This page contains information about the campervan trip I took from February 2011 to June 2011. The trip was in my blue Sprinter campervan, and I travelled to Spain, Portugal and France.
After converting my blue Sprinter campervan, I was keen to take a long trip in the camper. Abby (my girlfriend) and I decided to take a long trip from Cornwall, England down to the southern tip of Spain. We decided to go for about 6 months, and knew we’d probably visit Spain, Portugal and France. We also pencilled in Italy and Morocco, as we wanted to visit those countries if time allowed.
Preparation
Converting the blue Sprinter took longer than I thought it would (it always does!). So I was working on the van right up to the minute I left Cornwall. In fact, I had to take some parts with me, and finish jobs whilst we were in Europe.
Mechanically the van was already ready to go. When I bought the van I did a complete service, and nothing more had to be done before we left. I inspected the brakes, and they had plenty of life on them for the trip. Two new tyres had been fitted to the front at the last MOT. So everything from the van’s perspective was fine.
I knew from previous trips that we need plenty of books, and bikes are a great idea for exploring. We love trying local foods when travelling, but there were a few things from home that we love, and are not possible to get in Europe, at least not at sensible prices. Here is the list of things we packed into the van for our trip:
- Surfboards & wetsuits
- 2 x bikes – stored in the back
- Books
- Laptops for working and watching films
- Cameras
The Start
Abby and I have done many trips together, but we’ve never started our trips together. Normally Abs will meet me somewhere. This trip was no different. Abby left Cornwall several days before me, and was staying with friends in Brighton. As the Plymouth to Santander ferry did not run in February we had to take the Portsmouth to Santander ferry.
I left Cornwall at 7pm, after working on the van all day, drove to Portsmouth and wild camped near the Navy base. In the morning I picked up Abs from the train station, and we caught the Brittany Ferries ferry from Portsmouth.
Schedule & Costs
Below is the daily schedule and total costs for the trip. This includes all ferry, fuel, campsites and grocery costs. We rarely spent money on other things. A few receipts have been missed/lost. The costs start from leaving Cornwall, the complete trip, and back to Cornwall. I haven’t included the costs of day trips to cities like Barcelona and Paris, as these costs aren’t really part of the camping trip.
These costs we kept low by wild camping as frequently as possible, and driving slow (55 mph) when possible. As we got closer to summer we stayed in more campsites, as wild camping became difficult in Spain.
Date | Visited | Stayed | Country | Campsite Cost | Fuel cost | Pay Roads | Groceries | Other items | Other cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
22/2/2011 | Cornwall | Portsmouth, Wild camping |
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| €91.49 |
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| Ferry: Portsmouth to Santander | €380.00 |
23/2/2011 | Ferry | On Ferry | UK |
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24/2/2011 | Santander | Santillana del Mar CS | Spain | €20.00 |
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| €24.00 |
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25/2/2011 | Santillana del Mar | Salamanca, Camping Regio campsite | Spain | €13.50 |
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26/2/2011 | Salamanca | Salamanca, Camping Regio campsite | Spain | €13.50 |
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27/2/2011 | Braganca | Braganca WC | Portugal |
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28/2/2011 | Braga, Porto | Porto | Portugal | €10.00 |
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1/3/2011 | Campsite | Porto | Portugal | €10.00 |
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2/3/2011 | Campsite | Porto | Portugal | €10.00 |
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3/3/2011 | Porto | Porto | Portugal | €10.00 |
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4/3/2011 | Obidos | Peniche campsite | Portugal | €3.86 | €88.89 |
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5/3/2011 | Peniche | Lisbon campsite | Portugal | €22.00 |
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| Campervan parts from bizarre shop | €17.10 |
6/3/2011 | Lisbon | Lisbon campsite | Portugal | €22.00 |
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7/3/2011 |
| Espiche campsite | Portugal | €17.50 |
| €28.15 |
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8/3/2011 | Campsite | Espiche campsite | Portugal | €17.50 |
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| €23.00 |
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9/3/2011 | Lagos, Aljezur | Aljezur campsite | Portugal |
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10/3/2011 | Campsite | Aljezur campsite | Portugal |
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11/3/2011 | Campsite | Aljezur campsite | Portugal |
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12/3/2011 | Campsite | Aljezur campsite | Portugal |
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| 2 x Camping Gas bottles | €7.00 |
13/3/2011 | Amoreira | Amoreira WC | Portugal |
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14/3/2011 | Sagres | Sagres WC | Portugal |
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15/3/2011 | Sagres | Sagres CS | Portugal | €10.90 |
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16/3/2011 | Sagres | Sagres CS | Portugal | €10.90 |
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17/3/2011 | Sagres | Sagres WC | Portugal |
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18/3/2011 | Boca do Rio | Boca do Rio WC | Portugal |
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19/3/2011 | Budens | Boca do Rio WC | Portugal |
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20/3/2011 | Salema | Boca do Rio WC | Portugal |
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21/3/2011 | Sagres | Sagres CS | Portugal | €10.90 |
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| €34.00 |
