a low budget

Travelling light with the worlds lightest carry on trolley bag

2012-01-11T08:06:00.003Z

As we are getting older we are leaning towards using trolley bags in preference to back packs.

I recently did a lot of research to find not only the lightest trolley bag but also one that would comply with the dimensions of all the budget airlines.

The bag I opted for was the Sub-O-G Second Generation Super lightweight two wheel 47cm trolley case in too embarrassing to be nicked bright pink. (Also available in plain black or black and white patterned). It comes with a 10 year guarantee and has enough outside pockets for your passports and documents making life easier when using budget airlines like Ryanair who allow absolutely no further carry on bags. By having the wide handles you don't loose so much packing space within the bag and it is much more stable. A 4 wheel, but slightly heavier version, is also available.

I ordered it through Direct Luggage who had it at a discount price of £35.96 (for further savings sign up for their newsletter and they will send you a discount code making the price £32.36.)

The website is well designed and even narrows down luggage to the extent you can ask for Ryanair or Easyjet approved bags to be shown.

The company are extremely efficient and I ordered the goods on Sunday and they were delivered on Wednesday

Calling home from abroad

2012-01-02T12:53:00.001Z

It's always a bit of a minefield trying to figure out the best way to call home from abroad.

There a numerous cards on offer, some have a connection charge, others a daily or monthly charge and the list of extras goes on making it difficult to compare.

I've stumbled on the Nobel Phonecards website and this pretty much sums up your choices in a very simple way.

You key in the country you are going to be calling from and your destination country and type of phone (landline or cell). You will then see all the cards available with prices per call and extras.

Having decided which card you want you order it through them and the get your PIN and other info by E-mail so it is in fact a virtual card.

Just be aware that the quoted rates are by using a local access number, if you use a free phone number there is an average of 4c minute surcharge. Scroll down the page for exact figures. Also expect to pay a premium if you use a pay phone to initiate the call.

E-Bay dealing with faulty goods problems when it turns out the UK company is in Hong Kong

2011-12-28T08:43:00.000Z

Earlier this year I bought a mini SD card from a company calling themselves flashman852. E-bay led me to believe the company was in Bristol. The goods arrived but subsequently proved to be faulty (outside E-bays 45 day deadline) *reason for delay explained below.

I called the company who agreed to a replacement providing I paid £2 p&p through Paypal which I did. Time passed and goods did not arrive. Numerous messages followed and they finally dispatched another replacement. This also has not been received and the company (now known to be Rambook) are stalling and blaming the Post Office.

Neither E-Bay nor Paypal will intervene as it is out of the 45 day deadline but E-Bay did give me access to the company details and it turns out to be Howard Cheng in Hong Kong. Had I known this company was based in Hong Kong and not Bristol I would not have placed the original order. Of course now any consumer follow up is useless.

Whilst this is all over a low value item the principal would be the same whatever price goods.

Can we now longer trust E-Bay to tell us where the vendor is based nor to help follow up on problems after 45 days?

* SD card and was put into my new smartphone. The phone kept freezing so I explored the possibilities of the phone being faulty. Eventually I eliminated this and then thought maybe it was the music downloads that were causing the problem. Finally a friend with the same phone established that the card was faulty. I contacted the company who immediately agreed to a replacement.

Credit card problems abroad - when things go wrong on a joint account

2011-12-20T08:43:00.002Z

We use Nationwide UK as our bank account and both have a visa card. Steve is the primary account holder. Last week the card was refused in a store in Spain and again this week on line shopping from UK.

I contacted Nationwide who completely refused to deal with me as Steve is the primary account holder. Even being told he is seriously ill in hospital and speaking to a supervisor had no effect. I asked could they simply investigate the problem and deal with it without telling me what the problem was and they said not. I also asked to speak to someone in higher authority and was refused and told there was no one who could help as it was the data protection act that was the problem.

They said they would either accept a phone call from Steve or faxed authority to deal with me. At this stage I will not put Steve through the stress of even knowing about this problem so I have drawn a blank.

Moral of this is that if you have a joint bank account MAKE SURE THE AUTHORITIES HAVE PERMISSION TO DEAL WITH BOTH ACCOUNT HOLDERS assuming all other banks are as unsympathetic as Nationwide.

European Health Card

2011-12-18T16:37:00.000Z

Following my use of the European Health card for dental treatment in France we are now testing it out for hospital treatment in Spain.

Steve had been feeling unwell for a week or so and we decided to get him checked out at the Doctors. We went to a local clinic, showed them his passport and European health card and they issued him with a temporary SIP card for Spain.

