Let’s discover in a few words Cathy and Christophe, a couple of motorhome drivers and their American trip in motorhome!
1. Hello Cathy and Christophe, first of all, could you introduce yourself in a few words? (age, job, family, personal background, etc.)
The two of us are 3 times stronger to face the many unforeseen events of the trip… A sunset view over the Grand Canyon of Colorado or a dive in the lagoon of Bora Bora must be shared. Don’t we say “pinch me” to be sure that we are not dreaming in front of a breathtaking view. Si you need someone like this; we’ve been traveling together since we were 18.
We were both born in the summer of 1956, so we are 64 years old. Computer scientist in a huge group of the food industry, I was able to take advantage of early retirement and my wife left the public service to take care of our four children. We were completely free to travel from the year 2011.
2. How long have you been traveling in motorhome? (years, months, weeks, …)
We were 20 years old when we converted our 2 CV into a little motorhome to go to Greece for 2 months in November and December 1976…
After our second child birth in 1980, we did not buy a motorhome but a small habitable sailboat and we sailed every summer to Spain, Corsica or Italy.
We rented a motorhome in Canada in 1998 and loved this vehicle and this country. Then, we bought a converted van in Provence to hit the road whenever we could. In February 2012, we bought a 1994 Ford motorhome in Florida. Let’s go to a great American trip in motorhome!
3. How did this passion for travel begin? (baby, teenager, adult, …)
As a child, the adventures of Tintin made me dream of faraway countries and then all the human adventures from Everest to the North Pole, from the Amazon to the land of fire. The story of La Croisière Jaune then the Paris Persépolis Paris raid captivated me and I dreamed of traveling one day too.
4. What are you looking for in your RV adventures? (discovery, meetings, learning, …)
Beautiful landscapes, discoveries, great people. And I love coming back to the comfort of the motorhome after a long hike. Taking off your shoes full of snow, turning on the heat and sliding a pizza into the oven is a real pleasure when you are alone, far from all in the Rocky Mountains or the Chiwawa Desert… Adventurers in slippers.
5. How many countries have you already visited? (1, 5, 10, millions, …)
A lot, but never in a superficial way. We have always tried to take the time in our travels. We visited France in all directions, Europe, the Magreb countries, Norway, Polynesia, New Zealand and above all 45 American states and 8 provinces of Canada.
During our American travel in motorhome, we have made about 100,000 km in almost two years of travel, an average of 130 km/day avoiding the Interstates and always seeking to take the “Scenics Roads”.
6. At the moment, where are you traveling? (abroad, in France, at home it’s winter …)
We are staying at home, because of the pandemic crisis… But we should be on our sailboat to navigate in the Caribbean. This sailboat is waiting for us, it is safe in the Grenadines. We came back to France in July after leaving it in September 2019, i.e. 10 months of travel across the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea, always together… Our sailboat is called ChrisCat…
7. What is the first thing you do when you arrive in a new place? (look for tourist visits, find where to sleep, enjoy the landscape, …)
Thanks to the internet it is now possible to know in advance where we are going to sleep, so first of all we enjoy the landscapes and often make some road to admire a church, a panorama or take a hike…
8. Is there something that you must bring with you on each trip? (cell phone, bike, … child? Oops, it’s not an object!)
Yes, the phone for mapping (Map.me and fantastic), hiking shoes and a camera.
9. Tell us about your best motorhome travel? Maybe your American trip in motorhome? (the experience that struck you the most, the strangest adventure, …)
Our trip to North America which lasted 2 years. The strangest adventure was perhaps the discovery of Joshua Tree and Big Bend, the descent on foot to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Alaska and the Far North, the Trans-Canada Highway and Newfoundland. We were almost always “off-season” and we were very often almost alone in magical places (National Parks).
Discover Cathys and Christophe's American trip in motorhome !
The most precious thing is not having a deadline for coming back, it allows you to take advantage of each moment without thinking about the time. When we got off the plane, to find our motorhome, we had 3 months ahead of us to keep going our adventure, so no stress, no precise planning.
10. Finally, do you have any travel anecdote to share with our motorhome travelers?
There are a thousand, meetings with people are often fascinating.
If you have the time for a long trip, it’s easy to find and buy an American motorhome for under € 15,000. Then: America is yours!
Find all adventures of Cathy and Christophe, fond of motorhome!
Leave your motorhome in a safe garage every three months and go back home is a good deal. 90 consecutive days is well enough to visit without tiring, no need for a visa, it is easier for insurance and easier to manage emotionally, the family often misses when you are far away for too long…
Christophe
Do not hesitate to read our other testimony on our blog : “the radical change of life of Benoît Giffard” and “Interview of Bernard from laperlencamping-car“.
And do not forget to enjoy your trip with CaraMaps!