How many times a year ?

[Dave_5040181]

On an average, how many trips and how many nights do you spend in the van ?

With the cost of a van etc etc how much do you reckon it will cost before considering site fees and fuel ? This year I have plans for about 35 nights but servicing the van, insurance and depreciation will be at least £1000. ( 2002 van)That's at least £30 per night before I have left home !

 

[ThePlotter]

Dont forget to divide by how many of you are going if you and partner that makes it

 

[emmerson2]

Twenty-one weeks last year, and planning for twenty-seven this year. The van cost

 

[Dave_5040181]

The Plotter.... Recently had two weeks in a 4 star hotel which included half board and air travel.Cost was about

 

[jacky3]

go to blackpool mate and get bed and breakfast for less than

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I've had 17 days away so far, Cornwall, Slimbridge, Pembridge. On Friday I'm off for 18 days, Lakes, Northumbria, Yorkshire Dales, (I can almost hear Scotch Lad sighing and saying "thank God for that" hehheh). I have another 17 booked so far, Clumber Park, Bognor, Whitchurch, but got a few weekends yet to book. At the moment I'm looking to book Cirencester Park and either Moreton in Marsh or Broadway. As for going off on a package holiday or in the van theres no choice, the van wins hands down. No flight delays/cancellations, no long drives to the nearest airport, no fighting for sun beds around the pool, come and go as you please, no lager louts, no overbearing crowds etc. etc.

 

[andy_5039827]

I have recently bought a caravan which a couple paid

 

[ThePlotter]

Nice one Dave bit like travel lodge prices and kiss me quick hats did they do bingo at night as well,if it suits you then fine but not for me I am afraid,you failed to say which top class venue it was!

 

[Dave_5040181]

Sorry, you got the plot wrong... it was Funchal !

 

[dazicki]

last year we had 37 nights away on average we paid no more than

 

[cris_408518]

Does it really matter, you pay what you want and do what you want.I'm sat in my van now watching my ducks on their morning swim and ritual in the Garden.

I hate hotels, and I've been to some of the best.

Depreciation on new vans and our usage are not compatible with other personal requirements.

Our latest van was as new and used by previous owners for 30 odd nights. They had a

 

[Icemaker]

We have been keeping a close eye on the cost for a few years now as we have noticed a trend that is putting site fees in to the hotel region. last year we had 75 nights in the van and on average the sites where about 16.00 per night so thats

 

[petercoachman]

hi just returned from spain/portugal 69 nights total cost including fuel, ferries,sites and spending

 

[cris_408518]

I have to use hotels a lot of the time when working, on the continent we have had a good modern clean room to sleep 3-4 for under 30 Euros and in Italy my wife and I had some bargain nights in very reasonable accomodation for around 45 Euros and could have had wo kids in the rooms with us for the same costs.

We nearly always stay on big sites with plenty of facilities and pay good money, somebody cleans and maintains hotels in the price and I object to lazy camp site management who can fail on maintaining levels of cleanliness.

With the likes of Travelodge offering weekend deals for

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Where some people get their figures from God only knows. OK the biggest outlay is on the van but after that I find most site prices fair. You cut your cloth accordingly. If when on site you eat out all the time and booze each night expect the costs to rise. If you go to attractions during the day, like stately homes, amusement parks etc. again your costs will go up. Some people go walking, biking, canoeing etc. and their costs are negligible. I can assure all that if the costs are as some make out there is no way on this earth that Her Ladyship and I could go away for approximately 70 days a year. On the bright side with lots more people having seasonal pitches and reducing the number of touring pitches maybe its not a bad thing that some give up vanning and go on package holidays. Each to their own and if given the choice I would rather stay at home than go on a package holiday. Been there, done that and experienced it. For those who have never been watch Ibiza Uncovered if its ever reshown. I'm no prude but the antics of young Brits on holiday abroad make me ashamed to be British.

 

[cris_408518]

Yeah, I'm with you Lord B. Do it your own way, and as for the "Brits Abroad" I have also experienced that on a French Caravan site to our horror. Upped and moved on PDQ, another time when a night on an Autoroute Service area was a much nicer option ;-)

I have friends who do walking and cycling hoidays and think nothing of paying

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

hi just returned from spain/portugal 69 nights total cost including fuel, ferries,sites and spending

 

[NorfolkMike]

When one has spent a working life all over the U.K. and overseas the stainless steel in one hotel looks very much like the stainless steel in another.

