We have owned a caravan for the last 25 years and always enjoyed every minute. But we are now reaching retirement age, so we feel we would like to go on extended tours in Europe. Some of our friends have motorhomes and they say that Europe is more geared up for motorhomes, they use Ayres which are supposed to be very cheap to stay on.
We have never taken the caravan into Europe so these sites are new to us. Could anyone advise us?
are motor homes better than caravans when travelling though Europe?
I think your friends are probably referring to 'Aires de Service Camping Car', probably better explained by Vicarious Books in their advert for lists of them, but which, unlike ordinary motorway aires, are usually provided exclusively for motorhomes and campervans.
I think it will depend on what sort of holiday you envisage. If you want to stay in one place for a week or more there is an advantage in having a car available to get you out and about. A motorhome, whilst it can still be used for longer stays is perhaps better suited to moving on at regular intervals. We spent 25 years touring Europe in a caravan and found it not to be a disadvantage. We have recently (last year) changed to a motorhome. Unfortunately we have only managed to get away for one trip abroad. We tended to look for sites with good public transport links or those close to towns and villages. Good luck with your choice.
We are also retired but would not have a motorhome, the main reason being that if it broke down and had to be taken in for repair, then you are stuck. If the same happened to your car, you can stay in the caravan and hire a car if necessary.
It depends what you want. If you are ok with being self contained & stopping at places with no showers/toilets as on campsites then get a motorhome & stop on 'aires de campingcar' in France. Nowadays usually not free especially in popular areas. Coin in slot facilities for water/toilet tip/ehu or credit card operated barrier entry. At holiday times coastal aires can get absolutely packed & plenty of other parking areas become unofficial aires or overflow areas you still have to pay for.
Of course you can use campsites as well so a motorhome does give you flexibilty but it depends on what campsite you want. If its near a town & shops then no probs if you take bikes because you can go out cycling. If you like sites in more remote rural areas staying for a couple of wks then you could be driving a large m/h out through single track roads to go shopping every few days.
So no better or worse way really. If you like to base yourself mainly on campsites for extended periods, weeks or more & go out on day trips then stay with car/caravan unless you are ok driving out in a large vehicle which does have the advantage of self containment for day trips out with public toilets being uncommon in France.
Also generally in France no daft parking restrictions for motorhomes in towns but even car parking can be difficult in attractive French towns with narrow streets which are even worse for large m/h.
After that its down to budget. Looked at all year a car & caravan makes better economic sense. If you have a motorhome then when you are at home you still need a car. A £20k caravan gives you same space as £60k motor home & you can tow £20k caravan with £20k car which you can use at home so you don't need to buy a £15k car to use when you are not using your £60k motorhome.
Unless you buy a trailer & a Smart car & tow that behind your motorhome. Which is what some people do.
Think about where you want to go. If you like mountains, it is easier to leave your caravan in a site and explore the wiggly bits in a car. Taking a motorhome up and down narrow wiggly roads will not win you many friends among other road users.
We spent a holiday touring in convoy with my brother in law who had a motorhome.
Motorhome won for ease of pee stops and cups of tea when on the move between sites and faster to set up on site.
Caravan won by having more room and a permanent base when we had arrived
Trips to supermarkets, major touristy areas and towns were done in our car. The motorhome was not welcomed in many of the larger supermarkets, consigned to out of town car parks and generally a burden for the rest of the time.
We ended up as the taxi service for all. Great for them, expensive and restrictive for us.
The majority of large supermarkets that I have used HyperU,SuperU normally,have had designated areas for motorhomes, some have Aires in the car parks,I have never been refused access to any supermarket in France,unlike the UK where a lot have height barriers.
Over the past few years motorhomes seem to be outnumbering caravans in France so I can't imagine the supermarkets are going to be too anti.
saxo1
Had caravans and now have a motorhome.
we love the freedom of touring we get from the motorhome and use public transport/park and rides in larger built up places, much better than hassling to find a parking spot.
The motorhome is already set up upon arrival, so no hassle there.
but France, what can I say, amazing for motorhoming!
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: caravans or motorhomes
