Help me think
 

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Help me think

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of a place to visit this summer.

We still have our place in Belgium, but we want to return to camping as we used to - having visited everywhere from Spain to Poland and many places in between over the years. This year, however, we also want to make it a bit farther afield than somewhere like France, but don't have the same amount of time as we used to.

I would be happy going somewhere like Bremen or Copenhagen, but I think the rest of the SR family would prefer mountains and/or water. Also, I like northern Europe, and the rest tend towards Alpine Europe. But we're all pretty game to visit most places.

So... suggestions? If we could fly somewhere and get an inexpensive AirBnB all within a small budget, then that would allow somewhere like Riga; if not, then it'll have to be close and based on car camping.

What interesting, more off-the-beaten-track sorts of places have you really enjoyed? Culture; history; beauty (natural and architectural); nature: these are all of interest to us. Are you aware of any inexpensive possibilities in terms of destinations, modes of travel, costs-on-the-ground, or places to stay?

[And before anyone suggests staying in the UK, we have done, and we camp here regularly; the summer holiday is the chance we try to take to get farther away. Plus, well... UK.]

 
Posted : 07/03/2024 7:23 pm
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Picos De Europa? Or the Basque Country?

Ordesa Canyon is pretty decent further east.

 
Posted : 07/03/2024 7:26 pm
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Fly to Slovakia and head to the High Tatras?

Never been but the tourist leaflets looked worth further investigation. Would imagine it's still pretty cheap especially out in the sticks.

Spain is a good suggestion above, I was completely ignorant to what Spain is actually like and wanted to go since I found out.

 
Posted : 07/03/2024 7:33 pm
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We have spent three weeks in northern Spain, and enjoyed it, although I am slightly wary of the potential heat the farther we go into the interior. Happy to be convinced, though.

 
Posted : 07/03/2024 7:39 pm
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The Pyrenees both Spain and France have pleasant tempertaures if you stay at ski resort height but drop down and you can expect 35-40. I'm not the best person to offer unbiased advice, it's home.

Galicia is very rarely hot, it was 26°C last year while Grenada was 20 warmer. The people are friendly, good food and accomodation at reasonbale prices - we just went day to day on Booking.com. No big mountains but the coast is great for walking:

https://www.caminodosfaros.com/

The Vosges and the Black Forest are opposite each other. We did a semaine fédérale based in Cernay and have been back several times since stopping on the camping municipal which is next to the swimming pool. Walk up le vieil Armand throught the fortifications to the cememtry. Visit Colmar on Bikes and explore some of the cycle network, visit Freiburg, Baden Baden to wallow in the spa which is reasonably priced, ride/drive la route du vin, take the kids to Europa Park (or perhaps not 🙂 ) take a train from freiburg to Donau Eschingen. It can be a bit warm and humid but bearable.

 
Posted : 07/03/2024 8:06 pm
ElShalimo and ElShalimo reacted
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Estonia? Tallin is awesome and was dead cheap when I went there, which was admittedly a long time ago. Sceney wise it's lots of forests and lakes.

I've also heard Transylvania is pretty good (not a joke).

 
Posted : 07/03/2024 9:18 pm
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Transylvania is a stunning place to visit and there's lots of riding to be had of various types

Slovenia is another place I'd recommend.

 
Posted : 07/03/2024 10:03 pm
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Such a challenge- places to stay but you still want to go somewhere else.

Heart.

Bleeding.

 
Posted : 07/03/2024 10:15 pm
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For once I'm struggling to disagree with @Edukator 🙃

Excellent advice. My only embellishment is ride the Kaiserstuhlweg and stop for cake at Breisach

😎

 
Posted : 07/03/2024 11:14 pm
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Galicia and Asturias are wonderful.

 
Posted : 07/03/2024 11:15 pm
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Car, Eurotunnel with Clubcard vouchers (do they still do that?), France?

Sell the place in Belgium and go somewhere on a larger budget?

 
Posted : 08/03/2024 12:09 am
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Not been there (yet) but I've read that Northern Portugal is beautiful and untroubled by the tourist masses.

Eurotunnel with Clubcard vouchers (do they still do that?

I don't think so, but I'm happy to be proved wrong.

Last year my son and I headed to Altamura (AirBnB'd) in Puglia, fiercely hot in summer so we went in March. Matera is amazing if you like history. We also spent a day in the 'spur' of the Italian boot in the Parco Nazionale del Gargano. Rugged and unspoilt.

 
Posted : 08/03/2024 10:07 am

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