A tale of five countries

What better test for editor Sarah's new motorhome than touring numerous European countries in just one week?

- Sarah Wakely

Regular readers of Practical Motorhome will know that my current campervan - a 2017 Autocruise (Swift) Select 144 - has been in my ownership for just a few months.

In that time, we'd not given it much of a run out, beyond a couple of local trips, so what better way to test it in a bit more depth than to drive to Alsace (somewhere I had long wanted to visit) in France during the early summer?

Stunning scenery

Inspired by a trip I'd taken about 10 years ago (that time in a VW California), we decided to drive to Alsace via Belgium and Luxembourg - it's not much further than travelling directly through France, and the scenery is stunning.

So we booked a crossing with DFDS from Dover to Dunkirk (dfds.com), including access to the excellent Premium Lounge - it costs from just £18 each way and offers a fantastic respite from the hubbub of the ferry journey (as well as complimentary food and drink!).

I always prefer aires over campsites, so for our first night, we rocked up in Tournai, Belgium, where there was a promising-looking stop. It cost €15 for a night's stay including water and electric.