Hi everyone, retirement trip

Hi, We're Ken, Carol and Bert the Cali
Our two tone bayleaf green and white with 204 started his build date last week after waiting 14 months
Carol, Bert and myself are planning a few long weekends next year to suss everything out with a plan/dream to both retire next August with a retirment road trip
We're looking to travel down through europe and end up looking around Sardinia and countries on the way for around 6 weeks or so
Has anyone done a trip like this, am i being too ambitious ?
If anyone can give us and tips or advice including routes or sites it would be greatly apprieciated

Kenisted said:

Hi, We're Ken, Carol and Bert the Cali
Our two tone bayleaf green and white with 204 started his build date last week after waiting 14 months
Carol, Bert and myself are planning a few long weekends next year to suss everything out with a plan/dream to both retire next August with a retirment road trip
We're looking to travel down through europe and end up looking around Sardinia and countries on the way for around 6 weeks or so
Has anyone done a trip like this, am i being too ambitious ?
If anyone can give us and tips or advice including routes or sites it would be greatly apprieciated

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Welcome on board @Kenisted ! a great time of adventure awaits you.

Don't have an itinerary for you - but can advise on how I plan trips. If you have a google account, go to - https://www.google.com/maps/d/ , click on "Create a New Map" and start planning (sample of my Portugal trip here - https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...a&ll=42.9228097982918,-3.7925049999999985&z=5 )

In parallel, have details on a worksheet (sample plan of the above map here -
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1brlNA7gbTUWQ_cEX78ixvhSZyw7q1oEl4MLHJI6s4Kc/edit#gid=0)

I have a draft plan for Italy here - https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...VE&ll=41.26022739783734,12.36999950000002&z=6 . See if you wish to copy and adapt.

The planning part is as enjoyable as the journey itself and Google Maps is your friend.

Very much doable! do a few local shakedown trips to ensure that you figure out how your life will fit into the van. Remember - more is less. Do a few campouts on your driveway as well. That also helps.

Enjoy!

Thank you

kurienp​

It’s a great thing to look out to! We just did a 3 month in-between-jobs tour, roughly UK and Scandinavia. It’s just great to have a great amount of time, so no pressure.

The most important advice we can give: don’t plan for too long a tour km-wise, with just too many ‘must sees’. Before you know it, you put time pressure on your tour: you have to break up now, have to reach … before …, etc.
Just make sure you will have time to enjoy. Take a hike, make that bike tour, visit that local market, enjoy that beautiful village pub, while you’re there, rather than pushing on, pushing on, pushing on…
6 weeks is just great to get to know the French Massive Central, OR Auvergne, OR a bit of the West Alps, OR the Pyrenees, OR … Don’t try to do all that in one tour, and then adding a few other countries to it. Make sure you have a holiday, not another project to manage…

Our €0.02 after approx 300.000 km in a Cali, altogether…

kurienp said:

Welcome on board @Kenisted ! a great time of adventure awaits you.

Don't have an itinerary for you - but can advise on how I plan trips. If you have a google account, go to - https://www.google.com/maps/d/ , click on "Create a New Map" and start planning (sample of my Portugal trip here - https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1svYAGjADWAEDaYoQt7-fyYzZ9-UFqoja&ll=42.9228097982918,-3.7925049999999985&z=5 )

In parallel, have details on a worksheet (sample plan of the above map here -
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1brlNA7gbTUWQ_cEX78ixvhSZyw7q1oEl4MLHJI6s4Kc/edit#gid=0)

I have a draft plan for Italy here - https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1-pKKyntltRCB-wY6R9JndbJg6Q784zVE&ll=41.26022739783734,12.36999950000002&z=6 . See if you wish to copy and adapt.

The planning part is as enjoyable as the journey itself and Google Maps is your friend.

Very much doable! do a few local shakedown trips to ensure that you figure out how your life will fit into the van. Remember - more is less. Do a few campouts on your driveway as well. That also helps.

Enjoy!

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Google Translate is also your friend.

Hi Kenisted, we are just back from taking our Cali down from the Highlands, through Scotland, England, Portsmouth over to Caen and then down through France and Italy to eventually have 10 days in Liguria and then back up to Amsterdam through Switzerland Germany and the Netherlands. Ferry to Newcastle then home again.
it was brilliant but I just wanted to second what Bvvdobb said. We tended to drive 5 hours in a day and in retrospect we should have driven less each day and stopped more. Next time I think we will take longer over the journey and just drive 3 hours a day..We mixed staying in the Cali with some overnights at Airbnbs. (it's nice to have a proper shower and a proper bed every now and again!). We bought a Duvalay mattress topper before we left and it was a big improvement on the Cali beds.
Don’t pack too much! It's easy to think, “ Och, we've got the van so we can take whatever we want!”Give yourselves room to breath in the Cali when you stop. We used park4night to find some our stopping places and that was good.
Driving abroad was a doddle until we got to the Netherlands and then you have to keep a good lookout for cyclists who seem to come at you from all directions at 100 kmph and have right of way!
Any questions just ask!
Have a great trip. It is a brilliant way to see Europe.Try and get off the Autoroutes as much as possible and most importantly, relax and have fun!