Using the SIP card we were given a free appointment at the Doctors. Following on from this Steve has ended up in hospital and is having treatment for leukaemia. At the time it was diagnosed the Doctor said a 3 day overland journey back to England by motorhome would be too long and flying back posed too much risk of infection so he would have to be treated in Spain.

At Alicante hospital he is undergoing chemo which will be for at least a month. I contacted the British Consulate to clarify the ruling on what is covered by the European card and they quoted "necessary treatment". They asked when we entered Spain, how long we were staying, when we were last here and whether we had used the card in Spain before - all to establish that we were neither living here nor using Spain to get treatment quicker than in England. Based on all this I was assured Steve's initial treatment was covered and if we opted to continue our journey in Spain and he needed further "necessary treatment" for the same condition he would still be covered.

Whilst his has put a temporary stop to our gallop we do plan to get back on with our travels as soon as possible but it just goes to show that we have been right to pack in as much as we have done over the last 15 years. You just never know what is around the corner.

SPAIN Nice beach side free camping down the east coast as far as Altea

2011-11-29T16:07:00.001Z

N TARRAGONA, PLATJA LLARGA N 41 07 76 E 1 18 28

A really handy spot just below the main road. 50 minutes walk along to Tarragona and lots of beaches nearby as well as one directly in front of you. Also bus stop just by the main road. Water supply from the beach showers and toilet dump beside the toilet. Well used, 20 vans there one night but the Police patrol and there were no problems.

L’AMETTLA DE MER BY HOTEL L’AMETTLA N40 52 509 E 0 47 720

South end of the town on a track beside the hotel. Probably not so good if the hotel is open but we visited in November and the hotel was closed until mid December.

L’AMPOLLA SOUTH END TOWARDS DELTA DE L’EBRA N40 47 658 e 0 42 162

Lovely spot behind the beach at the south side of town on a dirt track leading towards the delta. Foot bath showers by the entry road for a water supply.

ALCOSSEBRE – CALA BLANCA N40 15 527 E 0 17 752

Heading north towards the lighthouse this is a small pull in beside a quiet road next to a picnic area. If you continue straight on up a track you can get out to the lighthouse to free camp but we felt a bit isolated there alone.

MALVA ROSA N39 42 872 W 0 11 583

North of Valencia and Sagunto (not to be confused with Malva Rosa beach in Valencia)

You can either stay in this big lit carpark or take the next road south to a car park behind the naturist beach.

VALENCIA CITY JUST SOUTH OF TRAIN STATION N39.45627 W0.37806

City parking just off a main road. Very easy to get to and guarded. €25 for 24 hours but it would be very noisy. We stayed for 2 ½ hours and walked around the city from there. Total cost was less than €4 so probably best to stay here in the day then head to Gola del Pujol for the night. Portable toilets, toilet dump and rinsing water included.

JUST S OF PLAYA EL SALER ? GOLA DEL PUJOL - N 39 21 791 W 0 19 114

South of Valencia on the coast road. Our local friends phoned the police who suggested this as an area for free camping. Lot of Dutch and German vans use this spot. Beach showers.

JUST NORTH OF MASCARAT PORT ON THE BEACH. N 38 37 861 E 0 00 093

South of Calpe turn off to the right at the huge Russian wooden church and follow the road down to the waterfront. Turn north and then continue past Greenwich marina on a small track to this stunning spot. Actually a dried up riverbed behind a nice pebbly beach. Heading north from Altea turn right at the sign to Greenwich village just after the Altea Hills development on your left.

Had your Email address book pinched ?

2011-11-06T08:56:00.000Z

I recently joined in the HAL digital workshops on a cruise and one of the classes was about PC security. Recently I have had many bogus emails from my friends email addresses and in class someone suggested a way to stop your address book being infiltrated.

Make the first name and email address in your address list a bogus one such as aaaaaabbbbb with a bogus email address then the computers should not be able to find your address book. Now I am no computer nerd but thought this would be worth a try and to share with others.

Also if you want more info notes from the computer course check out the free digital workshop handouts for great advice especially for novices, or get yourself booked on a Holland America Line cruise and take the free classes !

1 month motorhome journey through France to Spain

2011-10-23T08:02:00.024+01:00

This is a very brief summary of our journey down through France mainly to highlight the places we free camped and interesting sights en route.

We use All the aires France and Camperstop Europe as out initial point to find places to stay but often find our own.

Arrived by ferry late at night and made the 20 minute drive to the aire at Wissant.

MONTVILLE, nice aire by the lake and river with free wi-fi. Took the bus into Rouen Euro 2 each way.ROUEN saw many motorhomes parked on the riverbank opposite the old city so this would have been an alternative. Interesting sights in Rouen.

