The cost of travelling for 12 months.

[Snowbird]

Have seen many posts on fun asking just how much it costs to travel Europe fora year. No one can answer this question because we all travel differently. I have found a blog by a family that did just that and kept detailed records of there costs. Just maybe it will answer some of the questions that many ask. To be perfectly honest I have no idea how much it costs me over a 12 month period, but quite possibly not much more than staying at home with the heating turned up and paying UK prices for my little luxuries of life. What do you funsters think.

https://travellingfamilyblog.com/our-12-month-budgets/

 

[MikeD]

When we did our first trip into Spain via France I calculated it all out and our figures were almost spot on with yours at around £1000 per month.

That was everything - fuel, ferry, food, sites, tolls etc.

 

[Snowbird]

When we did our first trip into Spain via France I calculated it all out and our figures were almost spot on with yours at around £1000 per month.

That was everything - fuel, ferry, food, sites, tolls etc.

I hasten to add, these are not my figures. Those would hardly cover my gin bill and @jjs lettuce seed bill if we put both together.

 

[buttons]

That is just 250 a week, I think you would be pushed to do it on less....

 

[Snowbird]

I wouldn't even dare publish my travel costs even if I knew them. The kids would have me certified and put into a mental institution .

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[Madcaravanner]

That is just 250 a week, I think you would be pushed to do it on less....

OK up to now we have only tugged so haven't got any free sites or wild camping but IF you are travelling every few days I can see how you would clock up that amount but we worked out averages as
Pitch 14€
10€ daily for food
4€ for entertainment

that's 28€ per day that was 196€
When we were travelling we spent 80€ on fuel per trip averaging 300 miles per tank

OK very little alcohol because I can't as my condition makes it a poison but Steph still has a drink and we eat out lots but when you take high cost days with the low cost ones
we had 50 nights out for our last trip and spent £2250 total including Tunnel Trip (£19 return Ta Tesco)

 

[cruiser]

We spent just under £2.000 . for 8 weeks . That was by the ferry. And down to the Algarve. and back. Oh and that was via the railway meet as well. we think we did quite well.

 

[GeriatricWanderer]

Do the costs people are quoting include the cost of maintaining a vacant property and vehicle back in the UK?

 

[MikeD]

Do the costs people are quoting include the cost of maintaining a vacant property and vehicle back in the UK?

Nope - just cost of trip from leaving the drive to getting back three months later.

 

[Our Bumble]

I detail our costs every 6 months or so just to give people an idea of how much or how little you spend when travelling.

We are a good way off retirement, so we have to be careful with our spends. However, my accounting back ground helps keep us focused on spending our money wisely...and the main thing, having plenty fun. What ever your budget, it is all about enjoying life.

It costs us around £8000 per annum, here is our breakdown for anyone interested.

http://ourbumble.com/2015-trip-the-costs/

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[movan]

I'm sure I mustn't be the only one on basic money who must feel like they've been punched in the stomach reading this and yet feeling proud they are managing to keep their mh on the road. ..

I have to think about every food, water, heating bill etc in order to make sure I cover my costs .. looks like my dream of more meets, rallies and travelling next year are right out the window.

 

[stcyr]

Sprog, sprog-in-law & 2 littl'uns have been travelling fulltime since October 2015, on a max. of £140 a week.

They've just landed in Newhaven, on their way to Wales, as Nik's been offered work for a few months. They've so far got 38kms down the road and are having second thoughts

 

[Snowbird]

Sprog, sprog-in-law & 2 littl'uns have been travelling fulltime since October 2015, on a max. of £140 a week.

They've just landed in Newhaven, on their way to Wales, as Nik's been offered work for a few months. They've so far got 38kms down the road and are having second thoughts

Of course it can be done on less than £150 per week as I know many that do. I know for a fact I could do it on much less than that if I had to, but am not so sure local chicken farmers would be too happy .

 

[cruiser]

Where did you get the idea that the cost of our house was included in our travels. @GeriatricWanderer . No one said that. We are not full time. But by being careful with our spending we can afford both.

