Touring in England (1 Viewer)

[LesW]

Anyone toured in England?

Is it the same as France or Spain?

Can you just turn up and expect a pitch without having to book in advance?

I've never booked in advance when traveling in Europe either on my motorcycle or in our motorhome, what are others experiences in England?

I'm thinking of giving it a go .

 

[Southdowners]

I would say the biggest difference would be the traffic. In Europe its a pleasure to drive - its a nightmare in the UK... well down south it is!

As for sites... I guess a lot depends on the time of year.

 

[Cat53]

We use CLs and there are plenty of choices. Ring ahead on the day would be my advice. And head north for slightly less traffic.

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[hilldweller]

Can you just turn up and expect a pitch without having to book in advance?

Just about no chance for the popular locations, like the Lake District and Peak District. Far too many MHs and not enough "popular" sites in UK.

 

[Allanm]

We just did a 6 week tour of the UK, starting at Dover, up to Ramsgate then on to Suffolk and Norfolk, across to Derbyshire, Notts, Warwickshire then over to South and Mid Wales, returning to Dover via Suffolk.
I wouldn’t want to tour the UK again anytime soon.
We tried using Britstops, but quite a few pubs and farm shop type stopovers were inaccessible in a van. Seems they just use the Britstops book for cheap advertising. We tried a few campsites ( always had to ring ahead to see if they were open), most are very expensive for a soggy field and many are CC or CCC sites where you have to join to use them. ( we did neither) We found independent campsites to be much nicer. We also used a couple of Aires. (Bury st Edmunds and Canterbury) which were both very good.
Most campsites have no drive over drains or grey waste disposal points which are usually high up ( old toilet or built up drain) or very difficult to access.
On the other hand, France has Aires and service points with drive over drains everywhere and it’s easy to be spontaneous.

 

[LesW]

Thanks for the replies, doesn't sound very promising, I love touring France (and Spain), got no interest in touring England, but the wife is keen to see more of it..

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[ronidog1]

Touring the UK is great. Sometimes we book ahead others we just turn up. Certified sites are all different just read the description,. Never had a problem with the van at a Britstop. I suppose we are all different in what we need. I eam happy emptying the waste tank using ea bucket. We only tour the UK.

 

[Lenny HB]

When we changed from tugging to a Motorhome 10 years ago we virtualy gave up with the UK far too difficult, we live on the South Coast find it so much easier to go south.
The boss is talking about doing some of the UK I'm dreading it. Can't stand having book to as we never know where we are going, like to find a nice village or forest or a hill and stop, doesn't work very well in the UK.

 

[LesW]

Touring the UK is great. Sometimes we book ahead others we just turn up. Certified sites are all different just read the description,. Never had a problem with the van at a Britstop. I suppose we are all different in what we need. I eam happy emptying the waste tank using ea bucket. We only tour the UK.

Not at all interested in joining any 'Clubs' thanks.. I may try Britstops.

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[PP Bear]

We regularly tour the UK. Loved every minute of it so far. It's easy to be negative and dismiss it, but it'll depend on your requirements, your needs and how adventurous you are.

We hate campsites as they're so overpriced and have saved a fortune over the past 3 years when I stopped using them. Instead I use my iPad and Google Earth to find some amazing places to park up for as long as we wish.

Some are seafronted locations, others woods or wood lines and sometimes I park on a street if I want to explore a town. I usually look for a large Tesco, Sainsbury's or Morrisons etc, as I can park in most of them for 2 hours while I check out some towns and then move to the wild camp location after I've stocked up, used the toilet and often dumped the dumps.

Also have had 99% success rate with @BritStops and found them to be very friendly and very helpful too.

Give it a try, be imaginative and embrace the adventure, your SWMBO will love it.

 

[ronidog1]

Not at all interested in joining any 'Clubs' thanks.. I may try Britstops.

certified site are from 'clubs'. They are only for 5 vans

 

[LesW]

certified site are from 'clubs'. They are only for 5 vans

Do you have to be a club member to use them?

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[hilldweller]

but the wife is keen to see more of it..

That's you stuffed. Commiserations.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Do you have to be a club member to use them?

Yes you do. However, think of the joining fee for the club to be the same as buying the britstop guide or the ACSI books. It allows you access to some wonderful locations and on the CL's for a fair price. You don't have to join in any "clubbing" activities.

 

[LesW]

That's a point Annie, I'll check that out.

I'm under the impression that club(s) membership is rather expensive though at £40-£50 a year?.. But I'll have a look.

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[hilldweller]

membership is rather expensive though at £40-£50 a year?.

So how much is a tank of diesel and how long does that last !

The sites are expensive too. Some of them are worth it, like Braithwaite Fold, Kendle, when you can get a pitch that is.

It's your choice, some MHers camp down dirt tracks and struggle to manage water/waste and are happy with low cost MHing, some pay for service.

 

[LesW]

I have no problem paying for service at all, I don't t.hink joining a club is the answer for me though.. ie just turning up and hoping for a pitch.

 

[Allanm]

Our first Britstop was the Pleasureboat Inn on the Broads. Lovely spot, nice pub and great walks along the waterways. We were very impressed. We tried 4 others after that. First one was a pub with supposed parking for 5 vans. We drove into the car park and had to reverse out, there was nowhere to park one van let alone 5. As we were leaving, a member of the staff came out and told us there was nowhere to park a van if the pub was open!
Not good.
Next was a farm shop, we were told parking was against their fence next to the road but our van wouldn’t fit without sticking out into the busy road.
Then we tried a canal side stop in Rugby, but we couldn’t get in. The road was covered in mud and lorries and fork lift trucks were working everywhere.
Another one we tried near Hereford had no space to park.
But, we did find a couple more that were good. One was at the back of a garden centre in Melton Mowbray. Nice cooked breakfast in the morning, and another was a pub in Wales on the Old Abergavenny Road near Abergavenny. Great food and lots of space in the overflow car park.
I suppose if you find a good one, they are great, but I would never rely on them.
Best advice I can give is to use independent campsites, but they can be expensive and awkward to use in a motorhome.

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[Richard Hodge]

Not at all interested in joining any 'Clubs' thanks.. I may try Britstops.

You seemed to have joined this one though!

 

[LesW]

Good point, well made...

This is good value though (for me).