MARBOUE, pulled up for lunch then ended up staying 2 nights. Small village. Aire by park next to river. Clean toilet available.

BEAUGENCY, aire is by the river, can get congested. Basic toilet available. Short walk into town. Managed to get a free wi-fi signal from nearby hotel.

BLOIS, Euro 5 parking for 24 hours near the centre of the city. Price includes use of hot shower and toilet, dump and fresh water. Short walk to shops, castle etc. En route we called in at CHAMBORD, Euro 8 parking but not for overnight, could save the parking by using the bays about 1km away and walking in. Castle was great.

AMBOISE, motorhome aire about 10 minutes walk from Chateau Clos de Luz. Parking was good enough but just before the chateau is a nicer motorhome parking area at Euro 2, couldn't see anything preventing an overnight stop. The Chateau was totally different with lots of Da Vinci inventions to play on. We the moved on to

CHISSEAUX as we wanted to visit Chenoceau chateau and opted to do the Euro 8.50 boat trip which tooks us below the chateau. Lots of parking along the river bank nearby where we had a quiet night.

Stayed at the free aire at MARTINEZ by a park next to the river. Very popular as it has free electric, toilets, fresh water and dump.

ORADOUR SUR GLANE, nice aire, free toilets and washing sinks. Very interesting war abandoned village to visit.

It was a hot day so we checked out the nearest lake nearby and found nice parking spots around ST HILAIRE LES PLACE, LAKE PLAISANCE, we went to the far side of the lake on the grassy banks and had 2 very quiet nights there over the weekend. In October the official aire was closed.

There are many hill towns in the area but this one has good free motorhome parking where we spent the night BEYNAC ET CAZNAC

LA ROQUE GAGEAC is now quite expensive for overnight stays with a day charge as well but a nice spot with toilets. For La Domme we kept missing the signs and were miles away before we gave up. GORDOUN as good motorhome parking but after doing the 2 town walks we deicided to press on. CAHORS has only 3 official parking bays plus normally another 3 vans park opposite. Free water and dump. When this area filled up motorhomes parked in the lay bay about 50 metres further down the road. Very nice city to walk round and stunning old bridge.

Nice aire at ST ANTONIN NOBLE VAL but we arrived early morning and only spent about 1 hour doing the walking tour around the village. CORDES SUR CIEL has a huge parking place below the town. It's a very steep walk up into the old town but it is absolutely stunning and a major highlight of our trip.

It was still only early afternoon so we continued to ALBI with amazing parking below the cathedral. The cathedral is stunning inside and out. Well worth the Euro 2 for the audio tour inside the cathedral as it was so interesting. We paid for one set then noticed you could attach two lots of headphones to it! Also walked around and found many interesting buildings in the old town.

Another hot day and a lake stop required. Didn't twig that MAZAMET, LAC DE LES MONTAGNES although only 7km from the town was all up hill, yes there was a bit of a clue in the name. The far end parking is much nicer with lake views across a grassy lawn.

Stayed with a friend for a few nights and went out and looked at the motorhome parking at ST PIERRE, not bad at all and Euro 5 a night. Bit of a walk to the beach.

It was windy down the coast but we had some shelter at PEYRIAC DE MAR. Free squat toilet, washing sinks, water and dump. Nice walk around the salt lake opposite.

In October the height barrier at LA FRANQUI was up creating an additional massive area for the motorhomes. Even though this is a popular spot you could still take up a whole parking bay, intended for 18 cars, to yourself. Short walk to windswept beach and village. Very quiet.

At Leucate we didn't like the look of the exposed, terrace parking but a little further on, just over a bridge going over the road into Leucate, we saw a track to the right doubling back on ourselves. This led to a stunning area with many spots. There was a sign restricting overnight stayswhich we, but not others, obeyed by driving out and parking just before the sign on the right.

LE BARCALES has numerous motorhome parking spots in the book but the first 3 were just roadside parking. However we spotted lots of vans in a car park just off the main road and found tracks leading from that to many waterside places. Good access into the clear water for swimming.

Final stop in France and only 15 minutes from the Spanish border was LE BOULOU, although there are many spots the majority are very sloping or shallow. Suggest you arrive early. We took a slightly sloping spot but moved at lunchtime when other vans drove off. Very pleasant small town, walking tour in brochure from tourist office. The following morning we drove into Spain at at La Jonquera so dozens of motorhomes in the car parks so this would have been an option.

Available for house sitting in Spain or Portugal this winter

2011-10-22T08:42:00.000+01:00

If anyone knows of people looking for house sitters in Spain or Portugal this winter please let us know. We will be down here until about April and would be happy to take up temporary residence.

We are travelling in a 7m motorhome so would need to be able to access the property in it but would also be happy to spend time in the motorhome or live in the house.

