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Subject Topic: Long Trips
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via mobile 10/6/2024 at 2:17pm
 Location: N. Ireland
 Outfit: Elddis Xplore 304
View arthurdent's Profile View Profile   Reply to arthurdent Reply   Quote arthurdent Quote  
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Hi all, just wondering what do you consider to be the ideal length of a trip in your van / camper / etc all things being equal. Also is there anything out of the ordinary you do or bring for longer trips, including to your house at home ?
The longest we've been away was 8 weeks to North Spain and the Basque which was fantastic but by about week 6 we were starting to get a little fed up with putting the bed up and down daily. Before that the longest was 3 weeks which is quite short really.
How do you plan your trip, do you book at all or just have a destination in mind to aim for or just totally wing it when you arrive ? We did the latter in N Spain which is very unusual for us, it's usually planned and booked to the nth degree.


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10/6/2024 at 2:40pm
 Location: Lancashire
 Outfit: Leisuredrive VW T6 campervan
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We gradually built up to 3 week trips, and feel that this is enough for us. By that time, the bedding is getting to feel in need of a wash, despite turning it round and over. My hair is probably getting due for a cut. And for both of us, we have a life in the UK which is waiting for us to get back to.

We don't plan our travels in France, just have crossings booked and now we have Motels booked for the UK each way too as OH in particular finds the travel very tiring. We mostly have a bit of a plan for touring, based on previous experiences at sites or areas, but it is all subject to change and nothing is booked. In France, we find that about 200 miles is the maximum we want to travel each day, and it is mostly a lot less than this, so there is a limit on how far we can get in 11 days (each way).


10/6/2024 at 3:25pm
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Pre Schengen we would go Mid April to mid July (3 months) and the late August to late September(1 month) ( ACSI periods). We had a fixed bed sothere was not all the aggro set up or taking down.

The great thing about touring is that if you are getting bored in one place, move on, or if you like it just stay One site we had was initially for an overnight but we stayed 42 days.

An added bonus was that we missed buying birthday presents for our children, grand children and even the great grand children.This saving paid for the holiday.


10/6/2024 at 3:49pm
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We always set off with a clear plan - like Pyrenees, Italy, or Provence. That’s the end of the plan.

We never spent more than 5 weeks away - elderly mother, part of house fell down, car trouble,etc.

We booked sites twice in 45 years, and got turned away by sites full three times in that time.

We only caravanned in Spring and Summer. In winter we went via Heathrow to tropical places.


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via mobile 10/6/2024 at 6:02pm
 Location: Stoke on Trent
 Outfit: Bailey Pegasus Modena 2016
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Joined: 10/4/2016

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We are limited by both having to work and also having a 6 year old daughter, so we go for two weeks.

Usually sail Poole to Cherbourg, spend the first night in lower Normandy then drive south west, usually to Vendée but did Royan last year and have done Aquitaine previously, usually stay there for 10 or 11 days then head back up north for a night in Normandy and then sail Cherbourg to Poole (we spend the night before sailing from and on return to Poole sleeping in the lane at Poole harbour and then drive back to Staffordshire the day after.

The longest we drive in a day is to and from Poole/ Staffordshire which is about 200 miles with the caravan as it is only me that will tow, although we used to camp with a tent, pulling a trailer which the Mrs would always tow and we have done upto around 350 miles in a day then, 200 is the limit now as I think age is catching up with me and I just get too tired.


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via mobile 10/6/2024 at 6:20pm
 Location: Cumbria
 Outfit: Coachman VIP 520
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We are currently away for 7 weeks (4 and a half weeks in) and will be returning late August for 5 weeks - would be longer were it not for the 90 day rule!
We usually have 'options' as to where we'll be visiting, but the first few nights are pretty much set in stone as we need to pick up our caravan from storage and get sorted for moving on.
We do not have a fixed bed in the van, so set it up and put it away each night/morning, but up to now it's just part of our routine and no big deal.
We do wash the bedding etc while we're away - just choose a nice sunny day so it can be taken off in the morning, washed, dried and put on again ready for night.
We tend to have everything we need already in the caravan, although OH did buy an air fryer (a bargain from Intermarche) at the start of this holiday and to leave in the van for future use.
For us,being away for longer is different than a shorter holiday - it's more like just enjoying living somewhere different rather than being busy seeing/doing things.


