Why not abroad?
Apologies for asking this question elsewhere so as suggested I have reposted here. 
Just interested, but why do some people choose not to tour abroad, is it the fear of driving on the right or just xenophobia. It can't be the distances involved as some on here seem to drive very long distances to the opposite ends of the country.
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I have driven in Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, Germany, Poland as well as on half a dozen European Islands. We however have a preference for Spanish, Greek Islands and Malta and consider towing impractical therefore but often hire a car. We generally opt for a self catering apartment and mainly eat out.
Need to renew my passport as well as it is 4 years out of date and we have not been abroad for the last 5 years. I was just saying yesterday to Fliss (my good lady) that we must renew our passports as my joints crave some heat this time of year.
Our next UK caravan tour starts in 4 weeks time and we will spend around 4 months in the caravan this year. Probably hop a plane abroad end of October for a warm.
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Seems a very strange question, why do some people drink tea and others coffee?
Surely it is personal choice would be a funny old world if we all did the same
We have had a motorhome for 5 years and have never been abroad, our reasons are
1 We do not want to spend all our holidays on one or two trips and if we add the journey times in we would want to go for longer than a week
2 We have a dog and I don't want to take him abroad, again personal choice
3 We are still working full time, I'm sure once we are retired we will be away for several weeks at a time but at the moment we are happy touring the UK still lots of places we have not seen
4 We spent 30 years touring Europe yearly on our motorbike so for the moment are happy to stay at home
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If we lived nearer a port to Europe it might be more tempting, but I hate ferries, and it's a long way and down the most congested roads in U.K. to get to Chunnel, so that's one deterrent for me. Main one is dogs, we always tour with dogs, they have to be monitored for overheating in this country at times, so Southern Europe would be hell on Earth for them.
OH has done proper Spain, up into mountains, did all driving for his group of mountaineering friends, didn't find it a problem driving on other side. I have done Greece and Islands a few times, again not a problem. But wouldn't subject our dogs to that, rather enjoy the beauty of UK in relaxation, no hassle.
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Is that a Pet Passport?
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- Travelling would reduce a fortnight holiday to ten days at best. We still work and two weeks is a luxury. More would be impossible
- Prefer flying and hotels/apartments to caravans
- Dont want to
- Site fees too expensive when we would travel.
We bought the caravan to see more of the U.K. and to use at festivals. That's still what we use it for. The worst holidays I ever had as a child were when we dragged a caravan over to France. We might consider glamping in the future but we'd fly and hire a car. However I'd still prefer to stay in a hotel.
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Perhaps some people like rain?
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I fully understand that if you are still working and/or limited to July/August then it is a long way/ expensive for a two week holiday. The question was really directed at the retired section who obviously have more time and flexibility to explore Europe.
Maybe some people do prefer rain and cloud!
Edit - posted simultaneously with previous answer from AD
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To be absolutely honest hg, I would find Wall to Wall sunshine, all day, every day utterly boring. But I know that Europe isn't like that, as we have experienced some spectacular rainfall while on Continent. Likewise, we have enjoyed a month of complete dry, with lots of sunshine many a time down in Cornwall, and elsewhere in UK. I don't actually mind a bit of diverse weather, because I enjoy doing all sorts of things on holiday, and the cloud and cool sometimes make choices easier over a day on the beach.
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The extra cost has to be a big factor why some don't go overseas for a short break , for example for me to have a week in Normandy would cost about an extra £350 compared to a week in Dorset ,which is about the about the same distance to drive , so anyone on a limited income would have to think twice about going ,even if everything over there was so much "better" (different)..........................
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When we were working we did.... We went to France several times. Now that we are retired, and our income has halved its going to be a rare event if not non existent for a good while. We also have commitments now both with grandchildren and aged mothers. However, we did fit in a trip to Ireland last year.... the cost of the ferry & recovery insurance for the 3 weeks was £450 which more or less doubled the price compared to staying in the UK for the 3 weeks.
