50th Birthday Campervan trip.

[Whatjusthappenedthere]

We bought a campervan late last year. Poured all our savings into it. It’s DH’s 50th this year and we have two weeks off together over his birthday. What would you do and where would you go. Limited budget, looking for a round trip. All ideas welcome as we are inexperienced in these matters.

Scotland of course!!

Wher is your start/end part point?

Scotland sounds good - add Northumberland if you're coming up from England

I don’t know the exact costs: therefore could be expensive: but what about overseas to somewhere like France?

What sort of things do you like doing?
Scotland is lovely and you could easily do a trip there is two weeks. Get English Heritage membership and it will get you into most of the Scottish castles/great houses for free.
So is Ireland, and Wales.
Northern France? Belgium? The Netherlands?

Look at the North Coast 500, goes round the north coast of the Highlands, great trip and ideal for camper vans.

www.northcoast500.com

It depends where you are starting from, no point in saying Cornwall if you live in Inverness

Outer Hebrides are stunning, you can ferry hop between the islands, Skye, Mull, Tiree, Barracks, Uist, Harris, etc

I really love the idea of the NC 500 so a otlandcwould be my first choice but it’s not my birthday , it’s DH’s . We live in the NE and he wants to incorporate Portsmouth. The idea of my post was to generate ideas with no preconceptions of a route but if I’m honest he really is set on Portsmouth’s as a destination otherwise I would head straight for Northumberland and Scotland. For what it’s worth I used to live in Cornwall so I can take it or leave it as I know the area lijevthe back of my hand and go to visit family regularly. DH doesn’t want to venture into Wales ir Scotland as he gets vertigo ( seriously) Hopefully you can see why I need help.

Sorry for the typos. But I love your thinking . X

Why does he want to go to Portsmouth? To go to the Dockyard? Not being helpful I’m afraid, just curious.

We were both in the Navy and based in Portsmouth in the early 90’s . It’s changed a lot but we have never been back ( I was born in Gosport but that not really part of the reason to go back ) .

Still not sure what you want here, Op.
Are you National Trust or EH members? You could plan a route south based on properties/events.
Does he like railways - go to all the heritage railways on the journey?
Portsmouth has the Historic Dockyards and the Sutherland Flying boat museum. It has ferries to the Isle of Wight. It’s near the New Forest, Bournemouth and Lymington, lovely area to explore.

You could go over to the Isle of Wight & explore that. I’m not sure how many days it would take.

We 'camped' in disneyland carpark in ours once, which was a bit different! we used tesco vouchers to go on the eurotunnel and you just pay to park for the 24 hrs and renew each day. We then also went into Paris on the train a few days which is just there at the entrance to the park.

France is very motorhome friendly and the motorway roads are quite empty, especially in comparison to ours, you really know you've landed home.

Home to Pompey, ferry to IOW, tour there, ferry to Lymington, tour New Forest, home.

Oooh, I would be going to Portsmouth, then getting the ferry to Brittany and spend 3 weeks going right around that wonderful Brittany coastline...with a couple of bikes on a rack on the back.

Sailings to France from Portsmouth might be affected by Brexit.
www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/information/brexit-ferry-initiative
I’d stick to the UK for the short term (ie spring/summer 2019).

Thanks for all your ideas. Trying to incorporate Portsmouth I thought limited our options but clearly not.

Outer Hebrides, outer hebrides, outerhebrides. If he wants to go to Portsmouth so bad book a train ticket for the weekend after you are home from THE OUTER HEbRIDES!
Ps look up hopscotch Hebrides- they’ll sort you a tour with your camper - we did it in August

If you're north east based, I would do day one fairly quickly down the A1M and then head to the Peak District, somewhere like Bakewell, for the first night. Day 2 hit the M6/M5 and head west, stopping in Gloucester or Worcestershire. Day 3 smaller roads and a night in the New Forest. Day 4 Portsmouth but head to the South Downs for an overnight. Day 5 ferry to the Isle of Wight. Day 6 back to the mainland and head towards Brighton. Day 6 towards Cambridge. Days 7 and possibly 8 up the east coast and back towards home.

Cheers for both these suggestions. Yambabe - that’s pretty much what he wants I think. Fruitbat - that’s pretty much what I want . .

I would second using Portsmouth as a stop off to Brittany.

#Yambabe Honestly that sounds like my idea of hell. One day in each place? Never being able to properly relax in one place maybe have a few too many drinks and have a lie in as you have to be up and on the road tbe next day. Awful.

Much better - head straight to Pompey. 3 nights, 3 nights iow, 3 nights new forest.

Or 3 nights Pompey and a week in France ir something like that.

cantbeb0thered - you mean Portsmouth?

Pompey could be a great idea though

Sorry yes, Portsmouth/Pompey. I am in the Navy. Just habit.