Touring Abroad Vs. Touring At Home

[BillyS]

I don't know whether anyone has ever done a survey or questionaire, regarding touring abroad vs touring at home. It would be intersing to have an idea, on the percentage of both sets of Funster Tourers in this Forum. I know many Funsters myself included, prefer to tour abroad, due to the many restrictions imposed on us by Councils, for whatever reasons. We do tour the UK, especially Scotland, but prefer to go abroad for our main Holidays. Many Funsters might not travel abroad for personal reasons, i.e. Health, appointments with Hospitals, Operations, etc, Work committments, looking after Grandkids, etc. I think it would make interesting reading. Your thoughts please.
BillyS

 

[irnbru]

If I was retired I would certainly be spending my time touring warmer sunnier climates. For now I mostly make do with Scotland but should be venturing overseas in Sept for a month hopefully.

 

[BONZO]

We have found that if you want the feedem of the road you have to go to Scotland . as for the uk it's just not the case you have to go to a site no feedem just to stop. Iv never been abroad but we are going next year and by the sounds of it I will not look back . It is a big shame that the UK is so out of touch with motorhoming. But I livein Hope. John n Linda

 

[Deleted member 29692]

We just go wherever we feel like, here or abroad. There's always somewhere new to see

 

[Reallyretired]

Rarely tour in UK for all the usual reasons. Scotland is nice but from where we live is not much nearer than the south of France and the driving is much nicer in France.

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[DBK]

I know many Funsters myself included, prefer to tour abroad, due to the many restrictions imposed on us by Councils, for whatever reasons.

What an odd idea. I go abroad for the weather, the scenery, the wine, the food and just to experience new err... experiences and..... adventures.

I also tour in the UK for the same reasons except the weather and accept the wine costs a bit more.

 

[Jim]

For me its seeing new things and meeting new people, that is easier done abroad, but there are zillions of places I havn't seen in the UK yet. I tell people I've been around the world a few times and I have, but have I? I've still never visited Scotland!

 

[old-mo]

I've still never visited Scotland!

Put it on your to do list...

Spectacular scenery... Lovely people... (Most are.. )... but you have to have the weather right...

 

[JJ]

Weather means abroad for me.

JJ

 

[DP+JAY]

We normaly go abroad but are planning 2 weeks in Scotland later this month all being well( & weather permitting).
We live in a lovely part of the country but it's nearly impossible to tour properly in England.

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[Cat53]

We plan to do both. There is a lot of the UK still to explore and entire continents unvisited in the rest of the world.....so much to see....so little time.

 

[Sundowners]

'Abroad' is a huge and diverse area----so it depends where you go----we love quiet roads, open space easy wild camping and friendly locals, our two favourite places are Portugal (Winter) and Sweden (summer).
In general travelling in UK is more expensive and more difficult.
Nigel

 

[GeriatricWanderer]

'Abroad' is a huge and diverse area----so it depends where you go----we love quiet roads, open space easy wild camping and friendly locals, our two favourite places are Portugal (Winter) and Sweden (summer).
In general travelling in UK is more expensive and more difficult.
Nigel

Interesting Sweden is a summer favourite of yours - not a place I'd think of going.

Do tell why it's your top choice.

Always happy to look at somewhere a bit different.

 

[Mags52]

Even though we're retired we find ourselves torn between the two. There is so much of the UK we have either yet to see or liked so much we want to go back but then again France is so pleasant and varied. So much to see ...

 

[Sundowners]

Interesting Sweden is a summer favourite of yours - not a place I'd think of going.

Do tell why it's your top choice.

Always happy to look at somewhere a bit different.

Wait until you have been-----then you will know

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[Gandhi]

On or two night breaks wild camping in the UK every 3 or 4 weeks. Would NEVER tour the UK because of the expense and the bloody restrictions by little Hitler councillors who don't want us to spend our money there. It seems as though the world and its dog is out to try and fine you or charge you for something on this little island.

Summer holiday spent touring France and helping their balance of payments and economy with our dosh because not only are they relaxed about tourism and motor homes but because they actively try to attract us there.

Currently evaluating the feasibility of spending the winter months down on the Costas long term to avoid our dull, grey cold weather.

Paul

 

[mitzimad]

its just so expensive in uk what with the price of deisel and no aires

 

[Gandhi]

its just so expensive in uk what with the price of deisel and no aires

Same thoughts here.

If councils put as much effort into getting us to spend our money in shops, restaurants and attractions as they do getting their little army of wardens slapping 80 quid parking fines onto windscreens I'm sure the British tourist industry wouldn't be in the shit it is.

Paul

 

[FIDGET]

Personally my preference is France every time, Wife Ann prefers UK , as she doesn't speak french & can't drive, which makes her nervous as both suffer a few health issues & she thinks she would cope better in the UK if any problems. So we have been to UK every year plus every other year do a french trip for 2/3 weeks. although I think I've talked her into going France for a couple of weeks each year as well as several hols in UK.

