So, it’s that time of year again – you know the one, the one where we sit down together as a family, group of friends or couple, glass of chilled sangria in hand, holiday brochures or i-pad at the ready and try to decide where we fly off to for our annual holidays this year.
Only, this year things are going to be a little different and I don’t know about you, but for me, I certainly won’t be boarding a bargain, budget or charter flight with 200 hundred other excited souls, potentially coughing and wheezing in all sections of the cabin whilst sharing the same recycled air and occupying the very same seat that, less than an hour previously, was vacated by goodness knows who!
Finally, after an hour and a half of what I like to call “sight-seeing” (which is in fact sitting on a cramped, baking hot coach with fifty other assorted families and couples, tired, frustrated, bursting for the toilet and praying that your name isn’t called out for this particularly grim looking destination you’ve just stopped at), you arrive at your hotel only to find the room isn’t ready yet and when it is, it looks out over the next-door building site or municipal dump!
As a side issue, these photographers must have amazing skills as the accommodation is never quite like the pictures in the brochure or on-line, which reminds me, I must try to track down one of those photographers some-day – my passport photo is terrible!
The water is undrinkable, the beer, cocktails and house spirits worse, the bed uncomfortable, the air conditioning doesn’t work, the neighbouring room houses a family of banshee’s who never seem to sleep; the hotel food is usually lukewarm and finally, when you take a closer look, the bedding doesn’t really seem that clean after all, the mattress doesn’t bear thinking about and the room – well, it doesn’t look to have had a thorough clean in decades!
The lifts are crammed full of holiday makers from all over Europe, all happily touching every button and surface produced by mankind while breathing and coughing across everyone within close proximity and then, while desperately trying not look anyone directly in the eyes, you’re left wondering what hygiene standards the chefs, waiters, reception, pool and bar staff apply and finally, to top it all off, social distancing is itself a very distant memory once the beer and sangria kick-in. Happy holidays everyone!
In fact, whilst on this subject, the very last place I could reasonably consider for a well – earned vacation right now would be aboard a cruise ship for that matter – luxurious as I’m sure they are, I couldn’t possibly imagine spending all of that time in such close proximity to a couple of thousand other poor souls also with no escape and all of their associated germs to dodge for a week or more whilst most of the above likely still applies!
And then there’s the excursions to worry about; a coach here, a taxi there, tours around the local must-see’s and snacks and drinks in lovely little tavernas and bars who’s owners and staff possibly think more about tips and profits than anything else – after all, you’re going to be a distant memory in an hour’s time!
I’m sorry if this paints a pretty awful picture and forgive me for using a few clichés, but tell me this hasn’t happened to most us at some time or another and tell me you aren’t having exactly the same misgivings – or am I just being cynical?
Anyway, enough of my hand-wringing doom and gloom, but I’m just saying, there must be an awful lot of other folks out there, also of a certain age and disposition thinking exactly the same as me – come on, I can’t be the only miserable git out there who’s really concerned about catching something incredibly nasty and shuffling off this mortal coil way too early (my opinion, not necessarily that of the current lady of the house).
So, with all of this to the fore of my reasoning, one – word springs to mind – staycation!
However, even that has some drawbacks; where to stay-cate for example, with whom and for how long are just a few of my thoughts.
But it doesn’t have to be that difficult, not when you could buy a motorhome and have as many holidays as you and your spouse could possibly ever desire.
If you think about it, it’s almost the perfect solution – your very own personal space, (or isolation pod as I like to think of them), closed to everyone but you and those lucky enough to be invited in, after thorough vetting that is!
Total freedom and flexibility, the freedom to go exactly where you want and do exactly what you want to do and the flexibility to do this whenever you wish and for as long as you want to, too.
If you really think about this, a campsite could also be the perfect place to enjoy freedom and isolation.
You don’t have to use the site’s facilities – toilets, showers, shops, bars etc. because your very own motorhome usually comes complete with its own toilet and shower, kitchen with cooker and fridge (sometimes a freezer too), tv if you fancy that and they can even be fitted with wind-out awnings for additional sun shelter. Some can even have gas BBQ points fitted for alfresco cooking.