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"Just interested, but why do some people choose not to tour abroad, is it the fear of driving on the right or just xenophobia. "
Am I alone in finding that assumption rather offensive?
Why, too, do you assume everyone should, or wants to, go abroad in order to get the best holiday experience?
It's about choice, Swifty. You do it your way and I'll do it mine. I certainly wouldn’t accuse you of fear or of having a phobia for exercising your choice and I don’t appreciate your insinuations in that respect.
I might well have told you the reasons why if you'd asked in a polite manner.
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Perhaps he hasn't picked up quite enough tips yet, Brue. Like how not to antagonise people.
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For me 'over there' has to mean sun and lots of it and maybe because of the heat doing very little, it is a different way of holidaying from over here, usually sitting by a pool with an (all inclusive) pool bar. If we want to see a city or area it's usually done in cooler months from a hotel.
Either way I see no fun or advantage in driving two three days to get all that. I like to take a plane, sit read eat in more comfort than a car (either driving or as a passenger) and do it in the shortest time possible.
Travelling to places by driving abroad is lost time to me personally. I know there are people who think the journey is part of the holiday and that’s great for them, but it’s not for me and one motorway looks pretty much like another to me whatever the country.
Seems from the above that time of travelling getting there and cost seems to be the main reasons?
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No I found it offensive as well. Either one or the other just had to be the only reasons?
Also to accuse that all those that don't tour (by caravan or MH) abroad are xenophobic (dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries) seems ridiculous at best.
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I chose not to be offended but could understand why offence might have been caused by the OP.
A big factor in my ownership of a caravan within the UK is that I detest hotels generally. I prefer my own space and self catering suits me. For a short period when I was without a caravan me and OH would use a series of apartments, cottages etc in the UK. It is not that easy to obtain a series of back to back bookings for such on a touring route when wanting to stay only a few days at each.
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I guess many of that "retired section", like us did a lot of touring, in our case, camping, in Europe in our younger days. It was an affordable way to have what seemed like an exotic adventure of a holiday, particularly since we were restricted to the most expensive times of year, school holidays.
Now, after the best part of 40 years working and saving we are in the fortunate position of being able to afford a different sort of holiday abroad, so we choose to stay in hotels and either hire a car or go on organised tours. We can also choose to go further afield for that sort of holiday, Mauritius and Costa Rica in the last two years and a cruise to Alaska before that.
But we wouldn't, in fact couldn't, be away from home for more than a couple of weeks at a time, so with the van we tour in the UK.
Nothing to do with xenophobia or fear of driving on the right, just down to practicalities and personal choice.
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You have asked for our reasons and we have answered, yet your post still has an element of disbelief in it as if you can't understand why we don't.
Maybe some people do prefer rain and cloud! Why did you say that?
Some of us, including myself, have said we do explore Europe (and beyond in my case) we just do it without a caravan or MH
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Holidays other than UK are Hotel based with Hire car as part of the package. I like my none UK hols to be luxurious👍🏻
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Yep, I’m with you!
I was slow this time - I usually get him first or second post.
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Our experience of such conversations has identified 2 schools of thought. Too many people cannot get beyond Spain or France when it comes to ‘abroad’, Italy if they are adventurous but mention Germany, Austria, Hungary and they think we have lost the plot. And as for driving abroad, that is simply beyond the pale and to be honest if they are so scared of driving on t’other side then perhaps it Is better they don’t. A colleague is so risk averse his first Caravan trip abroad this year is limited to a one hour drive from Rotterdam to a site from where they will only use public transport if/when they go anywhere. Why bother?
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So you haven't read (or understood) all the comments about "personal choice" then, fc? It's all down to cowardice or lack of ambition then, is it?
I'm sorry ( well, not really) but those sort of comments are exactly what I was meaning when I talked about folk who tour abroad implying that they are in some way superior to those who tour in the UK.
Hopefully that was not your intention, it was just a poor choice of words.
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That’s not like you at all, FC.
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