All my life I’ve been on the move. My Dad was an RAF technician, and we would frequently switch between different bases when I was young, giving me quite a disjointed childhood and education, but also an ability to adapt to new environments quickly and easily. After I left school I spent a few years working for a friend’s removal service, which would take me up and down the UK regularly, and sometimes into Europe. So it’s no surprise I guess that when it comes to taking holidays, the idea of staying in the one place and not doing much for a few weeks doesn’t really appeal. Maybe I have an in-built lust for travel, where I appreciate the journey as much as I do the destination.
Every year my friend and I try and get away for a week or so to do some cycling, usually somewhere in Scotland or France. But last time, just before we were due to go away, he came off his bike and sprained some ligaments in his foot – nothing too bad, but it ruled him out of any serious riding for a few months. We still both had time booked off work, but no transport or hotels reserved yet, so we were thinking of rescheduling, when I happened to see an advert online for campervan hire. Back in the eighties my parents briefly had an old VW – we would go away for long weekends several times a year around the UK, and the whole family loved it. Unfortunately it was pretty knackered and after a few years my Dad had to scrap it, and he never bought another. I suggested to my buddy that we could give it a go, and he was up for it, so I booked a van to pick up a week later.
We took our van, which the company called Sidney but we renamed Bear for some reason, up to the Lake District for ten days, and honestly I think this is one of the best holidays I’ve ever had. We had total freedom to roam around at our leisure, changing location every couple of days as the mood took us. “Bear” ran perfectly, with no problems whatsoever, and it was both spacious enough for us both to sleep comfortably, and compact enough to park easily when we drove into town. It was cosy, came with loads of little extras we really appreciated such as a small fridge to hold beer and food, and was pretty fuel-efficient too. So next year, we’re planning to hire a van again, but this time get one with a bike rack and take it over the Channel.
If you’ve never tried a campervan holiday, here are 5 reasons to recommend it:
Saving Money
Hiring a campervan is not especially expensive, and if you travel in low-season you can often negotiate a really good deal. And then your holiday accommodation costs fall dramatically. All over Europe you can park your van in campsites for a small charge, and there are also many places where you can just pull over for the night for free. When you remember that most vans will easily take two people, and sometimes more, and campsites charge by the vehicle not by the person, you see how easy it is to save.
Convenience
If, like me, you prefer to keep moving when you’re on holiday, then one of the big hassles can be having to constantly pack and unpack in every accommodation. With your van, of course, you don’t have that problem. All of your stuff stays in a securely-locked vehicle and is available whenever you need it. Our van “Bear” had loads of storage room, and was very well-organised. Many vans will also let you carry bikes, surfboards, even canoes, inside or on top.
Comfort
Modern campervans come with all sorts of helpful amenities, like soft mattresses, warm bedding, fridges, stoves, TVs, GPS, heaters, even cameras to help you reverse. Basically everything you need. In fact I know of one campervan hire company in Scotland that even supplies you with an axe and a saw, so that you can make firewood when wild camping.
Flexibility
Something many campers find useful if they’re going around North America or Australia is flexible arrangements. So you can pick your van up in one location, say San Francisco, and drop it off a month later in New York. The extra cost for one-way is offset by the fact that you don’t have to fork out for a cross-country flight, or to retrace your steps or do a loop if you prefer not to.
Great Views
For me, definitely the best aspect of hiring a campervan was the incredibly diverse views we got of the Lakes. Whenever I’m cycling I’ll always pause every few miles to take in the scenery, and with a van, you have six windows available to look through. And if you don’t like what you’re seeing, you can just move half a mile down the road to a better outlook. You can’t do that in a hotel!
So as you can probably tell, I’m a campervan convert. If this journal convinces you as well, then maybe I’ll see you on the road!