How much do you plan ? (3 Viewers)

[bobandjanie]

We plan when we start and when we finish and a ferry crossing in between.
We visited a medieval village yesterday then found a aire with services.

But decided to empty and fill at 22.45 and move to this place when the fiesta started.

Bloody Spanish.

So much for planning. Bob

 

[Spriddler]

...........took a motorbike and tent and went to France with the girlfriend ( now the boss).

Lucky chap! Any girl who's happy to travel by motorbike and sleep in a tent has to be a Keeper!

 

[G10]

We only plan to follow the good weather

 

[BikerGraham]

Lucky chap! Any girl who's happy to travel by motorbike and sleep in a tent has to be a Keeper!

She got more expensive to keep though

I still rate that trip as the best holiday ever. Th e boss has it up there too. Met some lovely people just wandering. The bike (ZZR1400) was very heavily loaded mind. But handled fantastically.

 

[carolyn]

I know, I’m sick!

Called Planalotisis I think!

That sounds too much like halitosis Harvey so I think Planalotitis sounds better although it does sound infectious.

I find the planning of a trip is part of the fun, I don’t mind deviating from the plan though as long as the plan is there . It’s like a security blanket. Can you imagine if there were no planners, nothing would get done. No moon landing, no motorhomes even.

I don’t want to find I’ve drifted along and missed seeing something amazing by a few miles as I’d not bothered to do a bit of research.

We’re all different of course.

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[Whippetsontour]

I try and plan on average about a month ahead, that way I can just concentrate on what I’m doing at the moment, knowing that I’m prepared gives me a certain satisfaction, I also know where my money is going, ( pensioner and full timer) .

We will be heading south through France maybe Germany and Italy in October - swmbo keeps talking about a route - but we’ve done that in the past . I have a rough route and want to find stop overs , campsites as we drift .

What level of planning do you do ?

 

[Folkranger]

I book the ferry out but not back. then go where the wind takes us

 

[cyberyacht]

I admire those who don't plan. I'm a planner, management not. I can't drive off not knowing what we are aiming to do and worry that driving around in a 7.8m MHome without thinking of where we might stop etc might lead to PROBLEMS, especially in the UK. There are so many places you can't stop that unfortunately I have to have some outline plan in mind. Ah well, that's life. Now what was I planning to do?

I think touring in the UK does require a bit more planning, even if it's only a few days ahead. Far less opportunity in this country to go down the 'Micawber' route ( something will turn up).

 

[MichaelT]

I plan everything… I probably over plan! …even what colour pants to wear!

I just stick to the brown stripey ones

 

[Carpmart]

I just stick to the brown stripey ones

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[Russell's Dad]

We only plan to follow the good weather

Yip. After crossing the channel Ventusky decides wheat area we will be going to.

 

[Jewellbags]

Yip. After crossing the channel Ventusky decides wheat area we will be going to.

You must be a cereal tourist

 

[The POPs]

We will be heading south through France maybe Germany and Italy in October - swmbo keeps talking about a route - but we’ve done that in the past . I have a rough route and want to find stop overs , campsites as we drift .

What level of planning do you do ?

C

 

[Jane And Rog]

A few years ago now, I wrote an iOS app called Mundus to help me with this. It lets you add places just by searching - if Apple Maps knows about it, you usually end up with a map pin with the contact details all filled in. You can then add notes about the place. You can also add places by gps location (great for PFN spots) and just by long pressing the map.

The best part IMO is the (customisable) filter button top right. Your can just narrow down on aires, all campsites, takeaway food, museums - whatever you want to find right now. And you can make custom filters - I have one for dog-friendly pubs, and one that shows towns and campsites so I can look for a night near shops and restaurants.

‎Mundus

‎Mundus is your map for your world. Speedily add your favourite places and save friends' recommendations for later. Mundus is perfect for planning holidays and weekends away. Free to use for 14 days, then a single in-app purchase buys the app forever. No recurring subscription! Mundus is super...

apps.apple.com

Then our planning is just a rough idea of where we’ll go and a map full of pins of our favourite places.

That said, on our last trip we set off for Romania and Bulgaria, and ended up in Estonia and Sweden…

 

[fishplug]

Are we to believe that some folk just wander about aimlessly hoping to stumble across some interesting locations?

We went to Nordkapp for my dad's 70th on our bikes.

The only planned parts of the trip where where to meet up, the ferry and getting to Nordkapp. Three week trip with the midnight sun. The days were as long as you wanted to make them.

Saw some amazing places and met some great people. Sometimes we stopped just because it was time to stop and in the morning we moved on. Other times (memorably a rented cabin by a lake) we stayed a few days just because the place was so nice.

We saw signs for Kiruna. Dad recognised the name as being a big mining place so off we went to see the mines. Stunning. We would never have planned to go and see them, but the scale of it all was quite a surprise to me and we had a great day there.

An amazing trip full of happy memories.

However, I read a review from another biker a few weeks after we'd got back who was travelling around the same time as us. He'd planned it all, looked everything up, booked where to stay etc. He had a really bad experience and said that long sections of the road were just long and boring and the landscape didn't change and what a disappointment that was as all the YouTube videos just showed the highlights and when he got to any of those 'highlight' places there wasn't anything new, just what he'd already seen on YouTube.

So, yes. For me wandering aimlessly about is a great way to stumble across interesting locations and for some it seems that looking everything up on Google Earth takes something away from what you see.

There's no right or wrong way. Travel in whatever way that puts a smile on your face. Thank goodness we're not all the same

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[VXman]

Don't forget, you non-planners, that some insurances, especially breakdown cover, require you to have a return ferry or tunnel crossing pre-booked.