 

[Cobweb]

Before we bought our Rapido we toured in the UK only . Mainly because we had a small van due to the size of our parking space . 10 days was the maximum time we could stand it . Once we got our Rapido and a place to keep it we headed for Europe usually for about 2 months in the spring and 6 weeks in the autumn and that is pretty much what we have done for the last 8 years. We like the freedom of not having to plan and book ahead. Many times if the weather is bad in the north we head south and keep going till it gets better . We are crossing to Calais on the 12 th of May and I have not got a clue where we will head as yet . Possibly a slow pootle through Champagne and Burgundy and the Moselle and Germany maybe .

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[Lenny HB]

90% of the time we go where we are welcome, so that means very little time spent in the UK it just too much hassle.

 

[Carol]

We retired 10 years ago and made the decision to do every alternative year, 1 year UK next Europe/Morocco and so it has been on our travels overseas we spent a wonderful month touring mainland Greece/ Then 1 Month in Italy And so on over the past 10 years we have spent wonderful winters/springs finding new places to visit in Europe .

Equally on the alternative years we have had fantastic holidays in the UK searching out pretty little villages , quaint sea side resorts, enjoying the wild beautiful scenery of Scotland and enjoyed wonderful walks along the Costal paths in Wales. Spent 2 weeks enjoying London after spending time in various Capitals around Europe thought we should see what London had to offer and enjoyed every minute (in fact we are back there now) cycling the Thames Path and enjoying it.

As for the cost UK has a great deal in the way of CL's and CS's. as well as Fun Rally's unforgettable on Shell Island and the lazy week we spend with Fun at Stratford on Avon cycling along the river walking in the beautiful town watching the raceing and that's for £60 a week.

A bit of research a open mind and both have so much to offer.

 

[Vouty]

Interested in hearing more about Sweden. We were planning to go for our 3 week hol in July, but after looking at the distances have decided to do Scotland this time. We probably need a couple of months to make it relaxing enough.

 

[vwalan]

other than fuel beer and fags uk is possibly the cheapest country in europe to travel.
shame about the weather.
but food clothes vehicle parts etc uk is tops . if uk was as dry and warm as southern eu in winter wouldnt want to go over there . mind only spent 2 winters in uk in the last 20 yrs .

 

[jockaneezer]

Interested in hearing more about Sweden. We were planning to go for our 3 week hol in July, but after looking at the distances have decided to do Scotland this time. We probably need a couple of months to make it relaxing enough.

We met a Swedish couple in France last year (Gravelines) and they said a typical Swedish summer was 11°c and raining ?

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[jongood]

Holidaying in the UK is just a pain!

 

[Gandhi]

Put it on your to do list...

Spectacular scenery... Lovely people... (Most are.. )... but you have to have the weather right...

I suspect the whole anti English culture they seem to be promoting in Scotland, month in month out might be knackering much of their tourism industry up. The thought of driving for 4 or 5 hours to a country inhabited by 5 million people who never seem to miss the opportunity of spouting on about how much they dislike 'my sort' and want nothing to do with us isn't that attractive especially considering it will most likely be cold and wet to boot.

After 5 hours of getting off the Chunnel on the French side I'm enjoying Channel Island type weather, huge empty beaches, rolling countryside broken up only by châteaus and hay bales, wine at a quid a bottle, virtually free accommodation, diesel at a under a quid a litre, empty motorways and wandering around huge relaxed supermarkets looking at food that looks like its come out of a book.

No brainer for us.

 

[Easyliving]

I think a lot of us would prefer to nip over to France if we could. This video by Keith Chesterfield compares stopping in France with England, not a scientific study but it says it all really.



Paul

 

[Judge Mental]

We met a Swedish couple in France last year (Gravelines) and they said a typical Swedish summer was 11°c and raining ?

Dont know where they live,maybe the frozen north, but generally Sweden has short reliable summers. Have been 3 times and love it. Only place it was cold was on the "wilderness way" up in lapland..

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/sweden/weather

 

[Jaws]

This year we will for only the second time, be spending the summer 'doing' the UK ( apart from Ireland due to the silly expensive ferry costs )

The last time out we were lucky and had pretty good weather which helped.. but we also found it DAMNED expensive to say the least.
On top of that, and purely on personal note, I felt little in the way of adventure..
However, due to me getting trapped nerves in my neck we ended up cutting our trip short ( was doing a whole box of pain killers every day !! Not good !!!!! )

This year we will be spending more time north of the border and less time in England.. With the advantages of being able to ( easily ) find beauty spots to free load on ( ) we are hoping for a different result.

For us, so far, Germany Austria and Italy have been our preferred destinations.. Maybe this summers jaunt will change that ?

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