With a motorhome holiday you have great freedom to go where you want and for as long as you like, it can be cheaper than a regular holiday, you can go whenever you please and you can even bring a pet along with you amongst many other benefits.
Check out our essential tips and things to think about if you are thinking about buying or renting a motorhome to travel.
1. Is Travelling By Campervan for You?
When it comes to luxury travel, what comes to mind? Sipping champagne in the first class lounge? Sadly, the luxury ends once you leave the airport. What about caviar dreams aboard a beautiful historic train? Wonderful, unless you want to go somewhere the train does not.
One luxury option often overlooked is travelling the country with a campervan. The benefits are you can customise your itinerary to suit, and everything you need is always with you – no packing and unpacking at the hotel every night. The downside is that you are always the driver, but for some, that is an opportunity to explore.
If you like flexibility and the option to stop whenever you like, you cannot beat travelling with a campervan, because you are in charge.
If the heavens open and you want to pull off for a cup of tea, you can. Feeling the itch to move along? You can drive all day and head to your next adventure. While you can only cover so many kilometres in a day, it is an open road and you get to choose where you go.
Campervans have also come a long way – they are not those cramped and awkward vehicles that they used to be. Innovations in technology mean that everything has a place, and you can be quite comfortable and cosy, even on long trips.
2. Picking the Right Vehicle is Key
One of the most important aspects of luxury campervan travel is choosing the right vehicle, as one size does not fit all.
When you are searching, you will likely find a variety of terms. In general, a “campervan” is a smaller vehicle that sleeps two – hence the word “van” in its name. If you are looking at “motorhomes,” these are generally larger vehicles that sleep 4 or 6 people.
Manufacturers make recommendations on how many people fit comfortably in the vehicle, but you should think about your own requirements and what is important to you. Some questions to consider:
Are you comfortable driving a larger vehicle? Big vehicles mean more spacious accommodation at night, but also require more careful driving skills, and you may be limited in where you can go, especially if you plan on spending time on windy mountain roads, for example.
How much time will you spend driving versus relaxing in the vehicle? If you will mostly be driving, you can go with fewer features, but if you plan on lots of relaxing time in the vehicle, you might want upgrades.
What is provided by the company, and what will you bring? You will no doubt bring your own socks and a jumper, but what about a tea kettle? Toaster? Nice wine glasses? It is the little things that make a trip more comfortable, so be sure to look at what is on offer.
It is important to take your time and think about what you need to make your holiday enjoyable; whether it is a spacious motorhome with all the bells and whistles or a simple campervan for sleeping and getting you from A to B. There are many options from high to low end campers and many in-between.
3. Getting Cover
Owning a motorhome can certainly bring many perks and it is a fun way to go on holiday, but it can also be challenging with a few unique challenges to be aware of.
One of the most important steps to take when you buy a motorhome is to take out motorhome insurance, which means that you will have financial protection against a few of the potential issues that can arise and this will also help to provide peace of mind when you are on holiday.
Here are a few other tips for travelling in a motorhome.
4. Test Features Before Setting Off
It is always a good idea to test all of the features on your motorhome before setting off. You don’t want to discover that the hob doesn’t work or you can’t get hot water when you are in the middle of nowhere, so check all the features in advance and with enough time to get anything fixed if needed.
5. Get the Right Accessories & Equipment
You should always travel light on a motorhome holiday in order to free up space, but you do need to make sure that you have the right accessories and equipment for your trip so that you can enjoy it and be well-prepared. This is likely to include items such as kitchenware, folding chairs and a table, toiletries, portable BBQs and any electronics that you might need.
6. Get the Vehicle Serviced
Many people spend so much time focusing on packing and the lifestyle-side of these trips that they forget about the actual vehicle itself. Much like before taking a car on a road trip, it is always worth getting the vehicle serviced so that it is in good condition before the trip. You should also carry out basic maintenance throughout the year, take the vehicle out for a short drive on a regular basis and get any minor issues repaired instantly.
7. Choose Where to Go
There are so many amazing motorhome destinations in the UK and around the world. We wrote a guide to travelling Europe by motorhome which will give you important tips and advice. Where you go really comes down to person choice, see where appeals to you.
It is easy to see why so many people are buying motorhomes as they can provide great freedom and flexibility that you cannot get with other types of holidays. They are also unlike any other type of holiday, so hopefully these tips will come in useful and help you to have the best possible trip and enjoy all the benefits that owning a motorhome can bring.
