h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

When my husband first came up with the suggestion of going on a caravan holiday abroad I froze, ugh, remembering my childhood where we would sit for hours on the freezing beaches of Heysham in Morecambe pretending to enjoy it!
So for several years I protested and he carried on asking me to give it a go.
After more than one terrible hotel breaks with the kids (either we dragged them everywhere in the evening and suffered the tantrums of tired kids in the morning, or we went to bed at 7pm) I decided nothing ventured, nothing gained and off we trekked to sunny Spain!
Well at first independant travel was terrible, the flights were reasonable but..... NO TRANSFERS! We had to get a train with 3 sleepy kids to our caravan site.
Once there we were shown to our van and I have to say things perked up, sat infront of me on the table was...a bottle of wine HOORAY!
The holiday went from strength to strength with us being able to socialise outside in the evening with other parents whilst the kids slept just yards away, loads of like minded familys and happy, not grumpy, tired kids. I am a convert and will enjoy summer hols at Vilanova Parc in Spain this year.
Thanks hubby for changing my mind!

Have you thought of trailer tents?
When my brother and I were little, my parents (who are keen walkers) drove us all over Europe with their trailer tent. Although we moaned about having to help erect it at each campsite - in reality these contraptions are pretty easy to put up. A comfortable cross between a caravan and tent, they are much easier to tow than a caravan.

I did not understand the term 'caravan' at first since in the US they are called trailers, campers, motorhomes, fifth wheels, etc..

I worked for a campsite last summer that could accomidate everything from bus sized motorhomes down to tents. It seemed that many people from other countries like to rent the medium size campers in order to tour the Sierras at their own pace. The smaller tent trailers, or pop-ups, were more often rented by city folk getting away for the weekend.

I own a small travel trailer but it is too big to easily take on the road. A tent trailer seems the way to go when you want a bit more than a tent without the difficulty of towing a big thing.

I even knew a guy that had a little pop-up that he could tow behind his motorcycle, though the thought of this always seemed dangerous to me.


So considering this, I would suggest "Sleep Outdoors Day" would be an interesting holiday that would inspire adventure and be different than a hotel style getaway. For those with the money a rental motorhome in a foreign country can be considered, while setting up a tent in the backyard is often as exciting without as much expence.

neon

My family usually do the caravan thing in France. We drive, taking the tunnel to Calais. The French roads are superb compared to the potholed, jammed up British ones, and are pretty free of traffic for the most part. There are quite a few tolls on the motorways, so I'd advise you to plan ahead and allocate some toll money in advance.

Alternatively, take a decent map and hit the back roads. You'll see a lot more that way, but it could take a lot longer to get there.

We go off touring around finding all sorts of local attractions; beaches, caves, local markets, museums, chateaux, whatever there is in the region.

Local supermarkets are great value, the food & wine are generally excellent, and we always try the regional produce.

And contrary to most (British) people's opinion, the locals are typically very friendly & helpful. Unless, of course, you're the type who shouts loud and slow to anyone who doesn't speak fluent English. A simple 'Bonjour Monsieur / Madame' is enough to gain patient assistance from most locals.

A few years back we stayed at a park near Montpellier, and decided to take a day trip to Barcelona, a few hours drive away.

Barcelona is arguably the most beautiful city in Europe. Fantastic food (there's a theme developing here), and the Gaudi architecture is breathtaking. We were lucky enough to have a local friend guide us around so we packed a load into our 8 hours there before hitting the roads back to the campsite.

I used to be very much of the opinion that you can't beat a British holiday, but I'm a convert and would now advise anyone to try the caravan holiday in Europe with an open mind (and an enquisitive palate).

Goatstrangler.