Its Good to be back over there
Mainly because of COVID, we had not crossed the channel since 2018 and apart from 2022, we had not toured for any length of time. We had confined ourselves to short trips away until 2022. In 2022 we still lacked confidence that life had returned sufficiently to normal to tour on the Continent, but we did tour the Scottish Borders for a month. Our total expenditure from the time we left home to our return from this Scottish Border tour worked out at £81 per day. With the rises in prices and knowing that better value for money and more freedom to tour can be obtained on the Continent, I wondered how we would now fare touring there. This year, 2023, driven on by a couple of factors, we returned to touring the Continent. With so much focus on costs lately, these are my findings
Our tour
The only firm plan we had was we needed to be in Prague for Easter for a family gathering and the site in Prague, Camping Sokol, was the only site we booked. We also booked fixed Channel crossing dates giving us 6 weeks on the Continent. Apart from the above we only had vague plans on where we would go after visiting Prague. However, I had purchased an ACSI card for the trip and prepared driving notes about speed limits, emergency numbers and how to pay for tolls. We also had subscribed to a couple of site finder Apps, Search4Sites and Park4Night. We travelled 3050 miles through 10 countries.
We found the roads far better but busier than previously encounter on the routes we had used previously. Sites were only busy on public holidays otherwise there were no problems obtaining pitches. We used a mixed bag of 19 sites, some we favoured more than others, but I would use all of them again. Search4Sites proved to be the most useful App.
Cost
I compared the cost of this tour of 43 days with that of our UK one of 30 days touring the Scottish Borders in 2022. The only fair way to do this is to compare the daily cost of items which most would incur. Here are my findings for our style of touring:
Per day UK Tour Continental Tour
Fuel £19.27 £20.18
Expenses £26.52 £25.03
Sites £24.77 £23.15
Travel/Insurance £0.00 £ 7.72
Food £10.8 £11.30
Daily Total £81.36* £87.38
*Note these costs were those incurred in 2022 and if you allow for inflation of 10 percent, a tour in the UK would cost £89.49 per day and be the most expensive in spite of the additional costs of travel insurance and crossing the channel when going to the Continent.
I was surprised that the fuel costs came to more than the UK (perhaps because the UK price is a year old?) but the cost of food did appear more expensive. The average I paid for a litre of diesel was £1.481. Some of my cost would not be incurred by others e.g. tolls for a vehicle over 3.5 tons. In this respect Austria worked out at 50 cents per mile. Italy had the cheapest tolls but the most expensive fuel. I am sure others can and do tour more cheaply. We used the Tunnel both ways, the ferries maybe cheaper. We also do eat out, on average a couple of time a week An average meal for two with a drink each came to about £50. Possibly cheaper than the UK. However, these were our costs and I have tried to be fair in making the comparisons and for me it confirms my suspicions that you can tour over there for similar costs to the UK, if not cheaper and you definitely get better value for money.
peedee
Comments
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Where are your ferry fares shown, PD? Are they accounted for in the daily Travel/insurance cost?
Personally, I don’t keep records of costs so can’t make comparisons. We simply go where the fancy takes irrespective of value for money.
I hope you had a good time. 👍🏻
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Hi Peedee
When we went abroad it was more about the experience rather than the cost as I reckon it was always more expensive than touring in the UK but the last time we went was in 2016. We did make an attempt to go in 2017 but were defeated by insurance issues, perhaps we should have tried harder? We are at the point where we are wondering how much longer we go on with touring so "over there" won't featuring, although always interesting to read about the exploits of others.
Are you going to add a fuller account of your trip to your website? Perhaps add a link here?
David
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TW yes the Travel/insurance covers channel crossing fares. We also go where we fancy but keep records, which as AD points out, are very useful to look back on or use at some later date.
DK I think we all used to think it was more expensive to van abroad, especially if it was just for a short stint with the kids in the school holidays. It is probably still the case but here I was comparing longer breaks. This trip felt very different to any I have done before, not sure why, difficult to put my finger on it but it did impress me more than previous ones. I have a record of both trips on Polarsteps:
For the UK 2022 one click >here<
For the 2023 Continental one click >here<
I will update my web site IDC
peedee
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It's good to hear that you did the trip Peedee, like some we don't keep records except a list of sites and dates. I can see the daily expenses on our bank account. Travel in general has become more expensive.
I think Covid and other events have affected travel ambitions for many.
Our travels, apart from one trip have involved uk and offshore islands it was never our intention to travel "over there." But I've always enjoyed other people's travelogues and am pleased to hear when travel resumes and plans can be made. Will look forward to seeing your polar steps links.
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Thanks for clarifying, PD. That means your return ferry fares and travel insurance combined cost somewhere around £350 for the trip. That seems quite a bargain.
