How do you plan your trips? (1 Viewer)

[Palmeat]

Hello
We're newbies and looking forward to collecting our first motorhome (Carthago Chic C-Line) in March. We've booked a few days in March and April (basically visiting areas we already know, to build confidence) and now have a fortnight in early June to plan. We're thinking Scotland and have some ideas, but having decided a broad destination, how do you experienced motorhomers start planning the detail? How do you plan your route; how do you select your sites; how long (typically) do you stay on each site?
We're proposing a couple of stops on the way up (from West Sussex) and are targeting West Coast of Scotland - with a couple of stops on the return journey.
Any advice and tips appreciated.
Thank you
Palmeat

 

[Jaws]

Very careful planning we tend to do..

We usually start planning about oohhh as long as three or four days in advance.. Chuck the satnav in the van, fill up with diesel and go

The van is always ready to get going cos we use it so often ( very often just a one nighter somewhere, but still out in it )..

Some folk get a buzz out of months of planning.. If we tried that I doubt we would ever go anywhere !

 

[stcyr]

We live in ours and park it wherever we fancy .... :thumb:

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[lorger]

We normally start planning our weekend away on thursday nights lol.

One of the reasons we bought the mh was for the freedom. When we go abroad to places like France we booked our crossing and decide on a rough route we want to do and just go we very rarely book sites and when we do turn up we only book in for a night or two if we like it we see if we can stay longer if we dont we move on.

If coming to Scotland dont forget the South West as in Dumfries and Galloway some lovely places for the mh and loads of wildcamping if you need any help on Scotland just ask.

 

[scotjimland]

Rarely plan a trip in any great detail.. but do like researching sites, routes, and any attractions .. it helps fill the long dark winter nights .. and gives us something to look forward to.
Nothing more enjoyable than laying on the floor with a map and trying to envisage the route..

Other times we just set off in a general direction with no plan.. usually toward Dover, get on the next ferry and turn right at Calais.

 

[Craig Rogers]

Hmm, as I'm quite a newcomer, my trips are planned in such detail, the military would like them.

Back in December, I decided to do a Tour de France trip in July, it's already planned out and ready to go. I also planned the Lake Garda trip for April in full detail.

This is roughly what I do.

1. Use Google Maps to work out the route
2. Then search on here (and other places) for any changes to the route and make the change in the Google Map.
3. Search for any sites or Aires and add them into the route
4. Make a spreadsheet (yes, I know) of all the stops, distances and rough times and keep the link to the route.

I then end up with something like this to work from

Broken Link Removed

This is the Tour de France trip and as you can see, has all the stops on there. Normally it would have my home address on there 1st and last too, but this just shows from Calais

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[hilldweller]

(from West Sussex) and are targeting West Coast of Scotland - with a couple of stops on the return journey.
Any advice and tips appreciated.
Thank you
Palmeat

Go the other way !

Scotland can be grand, thanks to work I know it well, but hop over the channel and there are so many more facilities there's no comparison. And usually the weather is good and the midges are all on holiday in Scotland.

 

[pappajohn]

west coast in June !......i wouldnt worry too much about route planning, i would worry about what midge repellents, and quantity, i'd be taking

 

[Jaws]

Just had a thought.....

This should really emphasise the sort of planning we go for..

Pretty soon we are off to Spain for a wee while.. The daughter is running the firm for me so that bit is sort of planned

The ferry is booked ( cos its cheaper to book it months in advance )

The pitch is booked ( we left a deposit on it as we left last year )

And thats it.. really.. that is absolutely it
Woman will get a few days grub to chuck in the van on Friday.. so we do not have to worry about finding shopping until we get down to Zahora. ( ohh.. thought ! I did actually buy a new aires book but truth be told I bet we end up stopping with the lorries on garage stops. Easier and more convenient )

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[darklord]

Go the other way !

Scotland can be grand, thanks to work I know it well, but hop over the channel and there are so many more facilities there's no comparison. And usually the weather is good and the midges are all on holiday in Scotland.

Definatly agree with the above, go the other way. Jockland is stunning, as are the people (well those that aint down here), knock off the 1 hr ferry crossing, and look at the hourage you would spend getting to jockland, then look at where it would take you if you go the other way. I can get from the Dartford Crossing to Luxembourg quicker than i can get to manchester.......have a think about it, and if youve not driven abroad before,...1) most satnavs put you on the right side of the road making it easier 2) once youve done it,..........you'll do it again and again.

 

[Palmeat]

Thanks everyone - some interesting tips so far (now worrying about midges). As we're still working we have to plan well in advance - but hope to be retiring later this year which will allow greater flexibility. Good to see at least one other funster with OCD in the planning department!
The new van is LHD with the specific intention of spending extended breaks in Europe, but thought we'd do some limited touring relatively closer to home first.
When you've chosen your destination and route, how do you select your campsite from the seemingly hundreds on offer - or is making some mistakes along the way part of the fun (back to OCD I suppose - we'd ideally like a perfect spot every time!)
Thanks again.

 

[Lindylooj]

We're newbies too have only used van 3 times but off to rally next weekend. We have 2 weeks in June and planned to tour around North Wales as we have never been to the area. Really used goggle earth to see the camp sites, check out public transport as we dont have a car to tow and whats in the area. We did a mix of sites and some CL to save a bit on cost. Think it 1 - 3 nights max and has cost about £200 for sites. As I say we're new to it all too so come year 5 we may be a bit more switched on and have learnt a lot more from the lads and lasses on here. Have fun

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[tomm]

Hello
We're newbies and looking forward to collecting our first motorhome (Carthago Chic C-Line) in March. We've booked a few days in March and April (basically visiting areas we already know, to build confidence) and now have a fortnight in early June to plan. We're thinking Scotland and have some ideas, but having decided a broad destination, how do you experienced motorhomers start planning the detail? How do you plan your route; how do you select your sites; how long (typically) do you stay on each site?
We're proposing a couple of stops on the way up (from West Sussex) and are targeting West Coast of Scotland - with a couple of stops on the return journey.
Any advice and tips appreciated.
Thank you
Palmeat

========
You target there in June , then squadrons of midges will be targeting you. Adjust your MH payload to allow for about 6 cases of avon skin so soft spray ( blue pack one ), otherwise you will be chewed to bits by the little sods.

Planning ? depends really. Might be a meet or something we are going to so yes basic planning . Other times can be spur of the moment , so can end up phoning ahead at fairly last moment to check on availability of known pub stops for example.

 

[hilldweller]

========
You target there in June , then squadrons of midges will be targeting you. Adjust your MH payload to allow for about 6 cases of avon skin so soft spray

They enjoyed ours so much they invited their friends round.

 

[upmarkethippy]

Thanks everyone - some interesting tips so far (now worrying about midges). As we're still working we have to plan well in advance - but hope to be retiring later this year which will allow greater flexibility. Good to see at least one other funster with OCD in the planning department!
The new van is LHD with the specific intention of spending extended breaks in Europe, but thought we'd do some limited touring relatively closer to home first.
When you've chosen your destination and route, how do you select your campsite from the seemingly hundreds on offer - or is making some mistakes along the way part of the fun (back to OCD I suppose - we'd ideally like a perfect spot every time!)
Thanks again.

Midges - Eat garlic from at least one week from the start of your journey and keep eating for the duration and you will have very little trouble with the midges.

Campsites - These are signposted from pretty well all major and minor routes so just take a chance.

Mistakes - How will you now when you have fallen upon a good or even better, a great site if you never experiance sites that are not quite upto expectation....

In my opinion all the above - good and bad - is what makes a memorable trip.

You will in time laugh uncontrolably about the bad times and love telling people about the good times.

Above all else, enjoy every minute.

Safe travels

Cheyne

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[Loujess]

We belong to the Caravan Club just so we can use the CLs. Each day, we know where we are heading and I'll call a CL to see if they have space for us. Sometimes, if we are hotfooting to a particular destination, we'll wild camp if the opportunity arises.

When we need to do washing, we'll stop at a site.

In France, we use aires, or ACSI sites if there is washing to do, and have even been known to spend the odd night on a supermarket car park. The trick is not be isolated but stop where there are other vehicles. It feels much safe. Also, Vicarious Books in Folkestone has a great selection of books which lots on here have got.

http://www.vicariousbooks.co.uk/

All the Aires in France is a great book and, if you are travelling out of season, the ACSI book is good since you can easily save the cost of the book by staying at ACSI sites. We also have the Camping Europe book from the Caravan Club, but don't really use that now.

Ivy

 

[pappajohn]

different Avon produces maybe work differently for different folks but the commonest (and most effective) is the green pack.

 

[veevee]

Hmm, as I'm quite a newcomer, my trips are planned in such detail, the military would like them.

