Camper van National Heros

It's the eve of the 2012 European Championship and it seems that we have a new set of unlikely national heros, namely the lads (used with gender neutral intent) in the campers heading for Poland. Unless you have had your head stuck under a pillow, it's likely you will have heard, seen or read about a camper van excursion to Poland for the Euros. While thousands of dedicated fans are making their way to Poland by air, train, car, and even by bike. It seems that none have caught the imagination of our national media quite like the fans in the camper vans, as illustrated by a simple google images search.

The efforts of these dedicated fans has been lauded by the print press, radio and television alike. Each exalting the participants to near hero status in their own right. Just two snippets from this morning; the John Murray show had a piece on 'lads in a van' and there is this article in today's Irish Times.

Now don't get us wrong, the praise and adulation is well deserved. It's brilliant. Excited fans heading for the Euros, perhaps more in hope than expectation, but every jersey, flag, scarf and decked out camper seems to be lifting the mood of the nation or at least distracting us for a little while. But it gets us to thinking why is it that we can be so positive in our attitudes to camper vans for something like the Euros and yet fail so miserably to support and promote camper van holiday in Ireland? The John Murray show reported, perhaps with a little exaggeration for the sake of emphasis, that 'every' available camper van in Germany has been rented out. Often these tales have included snippets of plans to extend their Euro holiday in the camper afterwards. Do you hear the Germans complaining about all this extra tourist revenue? But with their incredible of network of Stellplatz and Aire-de-Services, which complement the full service campsites, the Germans and French have been maximising the potential of camper van tourism for years. Unfortunately, not so here.

Isn't it mighty when the lads head off for Poland in the campers and everyone cheers them onward.  But meanwhile in the offices of our County Councils, a general negativity towards camper vans prevails with height barriers and bans still the order of the day. But as with the Euros, hope is a great thing and some enlightened communities and County Councils such as Crossmolina and Mayo Co. Co. are seeing the opportunity. Let's hope this continues and we see the development of a network of Aire-de-Services in Ireland. Properly done, everyone is a winner.

Safe Nights Ireland

It does exactly what is says on the tin! Safe Nights Ireland is a club that aims to provide a happy medium between full service campsites and the insecurity of wild camping.

SNI members can avail of safe overnight parking at over 300 locations across Ireland for €10 per night. Many of the locations are guesthouses, pubs/restaurants or visitor attractions and some waive the €10 per night fee if you are availing of their service.

The SNI website contains a use map of all the SNI location and members can also download a pdf which is handy when on the road. SNI is fairly new, and in our opinion, a welcome addition to the Irish Motorhome scene as it opens up far more locations to campervan tourists who like the security of a safe and peaceful night.

We have joined SNI ourselves this year and will post up later in the year a review of our usage. For now, we don't know him from Adam, but we wish Frank every success with this venture.

Mayo Costal Route North to South

Mayo Route 01 - Costal North to South. 
The route begins in Ballina Co. Mayo and ends in Leenane Co. Galway. 

Route overview: Ballina - (Crossmolina) - Killala - Ballycastle - Belmullet - Achill - Mulranny - Newport - Westport - Louisburgh - Leenane.

The route could be completed in 2-3 days or take a month if you so fancy after all that is one of the many beauties of a campervan vacation.

The north Mayo market town of Ballina is the suggested starting point for this route (end point if you choose to do it in reverse). Ballina is the principal town in north Mayo and has a good variety of shopping outlets and other services. A good spot to park up is by the river in front of the Cathedral. There is plenty of space and the location is central to the town. If you plan to stay in the area, there is a good campsite outside the town near Belleek woods. The woods themselves are on the banks of the river Moy and very pleasant  for waking and cycling. The river Moy is famous for its salmon and is the impetus to the annual festival held in the town each year. 

There is also an official Aire (you wont find many of these in Ireland) in the town of Crossmolina which is about 8 miles further west. Officially there are two campervan parking spaces. They are currently finishing the services block and the area is monitored by CCTV.

Crossmolina Aire

From here (Crossmolina or Ballina) proceed to Killala and onwards to Ballycastle. Near Ballycastle the Sea Stack at Downpatrick Head is well worth a visit and you can quite safely wild camp the night there. 

Down Partrick Head - Dún Bristé

A little further up the road you can visit the Ceide Fields which is worth a stop for the view alone (assuming you hit it on a good day).

View from Ceide Fields

Proceed along the north Mayo coast to the Belmullet peninsula. However, if time permits you could consider taking in remote villages such as Porturlin and Portacloy. If the weather is good the it is well worth spending a day or two on the peninsula. There is a very pleasant walk called the Erris Head Loop and it is easy enough to find wild camping spots down near the beaches in the south of the peninsula.

Next continue on to Achill Island (one of our personal favorites) but it is also worth stopping at Ballycroy National Park en-route. If you are up for it you can spend the whole day walking through the wilderness of the National Park. Achill is wonderful and if you arrive in early June you will be treated to the wonderful Rhododendron blooms. Shortly after crossing the bridge to the island you will see signs for Atlantic drive. Be sure to do this atlantic drive and it is best driven from East to West.

Achill - Atlantic Drive

There is a beach side camping site at Keel and another on the North side of the Island. The drive back to Keem bay is spectacular on a fine day but you need to have a head for heights!

After Achill you should head towards one of the jewels of Mayo, the lovely town of Westport. Along the way you will be travelling beside the Great Western Greenway. Which is recently developed off road walking and cycling trail that goes all the way from Achill Sound to Westport. Check back later for a blog on the Greenway.

Westport is a lovely town with great food and entertainment establishments but it can be difficult to find parking for a camper. You will find a lot of campers parked up on the Quay, which is a bit outside the town, and many overnight here. There is also a good campsite attached to Westport House and there is a walking path to take you to town. Westport House itself is good with a fair range of activities but overall is more aided at families with kids. Couples traveling alone my not think it worth the entry fee.

Moving on from Westport you should head towards Louisburgh and if you are up for it climb some/all of Croke Patrick as you pass by. The drive from Louisburgh to Leenane along the R335 which runs past Doo Lough and through the Dephi valley is very picturesque and best experienced traveling North to South. Once you hit Leenane, on the easterly tip of the Killary Fjord, you will be in county Galway and will need to decided to go next. But check back later for our Galway posts for our suggestions.

Welcome

Welcome to Irish Campervan Trials; a blog dedicated to enhancing your campervan experiences in Ireland.

Though aimed at the campervan/motorhome community this blog will also be of benefit to anyone planning a touring holiday in Ireland.

Initially, the blog will focus on the West of Ireland as we find our feet and see how things go. This is a learning experience for us as it is our first attempt a running blog. We hope you bear with us and if you like what we are trying to achieve do follow the blog and perhaps leave a comment.

M&M