To Plan or not to Plan

Eddieb

Eddieb

Joined
Oct 9, 2020
Posts
85
Likes collected
133
Funster No
76,695
MH
Dethleffs Trend 7057
Exp
2018
Having read a lot of posts on the forums about the joys and freedom a motorhome brings we are wondering are we just a little too "stuffy" (Cant think of another term) by totally planning our trips. We are just about to set off on our third European grand tour and apart from Aires, Plattz and Sosas every campsite is booked and a calendar of the the trip is printed off (A little example of one of the months enclosed) As for Aires and other free sites we like to get there early to secure a place and then explore the area in the afternoon and evening. We usually only do about 2-3 hours between stops.
april.jpg
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Our planning is meticulous and I have b c and d plans available. But ultimately we have a furthest destination (Luxembourg on this occasion) and return.
4 days in and we have achieved only one of the 4 things planned. But I have a beer in my hand so planning is working for us
 
Upvote 0
I like the scope of your tour but we're the opposite. We prefer to leave things open-ended.
We're just back from a trip to Spain and Portugal, the weather in N Spain was awful so we drove south until it improved.
We'd never been to Sagres and we liked it there so we stayed a bit longer. Some times it causes issues - one morning we tried 3 different sites until we found a pitch - but we like the flexibility.
We plan to travel to Norway later in the year and I think we'd better book the Hirtshal ferry in advance and that gives me kittens. What if we arrive too late? Or too early? Or its raining?
 
Upvote 0
We also have a furthest destination in mind and don’t plan in between but we (I say we, but it falls to me) are then left getting maps out, hunting through the apps to check overnight places and making decisions every day. That can be tedious especially if trying to factor in weather, which place will be nicer etc.
Having a detailed plan can mean you are more relaxed and maybe it is more like a guided tour, no decisions to make.
A bit of both is the ideal way. 🙂
Nothing booked in advance to make it easier to change plans.
 
Upvote 0
When we first went to France and Spain we booked, but these days we don't bother unless it's August

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
Other than tickets for ferries to guarantee availability due to demand, (Italy-Greece as an example), we usually have a couple of events pre-booked, such as the opera in Arena Verona or on Lake Constance at Bregenz, to act as anchor points for a trip. Thereafter we just fill in the gaps as we go along and see what the journey brings. It might mean a simple overnight here or a few days elsewhere if we find something interesting.
 
Upvote 0
When we used to book I found it harder to find a booked site than just picking a site on the sat nav
Finding a site in the side without a postcode is not always easy.
 
Upvote 0
Having no plans is far more relaxing.
We only choose a big area and head there.
We spend the day slowly driving and stopping when we se any worth a closer look.
About 4.00 we search the area with an app for a suitable Aire or Stellplatz near by and that's where we stay overnight.
We even love being supprised by it all.
 
Upvote 0
It would be a bit "set in stone" for our liking.OK for the UK where sites can be harder to book on the day.
At the end of the day though, it's your holiday, so just enjoy.
Mike.
 
Upvote 0
Eddieb said:
Having read a lot of posts on the forums about the joys and freedom a motorhome brings we are wondering are we just a little too "stuffy" (Cant think of another term) by totally planning our trips. We are just about to set off on our third European grand tour and apart from Aires, Plattz and Sosas every campsite is booked and a calendar of the the trip is printed off (A little example of one of the months enclosed) As for Aires and other free sites we like to get there early to secure a place and then explore the area in the afternoon and evening. We usually only do about 2-3 hours between stops.View attachment 724737
Click to expand...
Love it!! A man after my own heart. We’re off to Germany in April and Spain/Andorra/France in September. All sites for Germany booked and entered on my spreadsheet which I can see on all my devices. For me and no doubt yourself planning the holiday is part of the fun - every site researched for restaurants and facilities etc. We’ve been doing it this way for years and it works for us. I fully accept other people may wish to have a looser less rigid schedule, planning as they go along. Maybe it’s because I’m a worrier that I prefer to book in advance but there you go!!
 