Such records would be of no benefit to me which is why I don’t keep them but I can see you find them interesting and useful.👍
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Thanks peedee for posting, I found it interesting to read. We've kept details of costs of sites, fuel and daily expenditure, out of interest; it does make interesting reading in later years!
It's good to read you enjoyed your trip and I'll have a look at the links you posted, thanks.
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Peedee. I sent off a reply last night and just as it was going through the web site shut down! So another post to say the Polar Steps travelogue was fascinating to read, quite an epic trip for both of you but it must have been worth it and it's certainly interesting to read about and see all the photos. Thanks.
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Like brue, I read your Polar Steps travelogue and found it really interesting to read. It also brought back memories of some of the areas you went to. We went to the Czech Republic about 20 years ago, and about 15 years ago visited Slovenia and Croatia, where we also stayed in Krk. It was lovely to see all your photos.
Thanks for providing the link.
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Are you going to add a fuller account of your trip to your website? Perhaps add a link here?
David I have also updated >my website.<
peedee
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Update, I have just finished a 33 night tour to Spain and back via Le Shuttle, a very different journey to that of 2023. In spite of some cost increases, and ignoring inflation, the average daily cost remained similar to that of touring the UK in 2022 and eastern Europe in 2023. We had very few expenses, but we did eat out more. Site prices are actually inflated by having to pay 7 nights at a preimum because of Easter rates.
*Note, £81.36 in 2022 is equivalent in purchasing power to about £92.30 in 2025
Further information on each trip is available:
For the UK 2022 one click >here<
For the 2023 Continental one click >here<
For the 2025 Spain trip click >here<
peedee
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2022 - 6 weeks in north east France before moving onto the NL - £1400
2023 - 4 weeks in the Loire - £1200
2024 - 4 weeks on Il d'Oleron and in the Loire - £1200
2 adults, car, caravan, crossings, fuel, limited tolls, Red Pennant, food and drink including our return duty free allowance.
Colin
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@eribaMotters you have done well, averaging about £40 per day.
peedee
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My old workmate said I was as tight as two coats of paint, which was a fair observation. But seriously, I've found I can get prices down easily when going abroad by:-
- by booking tunnel crossings a year in advance, ie as soon as they come out.
- for Red Pennant, Aug/Sept one year followed by June/July next year on a years 30 day multi trip policy is cheaper than two 30 day yearly single trip policies.
- travel at 50/55mph as opposed to 55/60mph. I get about 34mpg towing 1350kg with a 1.5L petrol. This used to be nearer 36mpg and best of 40mpg when towing previous 1200kg van.
- use of viamichelin to only use toll roads when it is absolute no brainer on time.
- normally using ACSI, but being open to dealing directly with sites or using C&MC early booking discounts.
- taking what I believe is the usual big box of odd dried/tinned goods so I don't have to buy store cupboard essentials when abroad.
Colin
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I am not sure you gain that much by booking the tunnel a year in advance, not even certain it costs any more to leave it until the last minute, I have never checked. I usually book a few months in advance, 4 months for my crossing this year.
I do not need RP, my motorhome insurance covers breakdown, perhaps not quite as comprehensively as RP but for the saving over RP I am happy with it. Nationwide world wide annual travel insurance covers our health requirements although there can be supplements to pay for trips longer than 31 days and health conditions.
Like you, I avoid tolls as much as it is sensible to do so, in total I paid £44 this year at class 3 rates.
We ensure our containers of dried food are full or nearly full and we usually have 3 to 4 days of fresh food in the fridge thereafter we use the supermarkets. Its part of the experience to shop local.
This trip I got 20m.p.g which isn't bad for a large motorhome. It is rare we buy fuel at the autoroute service stations. Fuel is one of my biggest expenditures, sites being the other.
I have an ACSI card but its value is becoming more questionable with the profusion of Camping Carpark and Stop and Go halts.
About the only thing I would book through the Cub would be the tunnel crossing and then only if I had no Tesco vouchers to use. The two sites I did book, I booked over the internet. One was the destination site and the other was required over Easter.
peedee
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I have to admit that early booking of a crossing is no longer so cut and dry. I'm about £20/30 up for 2025 Brittany ferries crossing, so nothing significant. 2023 on DFDS Newhaven - Dieppe crossing I was about £250 better off.
When in Essex, about 1/2 mile away from a large Tesco where we shopped with a Tesco Credit Card and £4 for £1 on Eurotunnel crossings it was a different proposition, but times change.
As regards Red Pennant, if I was a motorhome/camper owner as opposed to a caravan owner it would be a different matter. I doubt I would take the policy out.
As a default setting I still generally find ACSI cheaper, but with early booking offers, free extra days and no charges for bank transfer fees on payment etc, some C&MC offers do challenge the low prices they offer.
Colin
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