The joys of the open road. (1 Viewer)

[Bushtrekker]

My reason for wanting a motorhome is to escape and be as independent as possible but obviously I need to empty the loo occasionally and I'll really miss having a good soak in the bath, so I'm planning on using B and B's every so often. I was interested to read the last reply to my previous post about people pre-booking sites months ahead and blocking pitches for others.

I may be different to a lot of people on here, but I never use travel agents and have been known to book holidays from the motorway services, using my laptop, so the thought of booking anything fills me with horror. Surely the whole point of having a motorhome, especially when you are retired and have no time constraints, is to be able to do exactly what you want to do and when you want to do it...

 

[hilldweller]

Surely the whole point of having a motorhome, especially when you are retired and have no time constraints, is to be able to do exactly what you want to do and when you want to do it...

That's the theory, now welcome to The Real World.

Too many retired Olde Fartes too few pitches.

You would not believe how we struggled to find pitches last September in northern Italy, southern Germany. Just overflowing with Germans. I think it was sixth time lucky, near sunset before we got a pitch in Italy near the Austrian border. We'd have wild camped but the main roads were not suitable and side roads were single track farm roads, it's all very well having a go, but you waste a long time down these back roads then have to turn round and all the time it's getting darker.

 

[Bushtrekker]

Do the Germans put their towels on the EHU posts?

That's interesting, it would never have occurred to me that it might be difficult, simply because I only use campsites when I'm with the family. My idea of wild camping involves a back pack and I still find it amusing when someone with a £50,000 says they've been wild camping, unless their camper is Land Rover or Unimog based...

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[JOHNSTEY]

Rarely book anything and never have had a real problem.OK so sometimes a CL is full or you get the 'emergency pitch' on a site but I wouldn't want to have everything pre-planned.Quite often we just look at what the weather is doing and move on to where is best (or in the UK better!) The idea of committing to a set time slot for so many days on a certain site before you actually know what it's like and who your neighbours are is frankly not that appealing!:Cool:

 

[Bushtrekker]

Weather

That's exactly why I never book. I watch the weather forecast and head for where the high pressure is for the next week, then worry about where I'm going to stop. Neigbours on sites can be a real pain, especially the ones who insist on coming back late and drunk, then keeping everybody awake for hours. They don't seem to like it when I get up at 5 and start my Diesel Land Rover next to their tent

 

[mikebeaches]

Yes, we prefer to be free-range, and don't book much. Went to the Outer Hebrides just before Easter, and used 4 different C&CC sites on the way north - just rang each site en route to check they'd have a pitch for that night.

However, the one on Skye before the ferry was our last - after that it was wild camping all the way, including the return journey south.

The club sites were handy and cheap (age concession) and saved searching out wilding spots.

Usually never book more than a day ahead at the most, which leaves all of our options open.

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[Bushtrekker]

Thanks Mike, that was useful.

We are hoping to get up to Scotland in September if I'm free, so it's useful to know about sites up there. I love it in the Hebrides with all those white beaches. I notice you live in Bristol and wondered whether you know any sites with easy access to buses to get in to Bristol for the day on our way south next week. My mother came from Bristol and I went to school there for a short period in 1952.

 

[mikebeaches]

The Caravan Club have a site right in Bristol at Baltic Wharf, right on the river - with a path into town. But it will no doubt be expensive and is usually fully-booked.

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They appear to have a pitch left next Tuesday night, but reckon that's about it.

Afraid I can't think of any other sites off-hand that might be on a bus route. People do 'wild it' on the Downs (clifton) in Bristol - I could give you some info of where to go if it's of interest?

We don't originate from Bristol, but have been here for 25 years.

Oh, and yes - we enjoyed the Outer Hebrides - our first visit. It was mainly the beaches that attracted us to going.

 

[Bushtrekker]

Thanks again.

I'd heard of that site, but forgotten about it. It's full on the way down, but we may stop off on the way back, although I'm only about and hour and a half north of Bristol.
Cheers, John

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[joner8888]

I found that sometimes when trying to book on a online booking form it will either refuse, if i want only 1 night (requires 2 nights at least),
or sometimes the form shows all dates are fully booked, but if i ring the site they have plenty of spaces . I turn up and it is almost deserted
I ring on route now, c cc book in one hand ,sat nav in the other :thumb: