Summer Vacation 2025

It's that time again when I have started to look at where to go for the early Summer holiday.  Whereas I do like Spain I do prefer to go in the autumn away from school holidays and when the weather is less extreme, i.e. hot.

We have toured France in the van a few times and we have been across many times on the motorcycle and in the car. After going to the Picos in Spain last May, I do like the idea of a mountain or two. 

I was looking for ideas on the internet and came across a site that is essentially about tours in the Alps in France, and one of them is "Alsace".  Places and ideas for stops in a short distance between Strasbourg and Mulhouse. Essentially south along the lands bordering the Rhine, and the border with Germany.

This site also has a tour called "Furka Pass".  Looking on the map currently Google Maps can't plot a route as many of the passes are snowed in. Changing the date to June works for some of the alpine passes! But oddly not all. More googling shows that all the passes should be open in June. I have managed to plot a course that goes from Basel, the point of entry if we "do" the Alsace tour above, and that takes in Interlaken and maybe Andermatt and four passes in all.  

Of course I'll need to connect up the various "tours" and of course, look at sites and aires for the stopovers. I have made a start on that, again having to change the dates to get Google Maps to cooperate.

On the return we have been invited by Claire's friend to drop in if we are nearby.  She lives in a village not too far from St Etienne in France. So I need to factor that in.

I have also been looking at Germany itself and something called "die Burgenstraße".  It's a 500 mile route across Germany from Mannheim to Bayreuth in the east. This is also split into 6 tours each covering an area filled with castles and places of interest.  I sent off for the free booklets and they arrived before Christmas. I have spend a bit of time trying to get these into the TomTom planner to see what it all entails.  Many of the places mentioned are difficult to locate in the search and so I need to spend a few more hours investigating.

So when to make a decision?  We have plenty of time.  Which one to do? How long to stay away to get the maximum value for the not inconsiderate channel crossing fares?

At the moment the only booking I have made is to go on the Le Shuttle. There was a 20% discount offer and even with the extortionate £23 for Reggie the cost came out about the same as the ferry for the same outward date.  We used Le Shuttle last year but more often we use the P&O Ferries service as it has been between £70 and £100 cheaper than the tunnel!  That includes going with Reggie in the pet lounge. I have yet to book a return fare.