Keep all of your homely treats with you whilst you go and explore some wonderful sights, at your own leisure – surely that is worth giving it a go?

With a wealth of national treasures to be discovered right here on our doorstep, a motorhome holiday will give you that option. Start thinking about the areas you would like to visit and how long it would take and book your very own motorhome according. With a hot shower, the ability to have a cup of tea when you like and a place to keep the family dog, a motorhome holiday really is the best way to get around the UK – and further afield!

What is included:
All your linen, cutlery, towel and fuel are included in the cost of the motorhome rental fee and the motorhomes are fully insured too, giving you peace of mind

We also cater for motorsport and cycling holidays so you really can go off the beaten track and explore everything this great country has to offer!

Why not make this year the year that you do something a little different – get in touch with us today to let us help you make your motoring holiday a reality!

 
Start with thinking about what you use on a day to day basis, such as:

• Phone chargers
• Medicines
• Credit / debit cards
• Personal documentation / ID

 
Then start thinking about the top things that you will need if you were out for a period of time, such as:

• Hair brush
• Mini toothpaste and toothbrush
• Facial / body wipes
• Emergency contact details
• Torch
• Notepad and pen
• Book
• Personal toiletries

Keep your absolute essential items in a separate bag / compartment so that they can be found quickly and conveniently when needed!

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The Touring Landau was unlike anything that had previously been seen before – and it was created with the camper in mind. Containing luggage and cargo compartments, a designated place for camping equipment and a toilet on board, the motorhome was the vision of luxury. Don’t forget, most toilets those days were found in outhouses in the gardens!

Come the 1920’s, building managers and manufacturers were beginning to convert 2nd hand panel trucks and buses to be used as camping vehicles. Local designers got on board and started adding their input, basing these motorhomes on the interiors found in buses, airplanes and boats.

However, during World War Two, the production of such vehicles was halted and was not resumed until the 1950’s.

Where did the name come from?
Motorhomes was the name coined for these vehicles in the 50’s by Raymond Frank who actually went on to design and create his first motorhome so that he could take his family on holiday to the mid-west of America. Mounted on top of a Dodge chassis, the 27-foot long motorhome soon caught the eye of other holiday makers who quickly asked Frank whether he would create and build one for them.

By the early 1960’s Raymond Frank has sold 7 motorhomes and decided to open a business. Frank Motor Homes, Inc. was opened and was a huge hit, especially with those who didn’t want to go down the trailer route for their holidays!

As happens in business, other manufacturers quickly cottoned onto the motorhome and the fact that there was an interested market available and in 1966, the Winnebago was launched – still to this date one of the world’s most recognisable names when it comes to motorhome travel.

Motorhomes now
Since the birth of the motorhome and the subsequent boom featuring the Winnebago, motorhomes are often found around the world and are a popular way of travelling around a country and seeing new things. In fact, just last year, in America, over 43,000 motorhomes were sold.

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Make sure you are prepared!
Keep a spare pair of sunglasses in the car with you. Although it might be cold outside, autumn still does have sunny days and, in fact the low level of the sun due to the shorter days can prove to be very hard to deal with. Typically the low sun is very dazzling, especially if you have a dirty windscreen, which leads us on to….

Windscreen care!
Make sure that your windscreen washer fluid is filled up – with more dirty and grit on the roads, combined with more rain, you will get a dirty windscreen pretty quick. Make sure that the fluid you use has an anti-freeze property to it so that it doesn’t freeze and is ready to go when you are! Also, autumn is a great time to check your windscreen wipers.

Check your battery!
It’s a fact that most batteries pack up in the colder months of autumn and winter as the car has to use more electrical juice to keep going. If your battery is over five years old, it would make sense to replace it, before it gives up the ghost on you when you least need it!

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Plan your meals
Treat eating out on the road in your motorhome like you would at home and plan ahead in advance. Prepare meal plans, look at recipes and work out what you could buy that would last for a few meals, such as dried pasta and tinned essentials, like chopped tomatoes.
If you are planning to cook and eat under the stars via a campfire, make sure that you have the right foods for the occasion, foods that will not take all night to cook and some marshmallows for afterwards, of course!  And why not try to plan and final night on the road celebration meal, to make it extra special!

One pot dinners
You’ll find that one pot dinners are ideal when living out on the road. Either via a slow cooker or simply in one big saucepan, one pot meals are typically filling, will allow for leftovers and save on endless amounts of washing up – especially handy for when space is at a premium!
One pot meals that work well include curries, throwing in the rice at the end, meatballs & spaghetti and pasta bakes. Serve these dishes with a side salad and a generous helping of garlic bread if so desired and there you have it – a decent meal that isn’t too expensive and will leave enough leftovers for lunch the next day!

Ready meal pig out
If nothing else, a holiday is meant to be a break form the norm, and in some cases that will mean having a night off from cooking – yes! Of course, you could nip to the local pub, restaurant or takeaway, but why not stock up on a few ready meals and pop them in the oven or microwave for a tasty and quick dinner on the go?

Remember the essentials
Make sure that before you head off on your holiday on the road, you pack salt, pepper and a selection of herbs, spices and sauces. Or if you are planning on doing a shop once you have reached your destination (or one of your destinations), be sure to stock up. The blandest meal can be transformed with some clever seasoning and herbs!

