Britain or UK: which is best for touring?

Dec 2, 2010
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Hello to all,
I'm a new member, freelance journalist now based in Brittany and I'm researching a piece comparing the Uk and France as holiday destinations. I'm specifically looking at motorhomes and campervans but I'm interested in general feedback, too.
- Is there much cost difference between UK and France?
- How easy is it to find a suitable place to stay?
- How do the roads compare (are the tolls worth it for hassle-free driving)?
- Do you think that Britian should introduce municipal stopover sites like France?

I've got an ancient motorhome so I have some experience but only in France, my memories of UK touring are now limited and 10 years out of date.
Please let me know if you're happy to be quoted (or not) and I thank you in advance for any stories and advice you feel ready to share.
thanks,
The Writers Room
 
Dec 14, 2006
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Hi - My comment would be that we are British, and prefer to do our caravanning in France or elsewhere in Europe. We do occasionally have weekends in Britain, but it just isn't the same for us!
In France, generally, you can still do what caravans were intended for - tour - going where you please, when you please and staying as long or as little as you want! In Britain you have to decide weeks or even months in advance if you want to go somewhere, then try to book a pitch (which can be impossible for popular weekends on popular sites). You may have to vacate your pitch at the weekend, because it has been pre-booked by someone just for Friday and Saturday night! The traffic precludes against your getting there on time, and when you do the weather can be awful! Even being a member of the Caravan Club or Camping and Caravanning Clubs doesn't really make it easier to find a site, as people on here will testify. You can perhaps almost always find a CLs or CSs (the Caravan Club and Caravan and Camping Club licensed sites) but these are basic sites, often just a field, sometimes with no sanitary facilities or electric hook-up and sometimes with the only 'facility' being a cold water tap and a chemical loo emptying point! This is not our sort of caravanning.
Costwise, municipal sites, and the discount schemes such as Camping Cheques, ACSI Card, and the like make it possible to tour in France on a very limited budget - like ours. The ACSI card will get you a pitch on a four star site for 11, 13 or 15 euros, or with Camping Cheques £13.95 per night for two people, car and caravan (or motorhome or tent), awning, electricity and one dog. If you stay for any length of time then sites give you a discount - in Britain on some sites you are limited to a maximum of twenty-eight days and then have to move on! Where the ACSI card or Camping Cheques are accepted in Britain campsites often exclude weekends, or any dates during any of the school holidays, where in Europe both are accepted widely during these times. I think those people who use CLs and CSs (the Caravan Club and Caravan and Camping Club licensed sites) can find sites at this sort of price but most commercial sites charge a lot more, and their peak season is considerably longer than in Europe, when outside mid-July to mid-August you can often use these discounts. We don't use toll roads in Britain or France (budgetary constraints!) but in France, for some people, they are certainly worthwhile. They get you quickly to your destination, have caravan-friendly places to stop for a comfort stop, and are free-flowing for the most part except for the real peak weekends.
It would be great if Britain had municipal sites - but I think it's very unlikely. Even in France those in very rural areas (ie not adjacent to major routes where sites are still well-used) are closing down. A contributor to another forum used only municipal sites in France - and had a great time, at very little cost, but did find that he was the only outfit on some sites and that was during peak season of July/August.
We've been camping and caravanning in France for thirty-one years now, and still go back twice each year and find new sites, and new things to see and do. We did camp in Britain in our teens and twenties, and again when our children were small - but these days much prefer the freedom we get in Europe.
You can quote me - if there is anything worth quoting!
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Interesting project but one which I fear cannot come to a firm conclusion.
I write as a Francophile caravanner since 1967, a long term Caravan Club member and a former moderator of this site..
"It all depends" seems to sum it up. It depends where you are starting from, what your travel conditions are - adults only, family, limited to school holidays, prefer sea and sand or hills and streams, towns and activities, countryside and tranquility, how much time you have, how much money you have, whether you are comfortable not speaking the language too well etc. etc.
We have many European friends who would love to come to UK for a holiday but who are put off by a number of factors including:
High ferry fares unless convenient to Calais Dover area; high road fuel prices and difficulties of right hand drive; very croweded places and traffic, particularly in south east, lack of English and with very few natives having any of their language; high prices for attractions and eating out; vast complications if they wish to bring pets. And, of course, less than assured good weather.
BUT a great varity of scenery in realtively short distances, history and tradition, great camping sites particularly if they know to join one of the major clubs, good beer if you look hard enough and generally friendly campers (although more and more now retreat to their 'vans and watch TV rather than socialising with visitors.
From our point of view, the ferry price is the biggest disincentive.Continental travel insurance also becomes increasing expensive with age. Toll costs are high in France particularly when towing, but if in no hurry you can still use RN (or equivalent). Worth paying the tolls if in a hurry or in bad weather or to get round big sities. Site pitches tend to be smaller and soemtimes more difficult to access with bigh outfits. Toilet facilities etc. generally more basic than at best UK sites, but no problem if, like us, you prefer CL type sites anyway. Peaceful roads away from big cities. 'Natives' generally very friendly in the country and particularly if you try to speak the language.
The idea of British 'municipals' does not appeal at all - remember that small British towns do not have the same type of administration as similar sized towns in France, and the ideal of staying on an unattended site in or near a small town here is a non-starter. The major clubs have effectively solved this with the CL concept. You have only to look at the state of municipal car parks and particularly the 'out-of-hours' things which tend to go on in them to see how unattractive this idea is - I won't leave my car overnight if i can possibly avoid it.
Unfortunately, I cannot help but compare the initial reactions of a European arriving at Dover area for first time. Motorways towards London - which are the most likely roads to be used are crowded, agressive and with limited and not very good services. The Western ports e.g Portsmouth are better in this repect, but nothing like as enjoyable as Cherbourg or St Malo ( I don't enjoy Ouisterham / Caen very much but it's soon over).
(incidentally, the same criticism applies to many airports as Heathrow - it's a very brave firt time visitor who hires a car at the airport and experiences 'wrong side' driving for the first time when leaving the airport.

