Touring Europe on a Budget

More and more people are seeing the benefits of owning their own motorhome. The ability and freedom to go where you want, when you want. So, ok, you've finally done it. You've worked hard, you've saved your money, you've had the tent, you've slept on the lumpy damp grass and you've had enough of chugging a house behind you. Now, after a lifetime of hard work, you deserve better. Whether it be a transit van you have converted, a second-hand motorhome or a top of the range recreational vehicle (RV for short). Well, maybe not so top of the range...



You will spend days, weeks, getting to know your little baby and wondering what to put in it, or her. Plastic cutlery or the best bone China? What about clothes? How many shirts, socks, trousers, dresses? It's a whole minefield knowing what to take with you. Then there are the maps, the best book of campsites, caravan club or camping and caravan club? Then how about the telly? Or jigsaw puzzles to while away those quite nights in the country? Seaside or country? Scotland or Cornwall?



Even more terrifying - do we go abroad or stay in England? France, where everyone knows the French hate us and the French police sit in side streets waiting to pounce on any unsuspecting Brits?  I know the thought itself is frightening because when my wife and I bought our first motorhome, we had such mixed feelings of fear and excitement. Our first motorhome was an Auto Trail Cheyenne. I still have it; it has taken us all over Europe, down to the Sahara.



Our initial plan was to spend short summer breaks in England, the dales, Barmouth, Paignton.  Winter months touring Europe, France and Spain.  But resorts like Weston-super-Mare brought us up sharp and we soon found that English resorts do not welcome us.  Oh, you're welcome for the day ok, spend your money then go away. They don't want you spending overnight. In France and Spain, its different. France have Aires all over the country, free, where you can stay for the night or a few says. Many have electric and most have emptying facilities.



Do you wild camp or go on designated camp sites and pay their fees? All this is down to personal choice. One year in Italy I pulled onto a car park within a short walk of the beach. Having put on the kettle I sat back to enjoy a relaxing coffee when I heard a grunt, then another. Thinking it was a dog, I got up to look out of the door and it was a family of wild boar. The locals came out to feed them every night. Two days later, I booked into the local camp site with a swimming pool. But I knew I would never see those boar on there.



How much does it cost to drive to Croatia, 1200 miles? To Benidorm, 1300 miles? How much does it cost to live on a daily basis? By wild camping I eat out more. What and where are the pitfalls? When we set out on our journey, we all have the same questions, the same fears. I hope my book, telling stories of my family travels and adventures, answers a lot of the questions for those who want to experience the Pyrenees, the Alps, Spain and the French Riviera.