Who plans?

[chaser]

Just lately we have had a few posts about planning trips, who actually does this?
We just plan on getting the tunnel and that's it, then the next is south of France, end of planning.
We just go wherever we think will be good to go to, and go.
When we feel like stopping we get p4n up on the phone and just go and park up and so on.
Are we not the same as others.

 

[Kirsten]

Admire and like the get up n go of y'all but we plan and plan - and have plan b and c! but this is our Germany and France trips - almost all aires not campsites ; so we look at distances between attractions and try to work out how long we will drive on how many days and then have a second or third aire to look at if the first one is full or has no waste/ehu. Our lists have lists ......
When taking the grandkids away we book a campsite and then the food planning takes over , planning is half the fun !! xxx

 

[lorger]

Normally book our crossing then have a rough idea where we want to go, we then check weather forecast and either head there or go opposite way. We are due to sail from Hull on the 3/9 and unlikely to go so decided today we should maybe decide what we're doing

 

[davidbaldam]

I’m a planner, to me it’s part of the pleasure of the journey.

 

[Taran_Las]

However, how do you then plan what to see when in an area you weren't expecting. We use brochures we pick up locally, but have found out later we've mised things. What's the best source of info whilst travelling.

Use Google (as suggested earlier) and look for Tripadvisor entries for the preferred location. People who have been to the area before you describe and rate the local attractions.

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[Otter Spotter]

I plan to give Dee my wife nothing to panic about, if I didn’t she thinks we could end up parked up at Asda with an overflowing toilet cassette and a knock on the van door at 3am.

 

[Gaston aires]

Up to this year we have never planned stops, just an outline route which always allows changes due to weather conditions. June, Northern Spain and snow ? = change of plan.
This year however due to staycation pressures we pre booked most places especially in coastal hotspots. Back to no planning when things get back to normal.
Phil

 

[phillipsheila]

i plan the ferry and nothing else and my wife says why are going this way and i always say coz i havnt been this way before

 

[Offagain]

Just lately we have had a few posts about planning trips, who actually does this?
We just plan on getting the tunnel and that's it, then the next is south of France, end of planning.
We just go wherever we think will be good to go to, and go.
When we feel like stopping we get p4n up on the phone and just go and park up and so on.
Are we not the same as others.

When abroad we usually have a rough route and an idea of our final destination but that’s it. Overnight stops are researched and decided on en route to them.
Plans for our next trip currently feature one tunnel and one ferry booking. We will return around the end of October, or sometime in November

 

[dash300]

Just lately we have had a few posts about planning trips, who actually does this?
We just plan on getting the tunnel and that's it, then the next is south of France, end of planning.
We just go wherever we think will be good to go to, and go.
When we feel like stopping we get p4n up on the phone and just go and park up and so on.
Are we not the same as others.

Looking at the posts you are the same as most.

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[Parrot Face]

Always plan well in advance. When the weather at home is miserable and the news on the telly is depressing to sit down and go through websites, books and maps is great. Brings back memories and helps me to visualise those warm sunny days splashing in the sea and relaxing evenings sat in the lowering sun sipping lovely wines and beers.

 

[Tanya_and_Mick]

We also plan

 

[dunnah01]

Like most we always have a rough plan - like most we never stick to it...

End up themeing a route - last time was castles, bourgs, schloss etc.

 

[Spriddler]

I'm long retired and travel solo. In 20 years of motorhoming I've not yet toured in the U.K. by motorhome.
When the fancy takes me to go abroad I just book the 'next available' ferry (a 20 mile drive to the port). I usually have a couple of specific places in mind that it would be nice to see if I find myself in the vicinity but other than that I just wander through byways and villages, stopping anywhere that looks interesting. When I come to a fork in the road I take it.
I never make a plan because I like surprises and without a plan I'm never behind schedule.

 

[Puddleduck]

Always plan the first few days and then after that we just plan a few days ahead depending on weather and how we are feeling.

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[DumfriesDik]

I think for our first trip we will be like James-Alex and soak up the confidence from you more experienced travellers on here.

I will have a CCP and ASCI cards with me along with a Key Card for ID. Just for confidence!!

 

[ctc]

Plan every detail then do something else.

 

[Guigsy]

We did a long European tour a couple of years ago. We had a map with a bunch of markers on if for interesting places we might go and visit. Made sure we had a good mix of cities, natural wonders, heritage sites and a few fun and random things. Every few days we spent a couple of hours planning where we'd be for the next few days, but that was pretty much it. We never booked anything more than a day in advance. My wife is quite anxious, so it was bit of a leap of faith. But if anything it made it less stressful. You can't fail against a plan if you don't have one! We had some great experiences just because we were lucky and flexible. Just had to make sure we occasionally dropped into a proper campsite once in a while to do the washing, and to make sure we were back in the UK slightly before the money ran out...

Only places our lack of planning were a disadvantage was at the super touristy places like La Sagrada Familia and the Alhambra where it's hard to get tickets the day before. And if you want to hit a sporting event or festival, you obviously need to work around the dates.

When you cross into Schengen now, do you need a return journey already booked?

 

[Spriddler]

Plan every detail then do something else.

Indeed so. You can always fall back on the plan if all else fails.

(Much like like solving an equipment problem by reading the manual ).

 

[chaser]

We did a long European tour a couple of years ago. We had a map with a bunch of markers on if for interesting places we might go and visit. Made sure we had a good mix of cities, natural wonders, heritage sites and a few fun and random things. Every few days we spent a couple of hours planning where we'd be for the next few days, but that was pretty much it. We never booked anything more than a day in advance. My wife is quite anxious, so it was bit of a leap of faith. But if anything it made it less stressful. You can't fail against a plan if you don't have one! We had some great experiences just because we were lucky and flexible. Just had to make sure we occasionally dropped into a proper campsite once in a while to do the washing, and to make sure we were back in the UK slightly before the money ran out...

Only places our lack of planning were a disadvantage was at the super touristy places like La Sagrada Familia and the Alhambra where it's hard to get tickets the day before. And if you want to hit a sporting event or festival, you obviously need to work around the dates.

When you cross into Schengen now, do you need a return journey already booked?

Only for insurance, for some reason they want you to have a return ticket.
But nothing to stop you changing it when you are there.

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[chaser]

The problem with a detailed plan is, what happens if you want to stay longer at a place, but have to be somewhere else you have booked.
Bit like the old coach tour joke, if it's Wednesday it must be Paris.

 

[jumartoo]

Last night we planned a bike ride for this morning near a lake inland from Santander.

We're now just approaching Pamplona and the Pyrenees

 

[Puddleduck]

Think we can get away for a week or so in September so the books have come out and we have a vague plan It will depend on CalMac ferry bookings and if our daughter made her new drive gates wide enough for the van. Also I have always wanted to go gold panning at Leadhills so that will be one day sorted plus a night in D&G with the camera and tripod looking at the dark sky.

 

[nicholsong]

We plan ferries(if needed), parking for MH and flights home, and same back to MH.

Nothing in between.

Geoff