I wish you luck with your venture - and hope it may improve the number of visitors to our country but think this may be an up-hill battle.
Please feel free to use these comments in an un-attributed manner (except as from one with considerable experience both sides of the Channel)
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Val said lots of things I totally agree with - our history of visiting France dates from much the same era and has much the same pattern, although one of our annual trips usually includes long winter stay in Spain.
At my age it seems inevitable to look back, and I cannot help regretting the closure of French village bakeries and family run inns; the rise of fast and convenience food outlets and the increased pace of life. My first visit - not with a caravan - was 1957 - when I worked in a watch factory in the Jura for 3 months and lived 'native'. So perhaps I'm trying - foolishly - to re-discover the past, which was a truly memorable experience.
 
May 1, 2010
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hi,give us france anytime,agree with whats been said,but one point not stated,no snobbery on french campsites like in britain,eg ccclub sites.caravaners for30yrs,with kids grandkids and as a couple.
 
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There is one major difference between France and the UK. Both have similar populations, although the UK is increasing exponentially but France has a land mass about 2 times the size. Therefore there is far more open space and as a result less tension., especially as we seem to wish to cram everybody into a small corner. If people wish to ‘get away from it all’ in France it is relatively easy to do so, here you have to head for the hills or an island somewhere. I suspect it is this ‘peace and tolerant’ way of life that attracts so many Brits to holiday in France. Of course a more pleasant climate in the summer is also an attraction. However, the downside is that many of them think that is justification to move there permanently and then find out that there are a large number of issues that can make life subsequently very difficult.

We have tended to holiday outside the UK for many years due to a number of factors. The relatively high cost in the UK compared to sometimes poor service, the often terrible climate especially if it hits during your only 2 week break, the poor state of the roads as a result of high traffic density and poor maintenance. Caravan sites which although sometimes have good facilities, are often very anti social, unless you are in the ‘clique’ is another factor and we personally do not like to pitch in what sometimes looks like a car park. However, France is not a cheap destination, especially in the last few years where costs have risen significantly so we now tend to venture further south to Spain and notice a lot of French doing similar. The French can be charming but in the same breath can be very rude if they do not get their own way. This can be said of many nations of course.

One of the main reasons for many people caravanning or camping in the UK is without being impolite, a very conservative nature. Many people have been brought up in the same area all their lives. Family and friends are all local, there may be attractive areas within easy reach and so see no reason to venture further afield. Others of us have a wandering tendency and want to see new places all the time.

I doubt you will be able to qualify your quest in a short answer, but wish you luck.
 
Apr 1, 2010
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Some of us actually prefer to travel further away all over Europe where there are some wonderful Countries and places to visit. Countries that are a lot cheaper than the UK and France for Fuel, Food and most other goods.
 
Jan 17, 2005
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I hope the title of this thread is not an example of your writing skills
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