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Hi Everyone,

We are from Australia and just retired where people like us a called "gray haired nomads" because we like to travel around. We would like to buy a car and caravan in the UK and tour the UK and Europe all year round for about 2-3 years or more. Were not sure of the best way to go about this and would like to get advice from other real people in the UK doing the same thing.

Things like the best caravan, car (4WD etc) and lots more. If you think you can help us we would love to hear from you.

Quote: Originally posted by Aust.tourists on 10/4/2009

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Hi Everyone,

We are from Australia and just retired where people like us a called "gray haired nomads" because we like to travel around. We would like to buy a car and caravan in the UK and tour the UK and Europe all year round for about 2-3 years or more. Were not sure of the best way to go about this and would like to get advice from other real people in the UK doing the same thing.

Things like the best caravan, car (4WD etc) and lots more. If you think you can help us we would love to hear from you.

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What sort of budget and what sort of layout are you thinking of. Given that you intend to stay for some time you might want to be here for a few weeks looking round. I tow with a 4X4 but they are not everyones cup of tea but at least you have a better choice of vans in terms of weight. The downside is perhaps economy. Have a look at ebay.co.uk which will give you a guide as to what prices are being achieved for secondhand privately sold cars. You might also want to check that you can stay in Europe for that long interms of visa's etc. When are you thinking of arriving?

David

If you dont want to spend a fortune but want something reliable dont bother with a 4x4. A Ford Mondeo or Vauxhall(Holden to you)Vectra with a diesel engine(better for towing) about 3 yrs old will cost about £6000 from a main dealer & have good service all over Europe.

These will tow a medium sized caravan suitable for extended use. A fairly new one might cost you £10,000 but you should get a good one several yrs old for as little as £4000.

If you want a large twin axle caravan then you will need a 4x4, a 3 yr old one might cost £9-10k

As for registration & insurance of car/caravan, this could be a problem as UK insurance companies tend to load premiums for foreign nationals but it should help as you drive on the left in Oz same as here. The continent drives on the right of course. To insure a vehicle you may need a UK adress. Do you have relatives here?

If you want to spend less you could go for a much older car/caravan & still have reasonable reliablity, what is your budget?

Hi Folks,

Thanks for the replys, To answer some questions, we both have duel Aus and UK passports and rellies in the UK, so long term touring would be allowed for us both. We are thinking of coming April 2010. The budget for both car and van would be about 25K GBP or 50K AUD.

We have been looking at Geist vans in Aus and these look a lot better build quality than Aus vans, so we may look for one in the UK.

As for cars, the Kia Sorento looks good as it's cheeper then the Jap or German models.

Thanks again for the replys please keep them coming and keen to get replys also from people who tour long term ie: sites, what do we need in the van / car etc.  

Hi Folks,

Thanks Jennifer and all the other replys, great advice please keep them coming. We travel a lot here in Aus and the internet has become a big part of it for keeping in touch with the kids etc. We use our laptop and have wireless broadband with Telstra the BT net clone. It costs us $100 AUD per paid a month for 6G and the moble phone service is about the same as UK.

What kind of service and price would we pay and who is the best service provider / coverage etc, would we have to get another service provider for the EU ?

PS What is the pump for and what is a EHU cable?

The Sorento  would be a good choice and by the time you come you should be able to pick up a baragain as its due to be replaced by a new model in 2010. These people sell Geist vans http://www.elitecaravans.co.uk/ I am not sure they agents but I did hear they purchase a lot of Aussie spec vans, how spooky is that as Dame Edna would say! As far mobile internet is concerned its widely available in the UK and quite inexpensive. My Vodafone Mobile Broadband costs me £15 a month for 3GB download allowance. Its also now availble in PAYG form. The problem is that 'roaming' into Europe with  UK mobile broadband can be expensive. An example:- It will cost me £10 a day with a 50MB allowance to use my Vodafone dongle in Europe. The good news is that from mid 2009 all data roaming in Europe should become cheaper as the EU Commissioner  is going to force networks to reduce roaming and text prices so you could be coming just at the right time!

David

Hi Folks,

Thanks again for the great advice, it's good to get real advice form people, I checked out the web link http://www.elitecaravans.co.uk/ that David from Milton Keynes sent about the Geists and it seems that the prices are cheep at this dealer. I did not know the Sorento was being replaced in 2010 so we should be able to get a good deal on an old model.

£15 a month for 3GB for wireless broadband seems OK but I hope David is right about the prices coming down in the EU as the internet / Skype play's a big part in keeping in contact with the kids.

Which phone / internet provider has the best coverage in the UK and which in the EU? In Aus there are lots of providers but Telstra (our BT Net) has the best coverage.