FIRST 24 Hours Is The WORST - Van Life FRANCE Pt 1
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- Опубликовано: 14 дек 2023
- #vanlife #campingcar #offgrid
This is the start og our FIRST mainland Europe van lifde trip in Harry our Ford Custom Auto-Camper. We venture across the channel on LeShuttle and come to terms with travelling on the right side of the road before finding a great first night parkup.
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Useful Equipment:
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Reolink Argus Pro 3 - Note we have still yet to fully set up and test -
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BIVVY LOO Equipment
Bivvy Loo Replacement Base - Replacement Bivvy Loo Base | carplife-products
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Food Sealer Bags - Sustainapouch 200 x 300 Compostable 80mu Chamber Vacuum Pouches (200) | sousvidetools.com
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Compostable Tape ( Still Trialing This ) - amzn.to/3o7P4pb
Quest Travel Kettle - amzn.to/41vdEPo
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Pop Rivet Gun - amzn.to/3HUxmdB
The VanX cab curtains - van-x.co.uk/product/ford-tran...
Usb Shower - www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07RXQDK4...
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Our campervan was purchased from Auto Campers
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Some of the key vloggers we currently watch and support
Life Is Too Short - / @lifeistooshortck
Mike & Trish Oot 'n' Aboot - / @mikeandtriciaootnaboot
Campervan Tales - / @campervantales
Roaming In Raymond Motorhome Adventures - / roaminginraymondmotorh...
CamperVanya - / @campervanya
Country Vanlife TV - / @countryvanlifeuk
Wizard in the wild Campervan adventures UK - / wizardinthewild
BLAKE'S 4 ON TOUR. Motorhome Adventures - / @blakes4ontour
Dog A Day - / @adogaday805
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Map images provide from Google Maps & Google Earth
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Glad you survived your first day! Looking forward to watching what you two get up to next 😀👍
Thanks guys we discover sone great stories
Great videos top quality and well done on the driving. This series would be so helpful for anyone driving over to France. Well done on the French Jane a little goes a long way. Thank you both very much for sharing. Looking forward to the rest of the trip.
Thank you for watching and above all commenting…. We learned a lot on our first EU trip I have to say
Yum, chicken in white sauce, my favourite go to meal in the van, better with baby potatoes, but I could live on it, and no fridge needed !!! 😅
I must say it wasnt half bad 👍 great as a back up meal ! Thanks for watching and commenting. Jane 😊
just loving your travels. giving us great ideas for a proposed 2025 visit across England and Scotland
Glad they are useful and happy planning
Another exciting adventure. Roundabouts are the worst! I grew up on instant mash. I honestly didn’t realise they were ‘wrong’ until I met Claud at college and she asked me why I wasn’t using actual potatoes lol. Hope the rest of the trip goes as smoothly. Take care.
Thanks for watching - your head is a bit messed up at roundabouts as you look the wrong way ‘Kerb right’ was muttered for most of the trip
Happy New Year guys.... we really enjoyed this one.... made us laugh. Have a great 2024 in Harry....
Happy New Year ….. glad you enjoyed have a great healthy and peaceful 2024
newish subscriber here - we noticed that unlike a lot of other vlogs we watch, you both do similar amounts of commentary & 'to camera' stuff - kindof like that , look forward to watching more !👍👍
Thank you interesting conversation and topical as we wonder if we do you much narration….. so maybe the balance is tight
Welcome hope you enjoy this series and if you get chance maybe our last Ireland series
Great 👍
Thank you! Cheers!
Hello . Only found you fairly recently and just watched this episode and really enjoyed it, you two are hilarious ! Enjoying seeing your first reactions to France as we are Brits living in sw France. Keep up the good work.
Well first thank you for finding us and those comments keep us going - we’re travellers who seem to sometimes do the wrong things but always take it on the chin
Hopefully you will like this series and maybe others like Ireland
Exciting. Hope you soon got used to the wrong side of the road. It soon becomes natural.
Hi there. Hope you are both well. Yes we've been looking forward to this trip for a long long time. Everyone says you soon get used to it,so fingers crossed. 🤞🤞 Jane
Great to see you back on the road, we really enjoyed your series of adventures as you traveled our fair island of Ireland.
We spent a month traveling last year visiting family in Birmingham then as you did on through the tunnel to France, we had a glorious time in france, and all in covered a great distance, looking forward to seeing your adventures.....safe driving..🙂
Hope you had a great trip as we did - thanks for watching and supporting us
Great video. Heading to France next year. Was going to be this year but we chickened out .
