How do you plan your year?

[Brasso530]

How do you plan your year?Are you like me,sort next summers main hol just after this summer,Easter trip before Christmas,rest(usually weekends)book early in year (now)or are you like a friend,who books last minute.
Every one is different and circumstances,just putting it out there
P.s I tend to book something for every 6 weeks or so throughout the whole year,not December as too busy.

 

[Craigyoung]

Booked well in advance ! I've got my holidays sorted for the next three august's up to 2o21 at work !! And it will be France each time .

Easter's has been booked for a few months now ! Even got new year booked already for Knaresborough !!

We tend to use hardstandings club sites through the bad weather but once the weather fairs a bit it'll be straight back onto CL sites !! .

I get my long weekend every 4-5 weeks and they are booked up till May'sh time already ! If you're not fast you're last

 

[otherclive]

We are “sandwiched” between 96 year father and daughter/granddaughter so real planning can be quite difficult. Normally two main trips per year are planned early but since last April that’s not been possible. So it’s shorter distance go as things including weather permit.

 

[Dustydog]

This is the first year ever no planning.
My 93 year old mum is delicate requiring quick action and a 200 mile trip.
My own knees are shot. The dogs are in their twighlight years with problems that says we need to be near Malmesbury. So no plans or commitments this year.

 

[DaveA1]

We have a week booked in March, in a cottage in North Wales. Book other outings on CLs, (always CLs) a few weeks before. We are hoping to go away mid Feb will book the week before, when we know what the long range forecast is like, never missed out yet. Cornwall in May, not booked yet.

 

[Parksy]

Whenever possible we try to avoid school holidays and have already booked our three main holidays with the caravan this year, mainly because if we don't book well in advance we won't get the pitches that we want to be on.
We tend not to book short breaks or long weekends which are often spent on certified sites within 100 miles of home, we simply check for good weather and go.

 

[Bob_5041432]

One of the few advantages of retirement - a big one I admit - is time. We normally start at the Düsseldorf Caravan Show and wing it from there! Last year (2017) we went to Scandanavia and the Baltuc States before ending up in Sicily. This year (2018) we went to Spain (still there) and Morocco and next year, who knows? Possibly Greece or back to Morocco.

 

[emmerson]

The only "booking" I do is the ferry out, usually about now, for an April crossing, but Anne's bad hips are blocking that at the moment, so if we do go "furrin" it will be a last-minute thing.
Once in France, our pitch on our friends site is guarantee'd, and after that we just take pot luck.
We never book anything in advance in this country, as we tend not to "do" popular areas in high season.
Last year's figure of 187 nights is looking likely to be halved this year, unless Anne can get an early operation, for which we have fingers crossed!

 

[Beehpee]

Hi all, we don’t plan ahead much at all, other than booking a 2 week stay for late July which we would have booked by now but her indoors been off work for couple of weeks so once she’s back working she can check dates, I don’t have that problem being self employed, I put my holiday request in and it’s been ok’d each time, for rest of our outing we do on last minute bookings when we at least have an idea of half decent weather, we’re also pretty easy going on where so if a site we look at is booked up we just look elsewhere, wouldn’t suit everyone doin* it like this but it works for us, main thing with all of us is we get away whenever circumstances allows.

BP

 

[Hutch]

The only time we book is for The Woosie fest, all the other times we just get up and go between dental appointments, Weddings, funerals and Dog sitting for youngest son, can't afford to take three dogs away, trying for a trip ASAP. Needs to be near a pub in case of being snowed in

 

[Mandarin]

We've just booked two weeks in early July and a long weekend in may, for the rest I it will be booked as we feel like it and the weather permits. We aren't long term planners and quite happy to search for availability a week or two before we go.

It's our first summer of caravan ownership and we are excited about the flexibility of going away when we feel like and not knowing quite where that will be. However we are also excited about our two weeks in Cornwall and Somerset in July.

 

[Raywood]

We tend to book one longer holiday early and then shorter ones as we go along. We have booked a holiday for early April but my nephew has now announced he is getting married on the last weekend which has made some re arranging necessary.

 

[otherclive]

The planning for 2019 has just been put completely on hold as today we sold our house and so the move and my father's condition take precedence. Although the new house has parking for a caravan, and some neighbours have joined the dark side (MH) we are still mulling over whether to keep the caravan and tow car. But its final warranty service is in April so i will have that completed and then make a decision. One low (relatively) mileage Superb 4x4 may be on offer come spring

 

[Dustydog]

The planning for 2019 has just been put completely on hold as today we sold our house and so the move and my father's condition take precedence. Although the new house has parking for a caravan, and some neighbours have joined the dark side (MH) we are still mulling over whether to keep the caravan and tow car. But its final warranty service is in April so i will have that completed and then make a decision. One low (relatively) mileage Superb 4x4 may be on offer come spring

OMG :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:
Clive. You can’t be serious That’s a real shame.

 

[Hutch]

The planning for 2019 has just been put completely on hold as today we sold our house and so the move and my father's condition take precedence. Although the new house has parking for a caravan, and some neighbours have joined the dark side (MH) we are still mulling over whether to keep the caravan and tow car. But its final warranty service is in April so i will have that completed and then make a decision. One low (relatively) mileage Superb 4x4 may be on offer come spring

After being rejected by the MH folk, ( If you go to the dark side ) your more than welcome to come back, to us, a Also check out our car and you can always sit outside and have a beer or wine if on the same site.

