Just bought a 2016 Ocean and we are off to Belgium shortly!

[Ferring-about]

Hi all,

We have just bought a 3rd hand 2016 Ocean and are kitting it out to start our holidays for the next few years in her. We have two GSD crosses who are getting used to trips out at the moment.

Brand new to campervan life and hope to learn a lot from the forum. Like what we need, what would be great and what to avoid!

We were disappointed with the show at the NEC as what little there was on sale, was not that cheap and there was not much variety!

 

[Sad]

 

[Hotel California]

Welcome allong !

 

[MattBW]

I absolutely loved Belgium, such a wonderful place and helped of course by awesome people such as @hotel california and @Auberg-ine .

Welcome to the forum!

 

[GrannyJen]

I suppose that I had better say welcome as well although I suspect I did that many months ago

Are you going via tunnel or ferry and where are you going?

Some great places in Belgium, as I'm sure @hotel california will tell you about, Ypres, as you know, has been almost my second home every November for the last 6 years so any info you need I would probably have.

 

[calibusje]

hellow Ferring-about

Welcome and very nice of you to visit Belgium; despite I'm not that 'well known' as the other Belgians mentioned, me too can give info about our little country, in particular Bruges. So,if wanted, shoot.
We have a T4 westfalia from '91 so here ends my contribution for all the T5/T6 owners about vanrelated items
Enjoy your van and trips with the dogs!

Greetings
Calibusje

 

[MattBW]

hellow Ferring-about

Welcome and very nice of you to visit Belgium; despite I'm not that 'well known' as the other Belgians mentioned, me too can give info about our little country, in particular Bruges. So,if wanted, shoot.
We have a T4 westfalia from '91 so here ends my contribution for all the T5/T6 owners about vanrelated items
Enjoy your van and trips with the dogs!

Greetings
Calibusje

Hopefully I will meet you someday too @calibusje

 

[calibusje]

Hi MattBW

thanks, if you stay at http://www.brugescamping.be/en/home/ when visiting Bruges, let me know and I'll come to say hellow (and bring a beer). And of course this counts for everybody else also Or maybe at a meeting (COTF?) in a school holiday ?

Greetings
Calibusje

 

[Auberg-ine]

Hopefully I will meet you someday too @calibusje

Let’s now be carefull Matt. You have seen such a small fragment of our beloved country. If you take the risk of crossing that channel again, meeting us all in more different situations you might end up with a Bentrance condition. (Aha that word- Belgium entrance- is not censured yet!)
Looking forward!


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[MattBW]

Hi MattBW

thanks, if you stay at http://www.brugescamping.be/en/home/ when visiting Bruges, let me know and I'll come to say hellow (and bring a beer). And of course this counts for everybody else also Or maybe at a meeting (COTF?) in a school holiday ?

Greetings
Calibusje

@calibusje We will be back for sure, we loved it. I think we were at Memling the first time. We would also love to see Ghent too which I think is not too far.

@Auberg-ine I need to see more! Hopefully I will still want to go home afterwards, last time I did not

 

[Ferring-about]

I suppose that I had better say welcome as well although I suspect I did that many months ago

Are you going via tunnel or ferry and where are you going?

Some great places in Belgium, as I'm sure @hotel california will tell you about, Ypres, as you know, has been almost my second home every November for the last 6 years so any info you need I would probably have.

Many thanks @GrannyJen,
And yes it is probably all your fault that my BMW has gone and a VW Ocean is now in it's place on the drive!
We are going via the Chunnel as we are taking the girls with us, current thinking is to head in the direction of Dinant and the Ardennes forest. We have the ACSI books and cards for this purpose! No real plans at the moment just a few days away to try things out, get to know the Van and restock the wine cabinet before Brexit and duty free get in the way!

Thanks to all on here for the tricks and tips we are reading about and helping us to start setting up our van.

 

[BillyCasper]

La Roche La Roche-en-Ardenne
Camping Le Vieux Moulin

Poperinge
Stal’t Bardehof

Just a couple of Belgian sites I recently stayed at which I thought were quite good.

The first close to the town, large pitches, quiet, not a holiday camp.

Second, campsites in Ypres full. Stal’t Bardehof was on a farm near Poperinge which was just behind the front line. I think it was an area where casualties were taken. Nice site, little bar in converted agricultural shed which my travelling companion was over the moon with. Nice restaurant a short walk away, also a V1 rocket launch site. Only spoilt my my second electro-hydraulic roof failure. Pathetic.

There is a municipal site on the river relatively close to the centre of Dinant. There are bikes you can use to shuttle in to the centre. We left a bike there that we no longer needed.


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[Ferring-about]

First site we will visit is Bredene, then off to Bomal before returning home via some wine sellers and supermarkets!

 

[Sandyvan]

Welcome, we too like Belgium especially if you like canals and boat lifts. Don't like the state of some roads though even worse than here for potholes even on the motorway.
Have fun.

 

[Auberg-ine]

First site we will visit is Bredene, then off to Bomal before returning home via some wine sellers and supermarkets!

Bredene. Your Shepards will love the large dunes out there. Just hold them a bit under control once they head towards the nudist section! Wild camping, or in one of the hundred camping sites out there? When would you go? I'm often laying in Oostende, just beside; we might have a beer and some shrimps! I have in my van a map with all the greatest spots around the Durbuy / Bomal area. Good choice!
Cheers!

 

[calibusje]

Oh, I got it now, you want wine .... no beer
Enjoy Bredene & Bomal (both interesting choises)... and our well preserved potholes
Greetings

 

[Ferring-about]

Oh, I got it now, you want wine .... no beer
Enjoy Bredene & Bomal (both interesting choises)... and our well preserved potholes
Greetings

I am sure the odd beer will find it's way on board

 

[calibusje]

santé

 

[Hotel California]

You could return thru France and the champagne region ....

 

[Waldo]

Bruges: which places at walking distance from the centre can you recommend? I know there is an official camper parking place near the railway station, but I loved staying at Visartpark. Trees have been cut lately and I have the impression there is much more noise from the ring now. Any better suggestions? I know Bruges, grew up there, but moved to Gent for work 25 years ago.

 

[Auberg-ine]

Hi Waldo, last I had a nice, relatively quiet, place at the Coupure, between the trees, beside the boats, near the Conzett bridge.

 

[Waldo]

Thanks, better than Visartpark indeed. I know the place but didn't notice the Conzettbrug when driving by in the dark, had to look it up.

 

[Waldo]

Roof up or stealth parking Aubergine ?

 

[bvddobb]

Don’t forget to pre-register for the LEZ’s of Antwerp and Brussels if you want to go there. If if your Cali qualifies for the LEZ, pre-registration is mandatory and not doing so before your visit may result in huge fines.

 

[Auberg-ine]

Roof up or stealth parking Aubergine ?

Very stealth, as usual. (You know, I even have magnetic business logo's to make it the very common commercial van. Shhh. Still looking for a way to change the awning ends by round screw caps like electricians have them.) I just love this way of unnoticed being plugged in into a real city life.