February Newsletter

Bob and Wendy
Feb 5
7 min read

Welcome to the February edition of the newsletter.

In this month's edition we have full details of the NEC Motorhome Show coming up later this month. Also, full details of the 2027 Tour Schedule are now live on the website. Read on for more details on both.

This month we continue our "spotlight on..." series, which this time focuses on our Baltic States Tour (picture is the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Tallinn). We don't offer the Baltics very often, but it will be on in 2027. Read on if you are interested.

As usual we have another “cut out and keep” (winter warmer) recipe and this month’s motorhome tips cover what to look for when choosing a storage site for your motorhome.

2027 Tour Schedule - Website now live

Last month we officially opened the bookings for the 2027 season. This month we are pleased to report that the website is now fully live with all the details for every tour. This includes all of the day-to-day itineraries.

To view the 2027 tours, follow this link: 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 do want a chat about any of the tours, or need a bit more information before you decide, then please contact us.

NEC Motorhome Show February 2026

So we are now just a couple of weeks away from the NEC Motorhome Show. We will be there as always in Hall 4 on Stand 4110. We have calculated that this is our thirteenth year at the show.

We will be doing a talk on Spain in the Inspiration Theatre. We have been travelling to Spain in the motorhome for 15 years. In fact, it was the first European country we visited. So the talk is very much a run-through of our highlights, with some well-known bits and some more hidden gems.

While planning the talk it prompted me to look back through loads of old photos. This reminded me of one of our very early near- disasters when we were up in the Montserrat Mountains near Barcelona. We were enjoying the view in a layby when a "burning bus" came flying down the mountain road. It stopped in our layby and streams of terrified French pensioners got out.

This photo is taken from our motorhome which at the time, housed all of our worldly possessions. We escaped with the smoke damage but this is what was left of the bus! More on this and a few other anecdotes during the talk.

The time slots for "Spain - The Grand Tour" are confirmed below:

Tuesday: 1.45 - 2.15
Wednesday: 12.00 - 12.30
Thursday: 1.45 - 2.15
Friday: 11.15 - 11.45
Saturday: 3.15 - 3.45
Sunday: Day off.

If you don't already have tickets for the show, you can get them online (with a slight discount) here:

Code: EX1

Price: £12.00 - parking included, kids under 16 go free.

Expires: Midnight 16th February 2026

Link: https://caravancampingshow.seetickets.com/tour/the-caravan-camping-motorhome-show?OfferCode=EX1

Spotlight on...The Baltic States

The Baltic States of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are three countries that remain relatively undiscovered. For us they are one of our favourite motorhoming destinations. Loads to do and not too busy.

We were attracted to them initially as we are quite interested in social history. Having watched the fall of the Soviet Union on TV in the late 80s and early 90s, we really wanted to go and see all of the Soviet era architecture, statues and monuments. There is no shortage of all of that stuff, but we were surprised by how much else the three countries had to offer.

First of all there are three fascinating capital cities. Tallinn (Estonia) is the best known and is "on the circuit" as a destination for the cruise ships. The Old Town is one of the best preserved in Europe with buildings dating back to the 13th century. It is sometimes described as a living museum and is (inevitably) a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Riga (Latvia) is a maze of old cobbled streets, markets and stunning architecture. It is also a food-lovers' paradise with hundreds of bars and restaurants. At its heart is the onion-domed Orthodox cathedral, featured in many a guidebook.

Vilnius (Lithuania) is perhaps the least-known of the three capitals and is possibly the most authentic as it is not as touristy as the others. The cathedral in the massive main square is the beating heart of the city.

Away from the capitals here are a few of our highlights in no particular order:

Rundale Palace in Latvia (pictured) is a completely intact Baroque Palace built in the 18th century in the middle of the countryside. You can visit the palace and grounds, which were famously used for the BBC's War and Peace series.

The Hill of Crosses in Lithuania is a pilgrimage site where persecuted Catholics started laying crosses some time in the 19th century. Nobody knows why they chose this rather remote site. There are now an estimated 200,000+ crosses of all sizes spread across the fields and hills.

Tartu is Estonia's second largest city that retains and town-like feel. There is a bit of everything in this river city, with a beautiful square, a wonderful old university, an upside down house (!) and a KGB museum. Something for everyone really.

