Austrian Summer

Austrian Summer
Buckshaw Village → Palaiologio, Sparti · Overland Motorhome Trip · July 2026
The Rig
VW Grand California 600 + trailer (Keeway K-Light 125)
The Crew
Adam & Mata, with Pablo (Rhodesian Ridgeback) and Nala (Labradoodle)
Departing
Le Shuttle, 00:20 on 16 July 2026
Arriving Sparti
~21 July 2026

Trip at a Glance
3,400
Kilometres Overland
6
Driving Days
8
Countries Crossed
2
Alpine Rest Nights
A secure, gated or barriered stop every single night — essential with two motorbikes on the trailer. One non-EU leg through Serbia is straightforward with the right paperwork.

The Corridor
Six overnight stops, each chosen for security, convenience, and the wellbeing of the crew.
1
Calais, France
Secure barrier-entry aire · Arrival night
2
Munich, Germany
Allianz Arena camper stop · Night 1
3
Weissensee, Austria
Alpine lake campsite · Nights 2–3
4
Belgrade, Serbia
Gated city campsite · Night 4
5
Asprovalta, Greece
Beach campsite · Night 5
6
Palaiologio, Sparti
Journey's end 🎉 · Day 6

Arrival Night · Calais
Le Shuttle 00:20 → arrive Calais ~02:00 local. Drive ~15 min to a secure barrier-entry aire and sleep.
The Stop
Aire de Camping-Car Calais
275 Rue d'Asfeld, 62100 Calais
24-hour access with code-entry barrier
Well-lit and secure — used to late Shuttle arrivals
Services on site: water & waste
~€11/night
Morning After
Short walk to the seafront once the sun is up. Services on site mean you can top up water and empty waste before the long haul east begins at first light.
No booking required — simply arrive and use the barrier code. Have the entry process noted before you depart.

Day 1 · Calais → Munich (Allianz Arena)
The long haul day — all motorway, no borders (Schengen throughout). Start at first light.
Distance & Time
~900 km / ~9 hrs via Reims, Metz, Saarbrücken, Stuttgart
The Stop
Allianz Arena Wohnmobilstellplatz (Busparkplatz Nord), Franz-Beckenbauer-Platz 5, 80939 München. €20/24h, flat gravel, full motorhome services + electric hook-up (bring a long lead), heated toilets, quiet at night.
Into the City
~1 km to the U6 U-Bahn into central Munich — easy evening out. Return before late as gates can be locked overnight.

Days 2–3 · The Austrian Alps (2 Nights)
Munich → Weissensee, Carinthia. A short, easy ~300 km / 3.5 hr run, then a full rest day. Awesome scenery, quiet nature, electric hook-up, and lovely dog walks — exactly the break before the Balkans.
Why Weissensee?
Austria's highest bathing lake (~930 m), inside a protected Naturpark with motorboats banned — glass-clear water, total calm, and noticeably cooler than the lowland lakes in July. Kind on the dogs.
Rest-Day Plan
Flat, traffic-free lakeside forest walk to the wild, car-free eastern end of the lake
A swim in the crystal-clear water
Optional climb toward the Naggler Alm for the big views

Austria: Where to Stay — Three Options
All three are dog-friendly with electric hook-up. Book ahead — these fill up in July. Confirm EHU and the dog pitch when booking.
Top Pick — Seecamping Müller, Weissensee
Relaxed, spacious lakeside site at the quiet western end. EHU, dog-friendly, fresh bakery each morning, hiking and biking straight from the pitch.
seecamping-weissensee.at
Mountain Alternative — Terrassencamping Maltatal
One of Austria's best-rated sites, in the "valley of falling waters." Water + electric on every pitch, even a dog shower; waterfall and gorge hikes, plus the Malta High Alpine Road. A bigger detour north — best if the rest day is about serious walking.
camping-maltatal.at
Quiet & Low-Key — Camping Pressegger See
Small, calm family site near Hermagor; no dog restrictions in high season, warm nature lake, Gail-valley walks. Less dramatic, very peaceful.
camping-max.com
Book ahead — Weissensee sites usually want a phone or email reservation. Confirm EHU availability and the dog pitch at the time of booking.

Day 4 · Austria → Belgrade
Back to Villach, through the Karawanken Tunnel into Slovenia, then Ljubljana → Zagreb → cross into Serbia → Belgrade.
Distance & Time
~600 km / ~6.5 hrs
Border Note
Croatia → Serbia is a passport-stamp crossing. Aim to arrive mid-morning to beat queues.
The Stop: Belgrade – Zemun Campground
Šilerova 21, Zemun — gated paved yard, English-speaking hosts, reviewers feel safe leaving the van.
Book by phone/WhatsApp: +381 63 749 1750

Day 5 · Belgrade → Northern Greece
Serbia's main transit motorway south, then through Bulgaria and into Greece — the leg that keeps you clear of North Macedonia.
Route Details
Distance: ~620 km / ~6.5 hrs
Belgrade → Niš → Sofia (Bulgaria) → Greek border at Promachonas
Serbia → Bulgaria: proper passport crossing
Bulgaria → Greece: internal Schengen border (quick)
The Stop
Camping Asprovaltas — enclosed beach campsite on the E75, a relaxed launchpad for the final run. camping-asprovaltas.gr
Secure alternative: A&A Camper Parking, near Thessaloniki — +30 693 688 8673

Day 6 · Northern Greece → Sparti
The home straight down through Greece to son Mario in Sparti.
1
E75 South
Via Larissa & Lamia
2
Around Athens
Bypass the capital
3
Corinth Canal
Iconic crossing
4
Tripoli → Sparti
Final descent to Palaiologio 🎉
Distance
~570 km
Drive Time
~6 hrs on good toll motorway
Destination
Palaiologio, Sparti — journey's end

Essentials Before You Go
Vehicle & Insurance
Confirm motorhome policy explicitly covers Serbia and the trailer (no Green Card needed, but cover must be listed)
Temporary cover available at the Serbian border if needed
Carry V5C, UK driving licence, insurance docs and a UK identifier
Tolls & Vignettes
Pre-buy e-vignettes: Austria (+ Karawanken & Tauern/Katschberg tunnel tolls), Slovenia (tall-vehicle "2B" class), Bulgaria
Toll booths in France, Croatia, Serbia and Greece
The trailer bumps you up a toll class — factor this in
The Dogs
Keep the GB Animal Health Certificate, microchip and valid rabies records to hand at every crossing
For the return to the UK: vet tapeworm treatment 24–120 hrs before re-entry

Two Things to Watch
🌡️ July Heat — Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece
Regularly 35 °C+ across the Balkan and Greek legs. Plan carefully to keep the dogs safe and comfortable.
Start each leg early in the morning before the heat builds
Plan shaded water stops along the route
Run the van's cooling system effectively
Never leave Pablo and Nala in the parked van, even briefly
🔒 The Bikes on the Trailer
Gated and barriered stops every night do the heavy lifting. Layer up the security further:
Reverse the hitch-side against a wall or hedge
Disc-lock each bike + a hardened chain through both bikes and the trailer frame
Hitch lock + wheel clamp on the trailer
A cover over the bikes to obscure them
A GPS tag hidden in each bike