nametaken

I am having my usual problem on the board. No one responds to the previous poster. I really want to know how one camps in France. How do you camp without ice?I really want an answer to my question. Please. Thank you.

scatcat

WTnow

I loved your Paris blog! It sounds like you three had a blast, and I really loved the pics. Mozart is beautiful.

ira

Hi Dawn,

>to "use" the tickets will end up costing us a few thousand to go to Europe again...

If you don't mind staying a little farther out you can get a decent quad room for about 75E/nite. See www.france-hotel-guide.com/h75012lux.htm

Four of you can visit Paris for 3 days for

Hotel room x 3........225E
meals for 3 days......480
Transfers ............150

That's under $1500

GO!

dawnnoelm

I don't know who you camp in the USA let alone Paris ;-)

Ira... you all have me VERY tempted to make this happen

ira

Hi N,

>No one responds to the previous poster.

A: No one has an answer to your question?

B: You could start a new thread?

janisj

you buried a question about camping in France towards the end of a very long thread about foreign exchange travel woes and then complain that no one answered you.

If you want an answer so bad --- start a thread of your own w/ a title something like "Need info about camping in France". Then someone who knows something about that might see your question.

tomassocroccante

Rosie, I'm as useless as can be on the question of camping in France. Though I know it's done!

(Now you see why you don't really want a response from people who have nothing useful for you!!)

WTnow

Thanks scatcat, we did really enjoy our 2 weeks in Paris on a tiny budget!

Sorry, I veered off to camping as it is a cheap way to see Europe and thought it might be an idea for dawnnoelm who was worried about prices even with free airplane tickets.

Camping in Europe can actually be very luxurious and four star resorts with everything but the hotel. Almost every place has bungalows to rent, so you do not need to be in a tent or RV.

We have our own refrigerator, but I have seen many have group refrigerators and freezers that those in tents can use as well as kitchen areas for tent campers. The bungalows have their own kitchens with refrig & stove , bathrooms etc.

Here is the campsite that we stayed at in Tuscany to give you an idea:

http://www.soultravelers3.com/blog/D...99567FA04.html

http://www.soultravelers3.com/blog/A...52BCF1348.html

Here is a little more on camping Europe:
http://www.karmabum.com/

If someone is on a budget but still wants to go to Europe, I would check out camping or renting a bungalow at the campsite all over Europe in any place you might want to be. ( There is even free camping at vineyards in France).

This is the best book on camping:
http://www.rollinghomes.com/eart001.htm

Tons of Australians and people from New Zealand ( not to mention Europeans of every kind) see Europe this way on a low budget..but most Americans have not figured it out yet.

Few know that they can camp right in Paris, right next to Versaille ( and walk to it when the crowds leave), near the Alhambra,in Rome,Provence,Salzburg,Prague,Dubrovnik etc & it is the best way to visit Venice or Florence. There is not a city or site where you can not find camping & lots of camping is free.

So it is another possible option for those who want to see Europe on a budget & not worry so about what the dollar is doing.

chartley

Two questions which may help those who are as bewildered as I am about the OP's plans.

How much ice do you want?

What are you going to use it for?

We all know that there is less use of ice in Europe than there is in the U.S. What I think may be less appreciated is different ideas of what camping and camp sites are.

The cabins that I have stayed in on U.S. camp sites were very primitive and poorly equipped. They were also remote, because of altitude, winter weather (meaning a short season), and the much greater distances travelled generally.

Distances in Europe are much shorter. Campsites are close to towns and villages which are lived in all year round. Every day you can buy fresh local produce or eat at a different local restaurant.

My experience of RV'ing in the U.S. is that it is more akin to pioneer trekking, involving a large amount of preparation and self-sufficiency in the face of a hostile environment.

WTnow

<My experience of RV'ing in the U.S. is that it is more akin to pioneer trekking, involving a large amount of preparation and self-sufficiency in the face of a hostile environment.

That is funny and so true. What Americans think of camping and how Europeans see it are two VERY different things.

It is not a roughing it experience in Europe, but a budget thing for middle class families and retired folks. They have free kids clubs, fresh baked bread or croissants daily,stores, pools, restaurants, workout rooms, security guards,internet, tours etc & easily walkable to all cities or sites or next to great & easy transit ( or free bus to old town that runs day and night) etc etc etc.

We have been all over Europe these last 16 months from Paris to Istanbul, Morocco to Prague, but have spent very little on gas, nor have we added much mileage. Most things are so close & dense and we take ferries, so one does not have to move so much or drive long distances.

I think Americans only think of camping in very primitive & pioneering ways, so miss the opportunities in Europe. We love the camping style in Europe!

Celticharper

>>>>>Author: nametaken How do you camp without ice?I really want an answer to my question. Please. Thank you.>>>>

We have camped in France, Switzerland, and Italy. And by camping I mean in a tent not an RV.
We are very experienced camping in France.

We have camped along the side of the road for Letour, in farmer's fields, and on the tops of mountains among the grazing cows and wild horses. We have also stayed in some lovely campgrounds.

In the US campgrounds are far from the town, not accesible except by car, they are usually very primitive unless you find the mega resorts meant for huge RV buses.

But in Europe every village has a campground that is either in the village or at it's edge. We have always been within walking distance of all the necessities. They are meticulously maintained, and privacy and quiet are respected, much more than in US campgrounds.
Many europeans bike or hike between campgounds on a weeklong trek.

We also had the question about camping without ice. We soon learned that the long term storange of food in a cooler is not typical in Europe. Europeans don't buy large bottles of milk or things that need refrigeration, in Europe we buy small quantities each day and eat fresh foods. Many campers don't cook by their tents but walk into the village to dine at one of the local restaurants.

So the question of ice became moot, unless we wanted to keep the beer cold, it was not necessary at all.

All the campgrounds we stayed at in France had a morning bread delivery, you simply gave the campgound hosts your order for croissaints and bread the day before and it was delivered to the campground at 8 o'clock in the morning.

Camping in Europe is a wonderful way to live like a local. We met lovely people everywhere we went in France because we were camping next to them.

Try campoing in France, you'll love it

seeksocean

Several of us have tickets for mid-April (many of us on FF miles) to go to Amsterdam for 3 days and Greece for 2 weeks. We pre-paid many of our hotel nights in advance through Expedia and many of the hotels will take a significant discount for Euro cash. We also pre-paid our inter-Greece flights.

Anyway, before I go on and on, I want to start another topic in the Europe Forum on ways to make your dollar go further in Europe. Please join in and let's continue to help each other with proven tips on ways to make our vacations full and fun wihout worrying about everytime we spend a Euro. Thanks