Ten Top Tips for street parking and unguarded stopovers

  Theft prevention. For your own safety, when parking on public roads or unguarded stopovers, you may consider the following suggestions:

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1. If you park after dark, choose always a well-lit area –where parking is allowed for motorhomes. Darkness has always been a good robbers’ ally.

2. When parking, according to your vehicle type, check that you are in the designated area marked for parking. Avoid unwanted surprises.

3. If possible, do not park in crowded tourist spots, very central areas or busy places. Remember that well known locations and famous landmarks are also very popular for thieves. 

4. Lock your doors properly –including when you are resting or sleeping-, check all windows and compartments.

5. If staying overnight, it is advisable to stay in a stopover or designated site; a guarded place is always recommended for long stays. 

6. Don’t leave valuables near the windscreen or dashboard; avoid being a target for thieves.

7. If you carry a bicycle or motorbike on the rear of your motorhome, make sure they are properly secured, even when you are parked. 

8. If your motorhome has an attached rear ladder change it for a foldable one; thus it can removed when not in use. Don't make it easy to climb up your vehicle.

9. Write down the address of your parking location; in case of emergency, it will be much easier to call the police, medical assistance, etc.

10. If you plan to make a long trip, especially abroad, you should have available the following:

• A notebook with the main emergency numbers (although 112 is the emergency number for the European Union, there may be countries -such as those recently incorporated- that use local number);
• Addresses and telephone numbers of consulates belonging to the sites to visit;
• Next of kin or someone who can be contacted in case of emergency.

P.S.:

It is advisable to carry photocopies of your passport, ID card and driving licence (also for your family and/or accompanying travellers); above all, if you travel abroad, in case of loss or theft, it will be a great help for identification and further processing to recover the documents.

Source: www.autocaravaning.eu

FICC, International Rallies since 1933 - Camping Caravanning and Motorcaravanning

The FICC (Fédération Internationale de Camping, Caravaning et Autocaravaning) with headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, celebrates international rallies since 1933.

This Rally (in which many motorhomes participate), is the most famous in the world. It has been held without interruption, except during the Second World War, from 1940 to 1946. Since the FICC Rally began, in 1933, it has always been the most important of the international rallies. It is celebrated annually in different countries of Europe and other continents.

In its beginnings, until 1955, the majority of participants attended mainly with tents and caravans. As time went by, between the years 1955 to 1960, the attendance of caravans was already the majority. Nowadays motorhomes represent, in many cases, more than 50% of participants. While caravanners are decreasing, motorhome attendance is increasing each year. The tendency of this group is not only in Europe, but also in other continents.

It should be noted that some of these events are held on different continents in the same year, but not on the same dates.

So far there are 3 countries that have held the largest number of these international rallies since 1933: the United Kingdom, Germany and France.

The original founding countries of the FICC in 1933 are are the following: Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, The Nederlands, United Kingdom and what was then Czechoslovakia.

