Holly the Hilux European Tour 2019

[AndyCook]

We didn’t venture out of the Uk in the Hilux last year, spent 10 days camping in our Tipi in Cornwall at a holiday park near StIves
Decided we Prefer a road/off-road trip, got itchy feet staying at one place that long, even with lots of day trips out.

So ferry booked next weekend and have a rough plan
Main highlights are the tunnel du parpillion near Embrun.
On previous trips in June and July the pass and tunnel have still been closed due to winter snow.
And then the Military trails in Opera Vallo Alpino area in Itlay, again previous visit thwarted by snow in July 2013, so only got a few km down tracks
And the stelvio pass
Then Bavaria and Black Forest maybe

Hope to find some wild camping spots and do some mountain biking too.

 

[garygiles1963]

Hi,

Very lucky it's going to be amazing trip. Look forward to seeing the pics.


I see that part the trip is near here, you may have been already.
La Malène
48210, France
https://maps.app.goo.gl/NUDs4wjBaFJ7TMEG8

Discovered it on the way back from pyrenees, its amazing area.

Have amazing and safe journey.

G.

 

[AndyCook]

Hi,

Very lucky it's going to be amazing trip. Look forward to seeing the pics.


I see that part the trip is near here, you may have been already.
La Malène
48210, France
https://maps.app.goo.gl/NUDs4wjBaFJ7TMEG8

Discovered it on the way back from pyrenees, its amazing area.

Have amazing and safe journey.

G.

Thanks Gary, sorry you haven’t managed to get away this year.

Won’t be going near that area La Malene on this trip
but you are correct, was there in 2014
Report here
https://www.landcruiserclub.net/community/threads/france-massif-central-2014.141307/
Following tracks on a roadbooks and wild camping in hills.
Like you drove through this area on way back from Pyrenees , in 2011
And decide was worth coming back to for a week or so and it was
Pretty remote area at times and didn’t see a person on some tracks for hours.

 

[nick_the_fish]

Looks like a great route. Looking forward to seeing the photos. Which app are you using there?

 

[AndyCook]

Looks like a great route. Looking forward to seeing the photos. Which app are you using there?

Thanks
It’s the Tom Tom drive app

 

[Chris]

Very nice camp site in Alpirsbach in the Black Forest. Showers and toilets were top hotel quality. Very friendly and quiet by a small river. It's basically the only one there. There's a monastery brewery who do daily tours and of course sell beer. Only a £1 a bottle.

 

[AndyCook]

Thank Chris, will look it up,
I was sold even before I got to the Brewery bit

THis one ?
Camping Alpirsbach

Free beer on arrival
Grezenbühler Weg 18, 72275 Alpirsbach, Germany
+49 7444 6313
https://goo.gl/maps/pv4i9pqLiwjCW3by6

 

[Chris]

that's the one.
There are several supermarkets and 3 fuel stations. But watch out, they raise the prices at the weekend!
Fuel in France currently is ridiculous. But in Germany at the moment its cheaper than the UK so fill up there. We were paying 1.23 Euro per litre for derv. Paradoxically, petrol is far more expensive.

 

[Firewout]

that's the one.
There are several supermarkets and 3 fuel stations. But watch out, they raise the prices at the weekend!
Fuel in France currently is ridiculous. But in Germany at the moment its cheaper than the UK so fill up there. We were paying 1.23 Euro per litre for derv. Paradoxically, petrol is far more expensive.

Luxembourg 1,091€/liter diesel

Btw, @AndyCook your route passes near our holiday cottage in the Ardennes just before the Luxembourg border. If you're looking for a place to camp for the night or just to have a beer or coffee, you're welcome.

 

[AndyCook]

Last time we passed through Luxembourg the queues at fuel station on highway were ridiculous.
But I will try and top up the 140l there, and that’s might get us to Italy.

Thanks for kind offer for camp spot Firewout, will think about it, wife gets a bit anxious meeting strangers - where is the cottage I.e. which village ?

 

[Firewout]

@AndyCook

15mins from E25 motorway

 

[AndyCook]

Thanks Firewout sent you a private message

 

[garygiles1963]

Thanks Gary, sorry you haven’t managed to get away this year.

Won’t be going near that area La Malene on this trip
but you are correct, was there in 2014
Report here
https://www.landcruiserclub.net/community/threads/france-massif-central-2014.141307/
Following tracks on a roadbooks and wild camping in hills.
Like you drove through this area on way back from Pyrenees , in 2011
And decide was worth coming back to for a week or so and it was
Pretty remote area at times and didn’t see a person on some tracks for hours.

Thanks, just the way it goes.

Have amazing trip.

G.

 

[AndyCook]

Thanks so much Firewout & Anita for hosting us last night at your lovely place in the Ardennes, and taking us for a bike ride, feeding and watering us and letting us camp in back garden
Cold night with frost but lovely morning sunshine for breakfast.

Made our way down to Dijon and up the track to camp at spot Firewout told us about. Hopefully warmer tonight.

 

[tonytoyota]

Hi thanks for the pics good looking 40.

 

[Firewout]

Hi George & Andrew, glad you made it safely to the Fixin camp spot. We really enjoyed your visit and you're officially the first members of the landcruiserclub we met in real life. Even the BJ enjoyed the company of your hilux.
Enjoy the rest of your trip. Foto's are great btw and thanks for the dead pony.

 

[AndyCook]

We’ve had an adventurous few days in alps Côte d’Azur in France and then Italy. Wild camped every night so far.
Finally got to drive through the Tunnel du parpillion (previous attempts Thwarted by snow and landslides). It was amazing, at 2600m altitude on a rough track. George loved the mountain bike down the other side.
Then onto Italy to drive tracks blocked by snow in 2013 we last attempted them. Near Demonte.
Camped at 2500m by an old fort. Superb sunset. In shade in morning so drove to a sunny spot in spectacular setting for breakfast.
Thunderstorms in Tuscany where we had planned to go, so headed back to France via Sampreye And Northern col ive forgotten name of..
2 attempts to find wild camp spots failed due to no camping sign and then no vehicles sign on track.
So camped above Risoul now in forest at 2000m.
Not all good news, a filling fell off George’s tooth biting into cold chocolate but she managed to file down sharp edge with a nail file!
Met and chatted with a few other groups of overlanders from UK and Switzerland. Seen lots of marmots
Will follow the sunshine tomorrow.

Ended up I need Embrun today, rented e-MTB for morning ride, then afternoon enjoying sunshine in campsite I noted David Cocks often uses here.

Driven some great trails, even used low range a few times

Enjoy the pics

 

[AndyCook]

And more....

No issues with a Hilux, apart from torque converter getting upto 115 degC on some steep climbs

Met a few other overlanders, and seen many more
a couple Russ and Andie in a buggy 4x4 from Cannes
Pete fro my Zurich I need a Land Rover in Italy
And a couple “life’s adventure overland” in an L200 at tunnel du parpillion

E-MTB very polpular over here in France and Italy

 

[AndyCook]

And more....

No issues with a Hilux, apart from torque converter getting upto 115 degC on some steep climbs

Met a couple Russ and Andie in a buggy 4x4 from Cannes
Pete fro my Zurich I need a land rover
And a couple

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[AndyCook]