 

[otherclive]

The planning for 2019 has just been put completely on hold as today we sold our house and so the move and my father's condition take precedence. Although the new house has parking for a caravan, and some neighbours have joined the dark side (MH) we are still mulling over whether to keep the caravan and tow car. But its final warranty service is in April so i will have that completed and then make a decision. One low (relatively) mileage Superb 4x4 may be on offer come spring

After being rejected by the MH folk, ( If you go to the dark side ) your more than welcome to come back, to us, a Also check out our car and you can always sit outside and have a beer or wine if on the same site.

Thanks Hutch. No chance of us getting a MH as we like exploring the more obscure areas where MHs have difficulty getting to. Also in UK the hassle of parking a MH would wesr me down. I’d rather buy a tent! We aren’t going to rush a decision on the van but we sold our last outfit car and van in 2014 including the last awning peg as it was getting so difficult to arrange getaways in the caravan. It’s come full circle again.
But thanks for the offer of the beer might even hang on to the kit to take you up on the offer.

 

[Hutch]

I will post when we go down to Houghton mill , near Huntingdon next and you can have a beer/ wine and Gourmet Burger / steak, :cheer:

 

[otherclive]

I will post when we go down to Houghton mill , near Huntingdon next and you can have a beer/ wine and Gourmet Burger / steak, :cheer:

Crikey that’s miles from our stamping ground in deepest Wiltshire :-(
Do you do Uber Eats by any chance?

 

[Hutch]

I will post when we go down to Houghton mill , near Huntingdon next and you can have a beer/ wine and Gourmet Burger / steak, :cheer:

Crikey that’s miles from our stamping ground in deepest Wiltshire :-(
Do you do Uber Eats by any chance?

No just real food, Maybe over towards Swindon, I know a mate who caravans over there.

 

[CustardAvenger]

The planning for 2019 has just been put completely on hold as today we sold our house and so the move and my father's condition take precedence. Although the new house has parking for a caravan, and some neighbours have joined the dark side (MH) we are still mulling over whether to keep the caravan and tow car. But its final warranty service is in April so i will have that completed and then make a decision. One low (relatively) mileage Superb 4x4 may be on offer come spring

It's true that life gets in the way...

After it's first service at the end of Feb, I don't know the next time my van will move in 2019. Work schedules are not conducive to taking annual leave for the foreseeable and weekends away are not an option without taking a Friday as A/L.

So after a record year of caravan nights away (26 with 3 cancelled due to illness) we have nothing booked for the rest of 2019.

 

[Mel]

Hi Custard Avenger. Putting our van on a seasonal pitch really worked for us when we were both working full time as going to it from work on Friday and staying until Sunday evening made the weekend getaway possible and worthwhile. Now we are slightly less full time ( not by much) van still on a seasonal pitch but we do some touring as well. Not cheap but it worked for us.
Mel

 

[Craigyoung]

We aren't seasonal pitched but our weekends normally consist of a Friday afternoon after work and getting on site for about 5 p.m. till Sunday late afternoon .

 

[CustardAvenger]

Hi Custard Avenger. Putting our van on a seasonal pitch really worked for us when we were both working full time as going to it from work on Friday and staying until Sunday evening made the weekend getaway possible and worthwhile..

Hi Mel,
I looked at the cost of a seasonal pitch with C&CC... not cheap for a location near enough!

We aren't seasonal pitched but our weekends normally consist of a Friday afternoon after work and getting on site for about 5 p.m. till Sunday late afternoon .

Craig,
This is the problem we have which also ties into Mel's comment; we don't get home from work on a Friday until 6.30pm at the earliest. After my 50mile commute, looking at the caravans going the other way in the summer :lol: I pick up my wife from the train station after her commute.

So weekends are a non starter. Unless we can agree on/afford a seasonal pitch!

 

[Craigyoung]

Craig,
This is the problem we have which also ties into Mel's comment; we don't get home from work on a Friday until 6.30pm at the earliest. After my 50mile commute, looking at the caravans going the other way in the summer :lol: I pick up my wife from the train station after her commute.

So weekends are a non starter. Unless we can agree on/afford a seasonal pitch!

Wow ! 5o mile commute ! I understand now why you want to seasonal pitch , I thought cycling back 4 mile on my bike for me to get away was bad enough !
Even though I can get finished for 2 my wife doesn't finish till 4ish the kids will get in from school bout 4 so it's between 5 and 6 when we make it to the site .
I always feel rushed when going away on a Friday cos I just want to be there before I've picked the caravan up !

Good luck.

 

[CustardAvenger]

Wow ! 5o mile commute ! I understand now why you want to seasonal pitch , I thought cycling back 4 mile on my bike for me to get away was bad enough !
Even though I can get finished for 2 my wife doesn't finish till 4ish the kids will get in from school bout 4 so it's between 5 and 6 when we make it to the site .
I always feel rushed when going away on a Friday cos I just want to be there before I've picked the caravan up ! ....

It's not that bad. Plus I work from home too.

To be honest, I don't think that we would be able to get the benefit of a seasonal pitch with our current employment schedules/work loads. It would feel like an obligation; whereas with the caravan on the drive we can book last minute wherever if we get time off.