Well enjoy the planning process - thanks for watching
A We think you’re right Jane ! We’re planning on making our first trip to France in May so will be watching more of your vlogs to guide us 😀Jen & Errol xx
Best way to avoid our mistakes lol - like us you will have a fantastic time
Thanks for watching
You will love it. Although I suggest you use the phrase "edge out over the line" 😂😂 Have fun. Jane 😊
Can't wait to get Vanya on that Eurotunnel some day whenever I get a chance. Never driven on the other side of the road either but always up for a challenge! Thanks for not dying (although that'll have lost you at least a million RUclips views 😂)
Lol yes it was a tongue in cheek although some will feel cheated lol 😂
Thanks for watching and if we can do it anyone can
Well done you two! We would be just as anxious about our first trip to France on the roads!
We did a coach trip via the Chunnel. Urgh, I felt soooo poorly on the train! I never get travel/sea sick but that really gave me the collywobbles!
Sorry about the Chunnel - it was a weird feeling as we didn’t feel it move until we looked at the window
Thanks for watching and commenting
Yeah... see.... you shouldve got jane 2 Bounty bars!!!😂
Oooh! Thats good to know...choosing which side you want the paying thingy to be!
God save THE TWIX BARS!
Well done!!!!!!! 😂
Ju
😁
😂 see I can’t win as Jane really doesn’t want any but then when I do buy it’s not good enough
Yes I suddenly realised they had booths for left hand right hand driving I guess - not so bad if two of you in the van
Thanks for watching
Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and your loved ones 🎅🏻🎄🚐
Merry Xmas guys
rounabout tip. if you approach in the right hand lane and are not taking the 1st exit but the 2nd exit , if there is traffic in that 1st lane waiting to join the roundabout it is good safety ettiquette to use your LEFT indicator until you've passed the 1st exit, then RIGHT indicator for your exit.Many occasions i had traffic pull straight out on me , they assumed i was taking that 1st exit, very scary, until i noticed the french indicate this way. vive le france
Good tip thanks for watching and commenting
Well done enjoying watching your first trip on the wrong side of the road😂 I lived in Canada for a while and the wheel in the middle of the road does make a huge difference obviously, but I always seemed to go wrong in car parks 🤷♂️ . Don’t know if they under take in France but they did in Canada all the time , so watch both sides on the motorway thank you both good luck 👍👍👍🏴🇬🇧🇨🇦🦢
Thanks for watching and commenting- it was a little stressful especially at islands but we managed to get by but did have incidents on the trip with overtaking especially
Well done you two.
We couldn't help feeling that would be us. I'd be terrified sitting passenger, but even more so driving.
"Kerb to the right"!😮🐕🚙
Thanks guys for watching - were a little nervy when it’s new and Jane was a little disorientated but we got there - just lol
Good Luck driving on the other side of the road always a bit nerve racking . You will soon get used to it enjoy your travels.
Yep it’s like anything new although we had to focus when driving a bit more than normal - I am sure those that have done it for years wonder what we’re on about but it’s the way we roll lol
Thanks for watching and above all commenting
Jane, I feel your pain. The first time I drove in Ireland on the “wrong” side of the road w the steering on the “wrong” side of the car in a manual which I hadn’t used in a while, I was a wreck. I didn’t have problems w the traffic circles until I exited them…ALWAYS on the incorrect side of the road and facing the oncoming traffic. By the time I had it mostly straight in my head, it was time to leave LOL!
Love it ! Thats had us laughing. It plays with your head doesnt it ! Jane 😊
It sure played w the poor tires. I hit every curb from Cork to Donegal. 🛞🩹🫣
Enjoyed this-many thanks. My first foreign driving experience was Tenerife-I think the steering wheel being on the left made it even more confusing.....