You supply your own food and drinks so, nothing you don’t really want passes your lips and the shopping, if you don’t take it with you, can be delivered directly to your door if the need or desire’s still there to socially distance.
Your neighbours are usually several meters away from your pitch with their door on the opposite side too, so social distancing, again, isn’t going to be an issue and camp sites are usually to be found close to beautiful countryside or coastal areas – some even have fishing lakes attached and most non-motor homers would very surprised at just how good the vast majority of modern sites really are.
So, a motorhome doesn’t have to be huge, it can be and can also have every extra know to mankind too; but then there’s it’s size to consider, it can affect where you travel – too big and English country lanes could prove a challenge; too small and either you won’t have sufficient storage space for clothes and things or, more accurately, the love of your life will but you won’t or, joking apart, too small could potentially restrict the length of time spent away from home.
Well, a motorhome could be considered as “roughing it” by some I suppose but when you actually bother to take a closer look at some of them, well, nothing could be further from the truth.
Take Auto-Sleepers for example – they are the oldest UK motorhome manufacturer; every-one is hand built and quality oozes from every angle. Luxurious Belgian fabrics, quality furniture, kitchens a top chef would be proud of and space abound – even in the smallest of models.
Then there’s their fabulous standard features such as large wind-out awnings, mobile wi-fi, solar panels, re-fillable gas tanks, built-in satellite navigation systems, air conditioning – cab and habitation areas too in their Mercedes range; there’s even the option of remote, self-seeking satellite TV systems if you really don’t want to miss anything.
What could be finer than sitting under your very-own sun awning drinking wine (or gin, beer, cider or any other favourite tipple for that matter) and simply “chilling out” whilst listening to your favourite music or reading the latest novel on your kindle?
If that’s not your “thing” then how about a day exploring the local countryside or walking and cycling to places of interest; maybe visit the local beach (social distancing permitting of course) or town centre for that all-important retail therapy hit, (if the shops are open and you have a face-mask).
Then there’s galleries and museums to consider or the local country estate, farm shop or National Trust venue – really, the list of potential activities is endless as are the wonderful places one could pitch-up in the UK alone.
You never know too, the urge to go abroad could still prove too great to resist, in which case there’s always the “tunnel” for quick, easy access to France and beyond or endless ferry routes for a more relaxed trip across the water.
Imagine, a lovely warm evening, sun slowly setting, the sound of the ocean in the distance, dining al-fresco with a really great burgundy, fresh-baked French bread, a lovely cheese and a simple salad, all right on your own doorstep and for as long as you feel like it……
And don’t forget, motorhomes are welcomed throughout Europe and Europe’s an awfully big continent to explore and finding beautiful, isolated spots to call your own for a few days before moving on isn’t difficult and the driving? Well that’s all part of the holiday.
Remember too, once you have a motorhome, you also have the potential for hundreds of holidays, long or short, here, there, anywhere in fact – a long weekend or simple overnighter somewhere local or just a day out in the countryside for that matter, the choice is yours and endless!
So, I hope I’ve planted a seed of optimism for a brighter future this summer and holiday season; and one final fact, a motorhome is nothing like a car in terms of depreciation or residual value and if I’m honest, whilst they aren’t that cheap to buy initially, they should be considered more as an investment and once owned, they will retain a huge proportion of their original value and for a darned sight longer than your average family run-around or caravan and definitely longer than your two weeks package to the sun!
You’ll definitely have so very many more memories from a motorhome too so, when you sit down to consider the summer holidays, take a closer look at the motor home option and in particular Auto-Sleepers’ motor home range at Derby Motorhomes, you’re going to be very pleasantly surprised.
Staycation – happy holidays everyone.
The winners of this year’s Tent, Caravan and Motorhome Owner Satisfaction Awards have been revealed, and Auto-Sleepers have been awarded Best Motorhome Manufacturer (UK New and Used)!
