Parking a motorhome

Unfortunately, although it’s the obvious thing to do, it’s not always possible as was the case where my pic was taken. That’s why it often pays to pick quiet times.👍🏻

The new big Aldi in our town would be a struggle to find parking for a PVC !! and that from a German company

You mention Nantes as  an example. Have a look at our story to see how we got about Nantes

We changed from caravan to motorhome 8 years ago and experienced the same anxieties.   Our solution was to invest in a couple of electric bikes and we have never had a problem at home or abroad.

In Britain, you learn to plan ahead and avoid peak times if you can. We've stayed in Britain for the last 15 years and finding parking has never bothered us.

A 2.34m wide motorhome (excluding wing mirrors), such as mine, just fits between the lines of a standard car park space; we pay for two bays if we are too long. Don't be tempted to park with your van's rear overhang obstructing a pavement.

Most major towns and cities operate efficient and cheap Park & Ride schemes. Not all the car parks are for motorhomes but I've never found a city or town that does not make space available in at least one P&R. Most attractions that rely on tourists make room for motorhomes - some will even raise height barriers for you. 

Use sites with good public transport if there is somewhere specific you want to go. Some lucky people, like me, get the freebus pass.

If all else fails, go somewhere else. Searching for a parking space can be stressful. Don't let it.

My 6m van has a wheelbase of 3m so can turn on a sixpence. Rides terrible though! Check out the turning circles of any van that interests you - it's usually in the brochure or on a web site. If not, buy a different van.

As a dedicated motor-caravanner for 45 years or so, I've learned that one of the downsides of motorhomes can be the width as much as the length.  If you like to visit out-of-the-way coves or moorland villages, reachable by country lanes designed for a nineteenth century farm wagon, then the width of the motorhome can be a decided disadvantage.    Most claim to be around 2.35m in width, although Baileys seem to insist on being wider still. 

A van conversion can be a little less until somone fails to notice the wing mirror and removes it for you.   Mercedes Sprinters are narrower than Fiat Ducatos, and centimetres do make a difference in tight spots. 

Nevertheless, we've had 3 A-classes and a coachbuilt, taking our longer breaks in Europe without any size issues. Choosing to limit our travels this year has been more trying as Cornwall and Devon's country roads, many with unforgiving stone hedges has got me thinking of downsizing.   

Other factors to consider?  Many carparks don't accept vehicles over 3500kg, some less than that.  Many motorhomes operate with extremely restricted payloads (ignore what a dealer will tell you if he/she thinks you're hooked), meaning that two e-bikes (& bike rack if needed) with other necessities (camping chairs, table, food, water, etc etc, not to mention any passengers over 70kg each, could easily nudge you over what's permitted. If you're going to need to tow something to compensate - car or bike trailer - it's not that different to a caravan, is it?

Research? Why?we are on holiday we can now go any where at the drop of a hat, without the need for messing about doing "research "in case parking is a problem

JVB, surely part of the joy of going anywhere is searching/researching what is in the area you intend to visit. Unless of course you keep going back to the same old places over and over again.

I never research an area that I am going to. I don't go to an area for anything specific. I usually find more of interest to me than we could fit into our 5 night stay which I don't mind at all.

Quite agree Nellie. To me part of the enjoyment of going somewhere new is know what the options are before we go. Sometimes its just bus timetables but sometimes country houses some of which I have to contact before to check they have suitable parking for a motorhome. I like to check out the local eating places and their menus. To me the research is all part of the trip. 

David