YEAR	COUNTRY	TOWN
1933	United Kingdom	Hampton Court, London
1934	France	Marly le Roi, Isla de France
1935	Belgium	Bilvoorde.
1936	Spain	Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona
1937	Germany	Wiesbaden (capital of the federal state of Hesse)
1938	Italy	Meina-Stresa, northwest of milan
1939	Suitzerland	Zurich
1947	The Nederlands	Heemstede
1948	United Kingdom	Sidcup (London, South East)
1949	France	Fontainebleu (70 km south of Paris)
1950	Belgium	Spa (provincia de Lieja)
1951	Italy	Florence
1952	Suitzerland	Neuchâtel
1953	Denmark	Copenhagen
1954	Austria	Innsbruck
1955	Germany	Saarlouis (Saarland federal state)
1956	France	Perpignan
1957	Germany	Stuttgart
1958	Belgium	Stockel (east of Brussels)
1959	United Kingdom	Carshalton (south of London)
1960	France	St. Jean-en-Royans (Rhône-Alpes region)
1961	Italy	Rome
1962	Germany	Ruhpolding (Traunstein district, Bavaria)
1963	Denmark	Copenhaguen
1964	Israel	Tel Aviv
1965	The Nederlands	Wassenaar (near The Hague)
1966	Hungary	Balantonfüred (on the shore of Lake Balaton)
1967	Austria	Laxenburg (south side of Vienna)
1968	Sweden	Norrköping (province of Östergötland)
1969	United Kingdom	Woburn Abbey (southeast of Milton Keynes)
1970	France	Bricqueville (Lower Normandy)
1971	Italy	Otranto  (province of Lecce, Puglia region)
1972	Germany	Lechbruck (bavaria region)
1973	Turkey	Istanbul – Kylos
1974	Eslovaquia	Vysoké - Tatry (High tatras)
1975	Portugal	Santo André
1976	Israel	Ascalón (at 55 km from Tel Aviv)
1976	Germany	Bad Gandersheim (Lower Saxony)
1977	Belgium	Mol (Antwerp)
1978	Sweden	Jönköping (350 km southwest of Stockholm)
1979	United Kingdom	Cheltenham (County of Gloucestershire)
1980	Bulgaria	Albena (Black sea Coast)
1981	Finland	Maisansalo (Tampere)
1982	Spain	Vilopriu (Bajo Ampurdán, Girona)
1983	Japan	Onoji Park (Tokio)
1983	France	Saint-Parres-aux-Tertres
1984	Poland	Leba (Pomerania - Baltic Sea coast, north of Poland)
1985	Portugal	Ericeira (Mafra) - at 20 km from Sintra
1986	Hungary	Debrecen (eastern end)
1987	Denmark	Herning (Jutland peninsula)
1988	Ireland	Punchestown (County of Kildare)
1989	Austria	Vienna
1990	United Kingdom	Shepton Mallet (Somerset district, England)
1991	Slovakia	Tatra – Lommica
1991	Taiwan	Fulling (near Taipei, the capital)
1992	Canada	Bromont (Quebec)
1993	France	Pulvesheim (Upper Rhine, Alsace region)
1994	Japan	Hamada (Hiroshima prefecture)
1994	Finland	Joensuu (North Karelia region - bordering Russia)
1995	Portugal	Aljezur (Faro district)
1996	Hungary	Alsóörs (on the shores of Lake Balaton)
1997	Ireland	Millstreet (County of Cork)
1998	Poland	Leba  (Pomerania - Baltic Sea coast, north of Poland)
1999	United Kingdom	Lincoln (County of Lincolnshire)
2000	Germany	Lechbruck (Bavaria region)
2001	Norway	Selbu (province of Sor - Trondelag)
2002	Belgium	Ghent (province of East Flanders)
2002	South Korea	Donghae City
2002	Canada	St. Jean-Sur Richelieu (province of Quebec)
2003	Spain	Montmeló, Formula 1 circuit (Barcelona)
2004	Finland	Oulu (Gulf of Bothnia coast)
2005	Italy	Bolonia
2006	Turkey	Izmir Gümüldür
2006	Poland	Wroclaw /Bratislavia (Lower Saxony)
2007	Irlanda	Millstreet (County of Kildare)
2008	South Korea	Gapyeong (province of Gyeonggi)
2009	United Kingdom	Ipswich (county town of Suffolk)
2010	Croatia	Umag (near the Slovenian border)
2011	Czech Republic	Prague
2012	Canada	Montmagny (Quebec)
2013	Poland	Slawa, Gmina Swidwin (West Pomerania)
2014	Finland	Pori (known as the city of jazz)
2015	Croatia	Isla de Pag, Novalja (Dalmatian coast)
2016	Portugal	Ponte de Lima (district of Viana do Castelo)
2017	Turkey	Datça (Datça Peninsula, Southwest of Turkey)
2018	Germany	Berlin (Schönwalde-Glien, 30 km from the city centre)
2019	France	Châteaubriant (Department of the Loire-Atlantique)
2020	Italy	Ostia Antica, Roma (cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic)
2021	Spain	A Guarda (Pontevedra)
2022	Russia	Moscow (due to the war with Ukraine, it is possible that European participants and even from other continents will not attend)
2022	China	Cancelled due to the COVID pandemic

Finally, this famous Rally brought together more than 5,000 units (caravans, motorhomes, tents), over 14,000 people, including youth, in a single event. However, in recent years, the number of participants has been much lower. Nowadays, the participation is an average of 500 units, approximately.