I worry sometimes that I may not have too many driving years left - for long distance driving I mean. Looking back over the years at the self drive camping holidays we have had both as a family and later on when the kids left home, I realise how lucky I have been. We've had the odd breakdown now and then in the early years when I couldn't afford a decent car, but they always turned out well and we always had a laugh. A little bit of advice though: Don't break down in the middle of Milan like I did. It's manic! Mind you, that was in the days before the ring road, but if I were to offer any advice at all to the budding self drive holiday maker it would be to get yourself some peace of mind and buy a reliable European breakdown insurance policy before you go, then if you do happen to have a mechanical problem you will at least be able to explain the problem to someone in your own language.
As we have discussed in other pages; camping holidays don't mean just camping as in tents, it also covers mobile homes too which is a whole different ball game and far more luxurious, but check the brochures because some mobile home companies charge less that those for tent camping.
Now then, you either like tent camping or you hate it. There is no grey area, and even though the toilets and shower blocks are never far away there are people who prefer to have those facilities nearer to hand, ie, in a mobile home with a proper bed, which brings us neatly to the topic of camping and beds:-
There are quite a few companies out there which specialise in self drive and self catering tent camping holidays, and their tents are full of goodies like a fridge freezer, cooker and proper beds. They are always near to stand pipes so that you can get any amount of water, and it goes without saying that the shower/toilet blocks are not far away either. This type of holiday is a great adventure for children and parents alike, but if the summer was like 2007 when it rained nearly every day both in the UK and France then the idea of camping palls just a little and you look jealously at your neighbours who are nice and snug in their mobile homes.
So, self drive camping holidays are all down to whether you want to stay in a mobile home with all the facilities or have a tent camping holiday which is slightly more basic and down to nature. We hope you make the right choice for you and enjoy your holidays. We have written some pages which may be useful to you on a self drive holiday and hope you will be able to take a few minutes to check them out, especially the page about European driving laws, one of which came into force in July 2008 and which could catch you out if you aren't careful. We have also made pages for good holiday tips, another for a good holiday guide and yet another for good camping guide.
