[T5 TDI]

We're the same only without the house! We rent a villa and are always on the look out for long stay deals. We are are retired now so we can stay for the full time in one go if we want. Just got back to all this rain from 9 weeks there. It's a temptation for us to go for a non-lucrative visa and buy a small place. Before my Mum died, she lived in South London so even though I've been in Cornwall for the last 20 years I used to visit when I could. I was brought up there I don't have the slightest reason or inclination to go to London. Give me fresh air (slight whiff of hypocrisy!) not too many people and sunshine!

My van is hated everywhere, I even had to buy a 'Crit Air' just to pass through France even though I wasn't going anywhere near the low emission zone.

 

[T5 TDI]

My 20 year old van could have been thrown away 3 times but I've kept it going, so no new environmental damage from manufacturing the new vans. And mine isn't a smokey 60's taxi, and it has a CAT but no DPF. DPF's break up the particles to even smaller particles which (arguably) cause worse lung problems. And who knows what all the gallons of add-blue do when burnt?

 

[T5 TDI]

If you can work from home in Spain you could qualify for a digital visa then you wouldn't be stuck with the 90 day thing. The visas are a bit of a minefield, if we want to get one it would have to be a 'non-lucrative' type. I'm happy to avoid Paris. I once got sucked into Marseille in the rush hour driving a great big German coachbuilt camper.

I was surprised how cheap the Crit Air sticker was. Plus it arrived within a week and they kept emailing me about the progress of my application and even thanking me. Very un-French!