This is where the bulk of your traveling money goes, so it is important to feel like you spent your money wisely. It almost always works out when you plan because you can convince yourself you found the best deals at that time. Most of the time, your trip plans dictate your lodging and transportation requirements.
For instance, when I did my trip around the US, my transportation plan was obvious. The trickiest part of that trip was figuring out where I was going to stay each night. I had to adjust each leg of the trip to match up with campgrounds, state parks, national parks, and friends’ and families’ homes, along with points of interests. It was difficult but creating a spreadsheet with addresses was essential in me succeeding.
I have created another spreadsheet, because I will be traveling around England, because it is too big to stay in one location and travel from there and be efficient in seeing what I want. Originally when I thought of this trip, I had planned to use the UKs mass transit system, as it is a million times better than what is found in most of the US. The issue that I had with this was my luggage. I am going to the UK for two weeks. I could pack lightly and most likely be fine for the daytime events with a combination of t-shirts, shorts, and other easy to pack clothing. But the UK is notorious for random weather events that could leave you wishing for more layers. So, I decided that I needed to have my own transportation while in England and my decision also answers other questions for me.
I found a website called Goboony, where you can rent campervans and RVs. I found a reasonable deal for a converted VW Transporter that covers most of my trip. If/when I move to the UK, this is the vehicle I plan to buy and convert myself, so my travels can continue more effectively. I love the styling of all VW vans, but the modern Transporter seems to be the perfect platform for a converted camper because it can be both luxurious and stealthy at the same time. I could and will spend all day talking about campervans later.
My campervan is called Roam. I will be flying into Heathrow and immediately jumping on the trains towards Wellingborough where I will be picking up the van. With the help of an app called park4night, I will be camping in allowed spots, and most of those spots will be close to the canals and rivers. I am doing my best to stay outside of towns, even when I have town stuff planned for the evenings. When my time runs out with the campervan, I will have a few days left in my trip. I plan to use a luggage storage service and taking the backpack to finish the last few days I have planned.
My transportation and lodging plan is mostly combined into one because of the method of travel I have chosen. The cost seems to be cheaper than hiring a car and staying at AirBnBs and hostels. I am not concerned with driving on the opposite side of the road. Everyone else will be doing it as well. I have driven on narrow European roads before, and none of my plans puts me in a bind for time, so I can take my time. Feeling rushed is what creates most accidents. This is my vacation so hopefully I will not feel rushed.