Have done house-sitting 7 times before, can get references if needed and have looked after cats, dogs, chickens, ducks and a vegetable patch (no that is not my pet name for Steve!).

We are reliable, clean, tidy and trustworthy and we used to run a Post Office in England.

Expenses for full time living in a motorhome in Europe

2011-10-21T08:09:00.003+01:00

Many people are curious to know how we can afford to live our lifestyle and how much we spend each month so here I will give you a little insight in the hope that it makes you realise you can afford to enjoy the privilege of this wonderful lifestyle also.

We always budget by the month as our rental income is paid that way. Also this often evens things out as we may arrive in France and get bad weather imducing us to do a fast journey south where we then travel slowly so expenses would be higher at the start of the month but less towards the end.

With £25 a day you can live a nice life, £30 a day would enable you to do more tourist attractions and eat out more often. £20 a day would still make it well worthwhile doing this but you would probably only do the free tourist attractions.

The following prices are in Euros so that you can work out against the current exchange rate. (Now around
Euro 1.14 = £1)

Year in year out we find our average mileage is 1000 miles / 1600 km's per month. At the moment we are getting about 8.5km per 100 km so this means we need about 190 litres of diesel per month at an average of Euro 130 a litre so a total of approx Euro 250 a month for fuel.

Grocery and drinks shopping works out at about Euro 10 per day so say Euro 300 month.

We have solar panels for electric but run the fridge, heat hot water (when there is not enough sun for our solar bags) or use central heating using LPG. This takes an average of 1 litre a day at about 80c litre so Euro 25 month.

So far we are on Euro 575 a month.

Other expenses would be ferries, travel insurance, tourist attractions, meals out etc. Having just spent a month in France we only spent Euro 5 for 1 nights stay in a city aire. The rest of the nights were free and we always managed to find a free supply of water and dump station although we would have been happy to pay Euro 2 to use the machine once a week. Repairs to the motorhome may be needed plus tax and MOT but if you do your sums you will see how £600 month is a realistic bottom figure whilst £1000 month would give you enough for a very pleasant trip and probably enable you to save a little each month for an extra holiday within your holiday.

Picking a motorhome for full timing in Europe

2011-10-11T09:14:00.002+01:00

Considerations when buying a motorhome for full time travelling and free camping. We've lived in over a dozen variations of motorhomes and these are our conclusions.

A class motorhomes -
Pros - Lots more space inside as the cab area is as wide as the vehicle and the seats often swivel around to integrate into the living space.
A drop down bed gives you a permanent bed with no loss of living space.
These are usually amongst the most expensive vehicles to buy
Cons - The drop down bed is shorter due to the space required for the lifting hydraulics, no good for my husband who is 6'1" tall.
In the unlikely event you needed to drive off quickly the bed would have to be put back in place before you could get to the driving seat

C Class -
Pros - Excellent value for money
Usually you get a large over cab fixed bed
The over cab area can also be excellent storage space
Of all the motorhomes these usually have the most headroom inside
Cons - You have to climb up to the over cab bed

The over cab beds can seem claustrophbic if you don't have much headroom, windows or ventilation
The cab is narrower than the rest of the vehicle so even with swivel seats it does not integrate quite so well as the A class

Lowline -
Pros - Cheaper than both of the above
Often slightly more fuel efficient
Cons - Less headroom inside
Less berths within the same length as A or C class motorhomes.
Note - the newer ones have a bed above the dinette that drops down but this leaves very little headroom within the vehicle and when down it restricts access to the cab but would be great for occasional visitors.
Most often these are owned by couple who have no intention of having grandchildren to visit!

American -
Pros - Superb for full time living as all the fixtures and fittings are more sturdy.
Very plush and comfortable
Cons - Expensive to buy
Very expensive for fuel
Often difficult to get parts or repairs done
Wider than European models so can make navigating small villages more difficult

For full time living we think having a fixed bed is essential, much more comfortable and less hassle than making one up every night.

We like rear wheel drive and twin wheels making the vehicle very stable and safe for carrying extra loads. Also we have found we are less likely to get stuck than people in front wheel drive models. The tag axles are not so good as they cost more on toll roads, are more difficult to ramp and manouvre.

The garage design motorhomes are brilliant if you have a motorbike or pedal bikes and even if you don't they offer lots of extra storage however it does mean you have to step up onto the bed above. it.
Note - Some of the latest more expensive models now have hydraulics on the over garage bed enabling you to lower it over the garage contents then raise it for easy access.

For full time living you will proabably need more stage space but also need to be sure you are not overloading the vehicle (another plus for twin wheels).

