# To plan or not to plan. That is the question.



## socialista (Dec 10, 2008)

Hi All,

We still have 4-weeks before we start our journey through France and onto our home in Spain. Being a bit (well actually a big bit) of a control freak, I'm tempted to plan - in great detail - a route and stopping off places covering the whole trip. With this in mind, have spent a small fortune of site books and the like.

The question is....should we - as many folk have suggested to others on this site - resists my instincts, and decide on the hoof which direction we should go and where to stop. Would help me cope with my competing thoughts and feelings if you could help out.

Thanks.


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

Personally I would have a loose plan of where I thought I might like to go but there would be no day-to-day plan or sites booked or planned, that would all be done on the fly.

That's the way my French holiday will go this year.

JohnW


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Plan strategically - basically the region you intend to be in for how long given the time available - but leave tactics to 24-48hr in advance.

Dave


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## Superk (Aug 22, 2005)

If you overplan you lose the impromptu aspect of motorhoming and force yourself to drive or drive longer distances when you might not want to or, conversely drive only a short distance when you're in a driving mood.

Maybe you find a nice place for lunch, would like to linger, but have to push on to meet your schedule. Heavy night before want to lie in but the schedule says no! - you may start to hate the schedule.

At the time you're going (unless Easter) there won't be any difficulty getting on a site or Aire. We normally drive the distance we want then pull out an Aire or site book and head for the nearest. Different matter if you've been recommended a special place or there's somewhere you want to particularly visit.

But, on the other hand if it worries you not to have a secure place to stay then you know what to do - everyone's different - :wink: 

 
Keith


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

If you have to get there within a deadline ie 2-3 days after leaving UK, then probably best to plan and even pre-book. That way you don't have to waste energy thinking of where you are going to stop and you can drive until quite late without the need to stop early and look for somewhere to stay. You also have the assurance that you will get in so need not worry on that score.

I suspect that is not the case however so just bumble along ! Draw a line from Calais to your destination and amble along, looking for suitable stopping places either as you pass them or the night before. It's not going to be high summer so sites/ aires will not be full.

Will it be over Easter ? Be aware that sites might be just about to open - or not. There doesn't seem to be quite the same commitment to a definate opening date in Europe as there is in UK !

G


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

All my best plans go out of the window when we get off the ferry

Dave P


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

Have you planned for snow......I'm not joking?


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## legend654 (Mar 28, 2006)

My advice as we have a 2000KM journey to our haven in Spain is as follows.

1) Decide which side of France you plan to enter Spain?
2) Are you averse to paying tolls or not? Middle motorway in France being the cheaper Peage option.
3) How many kilomotres of driving is reasonable - coming back two weeks ago we decided on around 500km per day.
4) Do you prefer enclosed campsites or are Aires okay?
5) Make sure you have the ACSI DVD whcih can do searches based on all sorts of criteria - Opening Dates, WIFI availablity, DOGS accepted, ACSI card prices etc.
6) The ACSI software can plan a route based on all of the above.
7) DO you have a specific date to arive by? If not be prepared to be flexible.

Hope this helps

Guy


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## socialista (Dec 10, 2008)

Hello Again,

Many thanks for the replies, all extremely useful and have given me lots to think about. I should have mentioned, of course, that our ferry is booked for the morning of 9th April and we have to reach our Spanish home in Andalucia, by the end of May. This wasn't the plan but - read on if thinking of buying a property in Spain. Visitors! Our journey was an open ended sort of trip ie. as long as it took basically. However, as is the case when you live in Spain, friends and family (love them as we do) tend to want to visit often and...expect you to suspend your own life, and act as holiday hosts. This is what has happend in our case. Therefore we have approx six weeks to enjoy on the way down. 

Anyway, groan over, thanks for very valuable suggestions.


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