2017 sees us start off with a caravan – I never thought the day would come when we reverted back.  The reasons are many so I will share a few with you.

First of all as we get older we were finding it more difficult to get around once we had pitched up.  We didn’t want to tow a car as many folks do and using quad bikes, motorbikes or even electric bikes was becoming problematical both space and weight wise.  Having sold the Flair with its massive payload and enormous garage we were running out of suitably sized campers unless we opted for another Flair or similar and we couldn’t afford another Flair nor would I want to drive a big vehicle these days.

During our continental ventures we liked to include a trip to see the family (after all we see precious little time with them and the children are growing up fast) Using a camper van in Carcassonne is becoming a tad frustrating.  First of all they have closed some of the sites and vastly increased the cost of the remaining ones so much so that there is no difference between a campsite or Aire.  All the Aires and campsites close in winter – again a problem for us as even with a smaller camper we would not be self sufficient and need EHU.

We also wanted to see more of the UK and we have spoken many times that really the UK doesn’t take kindly to campers and prefers caravans.  In the UK however you can’t rely on the weather so a caravan awning is much more suitable to the “sun shades” found on campers. With the weather and distances between sites and tourist centres, transport becomes more of a necessity.

We have taken the plunge so whether or not its a success time will tell.  Watch this space…