Posted on 29/11/2017 18:57
Reading the latest magazine I was annoyed to read an AGM comment that motorhomes are causing problems because they stay on a site for a few nights and spoil the opportunity for a week's booking.
Personally all the people dashing to book in December for next year spoil my opportunity for going away on a whim and touring, stopping off for a few nights then moving on to pastures new.
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Posted on 04/12/2017 00:07
We are in the UK. I would not drive 100 miles to a site without making absolutely sure that there was a pitch on that site for me. Why would I even if certain in my own mind of availability? There could well be ab event close to my chosen site that I was not aware of. Travelling to some Yorkshire sites on spec could be a poor move if the cycle race was on. I would not know that it was as I have no interest in it. Same thing with flower shows etc. Or boat race at Henley on Thames
Posted on 04/12/2017 00:07 byWe are in the UK. I would not drive 100 miles to a site without making absolutely sure that there was a pitch on that site for me. Why would I even if certain in my own mind of availability? There could well be ab event close to my chosen site that I was not aware of. Travelling to some Yorkshire sites on spec could be a poor move if the cycle race was on. I would not know that it was as I have no interest in it. Same thing with flower shows etc. Or boat race at Henley on Thames
Posted on 04/12/2017 08:35 byWe are not brave or foolhardy and if we knew of some event that was going to fill a site would ourselves consider booking and actually have done on a couple of occasions. However where there are alternatives we prefer the luxury of stress free travel that comes when one is not commited to arrive at a particular time or even day. We have regularly travelled not 100 but over a thousand, fully intending to use a specific site and without booking. That type of tour leaves us free to change plans as we go and certainly removes "deadline" stress. Booking when its unnecessary doesn't make life easier just the opposite. However that is "over there" and I wouldn't try it here .
Posted on 04/12/2017 09:15
echo David's post completely.
when 'not necessary', having places 'booked' and deadlines to meet doesnt relax us at all, imposes restrictions that generally arent there when we tour (abroad).
this (late) summer, we had an 'owners club meet' booked, a couple of weeks into the trip...
as it happened, the weather in mid western France was very poor and, had we not committed to this function (which was quite expensive, and paid for in advance) we would have just moved south far more quickly, to follow the sun.
whilst moving to find a (general) change in the weather, doesnt apply as greatly in the UK, we dont like to have too many (booking) commitments even here, as changes to itinerary (for us) are likely to be due to finding a place just doesnt hold the attaction we thought, or somehwere has turned out to be a real find...
with uk sites booked to the gunwales (in the generally accepted 'good weather' period of our fickle islands) changing plans can be tricky without some 'ringing round' or much time spent on the pc.
hence, unless its for a specific tour where we will generally 'stick' to the plan, we only book a site or two per trip, whereas (when away) we can use between 5-10 'locations' before we get 'there'....and we often dont know where 'there is'...until we find it.
...and having found it..we like to leave when we want to, not when our 'booking says so'....
just different processes for different locations...i appeals, one doesnt.
this will be the total reverse for some, but thats how different we all are
Posted on 04/12/2017 14:59
We are heading out on Wednesday this week first site booked for 2 nights, then a CL for the weekend after that who knows. Wouldn't do that in the high months but at this time of year it is pretty safe to do so. Nearest we get to touring 'over there'
BB, it would help if the 'search' facility worked properly 
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Posted on 04/12/2017 20:58
We tend to book our first few sites for any trip, and then book more as we go along. However for this next rip we've book 5 sites as one is near York and the two following that are over X-Mas and the New Year. We will book further sites after that depending on the weather.
Posted on 04/12/2017 22:59
Quick question for those that do tend to book ahead like ET, if you have a series of bookings over say 6 weeks, staying 5 nights at each site.
Do you stick to you itinerary regardless of the weather? or do you amend it and try to squeeze the most out of you time away.
We tend to do the latter but that is because we holiday over the water between April and November. Its the one big risk in the UK of booking so far in advance you never know what the weather will be like and with the sites being so busy, its not always possible to change at the last minute. Then of course you have the problem of having paid deposits to some sites.
Going away now in the winter months for us it doesn't matter so much about the weather because we won't be riding our bikes, nor will we be BBQing or sitting outside.
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Posted on 04/12/2017 23:25
Do you stick to you itinerary regardless of the weather? or do you amend it and try to squeeze the most out of you time away.
We normally stick to the itinerary as If the weather is bad it tends to affect a significant area, Having said that we often find that if we have a few days of wet weather then by travelling, say, 20 miles on a day out we can find better weather because of the effects of coastal areas or mountain/hill ranges.
In general though it is very rare that we find ourselves 'rained off' for more than the odd day.
Katrina Hope Valley
Motorhomer