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 Topic: Why Plan?
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25/9/2023 at 9:16am
Location: Devizes Wiltshire
Outfit: MWB VW Crafter PVC
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It is not just camping trips that I plan in advance!
Entertainments usually need to plan in advance in order to get the best seats, even going to the cinema, as I am very particularly about where I would like to sit.
Big non-camping holidays need to plan in advance for budgeting purposes, and I like to split the payments in stages, such as paying for the flights first.
Flights, tunnel crossings and trains etc. cost less the more in advance one can book. Good hotels are booked up well in advance!
Coming back to camping, good and popular adult-only campsites are booked up well in advance especially during the school holidays. Hence I have booked my August 2024's trip to avoid disappointment.
Planning to me serves the following purposes:
- It is positive thinking about the future
- Allows me to spread the cost of a trip
- It reduces risks knowing my itinerary in advance
- A sense of being in control when I make decisions about my itinerary
I can, if necessary, just get up and go, e.g. to go to see a film; or have a bite to eat etc... However, it does not happen very often as I am usually fairly busy with voluntary work and other activities such as learning to play an instrument and participating in community choirs.
With pets, I can't always just drop everything and go away - although the dog can come with me on camping trips, I have a cat that needs to be looked after.
Due to work, I had never been one who can just drop everything and go away as I needed to arrange for cover etc... I guess old habits die hard!
DK 
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25/9/2023 at 11:55am
Location: Turriff Aberdeenshi
Outfit: Romahome R30 Dimens
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I'm with Oswestry Ed on this one, and have posted similar things in the past. I believe that one of the main attractions of camping / caravanning is the ability to go where and when you like, be as flexible as possible and change your mind as often as you like.
Now, DK168 is quite correct about booking when it comes to theatre, concerts etc.., but these are one-off events. You have to be there, on that day and at that time or you miss it. But caravanning? what's a day here or there - or even a different place?
For UK touring, I leave booking as late a possible, and for Europe, I just go. My itinerary is what looks good on the map (no sat nav) and it takes as long as it takes.
We usually go to Germany for the Christmas markets (though we went to Vienna last year). I'll start looking next month and only choose places where I can change / cancel without penalty.
I simply don't care for a lot of planning. I like spontaneity and the odd surprise. As Paul Theroux put it, 'Tourists don't know where they've been, travellers don't know where they're going.'.
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25/9/2023 at 12:28pm
Location: London
Outfit: Lunar Cosmos 524
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I do both long term booking and spur of the moment!
Had a trip to Lake District for Oct/Nov booked since February, because I needed assurance of the pitch dates to coincide with an event, and the site gets fully booked out.
Currently looking at weather and going away 'next day' to south coast and whatever site available in the area when the weather looks most favourable!
For our trips to Le Mans 24hr race in June (each year), we book camp site and ferries as soon as bookings are being taken (about next month) as that's the ONLY way to get our favoured camp site and ferry crossing with cabin, otherwise come start of next year you're down to the dregs on choice, come Easter it's all sold out and basically 'you ain't going!'. Leave it to end of May beginning of June, you don't even stand a chance of picking up any kind of last minute cancellation booking as a desperate last hope! Absolutely a plan well in advance or don't go event!
Horses for courses. If it's just a plain camping holiday not tied with any constraints, you can be flexible and go/book last minute, but if tied to another event, or people need to book time off work etc., then long term planning becomes essential.
Don't see it being a camping trip has any great relevance, it's just an event, and if you want assurance it will happen when and where you want it to, then planning and advance booking is essential.
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25/9/2023 at 8:45pm
Location: East Herts
Outfit: 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT + X Trail
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Quote: Originally posted by Oswestry Ed on 25/9/2023
I read with interest that many people plan camping trips up to a year ahead.
I can understand booking a ferry in advance to get a good price.
We have a rough idea of the area we want to visit, and just go. And have always done it like that when travelling with motorcycle, car or camper.
That's exactly the same as us. Quite often our choice of area to visit changes several times during the course of the year and can even change at the last minute if the weather forecast is better somewhere different to where we had thought of going.
Very rarely do we book anything more than two weeks ahead, and often it's only a couple of days before we go. When we used to fly abroad for our holidays the one thing that bugged us was having to book a year ahead as prices rocketed the closer we got to departure day, and of course availability declined. Returning to caravanning meant that we could be much more spontaneous, especially as were were now retired. To us that was one of the biggest attractions of that kind of holiday. Book months ahead? Not if we don't have to!
We have rarely had any problem getting where we want, even booking just two days ahead, and I put this down to us usually starting our holidays on a Monday. Often, sites that are booked solid over the weekend, even months ahead, are half empty on the Monday.
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Best Regards,
Colin
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25/9/2023 at 9:48pm
Location: East Herts
Outfit: 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT + X Trail
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Quote: Originally posted by Capt Lightning on 25/9/2023
Oddly enough Colin, we're the opposite. We fly more,but have not yet encountered any problems booking flights a month or so in advance (and that's really in advance for us). We have noticed that the flights are generally full,and since covid,there are fewer routes to choose from.
I definitely wouldn't think of booking a site more than a week or two ahead.
The only thing I book a little longer in advance is for the theatre, for a good seat. In a few weeks we're going to see the 'Bootleg Beatles' and I booked early as it was bound to be popular.
Oh yes, I can fully understand booking ahead for events. We went to see the "Illegal Eagles" a few years back and we had to book well in advance for that. It was a sell-out! Just for a caravan holiday though, no way! Apart from the costs involved, as we are not well off, the main thing that put us off flying abroad was having to book months ahead. We no longer just turn up on sites though, as we might have done back in the 1980s, we do book before we go but often only just before. We are no longer working though, and can appreciate that those who are may have to think differently. We also NEVER go anywhere during the school holidays, we've been there & done that. Now that's the prerogative of our children. 
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Best Regards,
Colin
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