The length and width of the vehicle is a major question. The narrower the vehicle the easier it is to navigate through small towns and villages (the newer motorhomes on the Ford Transit and the narrowest of the coachbuilt whilst the Americans are the widest.) Many aires only offer parking for motorhomes up to 7m, but you can usually get away with up to 7.5m when it says this. We have had more problem with the width of a vehicle than the length.

The duration of the trip and expected weather will also affect the size of vehicle, in Australia where we expected perfect weather we lived in a Hi-Ace pop top and basically just slept and drove in it as everything else was done outside. In Europe in the winter you can expect cold and rain and to be inside the vehicle more so will need a larger model and indoor cooking and bathroom facilities. Overall the smaller and shorter vehicles are easiest, you are never penalised or prevented from going somewhere because you are too small!

Tank size is more important when living in the motorhome so check how much fresh and grey water the vehicle holds. The minimum we can manage on is 15 litres of fresh a day for everything and this is being very careful. Usually when we are parked up at a beach lack of water is the first thing that makes us move on.

A large fridge and separate freezer is a real bonus as you can store more food and also cook in bulk and freeze meals. A gas oven is great if you like to bake. Don't worry if there isn't a grill as you can buy stove top toasters and most things that you grill can be cooked other ways. We've lived in motorhomes with everything from just a 2 burner hob up to 4 burner hob with oven, grill and microwave - we ate well in all of them, you soon adapt your cooking to suit what is available.

European versus UK models. Probably the best basis for this decision is where you are going to spend the most time bus assuming you have bought the motorhome to travel full time you are most likely to spend more time in Europe.

Having a European model you will find many more dealers in Europe and also find it easier to sell abroad.

Left or right hand drive, again as we travel mainly in Europe it has to be left hand drive, also giving us the option of selling it abroad.

New or used? Finance and mechanical ability will no doubt affect this decision. If you have a new or nearly new motorhome you should have warranties (usually valid at any dealer within Europe) and also will not need to return to the UK for an MOT until it is 3 years old.
Buying new will mean lots of extras on top of the price, batteries, gas bottles, awning, solar etc adding a few thousand to the price.

Used vehicles will save you money but if you buy from a dealer the warranty is often only any good if you take it back to them. When have bought used privately and figure the money saved would pay for any work needed and we could get it done when and where we wanted.
Used vehicles often include the extras such as gas bottles and extra batteries.

Hope this helps a little but feel free to ask me if there are things I have not covered and I will update this entry.

FOR SALE 2011 Rimor Koala 48 6 berth in Western Europe £33,950

2011-10-09T11:06:00.001+01:00

“C” CLASS 6 BERTH MOTORHOME available early 2012.

FREE DELIVERY within UK or Western Europe

For sale with all the contents, set up for 2 to live but also great as a family motorhome with 6 berths and seat belts, 2 fixed beds and a huge garage.

Ford Transit 2.4 turbo diesel engine with 140 bhp.

Rear wheel drive with twin rear wheels

Left hand drive

6 forward gears

Central locking and immobiliser

Electric windows

Cruise control

Air con

Stereo with CD player and aux audio connections for smart phone

Silver screens

Swivel seats

Upgraded upholstery pack with memory foam

King size over cab bed

Half dinette with extending table will convert to double bed

Sofa

Spacious kitchen with 3 burner gas hob

Electric oven with rotisserie

Dual temperature gas hot water heater

Large 3 way automatic fridge and separate freezer

Gas fire and blown air heating

Electric convection heater

Large bathroom with separate walk in shower cubicle

LED TV and aerial

Huge garage with external doors on both sides of motorhome and door to interior plus anchor points for motorbike

2 x aluminium refillable 22kg gas bottles

2 leisure batteries

Inverter

Awning

Ladder and roof rack

2 x 80w solar panels

Included in the sale are all the contents to make the motorhome suitable for full time living, bedding, kitchen pots pans and utensils, solar bags, hoses, electrical connections, outdoor furniture and mats.

E-mail glenswatman@gmail.com
SMS / Text +44 7761 078025

Cash back when you use your normal web site - not too good to be true

2011-10-03T19:23:00.000+01:00

I love saving money and when I discovered Quidco I was delighted.

By initially going into the Quidco website I can then link to the normal sites and get cash back. Many popular sites include cash back and I have used Asda, Dabs, Jet2, WH Smith, Late Rooms and P&O ferries and received cash back from them all.

What have you got to loose? What have you got to gain? MONEY WITH NO CATCHES.

Your money is paid back to you each month as cash into your bank account.

Ferry bookings, getting the best price

2011-09-23T20:03:00.004+01:00

Having decided to return to France we wanted to book the cheapest ferry crossing. Whilst the comparison sites helped us to narrow down which lines were the most competitive (at the moment P&O ferries) we took it a stage further.