 

[Armytwowheels]

I'm sure I mustn't be the only one on basic money who must feel like they've been punched in the stomach reading this and yet feeling proud they are managing to keep their mh on the road. ..

I have to think about every food, water, heating bill etc in order to make sure I cover my costs .. looks like my dream of more meets, rallies and travelling next year are right out the window.

Joy, you must not compare living in the van in the UK to living in Europe. It is much cheaper to be a motorhomer out here. You can hop from aire to aire and not pay a cent, or you can treat yourself to an aire or campsite with facilities and still save money on UK prices.

There is a big difference between someone that spends a few weeks touring and someone that is full time. The more you drive the more expensive it is. When you find somewhere you like and stay put for a bit, the cost drops like a stone. Out first month out always busts the monthly budget due to tunnel and diesel costs. It all evens out over the year.

I will post our budget once I have taken out the cost of running the houses etc and anything that is unique to us.

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[funflair]

Where did you get the idea that the cost of our house was included in our travels. @GeriatricWanderer . No one said that. We are not full time. But by being careful with our spending we can afford both.

I think it was just a general question.

Martin

 

[Armytwowheels]

OK, here is our budget. @movan when looking at this please bear in mind that there are two lots of mobile phones, two people eating out, a dog and scooter costs in there too. I have also included the average amount we spend on campsites in the UK, so this makes our spends on campsites look a little high for Europe.

It's all a moveable feast and I freely admit we might not have allocated enough for one thing and too much for another, but on the main copy of the budget I have an income v outgoings column and watch that like a hawk!

 

[Geo]

JJ
3/6d a week when his French mistress is at home, otherwise 4/2d with all the extra treats he gives her,
Thats what she told me anyway

 

[Forestboy]

Don't know and honestly not bothered and if I did know I might be inclined too stop.
Our costs will be high because we move a lot never stayed anywhere longer than a week and usually 2 or 3 days max so fuel is our biggest cost. But that suits us we like to explore so the thought of staying parked in the same place for weeks would be like a prison sentence.
Motorhoming certainly is'nt cheap or cost efficient compared to traditional alternative's and isn't for everyone.
A fuel efficient car and decent B&B is probably cheaper.
Personally motorbike travel is my favourite form of travel by miles but although Jan enjoys it she won't rough it all the time hence the van.
If cost is a concern don't buy a motorhome.

 

[Armytwowheels]

If cost is a concern don't buy a motorhome.

But it's wise to know you can afford it before you start!

Personally we live a less expensive life in the motorhome than we ever did in a house and we feel richer and more fulfilled because of it. If we didn't keep any eye on the pennies it would be very easy to spend to much.

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[Four of us]

I think one of the nice things about motorhoming is that once you have the van and allow for the running costs you can spend as little or much as you want/are able to. We try to keep more or less the same level of expenditure as at home so as not to use up our savings. And we are seeing so many places we would otherwise be missing.. We all have different budgets and expectations and I am often shocked by how little some people can live on and how much others spend!

 

[yodeli]

JJ
3/6d a week when his French mistress is at home, otherwise 4/2d with all the extra treats he gives her,
Thats what she told me anyway

....You probably mean "all the treats SHE gives him". I will accept though : "All the treats they give each other" , it'll be fair enough!

 

[Our Bumble]

I'm sure I mustn't be the only one on basic money who must feel like they've been punched in the stomach reading this and yet feeling proud they are managing to keep their mh on the road. ..

I have to think about every food, water, heating bill etc in order to make sure I cover my costs .. looks like my dream of more meets, rallies and travelling next year are right out the window.

You are not alone.

 

[sylvester1954]

The big saving for us is wildcamping in the UK and abroad. September just gone we wildcamped alot around south Wales over 3 and a bit weeks. We only used a camp site three times in that period mainly for a mains hook up and decent showers. It was far easier in Wales than we expected. Likewise in a 3 month tour of France we wildcamped/aires 5 out of every 7 days. The greatest cost is fuel of course apart from an even biggest cost - paying rental on our base back in the UK even though its empty when we are travelling....