Living that dream we had 5 weeks last year going for 8 weeks next year.
our trip last year we went to France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy (post hotel for w weeks but couldn’t wait to get back in our van ) Liechtenstein then back into France. I drove on some amazing roads a round trip of 2500 miles.
As others have said limit the distance you drive there is no rush enjoy . Oh we also avoided toll roads you see more of the country loads of beautiful places to stop and put on that kettle.

first picture is The Stelvio Pass which I drove my hubby did that on his push bike

Wow, a retirement trip! That will certainly be wonderful. You are not too ambitious and after a few trips to get to know the van, you will be ready for your 6 week trip. Which route to follow, you will have to find out yourself because that is different for everyone. However, a few constants that already appeared in the replies: mountains, any mountains because a cali feels good in the mountains. Also islands such as Sardinia where you want to go (although I was not there yet, but I did visit Corsica and this was beautiful). Make use of the dimensions of the van: height barriers that you will encounter here and there are no problem and you will get to the most beautiful places where higher campers cannot reach. The width and length, on the other hand, have an advantage in the small streets of the beautiful villages that you will traverse and visit. Stopping somewhere and enjoying what there is to see and do is something you should definitely do. A cali drives excellently on a highway but also on the alternative routes and these are often so much nicer
Do and see as much as you can but also have 'slow' moments. So you see: I don't really have a route for you, but I hope that your desire to go out with Bert has become even more.
I wish you success and safe miles.
Greetings
Calibusje

Kenisted said:

Hi, We're Ken, Carol and Bert the Cali
Our two tone bayleaf green and white with 204 started his build date last week after waiting 14 months
Carol, Bert and myself are planning a few long weekends next year to suss everything out with a plan/dream to both retire next August with a retirment road trip
We're looking to travel down through europe and end up looking around Sardinia and countries on the way for around 6 weeks or so
Has anyone done a trip like this, am i being too ambitious ?
If anyone can give us and tips or advice including routes or sites it would be greatly apprieciated

Click to expand...

Something to look forward to.
Just a bit of advice. August is the height of the holiday season and this past year saw some of the highest temperatures in Southern Europe so be flexible in your travel plans. Many posts on the Forum this year of members travelling to the mountains because of that.
Being retired you can travel outside school holidays. It makes a big difference.

Hi @Kenisted, congratulations on taking the plunge with your new Cali. You won’t regret it. We made a similar decision on retirement almost ten years ago and have travelled extensively in mainland Europe every year since, apart from Covid restrictions in 2019. We’re recently returned from what turns out to be our 19th European adventure, each one lasting for around 6 to 8 weeks, and have visited something like 25 different countries. Each year, we produce a photo book documenting our travels - it’s a great thing to be able to look back on.

Would agree with lots of the advice previously advised above. Travelling outwith July and August is really recommended, less busy, cheaper and more bearable temperatures if heading south. Get an ACSI Clubcard for reduced campsite rates. By all means, plan in advance but remain flexible. Sometimes let weather forecasts dictate where you end up. Also, be aware of the post Brex*t limitations of only being allowed in the EU for 90 days out of 180, it’s incredible how many people we have met who are unaware of this. Our mantra tends to be, ‘have a target but be flexible as to how you get there‘.

Thank you everyone for their great comments
They make me a lot more confident
Can’t wait

RonB said:

Hi @Kenisted, congratulations on taking the plunge with your new Cali. You won’t regret it. We made a similar decision on retirement almost ten years ago and have travelled extensively in mainland Europe every year since, apart from Covid restrictions in 2019. We’re recently returned from what turns out to be our 19th European adventure, each one lasting for around 6 to 8 weeks, and have visited something like 25 different countries. Each year, we produce a photo book documenting our travels - it’s a great thing to be able to look back on.

Would agree with lots of the advice previously advised above. Travelling outwith July and August is really recommended, less busy, cheaper and more bearable temperatures if heading south. Get an ACSI Clubcard for reduced campsite rates. By all means, plan in advance but remain flexible. Sometimes let weather forecasts dictate where you end up. Also, be aware of the post Brex*t limitations of only being allowed in the EU for 90 days out of 180, it’s incredible how many people we have met who are unaware of this. Our mantra tends to be, ‘have a target but be flexible as to how you get there‘.

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That photo book is such a great idea!

kurienp said:

That photo book is such a great idea!

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Yes, the photo books are a great record of where you’ve been and who you’ve met. I also include a simple map of our route which is helpful a few years on when you’re trying to remember a specific place or campsite. Truth to tell, I’m a graphic designer by profession so producing this type of book is relatively easy for me, plus I do take a lot of photos, but it’s relatively easy nowadays for anyone to create one.