Upvote 0
I love a good plan and spend most of my time between holidays planning the next one. We usually end up with a day-by-day plan for the first 75% of the trip including mileage and expected driving time....though apart from the tunnel we don't actually book anything. The plan will go through multiple amendments over the months and weeks leading up to the trip, but by the time we're on the tunnel we generally have a pretty clear plan for the next week or two.

But now comes the "but"..... I don't think we've ever actually stuck 100% to the plan :LOL: We'll follow it as long as it makes sense (ie. weather and how we feel) and it makes for a nice relaxing start when you don't need to think about the next stop. But by the time we're half way through the plan has usually fallen by the wayside somewhere. Which means we the need to find a bar to sit with a few drinks, maps, apps and a pad of paper to plan our next step. Its a hard life :giggle:

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
Planning like that would do my head in.
I've just booked a ferry for the end of the month, where are we going France/Spain/Portugal, wherever don't really know. Try to avoid campsites certainly wouldn't book one.

Last year April in Spain was freezing in the low 20°'s went back to France for a nice warm 30°, if had things booked we would have been stuffed
 
Upvote 0
At least you had a starting point. As they say “What’s the point of having a mind if you’re not prepared to change it”. I know what you mean though, holidays can seem to take on a life of their own!
 
Upvote 0
We have a general idea of the area we want to explore/revisit. But if the weather is bad we just go where the sun is. I used to do a lot of planning, but the channel got a bit clogged up with the paper it was written on being thrown off the ferry as soon as we got on board I have given up now :giggler:
The only time we ever book pitches is in this country or if we want a particular pitch on a French campsite - other wise just get there early especially in August. September no problem.
Sue
 
Upvote 0
I am the ultimate planner, possibly came from my job, or maybe the job followed my bent, who knows. When it comes to Camping/motorhoming though I never book. I would hate to be working to a schedule. I have included stopover planning when meeting up with relatives or friends but usually we just get off the ferry and start driving.

We don't book a return ferry as We don't want that pressure.

We don't prebook sites. We get to somewhere where we feel like stopping and if there isn't a sign saying camping I usually open the sat nav and drive to the nearest.
 
Upvote 0
The only thing I have ever booked is ferries, and in particular the Adriatic to ensure 'camping on deck' because the spaces go very quickly after bookings open, so we have Ancona-Patras booked for Sept and return end Oct, but had to choose another than ideal date for return even booking before Christmas 2022.

This year we have already booked for N&B factory and Morelo Open Days, but that is unusual.

The rest of the time we use traditional Aires/Stellplatz and wildcamping so no booking - 'Free as Birds' are we.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
Here's my plan for our Languedoc adventure in April.
Probably 150 stopover possibilities 50 or so wild swimming spots. Half a dozen cycling routes. All the beaux villages and some obscurities we want to see/do.
No chance of getting them all done but we will start somewhere in there and finish somewhere in there.
We have a B and C plan in case of weather.
Screenshot_2023-03-09-17-25-34-07_3d9111e2d3171bf4882369f490c087b4.jpg
 
Upvote 0
Lenny HB said:
Last year April in Spain was freezing in the low 20°'s went back to France for a nice warm 30°, if had things booked we would have been stuffed
Click to expand...

And that's another reason we chose to have a mobile holiday home :clap2:

If its crap -- for whatever reason -- move on:hi5:
 
Upvote 0
suavecarve said:
Here's my plan for our Languedoc adventure in April.
Probably 150 stopover possibilities 50 or so wild swimming spots. Half a dozen cycling routes. All the beaux villages and some obscurities we want to see/do.
No chance of getting them all done but we will start somewhere in there and finish somewhere in there.
We have a B and C plan in case of weather. View attachment 724808
Click to expand...

That area looks interesting for our next months tour:hugs:
I'm planing a visit now - we might get there -- but who knows?:Eeek:

en.wikipedia.org

Languedoc - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
Upvote 0
Usually book first site and have a planned route.
Plan usually last till about day two
Last year we were heading for the Baltic coast of Germany
I'm sure we will get there sometime :unsure: and if we don't it doesn't matter.
Had a great holiday anyways :dance2:
 
Upvote 0

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top