April Newsletter

Bob and Wendy
Apr 5
8 min read

Welcome to the April edition and Happy Easter. I have just taken care of my third easter egg, with Cadbury's Fruit and Nut confirmed as my firm favourite.

This month we continue our "spotlight on..." series, which this time focuses on our Swiss and French Alps Tour.

We also have an update on the Entry Exit System into the EU, which has experienced yet another delay (which is good news).

As usual we have another “cut out and keep” recipe and this month’s motorhome tips cover a slightly worrying glitch we discovered in our motorhome insurance.

2027 Tour Bookings

We are now in full swing taking bookings for 2027.

Full details of the 2027 Tour Schedule are on the website here: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/tours

If you would like to book for 2027, please do so via our website here: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/book-now

If you want a chat about any of the tours, or need a bit more information before you decide, then please contact us and we will be very happy to talk you through it.

The Entry Exit System

Regular readers / travellers will be aware that there is a new system for entering the EU. There are in fact two systems - the Entry Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).

The ETIAS is a visa waiver system similar to those used to enter the USA or Australia. It means that UK residents do not need a full visa to get into Europe. The system will be applied via a website, where you input your details (and pay a small fee) before you travel. This is not due to come into force until late 2026 after the season has finished.

The EES was due to start on 9th April 2026 after a phased introduction that has been going on since last October. The EES requires travellers to record various bits of biometric data (fingerprints etc) at special terminals/booths set up in airports and seaports. Accordingly, there is now a whole new area at Dover Port where you park up, go to a terminal and record your data before heading off on the ferry. We have actually been to the new facility on the Western Dock.

Obviously we have been keeping abreast of this in order to help guests when they use the system for the first time. We have also planned to be down in Dover when our first few tours go this year along with our tour leaders. Our expectation is that it will take slightly longer to go through passport control compared to normal.

However, the April date as now been extended "for the forseeable future", which could of course mean anything. The delay is on the French side as their computer systems are not ready to receive the data from the special terminals.

Basically, we are hoping that it will be delayed for the whole of this season and then be introduced at the same time as the ETIAS. We will be keeping on top of the latest developments and if you are on tour with us this year we will be keeping you informed.

For more information on both schemes see: https://etias.com/ and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/eu-entryexit-system

Spotlight on...The Swiss and French Alps 2027

The Alps has been a staple of our touring programme since we started running tours. The mountain range is the most extensive in Europe covering some 1200km and eight different countries. Our tour focuses on a stretch of the Alps that encompasses some if its best-known and loved mountains, towns and lakes.

In no particular order we I am going to start in Bern, which is in fact the capital of Switzerland. Two important things that you don't need to know about Bern is that it is where Einstein came up with his theory of relativity and it is also where Toblerone was invented. Not sure whether those two things are related.

Bern is quite unique in its architecture and in fact feels more like a large town than a capital city. It has a very distinctive style with around four miles of arcaded streets (see picture) with the amazing 13th Century Zytglogge clock tower at its heart.

The parliament buildings dominate the hillside that overlooks the mighty River Aare. This is the only river we have ever been to where people commute to work by swimming from upstream suburbs and towns! Folks also do it for fun. If you want to join in this crazy pastime (which many Crossings' customers have over the years) you can simply jump in the river from the campsite and let it take you the 2km into the city centre dumping you at the local lido. The local youngsters then walk back up the side of the river and do it all over again - all day long. Once is probably enough at our vintage!

Still in Switzerland we also spend quite a few days around Interlaken (pictured above). In the winter it is skiers' heaven and in the spring and summer it is the epicentre for visiting the various mountains including the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau (translated as Ogre, Monk and Maiden).

There are several ways to access the mountains mainly featuring cable cars. Perhaps the best known of these goes nearly 3km up the Schilthorn Mountain. Sitting on top of this is the Piz Gloria rotating restaurant with 360 degree views of all four mountains just mentioned (pictured below). Older readers may recognise it as Blofeld's lair in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". There is even a life-size cut-out of George Lazenby and a 007 experience at the top.

Another popular mountain visit is up the Jungfrau featuring the Jungfraujoch (known as the Top of Europe), which boasts the highest train station in Europe. Adventure seekers can actually chuck themselves off the top of some of the mountains, typically attached to a Swiss person who in turn is attached to a paraglider. This is not a common option for most of our customers but we have had a couple of takers over the years.

