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Freedombird travelling through Europe – Spring 26 (Part 1)

Travelling through Western Europe

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Saturday 28th March 2026 – Aix les Baines through the French Alps to Crots….

31/03/2026
Another beautiful morning giving us an excellent reason to start the day off with a brisk walk alongside Lac de Bouget….

We are glad of the exercise as we have a long drive ahead of us today as we twist our way through the French Alps, up and down the many switchbacks, stopping to capture little snap shots of the amazing views, as and when we can….

Eventually Lac Serre-Poncon, France’s largest resevoir comes into view….

And we manage to pull over (for the umpteenth time) and walk to the viewing point for St Michel’s Chapel, perched upon a little island in the lake….

A few miles further on at the northern end of the Reservoir on the outskirts of the little village of Crots is our Aire for the night in the shadows of the surrounding snow covered peaks….

We take a wander down to the lake only to find that this end is completely empty of water with some kind of works being carried out…

A shame, but we are still able to enjoy a walk along the shoreline before heading back to the van for the evening.

Thoughts of the day;
- The scenery for our journey has been amazing all the while, though very time consuming even allowing for the multiple stops that we made.
- The only downside to the multiple switchbacks we have encountered today is that I daren’t take my eye off the road for a second to admire the view, however there has been plenty of places to pull over.
Today’s stats:
- Miles driven – 134
- Miles walked – 4
- O/N – £12.43
- Fuel – £102.23 (eyewatering!)
Friday 27th March 2026 – leaving the snow behind and heading south to Aix les Bains…

30/03/2026
Thankfully no more snow during the night and the sun was out bright and early to help clear any remaining ice on the roads, it supposedly reached -9 last night, though we were nice and toasty in the van.

After a brief walk to admire this beautiful snowscape, we got an earlyish start, with a fair drive ahead of us…

After 10 miles or so of driving through the snowy foothills of the Juras we settled down for a fairly tedious motorway journey through parts of Switzerland and then cross country again in the lower Juras, stopping briefly as we joined Lac du Bourget with distant views of Chateau Chatillon at the northern end of the lake…

Completing our journey driving along side the lake to Aix les Bains at the southern end and our Aire for the night….

Though a ferocious cold wind was blowing down the lake, the sunshine was too much for us to resist a lovely walk along the shore, before calling it a day….

Thoughts of the day:
- The first part of this journey was absolutely stunning Christmas Post Card scenery but unfortunately though the roads had been cleared of snow, any lay-bys were impassible with piles of snow, so you will have to take my word for it!
- I am trying to keep my routes as rural as possible, partly because of the scenic opportunities but also trying not to use the toll roads and thereby keep my costs down.
Today’s stats:
- Miles driven – 200
- Miles walked – 3
- O/N – £15.77 inc EHU
Thursday 26th March 2026 – a driving day heading south to Metabief….

29/03/2026
Having made the decision to head south towards the coast our journey took us back into Germany where there was another Police Checkpoint, though again we were not stopped and then very shortly into Switzerland. The border crossing seemed a bit confusing to start with as of the 3 lanes of traffic 2 were for lorries one appearing to be diverted off before the crossing (this had massive queues and a series of traffic lights to regulate the flow) and the other again being regulated through border control. I followed the third lane which then was subdivided to allow those who already had the Swiss vignette straight through and those that didn’t had to stop and purchase one. I had already bought my annual vignette online (about £38 – 40 Swiss Francs) so sailed straight through – fortunately. I don’t know why but border crossings always make me a bit anxious – I guess it is driving into the unknown.

My journey through Switzerland was on the motorway network so not very scenic, though it did snow pretty much all the way through and the roads were much busier than I have been used to. I hadn’t planned any stops as I will return to Switzerland in May so we left Switzerland part way down and headed off into the Jura mountains (back in France) and were soon up above the snow line…

I stopped here to take this photo, thinking that I might not see any further snow – ha – little did I know as we continued to climb, passing closed ski resorts until we arrive at our Aire for the night – yes – another ski resort above the village of Metabief….

Rather a good covering of lovely snow! Fortunately I was able to reverse onto a partially cleared pitch (thanks to someone having left earlier in the day) as the rest were approximately a foot deep in snow and do I have a shovel? We were soon hooked up to the electric and getting the van nice and warm and spent a happy hour or so walking down to and around the village before it started snowing in earnest…

A little later the sky cleared and the sun came out to play for a while before setting behind the mountains…

Not at all what we were expecting but an absolute joy none the less. Let’s see what tomorrow brings though I am quietly encouraged by the fact that the perimeter road way around the Aire has been cleared, as indeed have the roads to and from.

Thoughts of the day:
- I do love a good bit of snow, so this has been a real joy and unexpected bonus – it is so pristine and crunchy – especially when you know you are able to get dry, warm and toasty inside!
- All the border crossings into Belgium and Luxemburg were completely unmarked – apart from a sign welcoming you and outlining the speed restrictions applicable. So facing Police Checkpoints each time on entering Germany and Switzerland was a bit of a shock, not that I have been requested to stop at any point.
- Another 3 country day for us – woke up in France, drove through Germany and Switzerland and back into France.
Today’s stats:
- Miles driven – 177
- Miles walked – 3
- O/N – £13.90
Wednesday 25th March 2026 – Schonach in Germany to Schoenau in France….

