With rising fuel costs and the global financial situation, 2009 looks like a year in which most families will spend valuable vacation time in their home country. Growing up, our family rarely went abroad for our annual vacation, instead we had many weekends and weeks throughout the year at caravan sites across the country.
My earliest memory of this holiday was in a large static caravan somewhere on the east coast of Scotland, but as time went on we eventually bought our own caravan. It was around this time that our weekend breaks began and it seemed like most Friday nights after school would be spent traveling. Often the campsites we visited were no more than an hour’s drive from our home, but on some occasions it could be two or three hours’ drive.
Regardless of whether we were holidaying in a static caravan or a touring caravan, we always had fun and a new place to explore. As a child this seemed wonderful and it must have been these experiences of travel and exploration that led me to become a caravan enthusiast in my adulthood. Over the years I have taken my family around the UK and on many occasions across the English Channel to France, Germany, Switzerland and indeed many of the countries of continental Europe.
As mentioned above, there are two types of caravan, static and touring. What I haven’t mentioned yet is the motor home. These are your 3 options when considering a caravan holiday and while they may all look the same, they are actually very different from one another.
The touring caravan will be towed by your car to the location of your choice. Right off the bat, the choice of touring camper you have will depend on the size of the car you own. Touring campers are available from small two berths, easily towed by the average family car, up to six berths, which will require something more substantial like a four-by-four. With a static caravan you won’t be using a car to get anywhere, but once at the site you choose you’ll be there for a long time, you better like the area! The motorhome eliminates the need for a separate unit to pull the camper as it is the car and the camper in one package. The downside to the RV, however, is that once it’s set up at your campsite, you’ve lost your mode of transportation. You will often see motorhomes with bikes attached to the back or even small motorcycles, and in some cases you may even see a large motor home towing a very small car!
The interior space of any caravan is limited, but in a static caravan you can make better use of the available space, with separate living rooms and bedrooms. However, the touring caravan and motorhomes will have a sleeping area that doubles as their bedroom when night falls. Storing clothes, food and everything else for a good vacation can also be a problem with touring caravans and motorhomes. With limited space, you are forced to choose which items you want to take on vacation and which ones you would like but won’t fit. Obviously, with a static caravan that visits often, you will leave a lot of clothes and kitchen utensils there, reducing the need to transport them.
A third and final consideration in the decision of touring caravan, static caravan or motorhome is luxury. While a basic caravan model may include a fridge, toilet and heater, luxury models may include stereos, showers, satellite TV, microwaves and double glazing. In fact, today most of the items found in your home can be found in caravans.
If you’re traveling in a campervan with kids, a basic touring camper will make a great addition to your family, while adding flexibility to your vacation destinations. For a bit more luxury for your money, check out which campervans they have for you, but remember the lack of transportation issue. Finally, if you have a special place in your heart, you can get a static caravan to visit at any time of the year.