Hiring a motorhome - stop pissing on my chips!

[TheOrigFV45]

I'll start another thread with my actual advice, I just want to have a moan first.

I've told 2 people that I'm looking into hiring a motorhome in the summer and going on a road trip with my 2 sons.

Locations ideas have been either Scotland, Cornwall and France.

I've been met with such negativity - midges in Scotland, won't be able to move on the roads in Cornwall, France will be too busy.

Well piss off! I am (like most parents) restricted to the school holidays.
People live in Scotland, I am sure it's a perfectly lovely place to go on holiday.
Sure, the south coast will be busy, but I'm sure there are ways around it.

France - I don't actually know, but I've really only heard good things about their camp sites and I know how great the roads are if you just want to motor and don't mind paying the tolls.

One of these people spends £2000 on a week away in a house in a fancy coastal town in England, the other is not restricted to the school holidays.

other people are the worst - just don't tell them

come back fro your great adventure telling them how much fun you had.

Go for it ! I've enjoyed a few camper van holidays. Join the caravan club, you will receive a map of their sites. Some beautiful places to stop, especially in Wales, north Scotland. You can island hop with your camper in Scotland too !

Camping in France is fab.
Driving round Scotland in a motor home tops that imo.... Very envious op.

I'm not meaning to piss on your chips but if you go ahead with France in the wake of Brexit check on driving licence regulations. If there is a Hard Brexit your UK licence won't be valid there.

BTW I love this idea and think it inspires a real sense of adventure with the kids. Any hints and tips appreciated.

As a MOHO owner, the one I would heed is the Scottish midges!
Even with all the doors and windows closed tightly the little blighters could still get in and fed upon us every night, despite every lotion and potion known to man. This was June last year.
Both of us looked as if we had measles so came south earlier than our booking!
Definitely consider Wales, one of our favourites in the summer.

No midges if it's windy !

No midgies on the east coast. They’re only west coast Scotland! :)

Thanks all. I spoke to another friend yesterday and he was much more excited for me!

I guess I can't do much about driving regulations until we know what's happening with Brexit deep joy

The notion for this trip came from my older son, who has become very active in environmental issues. We've flown abroad the past few years and he wants to reduce the amount we fly. I respect his wishes, it's his future after all.

I've been to Wales quite a bit so I am drawn more to Scotland, where I've only ever been to the cities really.

Sigh...is it still only mid January?

Friends of ours always take their motorhome down the Atlantic coast of France. Looks lovely.

I'd I also love to do a Scottish Highlands road trip in a camper. I would be apprehensive about taking a large vehicle on narrow and crowded Cornish roads in the summer though.

Wherever you plan to go, plan quite quickly as campsites get booked up for school holiday periods months in advance.
We use UKcampsite to search.

We regularly get the ferry to northern Spain, scenery is amazing & there’s barely anyone there. Bonus is much warmer than Scotland but cheap too!

It sounds wonderful! Info. on international driving permit here:
www.theaa.com/driving-advice/driving-abroad/idp-country-list

Cornwall is a beautiful part of the world and if you plan your journey well than there is no reason why you should sit in stationary traffic. Yes it does get very busy in the summer, but if you avoid also the tiny roads you will have an amazing time!

Have you thought about Ireland? I live along the Wild Atlantic Way, (County Cork) and my sister regularly visits us with their Motorhome and has travelled all along the WAW. It's perfect for a road trip and very child friendly. No language issues either.

Oh goodness, that's a really good idea. I am 1/4 Irish and have never been anywhere other than Dublin, which is nothing to do with my family.

In fact Cork is my place!

Thank you.

Go for it!!
France is fab - have done 2 recent summer camping trips (car and trailer- would love a camper).
Busy up to bank holiday on 15th August then steadily empties.
We arrived the 16th each time. I booked the first 3 or 4 nights only, so we could see what the weather did and move accordingly. I had a few options earmarked and booked a day or two ahead (by then sites were only half full - i probably didnt need to book at all).
Plenty of aldi/Lidl for cheaper food.
Excellent holidays.

We’re hiring one and going up to Skye and the west coast of Scotland.

I’d thought about Cornwall but the narrow roads and high hedges everywhere do put me off!

We’ve just found the joys of hiring motor homes and love it.

Planning to do the north coast 500 in Scotland.
We touched on some of it last year and fell in love . Can’t wait

www.northcoast500.com

My only chip pisser is watch for hidden costs in the hire...I did this a couple of years ago and they kept adding extra costs...but we had a ball! We did the lakes, then across to Northumberland. Stunning scenery.

I think our UK driving license is pretty much solid most places in the world op (and always has been!). Sounds a lovely holiday.

We did this (in France) when dd was a toddler. It was fab and we harbour dreams of owning one eventually (nearly 20 years later we are no closer But still dreaming). There was a fabulous element of freedom. See a signpost? Well just follow it!

We rented through Hertz and it was expensive and dirty and ill equipped but that only mattered a small amount such were the advantages of being so mobile. If you go to Scotland buy Smidge, a lemon scented, non deet-containing repellent that really works and that flies off the shelves in midge infested areas (like where I live). Also, we were in the south east of France so this won't be the case everywhere but we (our van) were persona non grata in many towns. There were signs to say no camper vans.

If you go to Ireland a lot of the roads are narrow but you won't have driving licence problems and wild camping is still possible (pull up and park for the night). Bon voyage!

Are you kidding? One of my siblings has a monster one of these (bigger than our flat) and they go off all up and down the country in it! It is very comfortable and they absolutely love it. Midges are worst near water in the evening so no camping lochside (and bucketloads of Avon Skin So Soft - available online).

We hired a motorhome 2 years ago for 9 days in August and went all round Scotland with 2 DC. We had a ball, it was my favourite holiday ever. We had midges one night by Loch Morlich but that was it.

We're doing Wales this year. Excited!

We sold our house, quit our jobs and went for a 9 month motorhome road trip. Awesome. I would do it again. We went to Scotland first to try it out - yep there were midges, but manageable. Keep the vents closed - including the dash heater ones and you should be OK. If they are really bad - duct tape the vents.

France was awesome - I cannot recommend it highly enough. You can pull into Aires - fill with water, charge batteries and empty toilets all for a couple of Euros. Many towns have places to park up for nothing or a few Euro a night. The welcome the trade so are seen as a good thing. We stayed in Chamonix for a month to go skiing. -cost nothing and we were close enough to the charge points we didn't even have to move to re do the batteries.

I love Spain as well - especially the remote rural areas of Andalucía and Pyrenees.

Do it! I am really jealous.