1st timers advice please

[bruce240]

Hi,
My wife and I are geting a bit to old, or at least my back is !, for camping anymore and are looking to step indoors into a motorhome for our holidays. Im thinking of hiring a low profile 2/3 berth Scout model ( 2.2 D transit or 2.3 D ducato I think ) from a company called JustGo. Were planning a 2 week trip down throught France next June to see how we get on. Just looking for a bit of general advice please. Are JustGo OK / Whats the average MPG / good campsites etc. Any help, tips apprecated.
Thanks, Bruce & Gill

 

[TonyJones]

Hi Bruce & Gill, welcome - both to the Forum and to the world of motorhoming!
I'm afraid I don't know anything about JustGo, one way or the other, but the idea of hiring first is sound. That way, you not only get a "feel" of whether motorhoming suits you, you can also note exactly what you like and don't like about that particular model, so you know what features you're looking for (and want to avoid!) when you come to buy.
I'd expect that a low-profile on either of those chassis, driven sensibly, should return mid to high 20's mpg - maybe people with similar vans will comment on that.
If you've camped in France, you'll be aware that there are plenty of campsites all over the country - booking shouldn't be necessary in June, evne in popular areas.
But the BIG difference with a motorhome is that, in France, you don't actually need campsites! Lots of towns and villages have "Aires," where you can stay the night as well as filling and emptying tanks. Many are free, none are as expensive as even the cheapest campsites.
But it gets even better. Legally, in France, your motorhome is a "car," and can park (including overnight) anywhere a car can park. As long as the only thing touching the ground is your wheels, you're "parked," not "camping," and no-one can stop you unless there's an OVERALL ban on vehicles of your size/weight.
Best of all, join France Passion - a network of farms, vineyards and other producers who will let you stay overnight for nothing more than a few minutes' friendly chat. There's no obligation to spend any money, but of course you may well want t try whatever they produce, and who knows?

 

[DonnaG]

Hello and welcome, Bruce and Gill.
I agree that hiring is a great idea, to dip your toe in the water first.
The France Passion book Tony mentions is available from
http://www.france-passion.fr/gb_commande.php
and Vicarious Books
https://www.vicarious-shop.com/France-Passion-2014.html
who also sell the Aires Guides.
The back issues of PMH from Oct 2013 and June 2012 have features on aires and France Passion.
For an idea on how aires work, take a look at my videos on https://www.youtube.com/user/MontyTheMotorhome

and most of all... have fun!

 

[bruce240]

Hi Tony, many thanks for the comments, much appreciated !. I`ve just added another week onto our trip !

 

[bruce240]

Hi Donna,
Thanks for replying. Im going to buy the books you mentioned, now that I`ve added another week to our trip !
Great to see Monty`s adventures as well
Thanks again for the advice, much appreciated

 

[DonnaG]

Hi Donna,
Thanks for replying. Im going to buy the books you mentioned, now that I`ve added another week to our trip !
Great to see Monty`s adventures as well
Thanks again for the advice, much appreciated

Have a great trip and don't be afraid to ask anything else... even if you think it's a daft question, someone has always thought the same thing!
I'm slowly adding videos from our Netherlands tour, as and when we get decent WiFi. Tony, you asked a while agao about the number of aires in the Netherlands; the 2012 updated book from VB has many more than the original. This book covers Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg only, whereas the previous edition was Benelux and Scandinavia. However, many aires are charging €10 a night, and where we are today, in Hoorn, it's €14! That includes electric, water and WiFi but showers cost an extra €1...
https://www.youtube.com/user/MontyTheMotorhome

 

[LizziePope]

There's going to be a five-page special feature on getting started in the world of motorcaravanning in our Summer Special edition of Practical Motorhome that's on sale at the end of this month. We've also a section on trying before you buy.

If you can't wait until then, there's a guide to hiring motorhomes here, some information about buying here, a blog about how people got into this hobby here and much more on our website.

Happy touring!

 

[bruce240]

Hi Lizzie, thanks.
Looking forward to it

 

[katetaylor1]

Here's a little more about our latest issue – Practical Motorhome's Summer Special 2014 – highlighted in the newsletter I've just sent out. Hope you enjoy the magazine!