11/6/2024 at 8:33am
 Location: Liverpool
 Outfit: Swift Challenger 560
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Where I work, we get 35 days of annual leave a year. When I first started in 2008 you were allowed to take 6 weeks of that (30 days) as a block if you wanted to, then a few years later they changed the rule to max of 5 weeks in a block and every few years since, the number has changed to what it is today, where you are not allowed more than 3 weeks in a block. This is very frustrating as this year, I have 25 days to use up by the end of July. In the past we would have been off to France for 5 weeks but now I have to take 3 weeks off, go back to work for a week, and then take 2 weeks off. The good old days of long trips (if you count 5 weeks as long) are over for me, at least until I retire.

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Pixie


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via mobile 11/6/2024 at 9:02am
 Location: North Essex
 Outfit: Caravelair Alba 400
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We go for the 90 days. Left April 21 back Jul 19. Then stuck with caravanning UK until Oct 19. In the good days we would go to France for 5 months over the summer. We can only hope for better things after Jul 4.

We don’t really plan or book. This year we are early season so doing it mostly ACSI. We stick with sites we know in south & south west France.

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Every day should be a holiday!


via mobile 11/6/2024 at 12:38pm
 Location: N. Ireland
 Outfit: Elddis Xplore 304
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Thanks all, very varied approaches.

Netherton - I think that's the same type of planning we'll go for, a destination in mind but random as to how to get there.

bofs - I like the idea of having somewhere concrete booked for the first few days. I know what you mean about living in a place as opposed to being on holiday, we found the same in Spain, there was less ticking off the major attractions and more just being instead.

billy - when you were going for 5 months, how did you manage sites during the busy period from mid July to end of August ?


via mobile 11/6/2024 at 12:44pm
 Location: North Essex
 Outfit: Caravelair Alba 400
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July August just stick with inland sites. They always have some space. Aim to arrive early afternoon. Campers come & go all the time.

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Every day should be a holiday!


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11/6/2024 at 6:21pm
 Location: Devizes Wiltshire
 Outfit: MWB VW Crafter PVC
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I spent 2 weeks in France and the Netherlands in May 2024, in 3 sites and using the Channel Tunnel: 3 nights in Dunkirk, then off to one site in the Netherlands for 7 nights, then another NL site for 3 nights to visit friends nearby, then back to the Dunkirk site for 1 night before going back home.

I brought some laundry sheet detergent with me as I knew I would need to do at least one wash due to lack of space in the van to carry clothes and smalls for 2 weeks.

I also needed to replenish food and drink as there was only so much fresh produce that I could carry in my van's fridge/freezer and the additional 28L thermo-electric cool box that I carried for keeping drinks chilled and the more fragile salad leaves from being frozen in the fridge.

Since I am still working part time, I do not wish to be away from base for too long.

Besides, the cat has to go into the cattery when I am away and she is 20yo, and both the dog and I miss her when we are away.

I thought about going away for 3 weeks to make the most of the fees for Tunnel crossing and vet fees for the dog for next July.

Still undecided.

It should be noted that I have never taken a holiday longer than 2 weeks, except for my trip to Canada recently which was 16 nights which was to visit my folks there.

If I were to do a longer camping trip, I would plan to stay more than 3 nights at each site, except for an overnight stay in Dunkirk or Boulogne etc. before I drive home via the Tunnel, to minimise the hassle of having to pack up and move site as I am not a very tidy person by nature!

Being on my own travelling as a solo female, I am very risk averse. Hence I always plan ahead and book my campsites in advance. I cannot wing it for personal safety reasons.