Yes it screws your mind as you also need to generally look the other way for priority
Thanks for watching
France is great for camper vans plenty.of Aires de service and all at a reasonable price and some.are free
Yes I have to say it lived up to many things one of them bring the sites that we also experienced to - thanks for watching and above all commenting
Hi again guys. Loving the videos! You have a particularly warm presenting style that makes me feel as though I'm there exploring France with you. I'm from Halesowen not far from yourselves, so the Midlands accent is fab, I think! Keep up the great work. Your video editing skills are improving too I note, especially the drone footage accompanied by relaxing music - makes them a real joy to watch 😀😀
Thank you so much for such a lovely comment. We know where we want to get to but very much taking our time to get there 🤦♀️ but comments like yours encourage us that we are at least getting better as we go along. I laughed about the accent. Jane 😊
Excited to be starting this epic journey with you. Drone shots are terrific. Cheers Lynne Victoria Australia 🇦🇺🐨👍🏻💜💙
Glad you enjoyed this one - hope we can keep you on board for the rest
Thanks for watching
Well done both! We really enjoyed this, nice banter & dialogue between you both 😁 Great work on the roads, I was shouting “CLEAR” too, I got very invested ☺️ Lovely drone shots too! Really great video 👏 Em & Gary 🎄
Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed - if we can give you the confidence to go our work is done but you will still be shouting as that is our way as you will see - we still get freaked out
@@getawaygeese Haha 😂 well, if you fancy Charlie 🐶 sitting sometime, we’ll definitely go and follow your footsteps/tyretreads 😂 😉 (right kerbside of course)
Well done on your 1st day, I've never done it so watching with great interest 😉
Thanks for watching and above all commenting- hope you enjoy the series
Really enjoyed watching this. Feel like I've been to France with you! ❤
Long time no see !! Hope you enjoy the rest of it. Jane 🥰
Interesting to here you your take on driving in europe . I now feel like we drive on the wrong side after many trips to
europe in 7m coachbuilt van . Stopped of in Watten in our last trip on way to the alpes. Once you get used to it it feels strage oupn your return. Enjoy
Yes I am sure we are in the wrong side in reality I guess and I am glad we did it as although in certain situations it still unsettled me it doesn’t stop me
Thanks for watching and above all commenting - safe travels
Hope you don't get Attacked with eggs 😂.. be careful down around Bordeaux they say the chickens lay big eggs 😂.. have a good trip.. the best place to stay are the route tier.
Thank you and we'll make sure we keep an eye out for them ! Frying pans at the ready 😂thanks for watching. Jane
Hi Guys, great video. We absolutely love France. We spend 3 weeks there each summer. The laid back attitude, the culture and of course the food and wine are just brilliant. So much to see and do yet its brilliant to also just kick back and chill.
Yes a definite laid back feel - we loved it
Well done kids 😂 You’re already helping us feel better about tackling the ‘wrong’ side eventually.
Lol if we can do it anyone can - I know seasoned veterans will go what’s the problem but you build issues up in your head
Thank you for watching and kids makes us feel young lol 😂
Congratulations on finally getting abroad. You'll have a great time. Thanks for sharing - we're looking forward to watching this series.
Thanks for watching I hope you enjoy the series
Enjoy France. Top tip for roundabouts in France - if your unsure about your turn off, just keep going round the roundabout until your sure where to turn off. I've done it many times lol
That could be a whole episode lol going around a roundabout many times - it’s definitely happened a few times thanks for watching
Great start to the new adventure. Bon voyage!
Thanks it was a great trip as you will see and we soon settled into the rhythm of it
I think you would enjoy it - I know a bit more dog stuff to do but like most things if you do it once etc
Love your sense of humor. We never have problems of driving on the left but we do when back in Holland. We were one waiting at a barrier for a carport in Holland and it did not open. Waiting on the wrong site😊
That sounds like something I would do for sure lol 😂
Thanks for watching and commenting
Great to see you back in Harry. Roll on next Friday. ATB Stay young
Thanks john and thanks for your support as always. Jane
Love it from Stew, You can look where you want but i know where im looking !! 😊 class !! Iknow the feeling though, we had the same adventure last year and hopefully again in 2024 🤞 super vlog 👍
Jane was a little disorientated so I just had to do what I had to do 😂 glad your enjoying your trips - we plan to hopefully explore more in 2024
WOW what handsome friends, you have😂😂😂.
