Joys of European Caravanning

It was sad to leave Jodl at Ossiach after the past six and a half weeks but all good things come to an end so they say.

Only having 150 miles to travel to next stopping place after breakfast in Jodl Cafe we left at 11.03 am.  Such a beautiful ride up the A10 through the Katchburg  and Tauern Tunnels.  At the northern end of the Tauern Tunnel there is a newly built and opened Autobahn Services by Landzeit names Tauernalm.  In typical Landzeit style it is excellent, notheing in the UK to compete with it.  Building outside very modern inside very traditional, with all female staff wearing National Dress, Dirndles. 

Next Campsite is Camping Seehausl which takes ACSI Camping Card.  It was a blessing that I had emailed and booked ahead as the site which has only 30 tourer pitches was full.  The approach is by a leafy, narrow lane but we had no problems with the long van.  Once inside the site it has a one way system and we drove to the office.  The owner spooke excellent English and welcomed us and said take the caravan off of the car and I will site it with my tractor back along the one way road to nearly the begining where he put the van into place. Vans are close together by UK standards, but we did not find this a problem at all.  You have to accept this at most campsites in Europe.  We had a vies of the See through a 10 to 12 ft gap in the trees that lined the See and beach. 

Chiemsee is a huge See with 3 islands in it one is Herren Insel where stands a Monestery and and one of the wonderful castles built by King Ludwig which was never finished.  Another island is the Frau Insel which is smaller on which stands a Convent.  You can visit both by boat from various towns situated around the see.  Our campsite was situated on the East shore of the See near to the town of Chieming.    

The next Camp site we visited is new to us though we did visit it last year to have a look.  Walch's Camping and Landhaus at Braz in the Voralburg www.landhauswalch.at   It is situated on the road leading to the Arlberg Pass between St. Anton and Bludenz, which runs parallel with the Autobahn E60 though no noise can be heard from this on the camp site.  We have stopped in Braz on three other occasions at the Hotel Traube years ago when touring Austria by car.  It is a very pleasant village and has grown in recent years and now has a Golf Course. The site is excellent with the Toilets, Showers and Laundry being like a 5 star Hotel.  There is even a separate Doggy Shower.  WiFi excellent though a bit more expensive than Jodl and other sites where you buy and it lasts for 3 or 6 months. It is €2.50 a day which finishes at midnight on the day you take it out.  Electricity is metered but ACSI allowance is included 4 kw.  The pitches are a good size and are all on well cut grass.

This was a lovely trip and some of the photo's taken below.  We started off from Bludenz and through several small towns before reaching  the start of the pass where you have to pay.  On the way to the top Bielerhohe 2,036 mts above sea level we passed a small See.  Then at the top we went into the Restaurant for a coffee before starting the downward journey to the Arlbergpass which I showed pictures of last year.  Along the pass it runs into the Klosterletal and then back to Braz and the Campsite.   

Travelling along the back road and not the Autobahn to Bludenz and onto Felkirch, then onto the Border of Liechtenstein just 21 miles from the Campsite.  We spent a couple of hours here and then returned home stopping for a picnic and then a walk around Bludenz a nice little old town as mentioned last year.

This is a route that the Tom Tom always wants you to go through Switzerland to get to either to The Black Forest from Austria or visa versa.  We always go along the North Shore of Bodensee on the 31.  A good road.  If you need refreshments or a rest along the route stop off at the Services Im Hegau at the west end of the Bodensee in which ever direction you are travelling. 

Well here we are again back in the lovely Black Forest there is something magical about this area of Germany and it is nice to be back at one of our favourite Campsites, Alisehof, at Schapbach-Bad Rippoldsau.  There is not much more to say about this site that has not already been said on previous years.  The owners Herr and Frau Bonath are so friendly and helpful.  I can thouroughly recommend this site for its facilities and surroundings.  Unfortunately the Bonaths have now sold up the site but there are new German Owners.

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It is nice to be back even though the site is somewhat  busier this time as it is a German long weekend holiday, Corpus Christi on the Thursday and there are road running races from and to the site.  So site is virtually full up.

Today Sunday there is a mass exit and all is back to normal though there was no problems everybody including the children very well behaved. 

Well it is nearly time to go home last night in Holland tonight and tomorrow night in France at Guines then home on Thursday.  It has been a lovely holiday except for the Fuel Problem, but we now know what the service of ADAC is like and can thoroughly recommend it.  We have been talking in German as far as we can and it will be different to hear English widely spoken.   We have been lucky to meet up with 6 Website readers in Germany and Austria.  The weather has been mixed since we left Southern Austria, quite a bit of rain till we got here to Holland and then 35 deg. cent in hot sun.  Problem is we cannot cope with it these days and like it a little bit cooler.  Same thing happened to us last year when we stopped in Arnhem.  I do not think I will post any more photo's unless I see something special on our way to France tomorrow.

Now, when we get home, we have the pleasure of planning next years trip Health and Wealth willing.  It probably will not be a lot different to this year as we do so love Austria and Germany and feel so at home there.  We have visited many new places in these countries and seen some amazing sites and views some of which I have posted on this website.   Holland is growing on us not having stopped here more than 6 nights over 2 years.  We will be back in December to Arnhem without the caravan to attend an Andre Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra Concert.  We have stayed on 10 Campsites every one taking ACSI Camping Card.  5 of them we have visited many times before and 5 new ones altogether.  There has not been one we can make any complaints about we have been made most welcome and looked after well.

Thanks too to ADAC, ACSI and the Channel Tunnel we have been well looked after too. 

Well last day and leaving Holland into Belgium and then France.  This I think is the most boring journey of our just over 10 week trip.  Land so flat and road so strait will be glad to get home now.

We arrived home just after noon on the 30th June, weather sunny and warm at 20 deg. C just a comfortable heat not like the unbearable 35 in Holland. This was our second visit to Holland and weather was the same each time. Altogether we covered 4,600 miles. with the Car not towing the van as much as usual.  We had a more relaxed holiday than usual which did us both good.