#8! And Best Campsites

Steph and Craig's #8 European Tourist Site is ...

The Acropolis, Athens, Greece. One of the big name attractions, this site does not disappoint, but the wow-factor is somewhat diminished by the hoards of people, the continuous construction/restoration and the fact that you are not allowed to go into any of the temples. (The only Greek temple we've been able to walk through is at Segesta, Sicily.) Still, it is impossible to describe the magic of seeing the Acropolis for the first time, especially if you've studied art history or Greek classical literature.

List o' the day: Top Ten Campsites

These are places where we parked and stayed in the camper overnight (outside of official campgrounds).

1. Parking Lot, Verbier, Switzerland
   Free parking with a free bus to the ski lifts, walking distance to the supermarket, with a heated and clean public toilet on one side, and the recreation center, where you could get a shower for 3 francs on the other. We stayed there for three days!


2. Beach, Kato Zagros, Crete (Greece)
   We think Crete might be one of the few places in Europe where you can still park a camper on the beach. We took advantage of it! We could walk to the little town, a Minoan ruin, an impressive gorge, and, of course the beach was out the front door.


3. Parking Lot, Venezia, Italy
   Lodging is expensive in Venice, and everyone has to park their car at the huge lots near the train station just onto the island, so we took advantage of their camper parking. Yes, you have to pay, but they have electricity and water, and, at about €30s a night, it sure beats hotel prices (and parking is included!).


4. Roadside near le Col du Galibier, France
   ... when the Tour de France is riding the col! Actually, any parking spot along the Tour de France route would make our list, this just happened to be the prettiest! And you can imagine the hype and the party...


5. Parallel Parking on the Lakeside Promenade, Ohrid, Macedonia
   Macedonia is still underdeveloped for tourism, especially for camping. So when we rolled into Ohrid for the night, we really didn't know where we were going to stay. It was Friday evening, and the parking lots in town near the lakeshore were pretty much full, but we drove another few blocks and found a perfect spot!


6. Municipal Parking Lot, Bergheim, France
   Bergheim is a charming medieval town in the Alsace region of France with (at least) two fabulous wineries where we tasted amazing wines, and slept in a nice little parking area just outside of the old town wall with clean public toilets.


7. Beach Parking Lot, Vai Beach, Crete (Greece)
   Vai Beach, unique with its date palm groves, is usually crowded by 10am, but if you stay overnight in the parking lot, you can virtually have the place to yourself in the morning. Toilets and showers are available.


8. Parking Lot, Cervinia, Italy
   Cervinia is the ski resort on the Italian side of the Matterhorn. They have a special lot for campers with shuttle service to the lifts, drinking water, and a fantastic view of the Matterhorn's rock pinnacle.


9. In the Woods, near Notre Dame de Pre, France
   This was a beautiful spot and one of our most natural campsites, but its real draw is its proximity to the rock climbing areas of Notre Dame de Pre!


10. Anywhere on the French Autoroute
    The "Aires" along the French Autoroute are great places to stop for the night. They always have clean toilets, restaurants and mini-marts, and the fancier ones have nice landscaping, and sometimes even fountains!