Looking for guaranteed fun on the next family trip? Get a motorhome. Whether you chose to go the hire route or not it is the perfect family holiday option. In order to enjoy your campervan hire Ireland road trip with total peace of mind, it is best that you plan for and organise your trip ahead of time. A campervan road trip is completely different to camping or wild camping and needs a route planning.
Some of the questions that you will likely be asking yourself while planning for your motorhome holiday: What is my destination? Which places do I want to visit along the way? Where will I find motorhome parking or a motorhome campsite? Are there quality camping stops along the way? In order to make a full itinerary, it is important that you answer all these questions before commencing your trip. In the article below, I have compiled some top ideas on how you should plan for your upcoming trip.
For starters, you need to identify where you wish to go and set a date for the trip. Next, you should research the sites you want to visit during your trip. If you plan on travelling during the peak season, you should also make reservations early. With this done, you can then go ahead to mapping your travel route based on your itinerary.
There are many travel routes from Ireland to Europe that you can use when travelling on a motorhome road trip. However, you do need to remember that at some stage, you will have to use a ferry crossing, so reserve your place on the ferry ASAP to get the best deals.
When travelling from Ireland to Europe in a camper van, there are several routes that you can use. Be prepared to part with some change on your journey - especially in France. Remember that the campervan drivers is based on the size of the vehicle and the weight of it.
The road toll system should not worry you a bit. Across Europe, there are is a variety of registration recognition systems which enable a driver to go through toll barriers with payments being deducted on a monthly basis.
To understand the best way to travel across a huge geographical area like Europe, use a physical map with post-it notes that you can use to mark your preferred destinations along the route. Though you will need a huge surface to lay the entire map, the good thing is that you will see your entire journey there in front of you.
If you want to find the best motorhome road trip routes to use across a small geographical like Ireland, consider using Google Maps on your smartphone or laptop to plan and map out your route.
Set a few “anchor” dates and destinations. The anchor destinations may be places where you wish to stop or attractions that you wish to visit like national parks, wild camping spots, scenic routes, etc. Before beginning your motorhome trips, you should already have two anchor locations (where you begin and final destination) as well as dates (date when your Irish campervan journey beginsand date when you reach your final destination).
On setting anchor dates and destinations, create a route on Google Maps that you can save or share. Open Maps on your browser, click on the stacked tabs on the left side of browser, select create a new map, and then rename your map as you wish by clicking on the three dots found on the ‘legend’ area found on the left side of the map.
To start inputting anchor destinations in your new map, simply search using the bar on the map to find your preferred destination and then pin it on your map. As you search each destination, Maps will display information on the place. If you wish, you can add more information on the place.
Once you have added anchor destinations along your map (this should include your starting point and final destination), click on the arrow and this will add directions to your map. Maps will then automatically create a route plan for you. Your map and route will be saved automatically when you exit Maps.
Using the route created on Maps, you will easily be able to spot the places you wish to visit and how far they will take you away from your main route. Be sure to include the Cliffs of Moher or Newgrange if you are visiting Ireland. Check out our 5 day Irish road trip here!
Once you know the main route to follow in your journey, you can now look at scenic destinations along the route that you can visit on your European or UK motorhome road trip.
To understand what to expect in the places you want to visit, search them on Google Maps. If you want to visit destinations that will take you away from your main route, remember to include the time that will be taken away from your itinerary.
One thing that you should do when planning a motorhome trip is have some flexibility when setting time to be spent along the route. This way, if you come across a destination that absolutely pleases you, you can spend more time in the area without messing up your schedule… After all, a motorhome road trip shouldn’t be timed to the minute!
With a detailed route in your hand, all that remains is for you to actually start planning motorhome trips and enjoy the limitless possibilities and opportunities that will crop up along the way. We look forward to hearing more about your exciting journey, and, even better, what your next journey will be!