If you apply the rules of cost analisis to your holiday thats your choice but the delights of caravaning, walking and cycling wherever you chose, for Linda and I, beats anything that I am interested in doing for a holiday. within reason so= the cost.

ttfn

 

[cris_408518]

You sound a bit like me Mike. Accorr group hotels feature in my travels a lot. You can wake up in a hotel in Barcelona and might as well be in Germany or the UK as the all look alike.

With disinterested basic pay staff in many and of varying nationalities, that can also confuse you about your actual host country.

In one two years ago the Restaurant manager was French but had been brought up in Leicester and spoke fluent French with an English accent, reception was manned by his Dutch wife and a German Lady. The manager I guessed was Italian, the waiters were "Dozy" and only woke up when I produced a 20 Euro note deal to be looked after, with the other when we were due to

leave ;-)

I just love my mobile Hotel room with our own DIY service :-0

 

[Viking1]

Dave

We do not look at the cost as we thinck if we endjord ower self then it dus not mater.

mARK

 

[Dave_5040181]

There is an interesting pattern forming !! I have to agree that a caravan holiday is very special in it's own way but personally I like a mix of allsorts. I was particularly interested in the comments on a longer stay abroad. To make the trip financially viable in my book it's not worth contemplating less than 3 weeks.

The comments about all hotels being the same is as appropriate as saying all caravans/ caravan sites are the same but I know were you are coming from.

One of the pleasures of having your own home from home has to be familiar surroundings within the van that in my case make sleep more easy. I actually quite enjoy the normality of fetching and carrying, cooking ,etc etc.In an hotel you are often left with nothing to do other than have another drink.

I am still facinated to know how many nights people use their vans for !!!!!!!!!

 

[cris_408518]

Dave, I nearly do all the cooking in the Van. I love to cook, and my wife and others reckon I could open a Restaurant so I can't be to bad.

I would rather be in a van and cook my own food than suffer some Hotels so called chefs limited offerings ;-(

 

[cris_408518]

Sorry Dave.

I guess we get around 40 nights on holiday. But it also gets used by my Grown up kids. My son will have it on a quiet site again for two weeks before his Uni Exams. And it gets used at home by visitors some on stop over on route to and from Airports all though we have a large house. At christmas time one of the kids and partner will be sure to take it over as usual.

 

[MikeA]

Dave,

Sue and I manage to average about 50 nights per year, with the centrepiece being a 3 week continental trip. We get away over New Year and every school holiday except the February half term; together with a few other weekends.

I agree with lots of the above comments about why we caravan rather than do hotels. Though I have to say the competition was never hotels, which I associate with work rather than relaxation, but with other forms of self catering - static vans, cottages, narrow boats etc. We are stuck with school holidays even though the children are long since flown and whilst there are stunningly good deals about in the travel agents for off-peak they tend to be very scarce in UK school holiday season.

Of course the touring park prices rise on peak season also, but not I think in the stark way that the package operators manage. Going late in the summer holidays often moves into the "cheaper" price band for the last week or so on continental sites near the Med.

When our children were in the higher teens and starting to be a bit reluctant about caravan holidays we did the sums in earnest, sold the van and car and bought a people carrier. We then managed a couple of extra years of holidays in their company by saying OK we will go to Centre Parks or rent a static in France and you can each bring a friend. The overall cost was the same, though the holidays were shorter. They were great years and I'm glad we did it. But after that the call of caravanning was too great and we sold the people carrier and bought a second hand Volvo Estate and 6 year old Lunar Clubman and went back to our love.

We do the sums periodically, but to be honest we just enjoy the style of caravanning too much. I can think of no other time that we feel as relaxed and guilt-free (of thinking of all those chores you should be doing) as when we are in the van.

Cheers,

Mike A

 

[NorfolkMike]

Stick to the question. sorry Dave.

have been away eleven nights to date.

this month its to Italy for 30 nights.

September is 14 nights in France.

The rest of the year whenever the guarden lets us. Hot weather and yellow lawns is good.

I recon about 70 to 85 nights. without the winter which is less predictable. ( and it depends if my CRAP TAPS get tempermental in the cold)

ttfn