We are about to embark on a 5 week tour of N England and Scotland with our caravan. We are not doing the NC500! We are staying at sites and using them as bases to visit all the places we want to go to!
We have never been away so long. I'm thinking/worrying about food (meals) and clothes. It is just OH, myself and our two elderly girls!
Any and all recommendations about how to live in van for so long, gratefully received. I have a small slow cooker and just bought a small (low watt) air fryer.
I've booked some site with laundry facilities, to keep on top of the washing. Anything else I've not thought about?? As usual, I've planned and booked everything, so feeling the pressure! OH has to just turn up and drive!
------------- 2026
Various weekends, weather and time permitting
April - Yorkshire and Yorkshire
June - Wiltshire and Oxfordshire
Autumn - North and Scotland
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We always keep an emergency meal in the van of dried pasta, a jar of tomato sauce and a tin of tuna. If we need to eat it, we replace it at the next supermarket. Also your favourite crackers in case you can't get bread. Not quite the same but better than nothing.
On a 3 week holiday I do 1 load of washing half way through. I've never been away longer than 3 weeks so can't help any more. Except, don't forget washing detergent. I suppose in 5 weeks you will need to wash bedding/towels.
How do you do meal planning at home? No different when away. A list of meals you like and plan accordingly. Just buy fresh produce when needed. Lots of really good farm shops to visit.
Same with laundry. Plan where laundrettes are. Our local supermarket has a Revolution Laundry. Machines located outside so you can wash and dry while you shop and detergent is included.
We've noticed that an increasing number of supermarkets have washing machines and dryers outside.
When touring we just stock up whenever we pass a town with a supermarket and then use local shops in between - we do though take bulk supplies of non-perishable foods with us in the car, long-life milk and various cans.
Post last edited on 22/08/2026 17:29:07
Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!
Don't worry, you'll soon get into a routine! We regularly go away for 6 or 7 weeks at a time (mostly to France). Take a selection of clothes and footwear for all eventualities (but not too many!), use on-site or supermarket washing machines as and when (but especially when the weather is decent so you can dry outside - take a washing line and pegs with you), plan your meal shopping around when you're moving on, and check out the available supermarkets etc for where you'll be in advance. We too always keep tinned/dried "emergency provisions" just in case.
Most importantly, if your girls are particular about what they eat, make sure you have sufficient stocks for the holiday, unless it is readily available.
Also, if you are on regular medication, make sure you have enough to last beyond your return - we often have to order our prescriptions early or request extra supplies due to holidays.
I loaded up the fridge with a small freezer compartment, as well as a 28L thermoelectic coolbox that sits on the passenger seat with provisions, leavning enough room for some drinks.
I would advise bulk cook and/or prep in advance at home would help, such as chopping up meat joints into chunks, portioned into single serving portions for the slow cooker to cook one pot meals with additional vegetables and some starch such as potatoes or pasta/rice/pulses etc...
I would struggle with just a slow cooker and a small airfryer myself, and would supplement the set up with a low wattage single burner induction hob such as the one made by Vango, so that I could boil or pan-fry using inexpensive induction ready pans made by Scoville.
For a 3-week trip, I needed to do at least one grocery shop to top up both fresh food such as diary products as well as dog food.
When I arrived at a site, I would check if both the washing machine and the dryer were operational. This way, I would not end up with a big load of washing without enough space for drying as I diske drying my washing in public. I carry sheet detergent and a washing line with clips in my van and could do small loads by hand for the items to dry inside the van.
In case you have not been to Scotland before, I would advise stopping to top up with fuel whenever you come across a fuel station, and perhaps pick up some provisions at the same time; especially when travelling in the remote parts of the Highlands.
When I plan my trips, I recce for fuel stations, grocery shops, pharmacies and vets.
Would I be able to cope with 5 weeks away? Probably, just need to do more grocery top ups and washings. However, it is difficult enough to find 3 weeks to go away let alone 5 weeks due to work and other commitments.
And yes to carrying enough regular medications, and also medication for the pets.
All based on my own experience and personal preferences, etc. etc..
Good luck with your trip!
DK
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Scotland: agree, refuel when you can in remote areas, it won’t be cheap on the islands. Look out for honesty boxes for eggs & treats (home made cakes etc), we buy local if at all possible, to put money back into the area. Always stop at a seafood shack (eg Ullapool, Skipness on Kintyre, lobster on Gigha & at harbours like Craig).
As for clothes - one on, one spare / in the wash ie max 2 of everything (bar undies). On several trips, I have guessed the weather wrong (expected hotter or colder), and bought from a charity shop. Shoes - walking & sandals (recently added something for heading to shower), but if you’re planning on hill walking, you’ll know the kit you need.
I take 1:50,000 OS maps for where we’re going because we go walking with our cocker spaniel & rural areas won’t have mobile signal, phone batteries can die. Plus 1:250,000 OS - Scotland is covered by 3 maps (south, north, west) ideal for long distance planning.
Finally, if you can, be flexible. I appreciate that some people prefer to book every site well in advance, but we only book the first stop - we might want to stay longer somewhere because there’s more to do than we’d expected, or find one afternoon there is actually enough; plus, the weather can be great in one area & not another - we planned a longer stay at Dingwall but the sky stayed flat white & I couldn’t stand it, so we upped sticks & went to the west coast in Argyll where the sun shone & skies were blue & the sunsets were glorious.
We have been away for up to a month, not in the UK though. General advice would be to have at least one spare waterproof coat in case one gets soaked through, plus extra towels especially if you are travelling with a dog. Not sure how bothered you are about watching the TV but signal can be non existent, usually on the wettest most miserable night, so it might be worth downloading some films or series onto a tablet or laptop. Medication and first aid kit - more than you think you’ll need because things tend to go awry when pharmacies are shut ! A largish jug or Brita filter jug is useful to fill the kettle - site taps can be very random and it’s nice to have a cuppa first before doing the water chores or when you are getting low !
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Topic: Tour of N England and Scotland
via mobile 22/8/2026 at 7:23pm