Absolutely loved this vlog it's like watching ourselves 😂😂, can't wait for more😊
Thanks guys your confidence helped us although Jane was so disoriented for the first few hours ( days / weeks ) lol
Just reminded me of our first time , Fantastic keep going🚐🚐🚐🚐
Yes I am sure once you have been a few times these feelings are a distant past lol - thank you for watching
Well done guys, We first went to France in 1974 and your blog brought back memories of driving there for the first time. Been there many times since, mostly with a caravan in tow and it gets easier fairly soon. Danger times are when leaving an aire or a filling station. We stopped taking bulbs and beam convertors long ago, dont recall seeing any on UK roads on continental vehicles. Have fun, keep safe and don't forget travel. breakdown insurance
Thanks I am sure after the first trip we will become experts lol - I am sure for those that travel a lot won’t recognise the anxiety 😂
Yes we have breakdown insurance but a word of warning to others make sure it allows you to be out the country for more than 30 days if that is your mode of trip like ours as our first cover was not adequate
Good idea to stop rattles. We use the packing cubes. Great things. Lock the van moments. 😂. You are making us want to get over to Europe. Well done guys. You are helping to convince me we should do it. 🙏👍🚐🧙♂️
You would love it - I know a bit more to do with the dogs etc but plenty of advice out there - thanks
So glad you've made it to France safe and sound, wonderful drone shots!!! I feel very at home with you driving on the right (same here). it would kill me to have to drive on the wrong side (left)... Ha ha.. keep safe 💪
Beautiful place isn't it ! Love seeing the areas around us that you dont see or appreciate sometimes from the ground. Stew did amazing with the driving. Thanks for watching as always 😊 jane
Great to see Harry got you to France in style. Currently on my second trip in my auto camper in the new forest. Still sorting things out and deciding what to store where 😀. Look forward to the next episode.
Trust me 5 years on we are still deciding what goes where but think we are close lol 😂 - thanks for watching and enjoy your trips
Deux petit bears siv u plait 😂
Why would I want two small bears 🐻
Fresh milk is only found in the larger supermarkets, you will love France it’s so well geared up for campervans and Motorhomes.
Just chill and enjoy
Thanks for watching …. Yes it threw us for a bit but we soon found out where and then to establish what was semi skimmed lol
I have to say that their off the shelf milk (that we cant stomach in the UK) was top notch - jane
Enjoyed that one. We have not yet plucked up the courage to travel overseas in Wanda maybe one day. Take care Gill
Well if we can do it anyone can lol 😂 thanks for watching hope you enjoy the series
I live in Portugal and I use one of the Keep Right /Left stickers on my windscreen, both in my car and motorhome, (both are left hand drive) , when travelling in the UK and find it invaluable.
Looking forward to your vlogs
Drive carefully.
Safe travels
Thanks for watching and commenting - I wasn’t so sure about the stickers but Jane wanted every reassurance lol and to be fair it made me think - hope you enjoy the series
I was sitting on the edge of my chair! Well done. I’m hoping to build up my driving skills and courage to visit France soon. This will be very interesting as I really haven’t got a clue! It does look very disorientating. X
Well if we can do it anyone can …. We found you have to concentrate and kerb right and look left to star with was the main advice
Thank you for the advice. Kerb right and look left! Good idea with Google translate too. Safe travels x
Good to stumble across your channel. It'll be our first time to France next spring in our old boy. It's all the planning and preparation that seems overwhelming. Fortunately OH can speak some French and he's not intimidated by driving on other side. I'll be the same sort of passenger 🫣
Lol well your half way there - exciting so enjoy your trip when it comes
Thanks for watching and above all commenting- hope you enjoy the series if you follow it
Congratulations, you're still alive, you'll probably have some more wrong turns like Aldi, that's where I slipped up in Canada. But out on the big roads where it matters you'll be fine. I remember smash as a boy, not my favourite taste, what I liked was coming in from school and my granny Campbell was boiling the potatoes for dinner. She used to put a piece of potato on a saucer with melted butter, oh the luxury.
Thanks as always for the watch and comment 😊I like the sound of Granny Campbell alot. As that's exactly what I do with potatoes and butter. In fairness apart from looking like wallpaper paste at the beginning the smash wasnt too bad at all. Jane
Yes we found we need to focus all the time and the day you switch off you end up reverting to UK ways
Can’t beat proper mash - smash was a 70’s thing when they started to find ways of creating food - to be fair it wasn’t a bad taste just not sure how much natural stuff was in it lol 😂
Buffys bar, had a few in there.
Lol yes a great atmosphere I have to say thanks for watching and commenting
We always stop at Watten on way back home, remember our first time in France many years ago, now we spend a few months there every year in motorhome, its just so easy. @@getawaygeese
Exactly what we are finding. Been fantastic. Jane
Rule of thumb always have the driver on the curb side, not the middle of the road as in the UK. ❤
Thanks for watching and good tip
Great video guys. Love you pair. Love Harry too.