Back in December, I decided to do a Tour de France trip in July, it's already planned out and ready to go. I also planned the Lake Garda trip for April in full detail.

This is roughly what I do.

1. Use Google Maps to work out the route
2. Then search on here (and other places) for any changes to the route and make the change in the Google Map.
3. Search for any sites or Aires and add them into the route
4. Make a spreadsheet (yes, I know) of all the stops, distances and rough times and keep the link to the route.

I then end up with something like this to work from

Broken Link Removed

This is the Tour de France trip and as you can see, has all the stops on there. Normally it would have my home address on there 1st and last too, but this just shows from Calais

Hello Craig

The river Saone is one of the secrets of France, some parts from Auxonne to Lyon are the most beautiful river sections in France, in our opinion anyway.

To the ENE of Beaune is the old barge town of St Jean de Losne, I think the post code is 21170. If you know anything about boats in France this was and still is a major hub in France and worth a visit to it's large moorings and marina, they have 3 there. It may be worth a detour if you have the time?
If you go the best view is over the bridge from Losne, park near the bridge and walk up the towpath for a few hundred metres heading upstream, north.

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[Jaws]

I also planned the Lake Garda trip for April in full detail.

Thats a days run ( wellll.. done it in the Smart car in a day, and on one of the bike three times )

Tip for you.. go up through Germany across Austria and drop in to Trento and down.. Hardly any tolls ( unless you dive on the A22 for the last bit ) and some GREAT scenery

Where abouts you going ?

 

[novawight]

Sort of, planning to go to France this year, got ACSI book also Aires of France, thinking of going late may to early June, but still undecided, where to go from Pompy is ten miles away but more expensive, so its that or ferry or tunnel, if I go from Porsmouth, taking fuel and crossings into consideration, it,s £136 more expensive (decisions :Coolecisions) what would you do?, i am traveling on my own in my VW Campervan:Cool:.............Del

 

[makems]

I'm a bit OCD about planning and for our first three month trip to Spain/Portugal last year I spent hours (and hours) planning our route in detail.
After the fourth day I threw the plan away because some of the places were so nice or interesting or both we wanted to stay longer or just wander about.
Later last year we had a nice long trip to France where the only element of a plan we had was the ferry bookings.
What I am still OCD about is making sure I have all the info with me that I need to find somewhere to stay and what to do when we get there. I therefore carry numerous map books, Rough Guides, "All the Aires" by Vicarious, ACSI, Bord Atlas and numerous dowloaded POI files from Fun and anywhere else I can get them from.
We stay mostly on Aires, wild camp a bit and use ACSI sites. We only stay on "proper" camp sites when we have to.
When we get tired of a place I get out the maps, books, laptop, etc and we decide where to go next. We usually have plenty of time so never try to travel very far in a single day preferring to spend our time looking about and relaxing.
This is only our second year, and I'm sure that when we have been doing this as long as some of the other regulars on here I'll have visited and know enough places to wing it without as many books and guides.
Most of my working life was spent travelling on planes and living out of hotels which was very stressful, always having a timetable, always having to be somewhere at a specific time. The beauty of motorhoming for us is the freedom it gives us to go pretty much where we want, when we want and change our minds as often as we want.
I love it

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[Mr Colpot]

Weekends we tend to say on Thusday - where shall we go this weekend. We just go local on CS sites near a Pub/Takeaway
When going longer (normally to France) we just book tunnel and then use Aires/France Passion/ACSI on the hoof. In the past when we planned trips to France we never got where we had planned so we stopped planning. We just have an area in mind (eg this year its the Dordogne) but we dont fret if we dont get there!

 

[JOHNSTEY]

We live near the east coast of Scotland and have regularly been up the west coast. Personally I would always advise going in May as it's empty, free of the midges and quite often has good weather.Sites are few and far between but are easy to get on to as they are not busy.We love going to France and Spain but Scotland when it's good is unbeatable.Miles of empty beaches and space.:thumb:
Last spring we went via Benderloch/Gairloch/Kinlochbervie/Durness/Brora/Fortrose which was a wonderful trip.
If you can get on the front row at Gairloch (pitches 1-5 as I remember) you will get a view to die for! Make sure you get to the beach at Oldshoremore........amazing.On top of the cliff at Durness during a gale is also fantastic! We didn't book anything in advance.We tend not to as we like to have a phone signal and not everywhere has one (true in areas of England still as well as the Highlands)We are about to head off to Spain next week and nothing is booked not even the ferry!
Happy travels and I hope you make it up to Scotland.You won't be disappointed.:thumb:

