Budget
For most of us, one of the biggest factors when choosing a holiday is the budget. The motorhome itself, along with buying motorhome insurance, will have been quite an expense already. Therefore, it’s worth considering using a Motorhome hire / rental company also finding out the caravan’s park price tariff and if there are any discounts for longer stays. You may find some holiday parks offer discounts if you are over 60 or older and are generally cheaper during off peak seasons. The only main expense once you’re at the caravan park, would be food and drink, which can be relatively cheap – depending on how hungry you are! Remember in Scotland wild camping opportunities are ample for wild camping in the most remote places Scotland has to offer
Facilities and Entertainment
If you are a family with young children, you’ll probably be looking for a different style of holiday, compared to if you were travelling solo or as a couple. Some caravan parks will have swimming pools, a children’s play ground, family entertainment and also a kid’s club. Other holiday parks will have crazy golf, spas and a full leisure activity programme. Most will have something going on, so if you are looking for a more quiet and relaxing holiday, choose a rural holiday park that’s in the heart of the countryside. They are never too far away from the local village if you do fancy going down to the pub.
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Other facilities to consider that may be a laundrette, if you are planning to stay for a while or Wi-Fi facilities.
Once you have narrowed down potential holiday parks, look at reviews on the internet and ask other motorhome owners where they have stayed and where they would recommend, before choosing which caravan park would suit you the best.
Perhaps one of the greatest advantages of owning or using a motorhome hire / rental company a motorhome is the number of like minded people you meet and the camaraderie that is evident between the great majority of motor-homers.
Family Gatherings
Take this weekend for instance. A Christmas break in UK weather is not the ideal place to hold a “Jamboree” but the annual motorhome rally in Hamble near Southampton is fully booked, and for many is a New Year experience they look forward to year after year. It may not be a beach in the South of France but the pitches are taken up every year and although attendees can’t say they have spent Christmas with relations, they certainly can say they have spent it with family. The motorhome fraternity are close knit and welcome newcomers readily. Just glancing at internet forums will show just how tightly bonded the motor caravan community is. For the Hamble event, food and entertainment comes from those attending. Everyone brings a bite to eat that can be shared and the events such as line dancing and folk singing are all organised and executed by the attendees, no-one gets paid.
Listen and Learn
A “meet” such as the one at Hamble really will serve new motorhome enthusiasts well. They will save time and money just listening to experienced travellers talk to each other, and help and advice is always available. The seasoned travellers will spend hours at Hamble planning and exchanging routes for the coming year and tips on where to go and where to avoid will be plentiful. It’s the same with accessories and insurance, motor-homers are only too happy to share the secret of a good buy and will be delighted to tell fellow travellers how they saved a few quid on their motorhome insurance for instance.
Join the Club
The best way for newcomers to find their way into the fold is to join a club. The Caravan Club and the Camping and Caravan Club are well known throughout the UK, but there are dozens of motorhome hire / rental companies especially for touring Scotland, many aimed at owners of specific motorhome manufacturers, in every region of the country. Ask your motor caravan insurance provider to give you details of clubs in your area (they may offer a discount for club members) or simply carry out a quick internet search. You are guaranteed to find like minded people and in some cases it will result in friendships that last a lifetime.
Capital’s new Low Emissions Zone could force older Motor Homes off the roads
Wednesday, December 28th, 2011
London’s Low Emissions Zone comes into force on the 3rd January, and owners of older motor homes will have to dig deep into their pockets or stay away from the streets of London. The changes apply to vehicles registered before October 2006.
Owners of motor homes that do not comply will have to fit filters costing as much as £3,500 as well as undergoing a £32 yearly inspection by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency. The Low Emission Zone will be enforced by Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras that will enable Transport for London to identify every vehicle entering London and, by a simple cross check they will see if a filter has been fitted. The purpose of the Low Emission Zone is to improve air quality in the capital. However, while it is supported by environmentalists, the draconian penalties have caused widespread concern among those affected.
A spokesman for the caravan club said: “We have lobbied long and hard to impress upon Transport for London and the Mayor’s Office that the inclusion of motor caravans in the LEZ is unfair, as affected vehicles are not significant contributors to air quality deterioration. Caravan Club members that are within the zone face costly options to replace or modify their vehicles, or pay for storage outside of the LEZ at significant cost and inconvenience.” This is, of course, a cost that will be lumped on top of the vital motor home insurancethat owners take out each year.
Motor home owners in London appear to have been most caught out by the new rules and mechanics say there is a backlog of motor home owners waiting to get their vehicle updated, and many won’t be able to comply with the new rules before they come into play. Owners have also complained that it has been very difficult to get information on what their vehicle requires to meet the new rules. Transport for London has said it will not penalise drivers of non compliant vehicles brought into the zone if they can prove that they had ordered the necessary filtering equipment before 3rd January.
For those of us who own a motorhome, we already know the beauty of a staycation in the UK, where you can enjoy beautiful countryside, glorious beaches and stunning monuments without having to shell out a fortune for flights or endure the torture of the busy airport.
But it now seems that more and more people are discovering the low cost, stress free alternative to going abroad and planning to Hire / Rent motorhomes for touring around the UK and Scotland in 2012, and as motorhome enthusiasts we say good on them!
According to recent research, a massive 91% of British people are planning to take a holiday in the UK during 2012, which is a 23% increase on the last 12 months and means a lot more people travelling up and down the country in hire / rental motorhomes, caravans and campers.
Staycations can be a lot of fun for the whole family, save you a bit of money and can be a lot less stressful than going abroad, but there are still a few things you should take into consideration if you are planning a holiday in the UK.
Location
Obviously the first thing to consider is where you are going to spend your stay, as you need to find somewhere that’s practical yet fun for the whole family. Scotland particularly the West coast has become one of the most popular UK destinations in recent years, and does not get busy or congested during peak periods, wild camping spots in your hire / rental motorhome are ample in this area.
However, The UK does have a number of other beautiful national parks, such as Dartmoor, Snowdonia and the Yorkshire Dales, Cairngorms in Scotland all of which have an abundance of scenic natural attractions, quaint towns and fun days out. If the countryside isn’t for you, why not try one of the beautiful coastal towns in Devon, Cornwall or Dorset and Oban , Fortwilliam in Scotland where many people are finding they can enjoy warm weather and sandy beaches without travelling abroad.
Travel
One of the main reasons people are choosing to stay in the UK for their holiday is to avoid the cost and annoyance of travelling abroad, but that doesn’t mean travelling in the UK is always a breeze, what with the risk of traffic jams and the cost of petrol.
If you are driving a long distance across the UK you will want to make sure that your car, motorhome or camper etc is in good working order and can handle the drive, hire / rental hire Motorhomes come well prepared It is also worth considering setting off and returning on weekdays to avoid the hectic weekend traffic, However no such worries in Scotland.
Insurance
As you are not going abroad you may think there is no need to check your insurance policies, but if you are taking the whole family away and travelling in a motorhome, caravan or camper, it is crucial to check that you are covered by your Motorhome Insurance policy.
No one likes to think about holidays going wrong, but it is a risk we all face and with insurance, it is always better to be safe than sorry. It may seem like common sense, but follow these simple tips and you can be sure of a fantastic staycation in your hire / rental motorhome that is a lot less stressful and costly that going abroad but still fun for you and your family.