I am aware of this but I do wonder if a breakdown company would ever ask so see proof of your return crossing when make the claim. I wonder if any folks have experience of this happening? I can see it being more of an issue on travel insurance as they have restrictions on the number of days you are insured for.

 

[Ingwe]

even what colour pants to wear!

You wear pants?

 

[LesW]

We went to Nordkapp for my dad's 70th on our bikes.

The only planned parts of the trip where where to meet up, the ferry and getting to Nordkapp. Three week trip with the midnight sun. The days were as long as you wanted to make them.

Saw some amazing places and met some great people. Sometimes we stopped just because it was time to stop and in the morning we moved on. Other times (memorably a rented cabin by a lake) we stayed a few days just because the place was so nice.

We saw signs for Kiruna. Dad recognised the name as being a big mining place so off we went to see the mines. Stunning. We would never have planned to go and see them, but the scale of it all was quite a surprise to me and we had a great day there.

An amazing trip full of happy memories.

However, I read a review from another biker a few weeks after we'd got back who was travelling around the same time as us. He'd planned it all, looked everything up, booked where to stay etc. He had a really bad experience and said that long sections of the road were just long and boring and the landscape didn't change and what a disappointment that was as all the YouTube videos just showed the highlights and when he got to any of those 'highlight' places there wasn't anything new, just what he'd already seen on YouTube.

So, yes. For me wandering aimlessly about is a great way to stumble across interesting locations and for some it seems that looking everything up on Google Earth takes something away from what you see.

There's no right or wrong way. Travel in whatever way that puts a smile on your face. Thank goodness we're not all the same

Motorcycle touring is completely different from motorhome touring though.

I've done both.

 

[MartynShaw]

We have booked ferries and think we'll go to Berlin and southern Poland then south. That's a good enough plan for 6 weeks for us.

 

[Carpmart]

You wear pants?

Briefs… I especially like my wife’s!

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[Folkranger]

We have booked ferries and think we'll go to Berlin and southern Poland then south. That's a good enough plan for 6 weeks for us.

That should just be "booked ferry". Pre booking the ferry back is far too much of a commitment. (Only my view)

 

[tonyidle]

I could never ever do that, my brain simply wouldn’t let me, for me that would be impossible!!
After 20 yrs holidaying/touring on the Harley and HAVING to plan a place to put my head every night, it’s maybe something I can never change

Maybe I’m just not cut out for motorhoming

I toured France & Spain by motorcycle late 60s & early 70s. Planned nothing other than a rough route. Never failed to find somewhere to sleep.

 

[PaulW2]

I am aware of this but I do wonder if a breakdown company would ever ask so see proof of your return crossing when make the claim. I wonder if any folks have experience of this happening? I can see it being more of an issue on travel insurance as they have restrictions on the number of days you are insured for.

I do.

Had a bad accident in Portugal in early 2020 just before covid and needed to get home. It was a major bone of contention with the travel insurer that I didn't have a return ticket.

My AA cover too says that I am insured for trips that begin and end in the UK. Given my experience I am not going to tempt fate by not being able to prove that my return to the UK is planned in black and white.

 

[MartynShaw]

That should just be "booked ferry". Pre booking the ferry back is far too much of a commitment. (Only my view)

We have an event to be back for, and need to save some 'schengen' days for after Christmas

 

[VXman]

I do.

Had a bad accident in Portugal in early 2020 just before covid and needed to get home. It was a major bone of contention with the travel insurer that I didn't have a return ticket.

My AA cover too says that I am insured for trips that begin and end in the UK. Given my experience I am not going to tempt fate by not being able to prove that my return to the UK is planned in black and white.

I can understand travel insurers investigating claims to that extent but not so sure breakdown would. I called out breakdown in Germany. There were no questions asked but it was a simple fix. If it was a major breakdown involving hotel costs, hire car repatriation of your motorhome etc then I guess they might investigate ways of getting out of it more thoroughly.

Why it matters whether you have a return journey booked or not I don't understand. There are no trip length restrictions on most breakdown policies - not that that should affect it anyway.

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[MichaelT]

I can understand travel insurers investigating claims to that extent but not so sure breakdown would. I called out breakdown in Germany. There were no questions asked but it was a simple fix. If it was a major breakdown involving hotel costs, hire car repatriation of your motorhome etc then I guess they might investigate ways of getting out of it more thoroughly.

Why it matters whether you have a return journey booked or not I don't understand. There are no trip length restrictions on most breakdown policies - not that that should affect it anyway.

It matters as if you don't have a return booked then they don't have to repatriate you as they cannot define if it's quicker to wait for a fix where you are or get it home, same as you say with health insurance some insist on having a return ticket others don't.

 

[frwjd]

I love planning, almost as much as the journey!
Plan, plan, plan then ignore it and do whatever you fancy

 

[VXman]

It matters as if you don't have a return booked then they don't have to repatriate you as they cannot define if it's quicker to wait for a fix where you are or get it home,

They should treat you the same as a car breakdown. Provide a replacement hire vehicle so you can continue your holiday.

 

[MichaelT]

They should treat you the same as a car breakdown. Provide a replacement hire vehicle so you can continue your holiday.

I guess whatever is in the policy but if you don't have a fixed return how long should the car hire last?

 

[VXman]

I guess whatever is in the policy but if you don't have a fixed return how long should the car hire last?

As long as it takes to fix your vehicle. It would be an incentive for the breakdown company to hurry up the garage to do the repair.

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