John and Carole

 

[RollingRog]

erm! get up in morning, get in van and go! thats as much planning as my brain can do these days! we have great fun finding things out as we go. Trouble with plans is life gets in the way.
Good Luck and Happy Travelling

Rolling Rolling Rolling Keep Those Doggies Rolling:thumb:

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[DESCO]

We live near the east coast of Scotland and have regularly been up the west coast. Personally I would always advise going in May as it's empty, free of the midges and quite often has good weather.Sites are few and far between but are easy to get on to as they are not busy.We love going to France and Spain but Scotland when it's good is unbeatable.Miles of empty beaches and space.:thumb:
Last spring we went via Benderloch/Gairloch/Kinlochbervie/Durness/Brora/Fortrose which was a wonderful trip.
If you can get on the front row at Gairloch (pitches 1-5 as I remember) you will get a view to die for! Make sure you get to the beach at Oldshoremore........amazing.On top of the cliff at Durness during a gale is also fantastic! We didn't book anything in advance.We tend not to as we like to have a phone signal and not everywhere has one (true in areas of England still as well as the Highlands)We are about to head off to Spain next week and nothing is booked not even the ferry!
Happy travels and I hope you make it up to Scotland.You won't be disappointed.:thumb:

John and Carole

Have to agree with your post, have done the same trip, watched the Gannets diving for fish at Gairloch, at Durness the wind was so strong had to turn round as we could not open the door. WE also never book just see what comes

 

[Wildman]

we have to plan ages in advance because of the need to find animal sitters/gardeners etc. But other thn a rough idea of who we might meet on our travels nothing else is planned or booked other than a ferry if going abroad. We wildcamp so no need to book sites, stay one night and move on. That is how a motorhome is designed to be used rather than a Static caravan type holiday.

 

[knokinonabit]

When we bought our MH late on last year we had a trial weekend in it.
We went to Cleethorpes to visit a friend (parked in their drive and slept in the MH).
Continued down the east coast via the Norfolk Broads to Harwich (I had to see someone regarding the place where I work) and spent the night there parked on the seafront.
Drove back to Yorkshire on Sunday.
We then were in South Africa for 3 weeks attending a wedding/visiting relatives/tommy touristing etc.
On our return Mrs. knokinonabit announced that "we are going to Scotland, NOW".
Went on Monday morning, latish, and stayed in a service station just south of Glasgow.
Tuesday ended up at Fort William via Loch Lomond. A liesurely drive and beautiful scenery.
We then followed the Great Glen to Inverness and then to Aviemore, where we decided that we liked it so much that we turned around and went back again.
Eventually we arrived back home on Sunday afternoon after nearly 1,000 miles.
We never planned anything except that we decided to stay at a Camping & Caravanning Club site at Luss, Loch Lomond, on the last night.
It was one of the most enjoyable weeks I have had in ages.
Plenty of sites, stunning scenery and the friendly locals can (almost) speak English. No offence to any Scots intended. My dad was a Scot and my mother could never understand a word he said when he had had a drink or two. Good planning by him I think.

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[Rayb182]

pm me for west coast Scotland sleepyspots,
one of the lovelyest places to go, we make a point of going every year, spring is the best time, no midges then, anyway have fun,:thumb::thumb:

 

[motorhomelover]

find a map stick in a pin and off we go whoopeee freedom is so nice

 

[Carol]

Scotland absolutely beautiful love going there but I would think twice at that time of the year, I would check the east coast out as they have less midges, and for some reason Scotland seems to have had more than its fair share of rain.

For these reason I would have a plan B, choose another part of the country as a back up check long range weather forecast, if a fair amount of rain is given for Scotland think on plan B.

No matter how beautiful sitting in rain for 4 or 5 days is not the best start to motorhomeing.

I would join at least one of the clubs CC or CCC to give you access to the CL's & CS's. Then decide do you want all country side, or towns, have you got alternative transport bikes / scooter or toad to get around. Definitely have a couple of week ends away to find what you need in the way of food/toiletries/bottle openers/ can openers etc etc.

Will you take your lap top, will you have mifi connection, always handy for asking questions when you are on the move.
Take a ready made chilli (always good with a bottle of red) on the first night (boil in the bag rice) no mess. Then a good joint of gammon cooked, a supply of long life milk, if you are doing Scotland a good few supplies is essential if you are in the Highlands.

What ever you decide to do just keep posting questions in the end a plan will come together.

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