Motorhome hire - Europe

Author
Discussion

douglasgdmw

Original Poster:

494 posts

226 months

Monday 9th November 2015
quotequote all
Hi,

Just planning our 2016 holiday and weighing up the options of hiring a Motorhome or grabbing self catering accommodation.

The issue is that we have 2 lovely working cocker spaniels and one of them tolerates the car but is not really 100% happy from his body language.

We were planning to visit our friends down in Switzerland and the thoughts were to grab a Motorhome to saunter down and spend a week with them in some reasonably local campsites (Switzerland or Italy/Austria).

As we are up in Scotland the thoughts was to grab the Chunnel and then pick up a camper in France - purely for the reason that we would not want to have them on the ferry in a camper that was new to them.

So wondering whether anyone can recommend any places close to the Ferry terminals that hire motor homes.

I suspect by the time we hire a van we may be just as cheap with some self catering accommodation but it would not be such a varied holiday. Also we are thinking of buying a Motorhome down the line and will give us a good idea whether it's something we want to do.

Cheers
George

F18RSC

635 posts

224 months

Tuesday 10th November 2015
quotequote all
How about using the eurotunnel and a British van, you stay with the dogs then.

douglasgdmw

Original Poster:

494 posts

226 months

Tuesday 10th November 2015
quotequote all
Did think of a British campervan but it means we are paying extra for the Chunnel and a lot of them tend to be right hand drive and you also need to pay additional per weeks hire if your going to Europe.

Was wondering whether European vans were cheaper to hire.

George


Edited by douglasgdmw on Tuesday 10th November 19:53


Edited by douglasgdmw on Tuesday 10th November 19:54

Rosscow

9,013 posts

170 months

Tuesday 10th November 2015
quotequote all
I think he meant hire a campervan in England and use the tunnel.

No separation, no other hire pickup/drop off scenarios to sort out etc.

It's what I would do.

douglasgdmw

Original Poster:

494 posts

226 months

Tuesday 10th November 2015
quotequote all
Rosscow said:
I think he meant hire a campervan in England and use the tunnel.

No separation, no other hire pickup/drop off scenarios to sort out etc.

It's what I would do.
Yep sorry just realised that and corrected my response wink

Rosscow

9,013 posts

170 months

Tuesday 10th November 2015
quotequote all
You've just edited your post! hehe

Bill

54,267 posts

262 months

Tuesday 10th November 2015
quotequote all
I wouldn't have thought many renters would be happy with dogs in the van. Hair etc can be cleaned up bit their claws will probably mark the lino.

douglasgdmw

Original Poster:

494 posts

226 months

Tuesday 10th November 2015
quotequote all
Couple of the UK sites that I have been to have said that they will take dogs but there is an extra one off cleaning charge which I can understand.

We may be the exception but any hotel we have stayed the place is usually tidier than when we came in as we are conscious that dogs can leave hair etc, we even take those roller hair removers with us when we stay anywhere.

George

eric twinge

1,699 posts

229 months

Tuesday 10th November 2015
quotequote all
We rented our Motorhome a couple of weeks ago from solent motor homes in poole, Dorset. You could take dogs I a few of their vans so might be worth a call.

Bill

54,267 posts

262 months

Tuesday 10th November 2015
quotequote all
douglasgdmw said:
Couple of the UK sites that I have been to have said that they will take dogs but there is an extra one off cleaning charge which I can understand.

We may be the exception but any hotel we have stayed the place is usually tidier than when we came in as we are conscious that dogs can leave hair etc, we even take those roller hair removers with us when we stay anywhere.

George
I know. We have a holiday let and allow dogs and the vast majority of owners are great. The ones that aren't though have to be seen to be believed. My worry with the van would be trashed lino.

BGARK

5,538 posts

253 months

Tuesday 10th November 2015
quotequote all

Spuffington

1,238 posts

175 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
quotequote all
BGARK said:
My former boss hired from JustGo this summer and took his cocker Spaniel. Had no problems at all and toured SW France for 2wks in the thing. They loved it and will be doing the same again next year.

ColinM50

2,651 posts

182 months

Friday 13th November 2015
quotequote all
We hired a campervan four years ago to see if we liked it before buying one (we didn't and didn't but that's another story). The M/H we hired had vinyl flooring so we stopped at the first Carpet Right we came to, bought half a dozen carpet tiles for £20 IIRC and I cut them roughly to size and it saved all the dog hairs and poss damage. Just threw it away at the end of the holiday.

F18RSC

635 posts

224 months

Friday 13th November 2015
quotequote all
Just a thought, Buy one cheap and sell it when you get back? Motorhome prices are all over the place, Cheap ones might just highlight the layout issues for you.

Buy well and you might make a profit!

douglasgdmw

Original Poster:

494 posts

226 months

Friday 13th November 2015
quotequote all
It is a good suggestion about buying one and then flogging it after our holiday. Did a quick look at JustGo and for the 2-2.5 weeks we want to be away it would work out just under £2k for the hire and that does not include Petrol, Camp Sites and EuroTunnel tickets.

Only problem is that we would want a decent motorhome (as can't do without a shower in the morning) and means it could get expensive - looking online the ones we like are probably in the £20-30k region.

George



Edited by douglasgdmw on Friday 13th November 16:57

F18RSC

635 posts

224 months

Friday 13th November 2015
quotequote all
Be aware that motorhomes have onboard water tank, a shower in them can drain the tank in just 5 minutes depending on the van, you could be filling it up every day.

I used the showers on the campsites most of the time as these are usually good.

Cleaning the bathroom after a shower (especially when its not a separate shower) can be a pain.