Yanks in Europe

[Kgh]

I had posted we were moving to Belgium. That fell through. We are now in Stuttgart, have a 2013 D110 SW, and are looking forward to touring Europe. Went to Nakatanenga today for some goodies, spending night in Nürnburg and visit castle tomorrow.

Need to find out where "off the beaten path" is in Europe. We are NOT looking for a 4x4 park or mud pits, but rather back country to camp and hike.

We welcome any comments.

 

[Gren_T]

Hi where do you fancy going? north or south east or west.
Just off the top of my head you have the Alps, Pyrenees, lots of Portugal. Morrocco is just generally great very cheap and just a long drive away from you, as is Spain with lots of walking and remote areas to choose from.

I've used the MDMOT guides, they are in german but GPS waypoints are included & many diffrent areas of Europe covered
I bought a few at the Alrad show a few years ago and will buy more next visit.

There are also route guides in french though I've forgotten the name and a number of books about Morrocco check out Chris Scott.
You could also have a look at Wikiloc

http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/home.do
http://www.mdmot.com/
http://sahara-overland.com/morocco-overland/

Welcome to the Old country btw.
Regards
Gren

 

[BCobe]

I am looking to do a trip in September to the Alps. Hopefully to do a little hiking and see some old WWI Bunkers. I am in the same boat as you though. Have been here two years and have yet to do any offroading because everyone out here settles for the park.

 

[Ozymandias]

Search for the "Denzel Alpenstrassenführer", thus gives you all the legal roads in the alps, smaller and bigger, tarmac and gravel.
It's still the #1 Source for the Alps.

 

[Kgh]

Thank you! Yet another reason to brush up on my german speaking skills.

 

[Kgh]

I am looking to do a trip in September to the Alps. Hopefully to do a little hiking and see some old WWI Bunkers. I am in the same boat as you though. Have been here two years and have yet to do any offroading because everyone out here settles for the park.

Keep me informed. I'm dyin' here!

 

[BCobe]

Keep me informed. I'm dyin' here!

I havent done much in terms of planning. This is going to be my first "trip" so I will have to work out the kinks as I go. Anyone else planning anything? Would like to do a shakedown before September.

 

[Kgh]

Europe thoughts

We have been driving on the tarmac all over the place. Nice trip to see friends up in Netherlands, near Maastricht, and Brussels. Day trips around Germany, and down into Black Forest to check out camping areas, some beautiful scenery.

I have appointments in Vienna (Wien) on the 10th and 11th of May. Looking at map, there is some beautiful country, but nothing back country. Some WikiLoc stuff way south by Italy. May see if the Zillertaler Hohenstrasse is open for the year yet, we are probably 2-3 weeks early.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillertaler_Höhenstraße

The issue is all of the camping we have thus far seen is so...organized! most of what we have seen are 100+ pitches, have swimming pools and restaurants, and are row and column organized spots. Makes me miss the US park system, even where the camping is congested, for the most part it is in the wilderness.

I am ok with stealth camping, but as a necessity. staying overnight is a gravel parking lot next to a reservoir, or a bahnhof, is not the preferred mode.

If anyone know of any wild camping areas in Austria, let us know.

 

[UK4X4]

Sadly you'll find most of modern europe the same, national parks exist but most have more rules than your local park, we simply don't have the vast empty spaces that the US has whether they be public lands or national parks, europe is more like Texas in that just about everything has a fence around it and ownership brings rules and controls.

Eastern europe has less restrictions.......the ruskies were too busy controlling the populus to worry about fencing up empty spaces.

Like others have mentioned there's the odd mountain tracks that exist -alps and Pyrenees and probably even the central massif in france... grabing the odd night here and there is possible but in the most part fixed camp grounds rule the roost.

http://www.softseattravel.com/Camargue-Provence-South-Of-France-2.html

not exactly wild but free....

heres a few more mentioned....including visiting the vikings to the north

https://alanrogers.com/articles/wild-camping/map

 

[Kgh]

UK4x4 - Great links, thank you. And I got a chuckle out of the "too busy controlling the populous to worry about fencing up empty spaces". It would seem Frau Merkel and the Brussels Bunch have succeeded in both!

As for camping, we will take what we can get. We are having a wonderful time here, and work/free time provides many opportunities to see and experience a lot of Europe.

 

[hmmar]

I am going to agree with you about enjoying camping point of view here.

 

[Ozymandias]

If you come to switzerland and especially to Graubünden, then this is a nice and cheap camping.
http://www.campingchapella.ch/
No Pool, No Shop, No Restaurant, Nothing - just a nice new toilet and shower building. Very basic, i love it everytime i go there.

 

[hmmar]

Ozymandias! its a really nice link which you have shared here with me and I will try to get information about it here from camping with my two friends. thanks for sharing.

It will be useful for other readers too.

 

[slvyj]

Just found out I'm moving to Stuttgart early next year. This will be my second time in Stuttgart but first time bringing my Jeep. Looking forward to it!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[Kgh]

Slv, I replied to your PM before I saw this.

We recently did a trip south through Switzerland to Italy to Nice, then Provence, then Paris, then back to Stuttgart. Great time, beautiful views.

Looking at a north thru St.Petersburg, then over to Nordics and back to Germany trip soon.