Day 2..crossing the channel and Dijon

EuroTour 2025 – Day 2: From Kent to Côte-d'Or

We were up and away just after half seven, leaving Painter’s Farm campsite behind us for the 35-minute run down to Dover. The port was blissfully clear—no queues, no delays—so we rolled straight onto the ferry and set off early across La Manche. From Calais, it was a long but scenic seven-hour drive south to Dijon, punctuated by plenty of roadside stops for coffee, food, and the occasional snooze.

We arrived in Dijon just after 7pm and treated ourselves to a well-earned dinner at La Grande Café. I had a warming, delicious beef bourguignon, while Gill opted for the regional chicken speciality—cold at first, but even after a reheating, still packed with flavour. Puddings didn’t disappoint either: crème brûlée caramel for Jill and a decadent profiterole for me.

Our only hiccup came back at the car, where someone had boxed us in. I had to unload the bike to manoeuvre out, scraping both our van and theirs in the process—not our fault, mind. Then it was a final 20-mile drive to the campsite, where we found ourselves one of only two vans on a spacious, peaceful pitch. A quiet night ahead, and tomorrow: five hours through the mountains to Turin.Read more