With rising fuel costs and the global financial situation, 2009 looks like a year when most families will be spending their precious vacation time in their home country. As children, our family rarely went abroad for our annual vacations, instead we had many weekends and weeks throughout the year at caravan sites across the country.
My earliest memory of this holiday was in a large static caravan somewhere on the east coast of Scotland, but as time went on we eventually bought our own caravan. It was at this time that our weekend breaks began and it seemed like most Friday nights after school would be spent traveling. Often the campsites we visited were no more than an hour’s drive from our house, but on some occasions they could be two or three hours’ drive away.
Regardless of whether we were on vacation in a static caravan or a touring caravan, we always had fun and had a new place to explore. As a child this seemed wonderful and it must have been these experiences of travel and exploration that led me to become a caravan enthusiast as an adult. Over the years I have taken my family around the UK and on many occasions across the English Channel to France, Germany, Switzerland and indeed many of the countries of mainland Europe.
As mentioned above, there are two types of caravan, the static and the tourist. What I haven’t mentioned yet is the motorhome. These are your 3 options when considering a caravan holiday and although they may all look the same, they are actually very different from one another.
The touring caravan will be towed by your car to the location of your choice. Straight away, the choice of touring caravan you have will depend on the size of the car you own. Touring caravans are available from small two-berths, easily towed by an average family car, to six-berths, which will require something more substantial like a four-by-four. With a static caravan, you won’t be using a car to get anywhere, but once you’re at your chosen site, you’ll be there for a long time – you better love the area! The motorhome eliminates the need for a separate unit to pull the caravan as it is the car and the caravan in one package. However, the downside of the RV is that once you’ve settled in your camp, you’ve lost your means of transportation. You will often see motorhomes with bikes attached to the back or even small motorcycles, and in some cases you may even see a large motorhome towing a very small car!
The interior space of any caravan is limited but in a static caravan you can make better use of the available space, with separate living areas and bedrooms. However, the touring caravan and motorhomes will have a sleeping area that doubles as your bedroom when night falls. Storing clothes, food and everything else for a great vacation can also be a problem with touring caravans and motorhomes. With limited space, you’re forced to choose which items you want to take on vacation and which ones you’d like but won’t fit. Obviously, with a static caravan that you visit often, you’ll be leaving a lot of clothes and kitchen utensils in there, reducing the need to transport them.
A third and final consideration in deciding whether to go with a touring caravan, a static caravan or a motorhome is luxury. While a basic caravan model may include a fridge, toilet and heater, luxury models may include stereos, showers, satellite television, microwaves and double glazing. In fact, most of the items found in your home today can be found in caravans.
If you are traveling in a caravan with children, a basic touring caravan will be a great addition to your family, while adding flexibility to your holiday destinations. For a little more luxury for your money, check out which motorhomes they have for you, but remember the problem of lack of transportation. Finally, if you have a special place in your heart, you can get a static caravan to visit at any time of the year.