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22/3/2011 | Amado | Amado WC | Portugal |
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23/3/2011 | Amado | Amado WC | Portugal |
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24/3/2011 | Amado | Chicken Run | Portugal | €1.00 |
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25/3/2011 |
| Ameroca de Peca, Camping Camenlas campsite | Portugal | €7.50 | €91.24 |
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26/3/2011 | Albufera | Ameroca de Peca, Camping Camenlas campsite | Portugal | €7.50 |
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27/3/2011 | Ameroca de Peca | Ameroca de Peca, Camping Camenlas campsite | Portugal | €7.50 |
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28/3/2011 | Ameroca de Peca | Ameroca de Peca, Camping Camenlas campsite | Portugal | €7.50 |
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29/3/2011 | Ameroca de Peca | Ameroca de Peca, Camping Camenlas campsite | Portugal | €7.50 |
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30/3/2011 |
| Praia da Rocha | Portugal |
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31/3/2011 | Portimao | Praia da Rocha | Portugal |
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1/4/2011 | Espiche | Camping Turiscampo, Espiche campsite | Portugal | €17.15 |
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2/4/2011 | Budens | Boca do Rio WC | Portugal |
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| Camping Gaz refill | €12.99 |
3/4/2011 | Boca do Rio | Boca do Rio WC | Portugal |
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4/4/2011 | Arrifana, Amado | Amado WC | Portugal |
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5/4/2011 | Espiche | Camping Turiscampo, Espiche campsite | Portugal | €17.15 |
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6/4/2011 | Salema | Apartment in Salema | Portugal |
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7/4/2011 | Salema | Apartment in Salema | Portugal |
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8/4/2011 | Boca do Rio | Boca do Rio WC | Portugal |
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9/4/2011 | Sagres | Sagres WC | Portugal |
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10/4/2011 | Sagres | Sagres WC | Portugal |
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11/4/2011 | Sagres | Sagres CS | Portugal | €10.90 |
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12/4/2011 | Sagres | Sagres Fortaleza WC | Portugal |
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13/4/2011 | Sagres | Sagres Fortaleza WC | Portugal |
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| €2.63 |
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14/4/2011 | Driving | Cabanas de Tavira campsite | Portugal | €10.70 |
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15/4/2011 | Tavira | Cabanas de Tavira campsite | Portugal | €10.70 |
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16/4/2011 | Tavira | Cabanas de Tavira campsite | Portugal | €10.70 |
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17/4/2011 | Campsite | Cabanas de Tavira campsite | Portugal | €10.70 |
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18/4/2011 | Driving | Puerto de Santa Maria, Playa das Dunas campsite | Spain | €17.48 | €90.00 |
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19/4/2011 | Puerto de Santa Maria | Puerto de Santa Maria, Playa das Dunas campsite | Spain | €17.48 |
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20/4/2011 | Jerez | Puerto de Santa Maria, Playa das Dunas campsite | Spain | €17.48 |
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21/4/2011 | Puerto de Santa Maria | Puerto de Santa Maria, Playa das Dunas campsite | Spain | €17.48 |
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22/4/2011 | Seville | Puerto de Santa Maria, Playa das Dunas campsite | Spain | €17.48 |
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| €5.00 |
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23/4/2011 | Cadiz | Puerto de Santa Maria, Playa das Dunas campsite | Spain | €17.48 |
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24/4/2011 | Puerto de Santa Maria | Puerto de Santa Maria, Playa das Dunas campsite | Spain | €17.48 |
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25/4/2011 | Conil | El Palmar WC | Spain |
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| €38.00 |
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26/4/2011 |
| El Palmar WC | Spain |
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27/4/2011 |
| La Linea WC | Spain |
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| Camping Gaz refill | €13.50 |
28/4/2011 |
| La Linea, SurEuropa campsite | Spain | €13.60 |
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29/4/2011 |
| Ronda, El Sur campsite | Spain | €23.76 |
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30/4/2011 |
| Victors Beach WC | Spain |
| €60.00 |
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1/5/2011 | Marbella | Victors Beach WC | Spain |
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2/5/2011 |
| Malaga, Malaga Monte Parc campsite | Spain | €14.70 |
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3/5/2011 |
| Malaga, Malaga Monte Parc campsite | Spain | €14.70 |
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| €34.00 |
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4/5/2011 | Malaga | Malaga, Malaga Monte Parc campsite | Spain | €14.70 |
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5/5/2011 |
| Malaga, Malaga Monte Parc campsite | Spain | €14.70 |
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6/5/2011 |
| Malaga, Malaga Monte Parc campsite | Spain | €14.70 |
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7/5/2011 |
| Malaga, Malaga Monte Parc campsite | Spain | €14.70 |
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8/5/2011 |
| Malaga, Malaga Monte Parc campsite | Spain | €14.70 |
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9/5/2011 |
| Malaga, Malaga Monte Parc campsite | Spain | €14.70 |
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10/5/2011 |
| Malaga, Malaga Monte Parc campsite | Spain | €14.70 |
