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Back in the before-times, my wife and I booked a motorhome holiday - we were originally going to go to the Machynlleth comedy festival and then tour around north Wales doing some walking and general sightseeing for the rest of a week. That all got cancelled due to Covid, the credit with the hire company has been sitting on our account, and in the meantime we've had a baby too.
We've now re-booked to hire one in October but given the changed circumstances I could do with some suggestions for where to go. I've slightly gone off the idea of Snowdonia/Lake District or other honeypot locations now that it seems half the country is going there instead of Benidorm, but maybe it'll have quietened down once the schools are back?
Also, without wanting to sound defensive, after some of the recent campervan threads on here I feel I should point out that we're not planning to sh*t in any laybys (it's got a loo and a Camping & Caravanning Club membership).
Wales and the Lakes will be fine by October.
I wouldn't let the fear of crowds put you off, unless you're particularly looking for solitude?
Northumberland. Hebrides.
following. I've always quite fancied a go in a motorhome (not least due to MrsDoris' slightly strained relationship with camping).
But you could stay in a pretty plush hotel for the same price as renting one. So it would seem a bit silly to pay hotel prices, to then go and stay on a campsite anyway.
Is it worth it?
The weather in the Lakes in October will be varied - rain, torrential downpours or monsoons. Avoid the Lakes in October.
We did it last year and spent four nights listening to drums on the roof of our motorhome and it became nothing but a cluttered drying room.
North wales and Anglesey! Plenty to go at in Snowdonia. It sorta looks a bit small on the map but there's plenty to see, do and look at. Leave the babe with Grandma and take bikes 😂
*it does rather depend on your wants and interests….., anyway.
If it’s a big one, so pita parking/driving in cities etc, get sites near station/bus stop(Esp so can do one way walks back to campsite) so can travel without moving it.(being able to walk to pubs, shops, restaurants also helps A LOT) Also a long drive in a motorhome is a LLOONNGGG drive so I’d limit travel distances and not be travelling every day. Time passes more slowly in the wissing pet rain if you are on a site with no tv reception and no internet facilities, especially if there are midges and no facilities for 30 miles.
Random idea, Warwick racecourse site, nearby town, canal, train, bus, we enjoyed it, bikes on train, canal cycle, walk to town, castle, gardens, just up road from Stratford on Avon via train I think. Enough for a couple of days only tho.
Anywhere in the UK in October will have variable weather conditions. We usually do a week mid to end of October and then gear down to long weekends over the winter.
Over the last few October's we have done Wales, Lakes, Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. Always found plenty to do.
Perthshire is glorious in October and whenever I have been, really good weather. Or Cairngorms
+1 for Perthshire, East Cairngorms, Moray and Royal Deeside in October.
Being East, it's more likely to be dry. The trees are stunning, the rivers and waterfalls will be up and spectacular. There's good forest cover giving shelter, still lots to do and visit.
Edit: October half term has given us some of the best family holidays since we moved up here. There's often a good few days of settled weather - not warm, but not wet.
Wales is fine, just avoid the bloody obvious places. Angelsey is lovely. We've a caravan near Prestatyn, and the beaches etc have only been busier at weekends. Perfectly fine (empty) mid week.
France
Being East, it’s more likely to be dry. The trees are stunning, the rivers and waterfalls will be up and spectacular. There’s good forest cover giving shelter, still lots to do and visit.
Edit: October half term has given us some of the best family holidays since we moved up here. There’s often a good few days of settled weather – not warm, but not wet.
All of this. We've had some epic October weather the last few years.
Into the desert and cook up some prime crystal?
France
either Alps or Brittany.
If you want to stick to C&CC sites how about a couple of nights at Embleton, then Haltwhistle, then Braithwaite or Moffat. Lots of variation in location, things to do and all very good sites
Another advantage of the C&CC membership is the small certificated sites. They're usually limited to 5-10 units, are in lovely spots and are quite cheap. We've stayed on some really nice ones.
Where are you starting from OP?
I'd probably head to Scotland myself, but if you're on the south coast that might not be helpful?
Devon or Cornwall. Beaches are lovely & easily accessible.
2019.
Devon or Cornwall. Beaches are lovely & easily accessible.
😁
@revs1972, haha, I was being sarcastic. We had a week in Devon, near Salcombe, 3 weeks ago in our touring caravan, so luckily had the car to get about in. We visited Bantham beach & got wedged with a T4 camper coming the other way. Needed a feeler gauge to measure the gap. Coming off site on Saturday morning took us 40 mins to do 3 miles. Met a motor home coming the other way who had about 20 vehicles behind him while I had a Morrison’s delivery van & 6 cars behind. Luckily we met by a field entrance so I could reverse & he went into the field. I then let everyone past both ways.
When we 1st got there I did wonder why there weren’t many motorhomes.
Thanks for all the helpful replies. Yes, it might've helped if I'd said where we're starting (Norfolk) but to be fair with 10 days we've probably got time to get to most places bar the Hebrides. I definitely like the Warwick suggestion (good journey breaker for us), and as for the weather, yeah it's October so we'll get what we get...
Not the NC500!
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/scotland-now/motorhomes-egged-tires-slashed-popular-24745544
Wales is fine, just avoid the bloody obvious places. Angelsey is lovely. We’ve a caravan near Prestatyn, and the beaches etc have only been busier at weekends. Perfectly fine (empty) mid week.
I'd 2nd this; been around North Wales in a campervan and there are many spots that aren't overrun; in addition to Anglesey, I'd highly recommend the Llŷn Peninsula; plenty of beaches to choose from and much rugged beauty, especially around Nant Gwrtheyrn
2019.
only if it will get to 88mph
From Norfolk I'd be going up to Northumberland then circling round to west coast Scotland, then down to N Wales.
Check before heading to the western isles:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/aug/13/motorhomes-and-caravans-banned-from-stand-by-scottish-ferries
Just to echo some of the above. Life is more relaxing if you don't move on each day to a new location. My advice is choose locations that you can do walks, rides, sightseeing from and stay a couple of days there before moving on to the next place. Some sites are on bus routes e.g. Berwick-Bamburgh-Craster-Alnwick bus route, or even near train stations.
having to put everything away each day to drive on gets tiresome and ruins the relaxation part of the trip
Anglesey local here. As above, here and Gwynedd will deffo be fine by October. Fine really summer mid-week, but Fridays and weekends to either be avoided or planned for (i.e., head for the less obvious spots).
There are some cracking pop up sites appearing on pitch up. Grab a few places not far apart and get stuck in.
We live in Talybont just north of Barmouth, it's bloody lovely around here.
Moved from Machynlleth which to be fair is also pretty awesome.