I think a Harry would be perfect for us.
If you don't mind me asking how much would a Harry cost today?
😊👍💯
Thanks for watching and commenting - to be honest not sure as prices on all vans have gone up but one thing I like about autocampers they share the prices so if you go in there website you can easily get a price dependent on model and options
@@getawaygeese Thank you 😊👍💯
Great video . Already looking forward to the next one. We are also nervous about taking our campervan through France and into Italy next summer . We took our car to Brittany 4 years ago but am a little more worried taking our new van. Finally did you take any food with you? Only asking because I know the rules have changed and are a little confusing.
Glad you enjoyed it and like all fears we have to face them and it is as never as bad as it seems although we still had to focus on priorities
Re food we understand dairy and meats are the ones to avoid but we never got checked - you can check on line
For us we try to follow the rules
Good luck on your trip and you will be fine - just laugh or scream lol 😂
You guys need a billybong cook pot, slow cooker with Fresh ingredients 😂😂
We normally cook fresh to be honest as you will see we just took the pressure off us on the first night in case we had a stressful day lol
Thanks for watching and commenting
@getawaygeese all the best only pulling your legs, we watch you all the time xx
👍👍👍
We use tinned potatoes (they are ready cooked). Lovely sliced and fried in butter and/or topped with cheese! We take our own fresh milk to keep us going (hope no French Custom officials are reading) and have never been stopped and checked on Tunnel or Ferry. We've been going camping in France for years so adapt quickly now to the 'wrong' side, I'm sure you will have done too!
@karenholdaway8284 cant beat tin spuds, we are canning our own this winter, hopefully they will turn out ok
Hi guys, 👋 yes I still remember that feeling in the pit of my stomach, first time driving in Europe, and that was 40 years ago. But honestly after a few hours, it all came naturally. As you say, remember your sitting next to the kerb, every maneuver is a mirror image of at home. 🤔
Relax and enjoy 👍🐸
Yes I am sure veteran travellers will look at us thinking we’re mad lol 😂 but like everything you get used to it although it took more than a few hours for us
Thanks for watching and commenting
@getawaygeese Thanks, but I'm not a real veteran traveller. Let me explain, 40 years ago, I'm talking of when we had a caravan. Sadly I've been on my own now for just over two years, last year I decided to buy a camper, I needed something to focus on, and "Kermit " is now my best friend. We visited friends in Poland earlier this year, it was fantastic, first time solo, but it was OK.
Take care 👍 🐸
@Kermit-ah sorry I see we want to go to Poland as we have heard great things
Breathalysers in France haven't been a legal requirement since 2020. Nonsense advice "still good to have with you" has anyone ever used one ? Also since I don't drink, I've resented having to carry one in the past just to meet legal requirements.
Thank you for your input I must of read an old website post - I took one just in case. A bit like dash cams I couldn’t work out which countries had an issue with them as it seemed conflicting advice
Sorry for the ‘nonsense’ advice
By nonsense, I was referring to the likes of RAC and Ferry Company websites that still list them for sale. Certainly, I was offering no criticism to you, it's the way of the Internet to offer conflicting opinions. Ah yes, dashcams, a whole minefield of confusion. I travel to Portugal, which has the most restrictive views on privacy, €200 fine and camera confiscation, just for having it anywhere in your vehicle, while my insurance has an endorsement mandating a dashcam.
It was interesting to see a fresh view on the experience of travelling to France. I think I was most shocked by the price of fuel in France this year.
@davethompson7275 interestingly I went on line to check and low and behold I find one saying you need it then many more saying you don’t need it as you say since 2020
We don’t have a dashcam but I use GoPro for driving shots but it made me nervous hence I put it in my side window - all seemed confusing so I guess it’s take your choice and hope you don’t get stopped
Sounds like Portugal I wouldn’t take any shots
Well done guys. You did well. Nice video. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the series. 🙏🚐🧙♂️👍
Thanks for watching and hope you enjoy the series
Well done. I honestly felt nervous when you were on the motorway and approached those roundabouts but you did well. Looking forward to the rest of this trip in France.
The worst bit is not driving on the right but knowing where to look on the roundabouts and junctions lol 😂 we persevered
And also couldnt air alot of the language 😂 jane