Wilf Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 Call me a Meldrew if you like. But what are YOUR real thoughts if you dare print them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dickybeau Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 Where else would you go? I live in Scotland. While I love trundling around my own country during the year, I consider that the European experience is unsurpassed. I’ve spent that past 15 years touring Europe by motorbike and motor home. I’m more conservative in the motorhome in that I’ve not travelled as far in the van as I have on the bike but I’ve seen most of central, south western and eastern France, northern Spain, luxembourg, Belgium, western Germany, weste4n Switzerland and Andorra. The delights of French Aires, German Stellplatz and the experiences of trying to r3nember my schoolboy French and German all add to the fun. I’m 65 and hope to continue to travel in Europe fir years to come. Still to see are Scandinavia, the Baltic states, southern Italy and Greece to name a few places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 Is there something missing in the OP? There must be thousands of Brits who return to mainland Europe every year, you don't do that if you hate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 Gave up going to the Continent over ten years ago. Lost interest in it. Gone were the different currencies to be replaced with the bland Euro, the EU was, and still is, standardising everything so the differences between races diminished, Dover to Calais is only cattle class, and Harwich, whilst a good crossing and avoids France, was a long way. We were always glad we did go motorhoming on the Continent and thoroughly enjoyed Belgium, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, northern Italy and the Polish border areas. Denmark was boring, the other Scandinavia countries too expensive for a family, and southern Europe was simply too hot when we had our main holiday. Wouldn't go back to touring Europe. Happy to pursue our hobbies in Britain though I would recommend everyone to at least experience motorhoming across the Channel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 Wilf - 2019-03-09 7:38 PM Call me a Meldrew if you like. But what are YOUR real thoughts if you dare print them! Depends what you expect to get from your holiday. If you are quite happy to accept crowded roads, nowhere to park, expensive campsites ,and unreliable weather - then there's nowt wrong with the U.K. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 Wilf - 2019-03-09 7:38 PM Call me a Meldrew if you like. But what are YOUR real thoughts if you dare print them! Depends what you want to do. I've never personally been interested in countries many British seem to flock annually to. Brock - 2019-03-09 8:17 PM Gave up going to the Continent over ten years ago. Lost interest in it. Gone were the different currencies to be replaced with the bland Euro, the EU was, and still is, standardising everything so the differences between races diminished, Dover to Calais is only cattle class, and Harwich, whilst a good crossing and avoids France, was a long way. Must admit my touring would be much easier if it was Euro throughout! Last year in addition to euro's i used eight different currencies. As for channel crossings i've always used the ferry as Dover port is a 300 mile trek for me so the ferry provides a welcome break and used DFDS the past 12 years or so. Very nicely fitted out ferries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyboyprowler Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 Certainly, combine most of the above answers and you have your reasons for going to Europe. Adventure, different cultures, and so much cheaper than the UK, once you get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennyd Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 Why wouldn’t you , for me Motorhomes are all about adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roryboy Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 I would encourage you all to stay in this Country of ours and enjoy the delights of the many places that you haven't visited before. That way the Aires will be less crowded and Brit free for me and will suit my style of Motor-homing to a tee. Is it worth it going abroad – only if you like sites that actually welcome Motorhomes, have much cheaper site fees (including many free ones), usually better weather, roads less crowded, wine that suits every pocket and palate, cuisine that can really stir your taste buds at a decent price, people watch outside Cafés and bars for hours, World War history and Military Cemeteries remembering those who gave their lives for us all, cheese and wine tasting experiences and if you shout loud enough some of the French people will understand what you're saying. But as I said, don't go over there – you'll only cramp my style. :-D :-D :-D :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don636 Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 Bit of a daft question really as obviously some people will think it’s worth it and some won’t. Who cares what other people think, you do what you want and we’ll do what we want and so we will all be doing something worthwhile as far as we are concerned. Personally I will spend holiday time in the UK and Europe this year as usual so will get the best of both worlds. Happy days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 Why restrict yourself to Europe? There is a whole World out there and a lot of it is more interesting than Countries very similar to your own. I spent half my working life working around the World and got the travel bug out of my system, the UK does me. When I retired early I promised myself 2 things. I would never see another Airport again and would not renew my Passport. If work was always a restriction on long haul travel, hop on a plane and do it while you are able. I have seen awesome sights that you will never see in Europe. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeco Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 I leave my MH at home and go to Europe/UK every year for 6 weeks or so. This year UK and our 3rd narrowboat adventure. We travel by car in Uk as we love the old style private hotels along with B & B accommodation as the buildings and villages are so different to those here.So my suggestion is try a motorhome break in AU or NZ. The distances are greater in AU but NZ is a motorhomer's dream particularly the South Island.The UKPound buys a lot in both countries. cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurence Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 Kenny summed it up - its a bit more of an adventure. The UK is lovely to tour and there are some great places, but you know what you are going to get and you are always comfortable in your own environment. Going abroad is venturing a little bit into the unknown, its a bit more of a challenge, and its great fun exploring other cultures, food, languages and climates. I think you gain a lot from it. However, each to their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 One of the major benefits to me of going over to the mainland of Europe is that touring is so much easier. In the fifty or so years that I have been going there on a fairly regular basis, camping and motorhoming, I have NEVER booked a pitch anywhere - and only on one or two occasions did I fail to get on the site I was aiming for ( and there was always another one just down the road ). So if you like to tour with a " free spirit " - the continent is the place to go. Now that I'm a bit more confined to the U.K. I have found it necessary to book pitches well ahead almost every time I go anywhere. Turning up on a site of one of the main clubs without a booking - I have been glared at disapprovingly on more than one occasion. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 Its an absolute no brainer! If you have time on your hands then mainland Europe knocks the UK into a cocked hat. Scenery, food, climate, less traffic, thousands of free or low cost places to stay, different cultures. I like the mountains and compared to the Alps and the Pyrenees the UK doesn't have any! I love all the twisty roads that you can fly up (Well crawl up some of them) on the scooter and then dive into a mountain lake on a hot summers afternoon. Do that here (if you could) and your bits will fall off or you will get hypothermia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJB Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 First went in '59 and go two or three times a year more or less ever since...always somewhere different. Never been to Spain and finally visited France (apart from Calais) a few times in the last three years...for the first time. Some people go to Skegness 10 times a year in a caravan and never anywhere else....However, they enjoy their holidays as much as we enjoy ours! ;-) PS. Presumably the OP has a collection of tins of worms! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don636 Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 I totally agree with malc in that, when we tour in Europe we never book ahead and can always find a space. This allows us to roam wherever we please, stopping wherever we want. It’s this type of aimless touring that seems to really suit the motor home life. In the UK it is virtually essential to book ahead unless you are at the back end of the season and you are not aiming for the real tourist hotspots. We just accept that it is what it is, book into a site and do some walking in that area. Good for a short break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterjl Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 Surely the question should be:- Staying in the UK, is it worth it? For us Europe give the variety of landscape and culture the the Uk cannot. From the north of Scandinavia to the Black Sea there are a huge variety of cultures to be found and the landscapes, in areas where we rarely see other Uk vans, is stunning. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 Is it worth it ? Of course just to see how others live and die. We are not unique as was instilled into us by past generations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 We go to Benidorm every year. After you've been there, every other resort is crap. Like an inferior smaller copy. Not interested in cheese, culture, mountains, monasteries etc. But that's just us, everyone is different fortunately. Whatever you do, enjoy it B-) PS slowly building my Spanish vocabulary up, I do try ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgnbuk Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 Certainly worth it for us - far prefer being "over there" to being here for the most part. "Over there" for us being Belgium / Luxemburg / Germany / Austria / Northern Italy / Switzerland, with entry being via Rotterdam for the last couple of years - got fed up with being messed about by the French when using the short Channel crossings, so go NSF now. Two trips totalling 5 weeks booked for this year - 3 weeks in Summer to the Alps / Dolomites with the motorcycles (proper mountain roads to play on !) & 2 weeks with the bicycles based around an event in southern Germany in Autumn. Nigel B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 Roryboy - 2019-03-09 9:44 PM I would encourage you all to stay in this Country of ours and enjoy the delights of the many places that you haven't visited before. That way the Aires will be less crowded and Brit free for me and will suit my style of Motor-homing to a tee. Is it worth it going abroad – only if you like sites that actually welcome Motorhomes, have much cheaper site fees (including many free ones), usually better weather, roads less crowded, wine that suits every pocket and palate, cuisine that can really stir your taste buds at a decent price, people watch outside Cafés and bars for hours, World War history and Military Cemeteries remembering those who gave their lives for us all, cheese and wine tasting experiences and if you shout loud enough some of the French people will understand what you're saying. But as I said, don't go over there – you'll only cramp my style. :-D :-D :-D :-D "only if you like sites that actually welcome Motorhomes..." Only change i'd make to your post is "sites" because i'd say "countries". UK, particularly England, doesn't welcome mh tourists and has an extremely restrictive unpleasant attitude. You and i share very similar views. Most countries i tour are thankfully "Brit free" but i did have a smile to myself when last year on a site in Serbia i've been to before, a Brit registered mh parked up next to me. The first (and only!) other Brit plate i'd seen in Serbia so i asked where in UK they were from. A village just 10 miles away from the one i live! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 747 - 2019-03-09 10:57 PM Why restrict yourself to Europe? There is a whole World out there and a lot of it is more interesting than Countries very similar to your own. I spent half my working life working around the World and got the travel bug out of my system, the UK does me. When I retired early I promised myself 2 things. I would never see another Airport again and would not renew my Passport. If work was always a restriction on long haul travel, hop on a plane and do it while you are able. I have seen awesome sights that you will never see in Europe. ;-) True. Both Cuba and DPRK have long been on my 'bucket list' and would like to see both before America wrecks the places with their junk food chains. Only thing holding me back is the lengthy flight i'm not sure i could put up with now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 I wouldn't bother with Cuba, my sister and husband went a few years ago, they wouldn't go again because of all the local peasants pestering them for money relentlessly. Think she said they didn't regret going, but wouldn't go again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyboyprowler Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 Charles - 2019-03-10 6:16 PM I wouldn't bother with Cuba, my sister and husband went a few years ago, they wouldn't go again because of all the local peasants pestering them for money relentlessly. Think she said they didn't regret going, but wouldn't go again. Yes and our niece went for a beach holiday, and was disappointed. Apparently, changes are happening quickly to bring Cuba into the modern world, and most people visited, as the"old world" was why they went in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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