Driving holiday starting London-Europe for Family (2 kids & 2 adults)
 

Hi there, looking at a driving holiday starting from London -France - Europe in 3-4 weeks (June-July 2014). Any help appreciated. Here is the list...;

-approximate cost of small motor home/van that will fit 2 adults & kids 6 & 10 yrs (per day/wk/mth) which is cheaper?

-which route to take to get from London- France- Italy/Spain then Germany etc? Would like to get to Turkey if possible ...,

-camping grounds/ parks to stay at... How much approx & do they have bathrooms?

Thanks in advance ...

Forgot to mention I will be travelling from Asia where I live

First of all -- that isn't a 3 to 4 week list . . . it would take months to drive that far/cover that much territory.

Tried to tell my partner that ... All fine thx

That's grossly unrealistic, especially if you plan to rent this camper van and return it to London (picking up a vehicle in one country and returning it to another can be wildly expensive, and returning to the place you flew into can be as well because of all the backtracking).

Campground prices vary considerably. Start googling. Of course they have bathrooms.

Not sure what you mean by "etc.," but even the destinations you've mentioned would require a couple or better yet several months. Do you have a map of Europe? Have you looked into fuel and toll prices?

I would start over, forget the camper idea, pick 3-4 destinations, take trains and maybe a cheap intra-Europe flight or two, and buy an open-jaw ticket.

You'd have to be driving all day long for many many days to get close to this itinerary, and your kids would want to disown you or take you to court for cruel and unusual punishment!

In Europe, the population is dense and varied, you drive a day and it's a different language, different food, different culture - you need to proceed slowly to get a sense of where you are and what it is you're experiencing in any one place before moving on.

Fly into London, fly home from Rome. Spend a week in the UK, a week in France, a week in Germany, a week in Italy - that's already a lot to absorb!

Ok thx will look at smaller trip, not so many countries. Not all camping areas in Asia pacific area I have travelled in extensively, have bathrooms, just asking. I have been to Europe but not camping/driving.

A couple of notes:

Typically rental agencies i the US don;t want you to take their cars to the continent.

And a car in London is a total nonsense, So much better to see London via public transit, take the eurostar to Paris and then rent a vehicle when you leave Paris for the countryside.

As for cheaper - you are better off with a small car and budget lodgings that renting a larger vehicle that will use tons of expensive gas and require you to stay in outskirts of towns and pay for public transit in and out of cities.

Can;t help with itinerary - obviously you can't see europe in 3 weeks - so you will have to pick 3 or 4 places (NOT countries) that interest you most.

If you still choose to stick to your plan of renting a vehicle it only makes sense to NOT rent it till you get to France. I assume you will fly into London... spend a 4-7 days there, then take the Eurostar to Paris.. spend a 4-7 days there ,, THEN,, rent the car and travel from Paris to Germany , down through Alps and into Italy. When you arrive in a big city in Italy I would get rid of car and take trains.. you will however end up paying a hefty drop off fee for renting it in one country and dropping it off in another.

As for campsites. can't speak to other countries but I know France has some lovely ones.. some with pre set up tents etc.. even cabins.. washrooms of course etc... just google for camping in France.. try KeyCamps.. they have luxury camps in many countries.. France Spain Italy etc.. Keycamps.

Well, you did say a "driving" holiday.
You did not say anything about sight seeing or experiencing culture, or interesting history or food, or paces and sights the kids might enjoy.
So, a map and GPS is recommended.
Take lots of games and toys to occupy kids strapped in the vehicle.

Thanks for helpful info people. I have as mentioned driven through & lived in most of Asia Pacfic & half of Africa with children, travelling on my own sometimes. So I have an understanding cultures & toilet spotting. Based on info, I will now book train trips & a few flights. Thx no more posts. Have a great night/ day wherever you are!

Have you taken into account that if you hired a camper van in the UK and took it to the continent (if the hire company allowed you to), the steering wheel would be on the wrong side!!

It is imperative to start your camper van stuff in France, but many companies are aware of that, so you should be able to find all sorts of places than can provide you with a vehicle either coming off the ferry ort arriving in one of the French train stations served by the Eurostar, such as Lille.

I think he's gone, going by his last couple of sentences.