SAXON Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Just joking but as a caravanner of 30 years thinking of buying a motorhome the only thing I cannot get my head round is when you leave a site how do you know you will find parking at your destination?I am sure it cannot be that much of a problem but it is in my case I have this mental image of a large vehicle trying to find a small parking spot. Any hints or tips much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aultymer Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 It's usually easier to park a motorhome than it is to park a car/caravan combo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aultymer Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 oops!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Take 125cc scooter from rack at rear of MH. Ride anywhere up to 50 or so miles away. Park wherever you like. Return to MH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 SAXON - 2011-04-28 2:22 PM Just joking but as a caravanner of 30 years thinking of buying a motorhome the only thing I cannot get my head round is when you leave a site how do you know you will find parking at your destination?I am sure it cannot be that much of a problem but it is in my case I have this mental image of a large vehicle trying to find a small parking spot. Any hints or tips much appreciated. Welcome to the forum ! Depends how big your van is. Can be / is a little more difficult than parking a car but it's not stopped us visiting anywhere yet. ( Ours is just under 6 metres) I tend to avoid crowded car parks because the markings and lane widths are laid out for cars, and you can find you have to manouevre a bit to get out again. No problems encountered on the continent where motorhomes are more common and more welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 You have identified one of the main shortcomings...We get around it by carrying 2 E Bikes. Or adopt a different touring stratergy? stoppng and visiting on route what we want, before before arriving at the night stop. There is always somewhere to park, and with the bikes it does not matter if out a bit..... We have just downsized to a Panel van from a coachbuilt so expecting life to be a lot easier......Now that the world of Aires has opened up to you I feel sure you wont regret the decision Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 There are many car parks and places where motorhomes are allowed and able to park but have a look at Graham Hadfield's excellent motorhome parking site at: www.motorhomeparking.co.uk One word of warning however, do check the regulations on the board at any car park as sometimes they may specifically exclude motorhomes or vehicles over (say) 2.5t and will say whether you can park outside the marked bay or if you have to pay for two spaces if your vehicle is too long to fit into one. Local authorities vary widely as to how seriously they apply their own regulations. Welcome to great new world though. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Parking is an issue whatever you drive in a new or unfamiliar town or city and we don't let it bother us or stop us except that if we are unable to park due to motorhome unfriendly local authorities we activate our ultimate sanction and simply bugger off elsewhere where we are more welcome! As much an issue as parking, especially for the early experienced, is negotiating traffic and turning around in crowded dead ends etc so whatever you buy do make sure you get some practise at turning before embarking on a serious city foray! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyg3nwl Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Hi, We try to get our shopping at out of town shopping supermarkets where it is usually possible to find a parking slot , preferably near the edge so that we can overhang the grassy area.. Town centres are best avoided, and on street parking always causes a problem. Conventional carparks frequently have rules like you must fit in the marked bays, and disobeying them can be expensive in fines. None of the above is any different to the car/caravan situation, where parking causes just as much of a problem. I am always a bit dubious about parking, and then unloading bikes to go shopping, because for the nasty ones, it advertises that you will be away from the van for a while. The bikes are used when parked up an a site, hopefully a bit more secure. As for driving in towns, the traffic behind has to be patient if I am manouvering, and I am always conscious of vehicle size when approaching a narrower gap. It just takes rather more care than a solo car might need. Tourist places like National Trust etc usually have a segregated area fo larger vans, perhaps near their coach park area.. Height barriers at carparks are a specific nuisance, but if you cant get in under the bar, then go elswhere. tonyg3nwl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 My best tip would be: Go to Dover, get the next ferry for France then the whole of France is at your disposal with motorhome friendly parking places, aires, with all the services available, to park over night in, excellent free roads, wonderful fresh bread, pan au chocolat, more scenery than you can ever wish to see and what's wonderful for motorhomers from here, is we are made to feel welcome virtually everywhere. Then when you've done France drive to any border and carry on being made welcome and enjoying the rest of Europe in the same way. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Tomo3090 - 2011-04-28 8:51 PM My best tip would be: Go to Dover, get the next ferry for France then the whole of France is at your disposal with motorhome friendly parking places, aires, with all the services available, to park over night in, excellent free roads, wonderful fresh bread, pan au chocolat, more scenery than you can ever wish to see and what's wonderful for motorhomers from here, is we are made to feel welcome virtually everywhere. Then when you've done France drive to any border and carry on being made welcome and enjoying the rest of Europe in the same way. :-D Can't fault you Tomo. Wonder when the UK councils will catch on, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonflyer Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 I agree that taking Eurotunnel to the other side is a better option than the UK. I especially like Germany. There they have parking for motorhomes just off the main high street of many towns (not so sure about cities) where you are welcome, and it is convenient to visit the shops and other attractions. The only downside is that it is necessary to use motorways in Germany as there seem to be few straight roads as in rural france. Joyce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemoss Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Well, like you we moved from caravanning to motorhoming about six years ago and, hand on heart, there has only been one occasion where we have not been able to park in a place we wanted to visit - and that was because the village was so busy there wasn't even room for the smallest car to park. At 7.2m we've found no need for bikes, scooters or, least of all, a car towed behind. After all, one of the joys of a motorhome and one of its greatest advantages over caravanning, is that you have all your conveniences of cooker, beds, table, clothes, washing facilities, toilet etc etc with you wherever you roam during the day. It's a great delight to park up overlooking a beach, or in a pleasant country spot, and brew up or enjoy a nap as the fancy takes you. As someone else has suggested, that 'parking for motorhomes' website is a brilliant help, but in general we tend to look for coach and lorry parks, or take up two spaces in normal open-air car parks. Again, good advice from another on here about checking the signs in the car park very carefully for any restrictions. Supermarkets and sports centres can also prove handy for parking. More often than you might imagine it will prove possible to find a long-enough spot for normal kerbside parking, and parallel parking with a motorhome is much easier than with a car thanks to the excellent mirrors. Like the OP, the thought of not being able to park was one of the things that kept me back from backing the move from towing to motorhoming and in reality the difficulty is more in the head than in reality so long as you keep a more open mind about suitable places. Multi-storeys and parks with height barriers are still out of the question, obviously! Clearly it will be easier to find suitable places for smaller motorhomes than larger ones, but we've found that getting the right internal layout for your needs is much more important than overall length.Width should also be taken into account, as well as the amount of rear overhang. Hope you find your ideal motorhome and I'm absolutely sure you've going to love it when you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 So you'll see from the above posts, Saxon, That the REAL "dark side" is anything north of the English channel! By the way, I'm back in the UK. Check out our blog: http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/tonyssabbatical/1/tpod.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Planning is the key - if you want to visit towns etc that are likely to have restrictions or get busy, make sure you arrive early enough to get a suitable spot either on the road or in a car park. When going into a car park, pick a spot that you can drive straight out of without having to negoatiate round cars parked opposite/next to you. Be prepared to walk if necessary, or have another form of transport - bus/bicycles/scooter. We carry bicycles and they only take a minute max to get out and pedal off - it also means that if we buy stuff we've got something to carry it on! :D Tomo3090 - 2011-04-28 8:51 PM ... pan au chocolat Tomo - is this a bit like a chocolate teapot? Don't you find it melts when you try to use it???? (lol) (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 GREAT THREAD! A brilliant advert that the UK is absolutely hopeless for motorhomers. Go on you lot, get over to Europe (as often as possible please) and tell all your friends to do the same. It will give me more choice of places n the UK. :D SAXON, you did not specify what sort of destination you mean when you said you leave a site. Do you mean somewhere to park up for the day before you return to a site? I would not worry too much but there are a few cities and built up areas that are notorious for a car, never mind a m/home. If we cannot park then we cannot spend money there. One day, Business will realise this and press for better parking arrangements. Also, if you are old enough, get a free bus pass and park at somewhere more convenient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.