California Plans for 2017

[WelshGas]

So what plans or bookings have you made involving your California, for 2017.

1. Late March. A week in Holland to visit Amsterdam and the Tulip Fields, via Harwich/Hook of Holland ferry. Booked.

2. Mid May to early June. Scandinavia, up through France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark. Across The Bridge to Sweden and north to Tromso then back down through Norway and across to Sweden and The Bridge and back to U.K. Campsites etc: as and when. Euroshuttle booked and Travel Insurance sorted.

3. End of July. Camping and sightseeing in Oxford while SWMBO attends Oxford University Summer School.

4. August. Euro shuttle and then down through France, staying in the Ardeche for a week and then onto Italy for a weeks Beach holiday. Then upto Southern Germany for a few days before returning home. Campsites where we're staying for more than 1 day sorted others will be Municipal sites for overnight stops.

Other trips planned but unfortunately cannot take the California.
Ad hoc weekdays or weekends as the fancy takes us.

 

[Scorps]

Unfortunately I can't do any planning for next year as not sure when the Cali will turn up. Build date not until 17th April.

You've got some lovely places planned enjoy.

 

[Alibee]

Spain in early April for a shakedown run, then Le Mans for the 24hr in June (6 T6s!), then a loop taking in Europa Park, Bohemia and Stockholm at the end of Aug. We may change the last one to head south to Croatia instead of Sweden, weather dependent.

Will also try to grab a long weekend or two in Jersey, and the kids will undoubtedly use it as a garden tent for most of the summer!

 

[bigmac77]

1. Trip out to Samoens for a long weekend skiing in late January.

2. Going to head over to Norfolk for a week in early June.

3. Three weeks in France in August, just booked some of this, one week in Brittany and two weeks Il
De Re.

4. Hope to get into the CC site in York for a weekend at some point.

In addition to this there will be numerous one and two night stays around north Wales. Roll on 2017.

 

[Hotel California]

Hold on here.....
'16 is not over yet.....!

Just got the news today i can join a factory visit the 15th november somewhere near Hannover
Guess i urgent need to plan a trip to Germany

And we are spending the last week of '16 in France , Grosspieres (the Ardeche) but in a house so have to diside if we go using the Cali or the wife's Renault Megane

'17 is a long way ....but i coud go and pick up a thing i forgot this june on a campsite in Anglesey near Point Lynas .... @bigmac77 ....ring a bell

Not a clue yet what my trips wil be in '17
Probally a few times France for sure.
Hope to pick the champagne meet with the forum back up
And fingers Xssed we can finalise the factory visit with the forum in april then i would combine it with a visit to the concentrationcamps in Poland

Maybe a COTF 2017 , anyone ....?
Nordkaap is high on my list , so is Schotland but one wil do

 

[WelshGas]

Little tip if you need to book sites abroad that require a Bank Transfer as they have no system using Credit or Debit cards.
TRANSFERWISE a Peer to Peer money transfer. You pay from your Bank Account or Card Debit or Credit. Fixed £2 fee.

 

[WelshGas]

Hold on here.....
'16 is not over yet.....!

Just got the news today i can join a factory visit the 15th november somewhere near Hannover
Guess i urgent need to plan a trip to Germany

And we are spending the last week of '16 in France , Grosspieres (the Ardeche) but in a house so have to diside if we go using the Cali or the wife's Renault Megane

'17 is a long way ....but i coud go and pick up a thing i forgot this june on a campsite in Anglesey near Point Lynas .... @bigmac77 ....ring a bell

Not a clue yet what my trips wil be in '17
Probally a few times France for sure.
Hope to pick the champagne meet with the forum back up
And fingers Xssed we can finalise the factory visit with the forum in april then i would combine it with a visit to the concentrationcamps in Poland

Maybe a COTF 2017 , anyone ....?
Nordkaap is high on my list , so is Schotland but one wil do

Too true @hotel california . Still got a few days away in 2016.
Word of advice. Nordkapp is, I think, an amazing journey, but in June to August very busy. In late May it was excellent.