First through Quidco I got an extra 4% discount.

Then we booked the cheapest crossing, £31 at 21.05, but we arrived at the docks early knowing that most ferry companies will put you on one crossing earlier without any extra charge.

It worked and we got the 7.30pm which should have cost £44 for the price of the £31 later crossing.

As they say look after the pennies .....

Free camping in France

2011-09-22T20:01:00.001+01:00

Finally we are back on the road with just the 2 of us in the motorhome so time to really try things out. We've bought the "All the Aires France" book and coupled with the Tomtom it is proving excellent for finding cheap or free camping.

Last night we arrived late on the ferry from Dover so drove for just 1/2 hour to Wissant (it was from the beach there that Julius Caesar heading to England). The purpose made aire is by the main road, has plenty of slightly sloping spots and is perfect for a one night stop.

Today we have headed south and found a beautiful spot in the village of Montville just north of Rouen. The parking is by a stream with a small lake over the bridge and it is a 2 minute walk into town. There is even free wi-fi.

Nick at FES Gas in Wales - our knight in shining armour

2011-09-05T12:34:00.001+01:00

For our new motorhome we ordered 2 x 11kg aluminium refillable gas tanks from FES Autogas . The idea was to have them delivered to Cordoba Leisure to be fitted to our new motorhome before we collected it.

Cordoba received the joined gas tanks arrived but were too big to fit in the locker. Rather than contact FES for advice Cordoba in their wisdom opted to dismantle the two tanks to fit them in. They left the tanks unconnected, without the connecting pipework and with lots of leaks.

We had many problems but with help from Nick and Warren at FES managed to get enough sorted for
our first 2 month trip. On return we went to their depot in Wales where Nick was extremely helpful. He checked all the connections, accompanied us to the LPG station where we filled both tanks and established the cut offs worked. Went back to the depot where he fixed all the leaks and tested everything. Finally because he stands by the quality of their product and was upset by the amount of hassle Cordoba had created he refused payment for the work done.

For service and a great product we would highly recommend FES.

Almost a dental tour of Europe.

2011-08-28T13:06:00.000+01:00

Whilst travelling through FRANCE I had toothache. I was lucky to find an English speaking dentist who treated me immediately. The basic charge in France is Euro 22 and for this price he drilled out the filling and took x-rays. I had to pay extra for the prescription for anti-biotics.

In GERMANY I needed further treatment but had to find a specific dentist that would accept the European Health Card. This time I was given topical medicine and a temporary filling, the standard fee is Euro 10 and this is good for 3 months worth of treatment.

In ITALY it turns out there are no public dentists and they are all private charging a minimum of approx Euro 100. Whilst there are emergency dentists at hospitals these were not recommended.

Back in FRANCE I was having discomfort with the temporary filling and again managed to find an English speaking dentist but he could not do the required work on the European Health Card Euro 22 system. For root canal work on a molar with 3 roots plus numerous x-rays the standard fee in France is Euro 90. Had I been there long enough to have the follow on filling it would have cost Euro 70.

From reading on the Internet I believe I now have the option of trying to claim back some of the costs for treatment in France by completing and submitting forms.

From Calais to Colmar in a motorhome

2011-07-05T15:29:00.001+01:00

Have just done a journey across France using "Aires" for overnight stops and occasionally finding our own spots. These are the ones we found that were not in "the book"

ARQUES Free camping by the river, a bit tricky to get to but the Satnav showed us the way as it was almost on an island.

VIMY village, very handy if you have been looking at the battlefields and monuments. In the village follow signs towards the Salle de Fete and just before it you will see a nice car park, closed off, with superb flat parking in front.

BRIOST On an island between the canal and river, there are a few fishermens caravans but these were not used during the week. This is a really nice quiet spot with loads of parking places, picnic tables and basic toilets

EPERNAY We visited the Mercier champagne factory and they said it would be find to stay on the car park overnight. Very handy for a stroll down the Avenue de Champagne

KAYSERBERG It's in the book but this stunning village is excellent, Euro 2 by day plus Euro 4 at night and free toilets, dump and water fill. Also if you go to the information centre they will give you a code for 24-hours free wi-fi with reception at the Aires.

Quirks of New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (and domestic)

2011-05-11T06:30:00.000+01:00

Security at Delhi airport is very interesting. This information applies to Terminal 3 where some domestic and all international flights arrive on the lower floor and departures are on the upper floor.

On arrival be aware that if you walk out of the terminal building you cannot re-enter under any circumstances

For departures once you enter the building, even if you don't check in, you cannot leave under any circumstances. Worse still the seats are uncomfortable and there are few shops or places to eat.