Lake Peipsi is the fifth largest lake in Europe which sits between Russia and Estonia, with the boundary somewhere in the middle. It is a very interesting drive up the west of the lake where many Estonians have holiday residencies.

Trakai Island Castle (pictured) sitting in the middle of Lake Galve in Lithuania has its roots way back in the 14th century. It is in remarkable condition, which is explained by the fact that it was completely rebuilt in the 1950s and 60s. You can visit the castle via a wooden bridge across the lake.

Klaipeda is the entry point to Lithuania for the ferries from Germany and is worth dwelling for a while. As a port town it has a long history with the sea. The architecture is distinctly Germanic with lots of half-timbered houses and wharf buildings. Just down the coast is an amazing geographical feature - the Curonian Spit - a 60-mile long, narrow sand dune that curves around the mainland.

For a more traditional seaside experience, head for Parnu in Estonia (pictured). This is where the Estonians take their holidays in the main season. There is a noticeable Victorian English seaside vibe here with flat, sandy beaches, wooden boardwalks and colourful weatherboarded buildings.

You may be wondering how to get there and you have two main options. One is to drive overland, which would take you through France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Poland. We have done this and it was great (but it took a while). The easier method is to drive to Kiel in Germany and then catch the overnight ferry (which is really more of a mini cruise) on one of DFDS's lovely new boats. This takes around 20 hours and is a very pleasant experience as the Baltic Sea is very rarely choppy.

All in all we think that the Baltic States has virtually everything apart from mountains (they are quite flat countries). There is tons of history, fascinating towns and cities, lovely old villages, stately homes, castles, palaces, Soviet-era history and architecture, national parks, great lakes, miles of un-spoilt coastline, great food, great beer and a fair dose of quirky tourist attractions.

We are offering the Baltic States Tour in May 2027. Full details are one the website: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/the-baltic-states-2027

Coq au Van (the amusingly titled recipe feature)

Meatball black bean chilli

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
12 beef meatballs
1 onion finely sliced
2 mixed peppers sliced
½ large bunch coriander leaves and stalks chopped
2 large garlic cloves crushed
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 heaped tbsp light brown soft sugar
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
2 x 400g cans black beans drained and rinsed
Cooked rice to serve

Method

Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over a medium heat. Fry the meatballs for 5 mins until browned, then transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Fry the onion and peppers with a pinch of salt for 7 mins. Add the coriander stalks, garlic, paprika and cumin and fry for 1 min more. Tip in the sugar, tomatoes and beans, and bring to a simmer. Season, return the meatballs to the pan and cook, covered, for 15 mins. To freeze, leave to cool completely and transfer to large freezerproof bags.
Serve the chilli with the rice and the coriander leaves scattered over.

Motorhoming Tips

We know that many of you use storage sites for your vans. In most cases this is due to physical space requirements. However, some folks use storage facilities for extra security. Whatever you reasons, here are a few considerations:

Make sure they are CaSSOA accredited. This means there will be certain levels of security including CCTV, barrier entry, security fencing etc. The higher the level of accreditation the better. Some insurance companies will insist on CaSSOA accreditation.
Inform your insurance company that the van will be stored at a facility. They do not normally charge extra for this.
Check accessibility. Many sites have opening hours. Do not assume it is 24-hour access.
Check the site conditions. For example, hard-standing is better for all sorts of reasons. Undercover is better but spaces tend to be limited and you will pay a premium for it. Check lighting.
Ask about pest control. Many sites are on farms where mice can be a problem. We have had mice in our vans before and they can cause a lot of damage and be difficult to get rid of.
See what additional services are available. For example, can you wash your van on site, or empty your toilet? Can your engineer get on site for hab checks? Can you hook-up?

We know that many sites are very busy and have waiting lists. Most now insist on a minimum contract term of one year. Prices vary significantly around the country, typically starting somewhere around £400 a year for a CoSSOA Gold site.

If you are currently looking for somewhere to store your van, here is good starting point: https://cassoa.co.uk/find-a-cassoa-site/

Keep in touch

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Instagram: CrossingsMotorhome

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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