A Honeymoon with a difference...

A honeymoon with a difference...

Camping might not be the first idea that pops into people’s heads when discussing their honeymoon, but for VW camper enthusiasts Simon & Anne-Marie it definitely was. Having spent years lovingly restoring their Californian import 1966 VW split-screen camper, what better way of introducing it to the highways and byways of Europe than on a honeymoon?  “We’ve been all around the UK in our camper, but have never made it to mainland Europe. When we decided to get married, like most people we immediately began to think about the honeymoon and taking the camper to Europe but we didn’t really know where to begin.”

Following a bit of searching on the web, and a few long-winded attempts to price up all the possible permutations of ferry-crossings and campsites, they eventually found their way to Eurocamp Independent... “A friend of ours had been on holiday with Eurocamp Independent and had told us how straightforward booking their holiday had been. As we were in the middle of planning the wedding, we were looking for someone to take the stress out of booking the honeymoon!”

“Our first idea was to do a Dover-Calais crossing, get as far south as we could, then turn round and come back again. We called Eurocamp Independent and spoke to Michele. When she heard what we were trying to do (and we'd told her how old our camper was!) she came up with a great plan to take a ferry from Plymouth to Santander in Spain, then drive from south to north and come back over the Western Channel from Caen to Portsmouth. We'd never considered doing a one way trip, but the more we thought about it the more it made sense.”

Before long, Michele had worked out an itinerary which managed to combine a mixture of Eurocamp Independent sites, but also gave the newly-weds the freedom to do a bit of exploring as well.

“It was so reassuring speaking to somebody who could give us good, honest advice about where to go, what to expect from European campsites, and run through all the travel options with us.”

The couple were married in Lancaster at the beginning of August 2009, and sailed to Santander on the 11th “The holiday was wonderful from start to finish, and the camper only broke down once which is a bit of a record for us. We were really impressed with the standard of campsites, and the contrasts between regions was amazing. We can't wait to get planning for next year!”

Simon & Anne-Marie's Honeymoon Itinerary...

Outbound sailing - Brittany Ferries Plymouth to Santander Some of the campsites visited -

Camping Playa Joyel, Noja, CV011
Camping Le Vieux Port, Messanges, GA013
Camping Bonne Anse Plage, Royan, GR011
Camping L'Etang de la Breche, Saumur, LR013
Camping La Garangeoire, St. Julien des Landes, VS011
Camping Le Chateau de lex Eaux, St. Pair-sur-Mer, NR011

Inbound sailing - Brittany Ferries Caen to Portsmouth