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Like here in the UK,  you can be stopped anywhere you travel and be asked to produce your documentation – in order to save any mishaps from happening, take a look at our list of driving abroad essentials:

Valid full driving licence
This must be a full licence, not a provisional licence. Although the paper counterpart is not valid in the UK, if you still have it, we would advise to take it aboard with you just in case.

International Driving Permit
Apply and obtain an International Driving Permit which lasts for 12months – an International Driving Permit is recognised internationally and allows the named holder to drive a vehicle when abroad, in conjunction with a full UK driving licence.

Vehicle registration document – V5c
It is important that you have the original paperwork and not a copy, as a copy will not be accepted.

Motor insurance certificate
Again, ensure that you have a paper copy of this certificate. These days a lot of the policies we have are emailed or held in an online portal. Make sure you print a copy out so you have one in paper form and also make sure you have the contact details for your insurance and policy number saved on your phone in case you need to speak to them,

Passports
Never forget your passports!

Travel Insurance documents
Travel insurance documents form a major part of the insurance policies abroad, so be sure to have the details hand and stored in your phone as well as the paper documentation printed and ready to produce if needed.

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In Germany…
Motorists can be fined if they are found guilty of making derogatory signs or hand gestures and using abusive or offensive language

In Sweden…
Speed limits are a little different to what we are used too. The speed limit isn’t enforced due to the type of road, but instead on the safety and quality of said road. As such, speed limits may vary on the same stretch of road accordingly and motorists are advised to pay attention to road signs.

In Romania…
Driving a dirty car is illegal.

In Switzerland…
It is illegal to pick up hitchhikers on duel carriageways and motorways

In Spain…
Two triangle warning signs need to be displayed if a vehicle breaks down.
Also in Spain…
It is prohibited to program or even touch a GPS navigation systems unless parked in a safe place

In Slovenia….
Motorists are not allowed to sound their horns in the vicinity of a hospital

LEGOLAND Windsor

With recent new additions such as Duplo Valley Splash & Play and the latest 4D movie to hit the Lego screens, Legends of Chima, LEGOLAND is the perfect place to spend the day or weekend with old and young kids alike. With a number of themed areas, the ability to stand in awe as you view the mini models and the chance to create your own Lego creation, LEGOLAND is well worth the admission fee in our opinion!

Alton Towers

Alton Towers is possibly the biggest theme park in the UK, and more than likely the most well-known! With thrilling rides such as ‘Air’, where riders experience the exhilarating feeling of flying like a bird, Alton Towers also has a few hardcore rides such as ‘Nemesis’ and the plunging ‘Oblivion’ – rides that are designed to get your heart racing!

Flambards Experience

A full-on family experience, Flambards Experience includes a number of rides to please everyone including ‘The Shuttle’ that powers riders into the air and into a spin with ‘The Thunderbolt Ride’ – everyone is a winner at Flambards!

Drayton Manor

With Thomas Land for the little ones and a number of rides suitable for the older, braver members of your party, Drayton Manor has a great mixture of attractions. Oh, and Drayton Manor’s ride ‘Apocalypse’ has just been voted the UK’s scariest ride……!

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That’s right, our very own Blackpool has topped the charts for being the best stretch of sand anywhere in the world. And to put that into perspective, Bondi beach in Australia and the Maldives didn’t even make the top ten!

Blackpool is, of course, famous for its illuminations and the Pleasure Beach, as well as donkey rides along the sand and comedy ‘kiss me quick’ hats.

But the top ten wasn’t just topped with a British beach, it also contained 5 additional entries:

1. Blackpool
2. Benidorm
3. Majorca
4. Brighton
5. Bournemouth
6. Algarve
7. Scarborough
8. Weymouth
9. Tenerife
10. Great Yarmouth

Post Office Money marketing director Pete Markey said; “Although some beaches have stood the test of time, there have been seismic shifts in tastes in the past sixty years.
Nowhere matches Blackpool for beach appeal but today’s holidaymakers are travelling further afield to find their new favourites.”

The survey went on to gauge the top beach activities, which are unchanged: building sandcastles, having a 99 ice cream and a paddle in the sea!

Where’s the bucket and spade? I’m off to Blackpool…..

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Things have changed considerably over the past few years, with more and more electrical devices and gadgets around to keep little people entertained, but what else should you have in your kids bag?

Movies, games and apps
As just said, devices and gadgets are for more common these days, with many households home to a tablet of some description. Load it up with apps (and battery!) before setting off and encourage children to play on it for short spells when bored. Also pack a few DVD’s and earphones, so that your kids in the back seat can watch their favourite movie on the go either by the in car system or a portable DVD player.

Travel games
These never go out of fashion! Travel games are a scaled down size of popular board games, such as Monopoly, Guess who and Connect Four, these games can entertain kids and adults alike for hours. Also, these travel sized games are handy as they are smaller than the original size, so can be stored in travel / hand luggage sized bags nice and easy without given you too much more weight to carry!

Books
Colouring books, magazines, story books, travel books – books are an essentials! Encourage the children to dive into a book to help them escape, like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games or simply crack open the colouring pens and get creative. Magazine are also popular, especially with boys who might find a book to daunting.

Oldies but goodies!
If nothing else and the kids still get bored, why not revert back to the old tried and tested games like I Spy and first to spot a yellow car!

Hopefully with a mixture of all of the above ideas, you will be able to enjoy your holiday travelling, with all of your hair intact!

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