We do both, in the UK we go away for long weekends (3 or 4 nights) and we go abroad at least twice a year for about 6 weeks.
I couldn't not have my regular fix of going away in the UK when we are not abroad, I'd get withdrawal symptoms!! We've always managed to get in somewhere, only this morning I managed to get a pitch on Chatsworth CC site, a site we've never been to before. Someone must have cancelled, TWICE!, because the first time I saw there was 1 pitch on both Friday and Saturday, I couldn't get it booked, someone had pipped me to the post. Tried again about an hour later and it came up with 1 pitch available, so got in quick!
We also do both. We did our main summer camp in Cornwall the year before last because our car was too old to get European break down insurance and had an amazing time as it was a part of the country we'd never been too. However, it wasn't a particularly cheaper holiday and still took forever to get there!
Edited to say the 3rd camp of my signature didn't happen as it rained and rained and rained - if you are booked up on the ferry you are obliged to go, whatever the weather :o)
Even if the weather in the UK was better I would still go abroad - bit more of an adventure and I am a bit of a Francophile. Thought I was going to miss out on a French holiday next year but now going skiing to Les 3 Vallees - can't wait!
Quote: Originally posted by Laurent on 08/11/2009
I would say the UK is about the most inconvenient place in Europe to go camping. You can't get on sites without booking, you get charged £4 for parking by the beach & you get rain & storms in August.
It only takes a couple of hours to cross the channel & you're in the world of cheap diesel. If you don't mind the locals speakin' funny & driving on't wrong side of road, the worlds ya lobster.
A few points:
When you say the UK, you must mean a certain part of the UK. I've never booked a site in advance here (in Scotland or northern England).
Those of you 'down south' are near the channel but for many of us it's a long drive or a very expensive ferry (eg. Rosyth).
Also went to France last summer and the cost of fuel was more than here. In fact, everything cost more.
Only guaranteed sunshine if you go down to the med.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Can you really just set off in your caravan and find a pitch at the end of your journey. without pre-booking? We've certainly not been able to - and we live in the North of England. In France we use sites with full facilities, and I'm sure that if we wanted a site with electric hook-up and toilet block we'd struggle to find one for this weekend - and wouldn't dare just 'turn up' like we do in France. At the very least you'd have to start looking during the week and ring around, and 'chase' pitches. You couldn't decide on a Friday evening that you want a weekend away, pack the caravan and be guaranteed to find a pitch in the town you wanted, or even in the area.
i love caravanning in the Uk there is a lot of it i still want to see , but the one drawback especially living in Wales is the rain July & August was dreadful , while a lot of the south east was dry and 3 or 4 degrees warmer , we went on a package holiday to Italy last May visiting Rome -Sorrento - pompeii , it was beautifull sunshine all the time , but our feet never touched the ground with all the trips , felt like i needed another holiday to recuperate , and the expense was a joke , £7.00 for pint of beer , £40.00 a night for a meal for 2 in the Hotel plus eating during the day , even a small 30 cl bottle of water on the plane was £2.00 , next time we aim to return with our caravan and do everthing at our own pace , food in the shops is about the same price as here , and if you buy at the markets its fresh , we do caravan in France and Spain , and we have never been let down with weather , in fact we are off to spain and France next month for 5 weeks with the van
------------- Luvly Jubbly
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
I've been camping for 25 years and have never been abroad to do it. My missus keels over if the temp gets above 75F and, as others have said, it would add two days and quite a few quid just to get to the ferry.
I'm not bored of Britain yet ... although the weather can be a trial.
------------- * You never know where you're going 'til you get there...
The U.K is just a tiny(and quite intresting) part of a large and fasciating world,ive travelled throughout the world and good weather is not really a factor in my decision on where to visit.Its often a culture or an area I want to visit or somethink I want to do like canoe a section of the congo or climb a mountain.
It still amazes me how little people travel outside of western countries.
A lot on here seem to be drawn to France me included , could there be more to it than you think , last year there was a program on the BBC in the morning tracing families through genetics , they said they have now found a gene in the last few years and they can tell where your relatives lived 20000 ago , and they said that 53% of all Europeans can be traced back to the centre of France , are we like a migrating bird with inner yearning to get back
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Why would you want to stay in the UK?
