Filed under: Accomodation, Barcelona, Bordeaux, Camping, Ferries, Uncategorized
One of my good pals Harry wants to come on the KCDR. The problem is he’s an ac-TOR (oh, look how intense he is in his CV). This means he’s skint, can’t possibly book ahead in case he then gets a job, but has a lot of time on his hands.
So as long as I can show a cheap way to do it, which can be booked last minute, then he’ll be able to get a load of flouncy thespian types along. Therfore, with an overtop flourish and an unnecessary clearing of the throat, let me present the time rich, cash poor version of the Kill Cancer Death Rally.
Travel : you can use a car of your own without buying a shit one (please make up for lack of customisation with Stanislavskian fancy dress) and as you’ve got time on your hands, just drive it back. Then get a ferry to and from Europe – via AFerryTo - cost per head £25. Plus £30 petrol money.
Accomodation : Some opening research into the matter – it’s a little light on camping info.
Le Touquet : £10/night in the Riva Bella Youth Hostel. Maybe possibility of camping at La Foret, the beach is called Stella - which is promising. I will investigate further.
Le Mans : Christ, these camping sites are proving a little trickier to find than first expected, even with the Lonely Planet. However, I have found a hostel, Le Flore, for you, no price on the site but I’ve sent them a mail.
Bordeaux : OK, so buying the Lonely Planet wasn’t a waste of time, you can stay in the Bordeaux Auberge de Jeunesse for €16. The dorms are four man so perfect for a carload. (I also found out that 13 camping cars were seized in “the fight against prostitution” : happy campers?).
Barcelona : unfortunately I’ve only got Lonely Planet France, but I’ve stayed in places for €15 a night here, and there are camp sites outside town. More info soon.
Drink : due to our sponsorship with Stormhoek (incidentally I tried their Shiraz last night which I thought was good, but Poppa Shelley didn’t) there will be an element of free booze. Free booze and actors, it might get a bit Withnailly (I feel like a pig shat in my head…I have a heart condition. If you hit me, it’s murder. Link), but as long as there are no budding Oliver “36 friends drinking, 60 gallons of beer, 32 bottles of Scotch, 17 bottles of gin, four crates of wine and one bottle of Babycham, in an evening” Reed’s, we should be fine.
Food : I don’t think that finding reasonably priced nice food in a trip through the Loire, Gascogne and Catalonia should be difficult.
That makes the sums for the trip to Barcelona £40 accomodation, £25 ferry, £30 petrol plus booze and food. I think this brings it within reach of most folks and what is great is that the actors will be superb at raising money. Remember, tears make people want to give, give, give. If you want to give to me go here.
I, a once proud man, have spent time in the Camping UK camping forum. Those are the lengths I go to in order to find places to stay along the route. I’ve had limited success in finding good campsites so far, but I’ve put a few general links on the Accomodation page.
Whilst at the forum I also resisted the temptation to coordinate the camping trips of the “Two sixteen year old girls looking for a campsite where you don’t need to show ID” thread, with the “Group of lads organising a stag weekend” group. I think a Carry On film awaited and it might have been Carry On Into A Hefty Civil Law Suit.
If you don’t want to stay in tents, where you must be prepared for the Charybdis of stag weekends, and the dangers of 16 year old drunken Scyllas, then maybe renting an appartment for a day could work. Citadines four man appartments work out at £15 a head in Bordeaux and £35 a head in Barcelona. Good value, I feel.