In the valleys Interlaken acts as a key stopping point for the stunning railway line that runs east to west. Just one suggestion is the two-hour Lucerne route, one of the most scenic in Switzerland. If you want to spend some time on the trains they do special travel passes for multiple journeys across loads of routes that include the railways, funiculars and cable cars.

Also down in the valley you also have two lakes (Thun and Brienz) both of which feature boat trips with cracking views of the Alpine peaks as a backdrop. Lake Brienz (pictured above) is particularly popular with its turquoise waters filtered off the snow-melt from the mountains. A boat trip on here will take you up to the dramatic Giessbach Waterfalls, a spectacular series of 14 cascades falling 500 metres into the lake, surrounded by a historic hotel and Europe's oldest funicular.

Away from Interlaken, we also have chance to visit Geneva, famed for its massive lake and the famous Jet d'eau. This is a 140-metre high water fountain that chucks out 500 litres of water every second. Just a short distance away from the lake is the Old Town, the oldest in Switzerland in fact. The town rises into the hillside providing wonderful views across the lake and fountain.

Geneva is also home to the United Nations HQ, which is worth a (thought-provoking) visit. The modern building and grounds feature an enormous three-legged chair symbolising the campaign against land mines. We visit this as part of an organised coach trip, which then takes us up the Saleve Mountain, as featured in the Tour de France. The views from the top of here are stunning and you can see all the way across to Mont Blanc.

On the French side of the border we also spend time close to another famous lake - Lake Annecy. This is one of Europe's cleanest and clearest lakes with distinctive blue waters and the Alps providing the background. You can take various boat trips with the best of these being on one of the larger cruisers.

For the more energetic there is around 45km of cycle path and we have had folks cycle all the way round before. Our campsite sits directly on the cycle path and there is a more sedate 10km route that will take into the town.

The old town (pictured above) is directly at the mouth of the lake and is incredibly picturesque with its 13th century chateau sitting on the hill, its 19th century canals and network of narrow streets lined with pastel-coloured houses, shops, bars, cafes and restaurants. Annecy is often described as the "Venice of the Alps" and although it does not have the scale of Venice, it certainly packs a punch.

Our Swiss & French Alps Tour is a round trip that takes in the Champagne and Burgundy region on the way out and Strasbourg on the return leg. Full details of the tour are on the website here: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/swiss-french-alps-2027

We do have availability for 2027 so if you would like to book, please do so here: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/book-now

Coq au Van (the amusingly titled recipe feature)

Spring Chicken Hotpot

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts, skin on
1 leek, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g new potatoes halved
75ml white wine
400ml chicken stock
2 tbsp pesto
350g asparagus, woody stalks removed
200g spinach
100g frozen or fresh peas
4 spring onions sliced
Fresh basil

Method

Season the chicken breasts.
Add some oil to a casserole pan and add the chicken breasts skin side down and cook for 3-4 minutes. Lift out and set aside.
Add the leeks together with another lug of oil or a knob of butter and soften for 2 minutes before adding the garlic and potatoes. Season and colour for a minute.
Pour in the wine, let it bubble, then add the stock.
Bring to a simmer then return the chicken to the pan nestling the breasts in but making sure the skin sits proud of the stock so that it stays crisp.
Simmer for 15 minutes then stir in the pesto, and courgettes.
After 2 minutes add the asparagus and peas.
Simmer for 3 minutes then add the spinach to wilt.
Finish with the spring onions and fresh basil.

Motorhoming Tips

We were made aware of a slight glitch in the way our motorhome is insured and thought it would be worth a mention.

The issue is specifically to do with leaving the van unattended in a location other than that listed as the registered address in your insurance. Most insurers do not let you leave the van for more than 48 hours unattended away from the registered address.

What happens though if you use a storage facility and have it stored there some of the time and then at home at other times? If the registered address is the storage facility then technically your van is not insured on your own drive if you are away from home (not in the van) for 48 hours or more. It could equally apply if the registered address is your home and you leave it unattended at the storage facility.

There is a simple solution in that you can give the insurers two addresses and request that both are classed as the registered address. Our insurer did this for us with no charge. This may just be a quirk with our insurance company but it might be worth checking if this scenario applies to you.

Keep in touch

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Please feel free to contact us at any time. When we are away, calls will bounce to our mobiles at no expense to yourself.

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