There is a free shuttle bus between T3 and T1. Both terminals have the Police controlled pre paid taxi's but the fares are much lower from T1 and from T1 you can also pick up a rickshaw and local buses. Funnily enough there are 3 Police taxi booths at T3, 2 inside (one each end) and one outside, they all quoted us a different price for the same destination! From T3 you can connect with the metro.

Food and drink facilities are better and cheaper at T1.

Good value Rajasthan rooms and hotels with swimming pools

2011-05-04T12:39:00.057+01:00

We are budget concious travellers but try to maintain a reasonable standard of accomodaion and like to get value for money. Prices quoted are for a double en-suite room in April 2011. Hotels with pools were good as we could sight see in the mornings then relax by the pool later in the day when it was too hot to be out.

For initial research on hotels and price I like make my trip . They guarantee the lowest prices so once you know this price you can negotiate a lower price direct at the hotel to save them paying commission.

Agra, Hotel Sidhartha, good location near the Taj Mahal on a traffic free street so nice and quiet. Paid Rs520 for a double non A/C room with TV. Pleasant restaurant in the garden.

Sawai Madhopur Hotel Aditya resort is a good location very near the safari booking offices. A little more basic than we would have liked but there are few budget options here. Good value at Rs450 for non A/C double with TV, suggest lower floor room as the roof top one was very hot. Rooftop restaurant, cleanliness dubious.

Jaipur Hotel Pearl Palace, contrary to the Lonely Planet book they do not do free pick up and drop off just free pick up. Lovely rooms, all different, some may be noisy if under the restaurant and the air coolers are also noisy. Great roof top restaurant. Rs800 for air cooled room. A little overpriced we felt.

Pushkar Hotel Navratan Palace, great value for money as it is in a good location (top of the bazaar street near the main temple), has a nice big swimming pool and gardens. Not overly clean rooms but acceptable. The A/C rooms were nicer than the fan rooms. Fan room Rs500 or A/C with TV Rs700. Restaurant in the garden

Udaipur Hotel Mewar Inn, booked ahead for our first night in Udaipur as we were arriving late. Free station pick up. Non A/C rooms were very good value under Rs200 but A/C rooms not so at Rs500 and Rs600. Bad location.

Udaipur Ajanta Hotel, up a small alley in the old town. This is like a haveli with attractive rooms and the most comfortable bed and pillows we had in India. Small pool to cool off in. Stunning roof top restaurant. Free wi-fi and computers available. Easy to walk to all the attractions. Rs1100 A/C with TV

Jodhpur Blue House probably not our best choice but we went to Heaven and it was full and the prices had gone up. At Blue House we paid Rs600 for a double A/C room with TV. Tucked away down the backstreets. Friendly family owners but not great value. Manish owns Jankar restaurant (a 10 minute walk away) which has a lovely garden friendly staff good food and reasonable price. The cheese veg bake is superb.

Jaisalmer Hotel Golden City, ignore touts who tell you this place has a dirty pool and rooms. The pool was spotless, rooms pretty clean. A few people felt the sheets were not clean but the manager assured me they were all clean but old and stained they are getting new mattresses and bedding soon.. Good location and value at Rs650 A/C TV. Rooftop restaurant. A short walk to the fort and en route you pass Royal bakery that has amazing fresh croissants, pastries and desserts.

Bikaner Hotel Padmini Niwas, believe this is the only hotel in Bikaner with an outdoor pool. Rooms were comfy with carpets. Beds a bit on the firm side but they gave me an extra mattress. A bit out on a limb but you can walk to the fort in 15-20 minutes. Restaurant had a limited menu with some things a little overpriced. Good restaurant nearby at Shri Ram Heritage, the American breakfast at Rs110 was a huge feast for 2. Double room A/C TV and fridge Rs600.

The majority of the rooms were what I call Indian clean, OK at first glance but when you look closer the bathroom doors are usually dirty, under the toilet seat and walls don't get a thorough clean. I carry a small cloth and use tea tree oil in water to go over the important areas.

TIP - Always ask to see more than one room, for some reason they often show you their worst room first.

INDIA Booking things on line

2011-05-03T03:34:00.015+01:00

There are many websites to book things on line in India but the one we like best is Make My Trip

The hotel sections offers very good rates on rooms and reviews to help - we booked a hotel through them, could not print out the voucher but were not even asked for it by the hotel.

Flights,international and domestic, bus and train info is all on line.

Another good site is Clear Trip but their prices were often dearer.