 

[bigmac77]

Hold on here.....
'16 is not over yet.....!

Just got the news today i can join a factory visit the 15th november somewhere near Hannover
Guess i urgent need to plan a trip to Germany

And we are spending the last week of '16 in France , Grosspieres (the Ardeche) but in a house so have to diside if we go using the Cali or the wife's Renault Megane

'17 is a long way ....but i coud go and pick up a thing i forgot this june on a campsite in Anglesey near Point Lynas .... @bigmac77 ....ring a bell

Not a clue yet what my trips wil be in '17
Probally a few times France for sure.
Hope to pick the champagne meet with the forum back up
And fingers Xssed we can finalise the factory visit with the forum in april then i would combine it with a visit to the concentrationcamps in Poland

Maybe a COTF 2017 , anyone ....?
Nordkaap is high on my list , so is Schotland but one wil do

The adaptor is still here but I'm hoping the field you stayed in will be full of static caravans with shiney new owners, leaving me with me plenty of time to go on holiday.

 

[soulstyledevon]

2 weeks in northern Spain in September touring around. Welcome any campsite recommendations

Actually booking more non Cali trips this year. Skiing in Austria Feb, Easter in Paris, Azores in May.
Still looking forward to Septembers trip though, different type of holiday to the others.

 

[GrannyJen]

November 2016: Devon and Cornwall.

December: Shopping, France and Germany

January: Scotland and then the delightful charms of Oldham ( I know how to live)

March: Vendee, France

May: Poland, Krakow, via France and Germany

June: France, down south somewhere.

July/August Ypres, various weekends.

September, France, possibly Iberia.

 

[Alibee]

2 weeks in northern Spain in September touring around. Welcome any campsite recommendations

Spent two weeks in the area around Santander and rated Oyambre very highly. Stunning views over to San Vicente de la Barquera and further west, superb beaches, great food and plenty of entertainment for whole family.

Some good semi-wild spots along the coast (c.6€/night, no facilities) but we spent most of our time in one of the better sites:

http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/spain...nte-de-la-barquera/caravaning-oyambre-110440/

Pitches in the top level, or those towards San Vicente, are quietest as the road runs next to those towards the bottom of the site. Good restaurant, pool, very clean everywhere.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Thanks Alibee.
I will definitely check out your links.
At present the plan is no plan, usually the way anyway. So far we have the ferry booked, but its nice to have a couple of things to aim for.
Heard lots of great things about the area.

 

[Cali Ali]

Pending delivery of the Cali, the plan so far is

Cali Factory Tour in Hannover - April

Devon & Cornwall - May

South Wales - June

Various festivals in July & August including Camp Bestival, Boardmasters and possibly V Festival, rounded off with The Great Dorset Steam fair.

Northern France - September

 

[briwy]

Little tip if you need to book sites abroad that require a Bank Transfer as they have no system using Credit or Debit cards.
TRANSFERWISE a Peer to Peer money transfer. You pay from your Bank Account or Card Debit or Credit. Fixed £2 fee.

Second Transferwise. Use it a lot for bills in France and sending money to the daughter in Spain. Very easy to use. Also an app so can use it on the go.

No plans yet. Usually go the Pyrenees in Jan/Feb no a bit of falling over on the slopes but possible knee op ruling that out. Guess as usual it will be last minute ferry booking and just go where we please. Never book any sites, even in Norway last year for five weeks no problem. Must try to spend more time in the UK as well though.

 

[snowy55]

. Welcome any campsite recommendations

There's a few in the north of Spain on here,

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EiaZ5w0cTkkoLgVYpUzEssQIKcs&usp=sharing

 

[Kmann]

A snowkite trip to Hardangerviddda in Norway after new year.

The Great VWCC Factory Trip to Hannover in April

Planning on doing a "Outlander" roundtrip in Scotland during springtime. I will come back with details and questions later – i guess there must be quite some knowledge in here ;-)

Summer aiming for a 5-6 week counter clockwise costal roundtrip Spain and Portugal - maybe Ibiza, Formentera or Mallorca.