 

[Huwmari]

Don't know and honestly not bothered and if I did know I might be inclined too stop.
Our costs will be high because we move a lot never stayed anywhere longer than a week and usually 2 or 3 days max so fuel is our biggest cost. But that suits us we like to explore so the thought of staying parked in the same place for weeks would be like a prison sentence.
Motorhoming certainly is'nt cheap or cost efficient compared to traditional alternative's and isn't for everyone.
A fuel efficient car and decent B&B is probably cheaper.
Personally motorbike travel is my favourite form of travel by miles but although Jan enjoys it she won't rough it all the time hence the van.
If cost is a concern don't buy a motorhome.[/QUOTE

We too move on most days so fuel is our main cost. I can't see how a fuel-efficient car and decent B&B could possibly be any cheaper than staying on (mostly free) aires. Once you have purchased the MH, I think it is easy to achieve very cheap, enjoyable trips, saving loads of money on accommodation.

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[cruiser]

I am lucky in the fact that my house is all paid for. And so is my 26 year old van. we still have to be careful . But I just love my trips abroad.

 

[busby]

Do the costs people are quoting include the cost of maintaining a vacant property and vehicle back in the UK?

I save money when i leave my uk property,,,No heating, no water bills, no internet,,,It really reduces my winter bills,,BUSBY.

 

[busby]

If you stay on a site budget say 16 euros,,,if you move and drive say 30 euros,,poses a mathematical problem,,if you use aires less so..if you wild camp,,stay put and its cheap....BUSBY

 

[Snowbird]

Although I have never toured for a full 12 months in Europe, I have done some long tours. What I can say is that the longer you go for, the cheaper it is. My reasoning behind this is that the biggest expense when travelling for us Brits is fuel and ferry costs. These are much the same whether you go for a week or 6 months.
Secondly, for those that think European touring is out of there financial reach, add up the cost of fuel going to meets and shows during the summer in the UK. I know some of the shows are value for money, but it all adds up when doing maybe 6 per year. I know what it cost when I was running an RV around the UK shows, doing maybe 6 shows and a couple of weekends down on Shell Island. It turned out cheaper to run it down to Benidorm and pay discount camping charges for 6 months in the winter than it did running around in the UK. You still have to eat whether in the UK or anywhere else, so that is a standing charge, but I find fresh food cheaper in Europe than the UK. The only extra expense is campsite fees of perhaps 15 Emus per day on a long term pitch. This includes electric and water which you would not be using at home. Gas in Spain is a quarter of the price of UK gas, and you do not need the heating on all day as you would in the UK. Of course you still have the same household expenses that you would have had you been living in the UK, but you would have them anyway, whether living there or not, only not so much gas, electric and water. UK summer touring and European winter touring costs much the same and becomes a choice for some, one or the other. If it were a choice for me, then I know which choice I would make and am sorry to say that sitting in some rain soaked field such as Peterborough in a UK summer would not come very high on my wish list, but if that is your choice then its right for you. Long term European travel does not have to be out of the reach of anyone that can afford to buy a motorhome in the first place. I have done it in motorhomes that have cost less than £4000 and more than £30000 to buy, but the enjoyment was the same in both. Of course there are some that have no wish to travel outside the UK, preferring to meet up with friends at UK meets, but that is there choice if that is what they want to do and I respect that choice,but that is exactly what it is, a choice. If I had a choice I would go back to my roots and spend the rest of my life on the road but because of health issues I have to be in the UK every 90 days and this sometimes involves a flight home, but if you book well in advance this is not cost prohibitive. Anyone can do it if they want to badly enough. You dont have to be a millionaire, but I would imagine if you were it would help .

 

[Snowbird]

Do the costs people are quoting include the cost of maintaining a vacant property and vehicle back in the UK?

Property has to be maintained whether its vacant or occupied. Standing charges such as council tax etc are the same either way. Its only the cost of utility bills that are saved when you are not there.

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