INDIA booking trains on line and getting the tourist (TATKAL) quote

2011-05-02T03:04:00.000+01:00

Travelling in India we have learnt that if there is a train making the journey it is almost always better than taking the bus providing you can book a seat. Rather than waste time queuing at stations (first for the application form then to get a ticket) and getting bad information and outright lies why not book on the Internet.

The India rail website has improved no end and I have booked on line using a UK credit card.

TATKAL is a type of ticket available to tourists 2 days before departure, as an example to travel on 3rd you can buy from 1st but we found out that with a 5pm train we could not buy it until 1 day before (i.e. the 2nd).

To plan ahead off line buy yourself "Trains at a glance" from the railway station and use the fold out map (hidden in about the 6th page in) to find the cities you want to travel between and then the matching numbers will lead you to the timetable. This year all train numbers have 5 digits so if the timetable number has 4 you need to add a 1 at the front.

For day trips we favour the CC (Air Con seat) category. An open carriage with 2 seats at one side and 3 at the other, large windows, reclining comfortable seats.

TIP - For an overnight journey try to get bunks in the compartment not the aisle and in the centre of the carriage. There are only 2 bunks here as opposed to 3 in the carriage they are shorter beds. The bottom bunk is created by putting down the backs of the seats, sags in the middle and has a very uncomfortable join. Also you get bumped whenever anyone walks down the corridor. We were also right next to the door so at every stop had people queuing up beside us to get off, as usual talking very loudly and banging around, worse still we got the nasty niffs from the toilets.

3 delightful days in Delhi

2011-04-07T10:48:00.001+01:00

We had 3 delightful days in Delhi and covered many of the tourist attractions without hassle.

This is our recommendation as to how to do the same.

On Day 1 either take a tour, we did one with Rao Travel which covered 8 major sights. Alternatively take the tourist Hop on Hop off bus and see the major sights on offer. Both of these options cost just Rs300.

For the next 2 days we used a local bus to get us to the metro and then the very cheap and efficient metro to visit other sights.

On our second day we visited Safdarjang’s Tomb but thought it was not worth the admission price but good to see from outside. From there it is a short walk to Lodi Gardens. Here you will see many ancient tomb buildings and it is all free. A rickshaw will get to you Hammayans Tomb to round off this area.

Day 2 began with a metro to the Fort area, a walk through Chandi Chowk bazaar area before entering the fort. After this we took a cycle rickshaw ride to the mosque, Rs20 rickshaw. From the opposite side you can visit Kareems for lunch.

The afternoon was at Akshardham, the most impressive thing we saw in Delhi. The metro stop is close to the entrance. Free admission but you pay Rs170 if you want to do the 3 extra "Disney style and professional" attractions, a moving show, a movie and boat ride. To do these and the rest of the temple justice allow at least 4 hours.

I know we did not get into the thick of Delhi but doing it this way we had a very faourable picture, little stress and plenty of time to do the things we wanted.

Andaman Islands ferries

2011-04-05T04:03:00.001+01:00

If you want to get around the Andaman Islands you are going to have to take a ferry at some point. Before arriving at the port arm yourself with photocopies of the Andaman permission slip, your India visa and your passport. It is anyones guess which of these they will require so best to have them all ready and whilst you are at the xerox shop make sure you have enough copies for each of the ferries you may take.

Before going to the ticket desk get hold of a yellow slip of paper onto which you write the details of the journey you want to do.

The government ferries from Port Blair to Havelock and Neil vary. For example our 11.30am one to Havelock went via Neil and almost doubled the journey time. Whichever journey you do the total price is Rs195. There are no food or drink services on the boat.

On arrival you will be met by an immigration officer who will register your island permission form.

Leaving Neil island there is no ferry booking office, you just board and pay on the boat - no paperwork required.

Indian buses, taking the rough with the smooth

2011-03-14T10:53:00.005Z

Can you guess which type this is ? - This is the De-Luxe A/C bus

Buses in India can be heaven or hell depending which one you end up on. In our early ignorance we took local buses which were very cheap but uncomfortable and crowded. They have 2 seats on one side and 3 on the other so designed for the smaller Indian bodies. Luggage racks are very shallow so even carry on size baggage will not fit there. We found out the best solution was to take a 2 seat each and sit by the window with the bag between our legs and our feet towards the centre. This way a local can still take the adjoining seat.

Next up the scale and a little more expensive are the run down coaches with 2 seats each side, reclining or not depending on which position they broke. These have deeper luggage racks and more leg room and are considerably more comfortable.

At the top of the scale we found A/C coaches with proper reclining seats, deep luggage racks and power sockets but at a much higher price.

Arriving at the bus station we found we were nearly always directed to the local bus unless we asked if there was a de-luxe one. We also found the A/C coaches travelled faster with few stops and often made a 10 minute break at a restaurant.