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11/5/2011 | La Manga | La Manga, Caravanning La Manga | Spain | €20.00 | €85.24 |
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12/5/2011 |
| La Manga, Caravanning La Manga | Spain | €20.00 |
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13/5/2011 |
| La Manga, Caravanning La Manga | Spain | €20.00 |
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14/5/2011 |
| La Manga, Caravanning La Manga | Spain | €20.00 |
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15/5/2011 | Sitges | Sitges, Camping Sitges | Spain | €19.70 | €84.66 | €3.60 |
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16/5/2011 | Barcelona | Sitges, Camping Sitges | Spain | €19.70 |
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17/5/2011 |
| Sitges, Camping Sitges | Spain | €19.70 |
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18/5/2011 |
| Barcelona GP camping | Spain | €45.00 |
| €5.50 | €90.00 |
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19/5/2011 |
| Barcelona GP camping | Spain |
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20/5/2011 | Barcelona F1 GP | Barcelona GP camping | Spain |
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21/5/2011 | Barcelona F1 GP | Barcelona GP camping | Spain |
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22/5/2011 | Barcelona F1 GP | Barcelona GP camping | Spain |
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23/5/2011 |
| Sitges, Camping Sitges | Spain | €19.50 |
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24/5/2011 |
| Sitges, Camping Sitges | Spain | €19.50 |
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| Camping Gaz refill | €13.50 |
25/5/2011 |
| Sitges, Camping Sitges | Spain | €19.50 |
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| €50.00 |
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26/5/2011 |
| Sitges, Camping Sitges | Spain | €19.50 |
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27/5/2011 |
| Sitges, Camping Sitges | Spain | €19.50 |
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28/5/2011 |
| Sitges, Camping Sitges | Spain | €19.50 |
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29/5/2011 |
| Sitges, Camping Sitges | Spain | €19.50 |
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30/5/2011 |
| Sitges, Camping Sitges | Spain | €19.50 |
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31/5/2011 |
| Sitges, Camping Sitges | Spain | €19.50 |
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1/6/2011 |
| Sitges, Camping Sitges | Spain | €22.00 |
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2/6/2011 |
| Sitges, Camping Sitges | Spain | €22.00 |
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3/6/2011 |
| Sitges, Camping Sitges | Spain | €22.00 |
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4/6/2011 |
| Sitges, Camping Sitges | Spain | €22.00 |
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5/6/2011 |
| Sitges, Camping Sitges | Spain | €22.00 |
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| €18.00 |
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6/6/2011 |
| Figueres, Camping Pous | Spain | €15.00 |
| €7.00 |
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7/6/2011 |
| Monferrand Aire, Med 77 | France |
| €95.00 |
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8/6/2011 |
| Ascien, Campsite | France | €8.00 |
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9/6/2011 |
| Biarritz Aire | France | €10.00 |
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10/6/2011 |
| Capbreton Aire | France | €9.00 |
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11/6/2011 |
| Capbreton Aire | France | €9.00 |
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12/6/2011 |
| Vieux Bocacu, Camping Sableres CS | France | €21.35 |
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13/6/2011 |
| Vieux Bocacu, Camping Sableres CS | France | €18.55 |
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14/6/2011 |
| Vieux Bocacu, Camping Sableres CS | France | €18.55 | €86.00 |
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15/6/2011 |
| Vieux Bocacu, Camping Sableres CS | France | €18.55 |
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| €23.00 |
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16/6/2011 |
| Lakeside aire, St Elliueu | France | €6.50 |
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17/6/2011 |
| Mimizan Plage, L’Helipad Aire | France | €12.00 |
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18/6/2011 |
| Mimizan Plage, Mimizan Camping de la Plage | France | €17.82 |
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19/6/2011 |
| Dune de Pyla, Panorama CS | France | €18.10 |
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20/6/2011 |
| Dune de Pyla, Panorama CS | France | €18.10 |
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21/6/2011 |
| Bordeaux | France | €16.00 |
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| Camping Gaz refill | €13.50 |
22/6/2011 | Bordeaux | Bordeaux | France | €16.00 |
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23/6/2011 |
| Camping Du Val De Flux, Beaugency | France | €9.30 | €80.00 |
| €16.00 |
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24/6/2011 | Paris | Paris Municipal campsite | France | €16.00 |
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25/6/2011 | Paris | Paris Municipal campsite | France | €16.00 |
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26/6/2011 | Paris | Paris Municipal campsite | France | €16.00 |
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27/6/2011 | Paris | Paris Municipal campsite | France | €16.00 |
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28/6/2011 | Paris | Paris Municipal campsite | France | €16.00 |
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29/6/2011 |
| Dunkurque ferry port | France |
| €76.27 |
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30/6/2011 |
| Ferry home |
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| Ferry: Dunkirk to Dover | €78.00 |
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| Totals |
| €1,412.50 | €928.79 | €44.25 | €357.63 |
| €535.59 |
Total cost: €3,278.76
Total days: 129
Average cost per day: €25.42. This is for 2 people.