28/03/2026
The forecast break in the weather has arrived with on and off rain / hail during the day and heavy snow forecast for the Black Forest and surrounding hills / mountains overnight, we are off to hunker down in low lying Aire where we know we will have power and water just across the border into France, literally on the other side of the Rhine.

As we begin our ascent from Schonach, we can’t help but try and imagine what this will look like tomorrow….

Indeed had we been able to find a more suitable place to stay, we surely would have hung around to find out – however….

It wasn’t a long drive to the Aire on the outskirts of Schoenau, a small traditional french village and we were soon parked up, right beside Schoenau Lake…

And set off for a nice walk into and around the village, where every one is a farmer – or at least owns an outhouse and a tractor…

Wandering beyond the village we were afforded distant views of the Vosges Mountains – I wonder if they will be white topped tomorrow?….

Thoughts of the day:
- Having made the decision to head south, we have decided to use the Camping Car Park network of Aires that we used and got on so well with during our time in France last year as finding decent Aires in Germany and Belgium was a little tricky and Italy looks to be much of the same but only time will tell.
- I like the CCP Aire network as they are always gated securely and generally offer EHU, fresh water and waste water and toilet waste disposal and there is 24 hour contact number if there are any problems – you can also see how many other units are booked onto the site ahead of booking online, which is useful especially where the Aire is very remote or in a city.
Today’s stats:
- Miles driven – 53
- Miles walked – 4
- Fuel – £77.06
- O/N – £11.64 (inc EHU)
Tuesday 24th March 2026 – Langenbrand to Schonach….

27/03/2026
Another mostly sunny day, as we continued our journey south through the seemingly endless Black Forest….

Pulling off the road for a break and a walk, we discovered the hillside village of Langenbrand – to live here you would need a healthy set of lungs as no property appeared to be on the same level…

On our way further south we pulled in to have a look at the World’s largest Cuckoo Clock and were just in time to hear it cuckoo 3pm, though not early enough to get close enough for a proper photo with the cuckoo out!….

We also had a wonder around the gift shop at the amazing array of clocks – this one standing out in particular – the craftmanship….

From here is was a short haul to our Aire for the night, high up in the hillside village of Schonach – right next to the ski slope!!

Quite fittingly we have been given a severe weather warning for snow fall tomorrow night – now tempting as it is, this location is pretty remote and I’m not sure I fancy being stuck here with no power and potentially water for a few days, so we shall be moving on tomorrow.

Thoughts of the day:
- I am having a rethink about my plans (again), as much as I have enjoyed the scenery and stopping off at random villages or places of interest, I am missing the sea and the sense of purpose of visiting different beaches. It is also a little early to venture into the mountains of Switzerland and Austria as per my original plans as though I have winter tyres, I am not willing to risk getting cut off or caught out on the higher mountain roads that these countries do so well, whilst the weather is still so unpredictable – so we are heading south to the coast for awhile…
- I was always a bit uncertain as to how I would take to an inland road trip and now know the answer!
Today’s stats:
- Miles driven – 78
- Miles walked – 3.5
- Food – £14.54
- O/N – £10.38 (no EHU)
Monday 23rd March 2026 – From Viandan in Luxemburg to Bad Herrenalb in Germany…

26/03/2026
As per, a cold night followed by a beautiful sunshiny day. We have a fair few miles to cover today, so we got an earlyish start to our first destination of the day, the nearby village of Viandan. This is our last stop in Luxemburg and well worth a stop to view this amazing hilltop castle, sitting above the historic village of Viandan. We didn’t stop in the village itself as the streets were narrow and cobbled and in fact the best views were from the road down into the village….

On our way up the road on the other side of the village was a sign welcoming us to Germany and we then enjoyed a pleasant drive through the German countryside and countless small neat and tidy villages until we hit the motorway network for a large section of our journey. As you would expect the motorways were a little busy around the major towns but otherwise free of traffic and a little boring though a necessary evil.

By mid afternoon we had reached our destination a small Stellplatz on the outskirts of the pretty village of Bad Herrenalb and more importantly on the edge of the Black Forest…

We immediately set out to enjoy the last of the days sunshine and take a walk around the village nestled in a valley….

The houses were large and what I would call Bavarian style, in the main it was quiet but there were a few folk out enjoying the sun, street cafes and open parkland.

We spotted an Heron wading in the stream – I had to watch it for a while to check it was real!…

Past the ruins of the original church and rather randomly a vending machine selling cured meats?…

A successful mostly driving day, followed by a lovely, lazy walk, what more do we need in our life?

