SiobhanP

I would leave your dog at home with someone you trust. It will be difficult to keep track of him and if something happens to him how will you feel. You are moving around a lot and in campgrounds you could lose him easily or he could be stolen depending on what type or breed he is.

Sue_xx_yy

pompa1, I wish you joy in your adventure.

I note that you are going to sell your house. Will you still rent a small pied-a-terre back home somewhere? My thinking is that if for some reason you should have to return home suddenly to the States for whatever reason, you would have somewhere to stay that would have at least some familiar things around that would feel comfortable. In fact even knowing that you have somewhere to go, no matter how humble, at the conclusion of the trip might be comforting. Also, for truly memorable things, the temperature-humidity environment of an apartment might be superior to what is available in some commercial storage facilities.

You have travelled in Europe before so you know the situation in the cities, but hopscotch's point about parking an RV being possibly unpleasant is a good one. Of course, in some instances it is possible to take public transit from campground to town, which would avoid driving in-town, period.

BTilke

I thought Pompa1 has opted to a Volvo XC90 instead of an RV. You should be able to park the Volvo most places, although in some small villages you will have to park it on the outskirts rather than right in the village.
In France, you may find that prices of some of the "Logis de France" and the lower end Accor properties (Etap, for example) compare favorably with prices for the better campgrounds and offer more comfort.
http://www.logis-de-france.fr/uk/index.htm

LCBoniti

How exciting! Just want to be in the loop . . .

mindylt1

Pompa-
I hope you enjoy your XC90 as much as we enjoy ours. We bought it through the military overseas buyers program, picked it up in Europe 2.5 years ago, and have been touring Europe ever since. So far we've driven it to Belgium, France (even in Paris), the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and of course all over Germany (where we live). It really cruises on the autobahn, is great on those twisty back roads, and even got us safely over a mountain in Switzerland in the middle of a blizzard! And since its a bit smaller than a lot of American SUVs, we've always been able to fit into the parking garages (although a few times it has been a squeaker).

Never slept in the back of it, though, so I can't give any reviews on that!

Good luck on your adventure!

pompa1

Thanks everybody for the excellant responses. Kathy at Slowtrav has given me a wonderful camping contact that I will get in touch with during my "down time" after surgery. I think it will give Diane and I a lot of good time on the computer to work on details for the trip.

SiobhanP,
Thanks for the great tips for Ireland. I spent one year in 1980 a few months at a time helping start a company in Dublin. The people of Ireland are so nice and we have many friends there especially in Mountmellick (I don't remember the spelling at this time) that we intend to visit. Many visited us in the US and I helped 2 young men immigrate to the US. I did kiss the Blarney stone then but I need a refresher kiss.

As far as my cancer, it is prostate and I should be good to go by next spring. I have been battling my HMO about treatment and finally gave up the battle this week, hired a surgeon that is one of the top 5 in the country and I'll pay for it myself to insure fast and complete recovery. Surgery is scheduled for the end of July.

laclaire,
I'm really sorry to hear if your fathers condition. I now understand how difficult this can be but keep a positive outlook. Medicine is constantly improving. I chose a robotic laparoscopic procedure that has only been approved by the FDA since 2001 but it is significantly better than anything else out there. My feeling is that I would rather go out with a smile on my face doing what we love.
I wish you and your father the best.

We are still leaning in the direction of taking Coco. She is so good, loves to travel, and is a great watchdog. All of your concerns will be taken into consideration as we only want the best for her. She meets me at the door every evening and drags me by the pant leg to my recliner. She sleeps in my lap till bed time and then sleeps between my wife and I all night. The only thing I could do without is the morning wakeup lick. Dachsey's have really long tongues.

We have been recording and watching travel channels every night to rule in and out certain locations. We are really intrigued with southern Germany, Norway, Austria, and Switzerland. So much beauty and so little time. Why wasn't I born rich????

Thanks and keep the great ideas coming,
Mike and Diane

laclaire

Pompa- My dad's first cancer was prostate and he fully recovered. That was back in the late 80s, and I know that treatment has come a long way. Good luck to you and so you know, his current treatment is going really well.