…

Wishlist is also: Greece, Croatia, Island, Faroe Islands, Nordkapp, costline around Baltic, and, and, and …

 

[kave]

French riviera in early july, will rent a house with friends, will drive there. Driving home some nights i the cali to do mtb and walking in the alps.
Will try to visit the french farms that offer safe parks and sampling of their produce.

 

[bvddobb]

Wow, Jen, that's a plan!

After Iceland 2016, eating up the budget of about 3 years of Cali travel , our plans for 2017 are more modest: will probably stay on the continent, no expensive ferries that year!
Deutsche Alpenstrasse may well be on our itinerary, perhaps we throw in some more Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, depending where the weather is good at that time.

 

[Jabberwocky]

1. Trip out to Samoens for a long weekend skiing in late January.

2. Going to head over to Norfolk for a week in early June.

3. Three weeks in France in August, just booked some of this, one week in Brittany and two weeks Il
De Re.

4. Hope to get into the CC site in York for a weekend at some point.

In addition to this there will be numerous one and two night stays around north Wales. Roll on 2017.

I do like the idea of two weeks in the Il de Re .

 

[hejh2o]

Not retired yet... (- you lucky b......)

Wee are talking about driving south to the alps and big lakes in northern Italy and maybe a bit in to France, looking for small rural campsites and walking in the mountains.

Any recomendations are very wellcome!

 

[motacyclist]

The only thing I know for certain is that we'll be going to North Wales in January, Feb, Mar, April, May through to December

Oh, and Scotland in October ...

 

[Julian_Camper_Man]

We both look forward to spending time in 2017 in the van of our dreams for which our trips will be even more special!

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[Alibee]

She is doing well and recovering from the cancer treatment which was harsh but we are optimistic for the future and so glad we invested in this superb little van where making a cup of tea over Ogmore beach has meant so much to us!

What a lovely story (apart from pranging the wagon!) and great use of the perfect vehicle to share some good times in. Here's to many, many more trips to sunsets near & far.

 

[T6 CFO]

Lovely story and puts quibbles with Cali's and VW into context.

Have a great time together in a great looking Cali.


Mike

 

[GrannyJen]

For over five months my wife has been battling cancer. In a low point I recently drove our lovely VW Ocean into the drive gates that must have blown open in strong winds as I was reversing trying to get to visit my wife in hospital and it caused some damage to the bumper and the bike rack - nothing too serious but a damn nuisance.

I think my head was exploding at the time since I was also trying to take my other car for an annual service and an MOT due that day and on taking my other car out on the drive I noticed a flat tyre (actually caused by a bloody great six inc nail) that added to my stress.

Earlier that day (much earlier) I had woken up to our little dog, Meg that was upset from missing my wife and Meg must have had an upset tummy and had consequently poo all over the conservatory floor as a result and as I was trying to get ready to visit my wife!

My wife had been away in hospital over the previous seven days having her first series of chemo-therapy and the poor little dog must have had an upset stomach so after I spent over an hour steam cleaning the mess and generally tidying up, I was not in a good place.

Eventually after an hour and a half being late I finally made it to the hospital in Velindre, Cardiff and the smile on my wife's face made the stress of the previous couple of hours fade away and I hugged her and we both spent the day together in the sensory garden as she was hooked into the chemo machine in the sunshine as we contemplated our future.

After four months from this event we finally managed to take a trip to Ogmore-by-Sea near Bridgend yesterday for the first time and we both saw the sunset together with our two little dogs. We both look forward to spending time in 2017 in the van of our dreams for which our trips will be even more special!

She is doing well and recovering from the cancer treatment which was harsh but we are optimistic for the future and so glad we invested in this superb little van where making a cup of tea over Ogmore beach has meant so much to us!

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I can only wish you both a long future of happiness with your van

You both deserve it, it's a horrible process but the Cali will bring joy and happiness.

I like Ogmore. I wish I was there to serve you drinks whilst you both enjoyed those precious moments.