Thoughts of the day:
- Gone are the cycle lanes and seemingly unlimited pathways of France and Belgium – clearly the roads of Germany are for driving on!
- Away from the cities, Germany is a lot more rural than I imagined.
Today’s stats:
- Miles driven – 213
- Miles walked – 3.5
- Fuel – £65.68
- O/N – £12.11 inc EHU
Sunday 22nd March 2026 – Into Luxemburg – Clervaux and Diekirch…

25/03/2026
Another beautiful day for us as we leave Belgium behind for a while and head down into Luxemburg. If I am brutally honest it was a bit of a disappointing day today as we struggled to find much to inspire us.

It was a longish drive into Luxemburg, though quite rural, it was rather bland and once arriving in Luxemburg the roads were very bendy which came as rather a shock after Belgiums largely straight roads. Our first stop was Clervaux, a small, largely residential (modern) village with a small old part containing a very attractive castle and abbey….

Otherwise the village was pretty deserted and we wandered back to the van to resume our journey. From here we headed to Wiltz, where we intended to park up for the night and wander the mile or so into the old town to see the castle. However, the park up was just 3 spaces next to a busy children’s play area and skate park and I was just not feeling it and so we moved on and after 2 more attempts to get onto very small Aires in other villages we ended up on the outskirts of Diekirch, where we took the last spot in yet another small Aire (just 6 spaces).

We headed straight out to enjoy the last of the days sunshine, with a walk along the river Sauer and a wander back through the older part of town….

Don’t get me wrong Luxemburg is clean and we drove through some lovely areas of arable land and woodland but the older more characterful parts of the towns and villages were just a bit illusive today. We have one more on our list to try tomorrow, before we cross over the border into Germany.

Today’s stats:
- Miles driven – 100
- Miles walked – 5
- O/N – £6.08 no E
Saturday 21st March 2026 – Neufchateau, La Roche en Ardenne, Durbuy and Esneux…

24/03/2026
After another frosty night we are again rewarded with a lovely sunny day and after a short walk along one of the many trails at Herbeumont we wend our way through the Meuse Valley to our first stop for today at Neufchateau.

After wandering up the hill to view the castle, only to be disappointed to find out that it is purely a model of the castle that once stood and a few bits of remaining wall. The town itself being nothing special we took the slow path around the lake to enjoy the sunshine instead….

From here we headed north (there is a reason for heading north again, as I want to drive down through Luxembourg), with a much more successful visit to La Roche en Ardenne a pretty riverside town with the remains of the castle overlooking the town…

Further north again to the ‘smallest city in the world’ (historically) being Durbuy. It was very busy, though there was plenty of parking on the outskirts and certainly did not disappoint….

This was our last planned stop as we headed on to our Aire for the night at Esneux, another pretty riverside town and enjoyed a stroll in the late afternoon sun….

The Aire was a small semi circle of 10 spaces looking onto the river at the far end of the above street but I forgot to take a photo! From here on in it is southwards we go.

Today’s stats:
- Miles driven – 94
- Miles walked – 7
- O/N – £10.50
Friday 20th March 2026 – an admin day in Herbeumont….

23/03/2026
Frosty again last night and very cold in the van as the heating on electric is not very powerful, though I will up the setting to 1800w tonight to see if that makes a difference. However the clear skies of the cold night soon gave way to another gloriously sunny day, which confirmed our plans to stay here another night and get a few bits and bobs done around the van ie laundry etc.

We took a couple of walks out from the Aire checking out the nearby Viaduct by following a trail over the top of it looking to the west and the east…

And then by finding the correct pathway to give us views of the Viaduct itself…

The Viaduct is now part of the hiking and cycling network, having been disused by the railway network for many years….

Today’s stats:
- Miles driven – 0
- Miles walked – 5
- O/N – £13.24
Thursday 19th March 2026 – Following the Meuse to Dinant and deep into Wallonia….

22/03/2026
After a very cold (frosty) night another stunner of a day followed as we set off heading south along the side of the river Meuse…

By about 9.30 we were parked up on the edge of Dinant and followed the river towards the centre, with spectacular views of the Citadel and Notre-Dame on the other side…

The town itself was nothing to write home about but we spent an enjoyable hour or so wandering in the sunshine along the river….

As we left Dinant behind, we encountered the amazing shard of rock – Bayard Rock, through which the opposing traffic had to negotiate their way through (2.7m width restriction) but unfortunately there wasn’t the opportunity for us to stop and take a photo. I must admit, even though it wouldn’t have been a problem for us, it still would have come as a bit of a shock!

Heading south through Wallonia, seemingly leaving any traffic behind as we drive through swathes of forestry along wide straight roads, alternately climbing and dropping down into valleys, as we make our way towards the most southern region of Belgium and into the National Park of the Valley of the river Semois, where we find tonights Aire for the night in Herbeumont….

Making the most of this beautiful day we head straight back out for a walk around the area and up to the ruins of Chateau Fort Herbeumont….

Enjoying spectacular views down the Vallee de Semois in the late afternoon sun….

Thoughts of the day:
- We are enjoying being a little more rural today, I think we might be citied out for a while.
- Pot holes are not the problem in Belgium it is the lumps and bumps where they have filled them that makes for a bumpy ride!
Today’s stats:
- Miles driven – 64
- Miles walked – 5
- O/N – £13.24 (inc EHU)