As part of my due diligence, I would recce for places to grocery shop and refuel near the campsites. Fuel is less of an issue as I travel on major roads with services along the way.

I love food shopping and prefer to shop at bigger supermarkets as I found the selection at service stations were rather narrow/poor with mainly quite expensive ready meals (I rarely buy or eat ready meals even at home).

I hope to be able to drive to the Artic Circle via Denmark in a few years' time, taking a whole month off if not longer.

DK

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* Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest And Play! *
- 2025 - inc. FR & DE
- 2024 - 10/56 inc. FR & NL
- 2023 - 48 inc. FR
- 2022 - 49
- 2021 - 34
* Ex-tenter & solo female camper *
* Treat life events like a dog: If you can't eat it, play with it, or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away! *


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12/6/2024 at 12:13pm
 Location: N. Ireland
 Outfit: Elddis Xplore 304
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Our latest idea is to sail into Bilbao and spend 6 to 8 weeks making our way up to Roscoff for the ferry home, probably mid May to to mid July. There are so many regions to visit between the two ports, and we did love Cantabria / Pais Vasco.


via mobile 12/6/2024 at 1:16pm
 Location: Ayrshire
 Outfit: Auto-Sleeper MHs
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Generally, my “rule” is the number of hours it takes to get to the destination = the number of nights stay. Roughly. So if it’s a 2 hour drive to a general area, l’d look to spend at least 2 nights (1-2 sites) before coming home. Not counting non holiday trips eg funerals: there & back.
It takes more than 35 hours (3 flights, 2 transfers) to visit my sister in NZ every year, so my minimum stay is 5 weeks. I did stay 6 weeks after 2 years no-visit during Covid, but I started to miss home & the snowdrop festival.

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2024 = 18 sites / 38 nights. 2023 = 9/23. 2022 = 13/35. 2021 = 11/29. 2020 = 4/20. 2019 = 13/35. 2018 = 20/33. 2017 = 10/22. 2016 = 19/33. 2015 = 15 sites / 27 nights. Didn't count 1976 to 2014.


12/6/2024 at 8:36pm
 Location: Milton Keynes
 Outfit: Bailey Alliance 66-2 Motorhome
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If we are talking once retired you have plenty of choice. It also depends on what you want to achieve. In the years immediately after retirement we tried to spend 8 weeks away May/June and 6 weeks away in September/October. This allowed us to explore many places we couldn't get to had we restricted ourselves to shorter breaks. I am not sure we would have wanted to be away for longer as we tended to miss home a bit after a while!

David


13/6/2024 at 2:53pm
 Location: nr Derby
 Outfit: Phoenix 440+
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We tend to do 5 weeks maximum but sometimes more. April/May and July/August - occasionally September.
Out of season I draw up a rough route and then split it into reasonable travel and look for sites along the route but once there we look for the weather! Last year we intended a stopover of a night at one site and the people were very welcoming, site well-kept and cheap - nice weather - we stayed 10 days and went back this year too for a week. Most stops we plan to stop for two nights and see what it's like then either move or stay. This year we stayed at eight sites over 30 days and actually reversed the intended route because of the weather.

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Grahame


19/6/2024 at 2:19pm
 Location: Northern Ireland
 Outfit: Sterckeman Alize Concept CP480
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We are generally 8/9 weeks in the summer ....
Seldom book ...
Often start with a bit of a plan ... like you, pick up caravan from storage , then one night at nearby site, then van to service the following morning, collect in afternoon and 2/3 hour drive to sister in laws house, where we spend two/three days .... I balance and load the caravan ... and bits and piece ... it's usually in exactly the state we left it when dropped off at indoor storage, we put a dust cover over.
After that we follow weather/interest/new area et all ... nowadays it's usually France and Spain (North Coast mainly ... love the Picos).
Frequently end up in the Marais Poitevin (Green Venice) for the final week ... it's near storage and offers great kayaking and cycling ... we tour with both.



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