Are any of you that out there fed up of ever spiralling flight costs, airport delays, full days of travelling just to arrive at your holiday destination tired out, trying to keep the kids quiet and entertained for four hours whilst strapped into a tiny airbus seat, disappointing accommodation and being stuck to a rigid timetable? Well, over the last twelve months I have experienced all of the above, which prompted the wife and I into considering other options to our “normal holidays”.

Now, for a lot of people the thought of caravanning and motorhome holidays doesn’t have the same appeal as a fortnight on a sunny Mediterranean beach, and lets be honest it does have its obvious attractions. However, there are drawbacks and I listed quite a few of them in my opening sentence.

In my opinion a lot of us have become blinkered into thinking that the only holidays worth taking are ones that involve sun, sangria and paella. The majority of us have forgotten what a beautiful country we live in, that we have fantastic tourist attractions and places of interest and how easily accessible they all are.

How great would it be to start our usual two weeks holiday by getting up when we wanted, setting off when wanted, going where ever our fancy took us, have no suitcases to haul around, no departure lounges to wait in, no arduous coach transfers in blistering heat to endure, all our home comforts travelling with us and the real beauty, a full 16 days worth of holiday not fourteen or even thirteen because of days spent in airports.

What I was about to be introduced to was the freedom that comes with ownership of a motorhome. A freedom that allows you all of the above not only for your annual jaunts but every weekend, bank holiday or whenever the fancy takes you.

We decided that we would take a trip around the Welsh countryside of Snowdonia in the Elddis Autoquest 180,a four to six berth Peugeot Boxer based luxury motorhome.

I must admit that I had half mentally prepared myself for a bit of what I call “roughing it” and I had primed the missus with a few pearls of wisdom like “it might be bit cramped” and “it probably wont be as nice as your mums caravan” etc, just to soften any possible disappointment.

I needed have bothered because if I had done my homework I would have realised that I was massively wide of the mark. Externally it looked big, very big and I must admit to having a few butterflies about driving as I hadn’t driven anything this big for quite some time. These butterflies didn’t last long as I set off for the first time to bring the Autoquest home.

The driving position was excellent, the visibility from my lofted position was absolutely superb and two huge wing mirrors provided immense panoramic rear views. Once on the road you soon forgot you were driving something far bigger than you normally do as the Peugeot Boxer diesel unit and gearbox powered you through every situation effortlessly.

It really was a joy to drive, better than driving my own car because of the excellent suspension and the sheer comfort of the driver’s seat and high position. Imagine fitting your favourite armchair into your current car and you get the idea.

In addition to this each model is backed up by a full warranty and recovery package including European breakdown cover supplied by Peugeot UK so you can set off with confidence to any destination in Europe.

All the models are handbuilt in the UK, which is obvious by the attention to detail on the styling of the exterior enhanced by the striking livery and graphics.

I stated earlier that the first impression was one of size and this carried on into the cabin and living quarters, my earlier fears of claustrophobia were unfounded.

I found myself back in school kid mode, excitedly wandering around inside, checking all the gadgets and gizmos.
It amazed the lounge/dining and understatedly, me how everything had been fitted in so stylishly are was spacious and comfortable, an integrated cooker, hob, fridge and freezer provided everything we needed in the kitchen.

The bathroom was equally impressive with shower enclosure, washbasin, vanity unit and toilet. I know I shouldn’t, but I have to mention the toilet. I was secretly dreading this bit and had no idea what to expect, but it was simplicity itself. I wont go into details for obvious reasons but it was extremely easy and hygienic, I will leave it at that. 

We had a double bed at the rear as well as a double bed over the cab and ample storage space for a months trip let alone a fortnight.with hot water, central heating, split lighting, audio system with speakers throughout and of course not forgetting the obligatory television, it really was a home from home.

We travelled all over Wales experiencing some breathtaking scenery all at our own pace; we were even blessed with good weather. We slept soundly on the ultra comfortable mattresses, enjoyed hearty meals from the well equipped kitchen and relaxed in the tastefully styled lounge area without one cross word.

There is a sense of freedom that comes with motorhome life and it is one that we quickly adapted to and enjoyed. All you need is to fill up your fresh water tanks, ensure your gas bottles and fuel tanks are full and the world is your oyster. You don’t even have to worry about a power supply, as there is a separate auxiliary battery, charged by the engine as it runs to power all your electrical equipment. 

The Elddis range is available in all shapes and sizes from the Autoquest 4 berth 100 to the Autostratus 6 berth 500HL.

Prices start from as little as £23385 and rise to £41995, models can be financed to spread the cost and when I think of how little it actually cost me for this break it is something to really consider. After all our previous years holiday spend in total added up to well over £6000.00.That’s £500.00 per month pro-rata and all I had to show at the end of them all was a suntan that disappeared within a fortnight and an empty bank balance.

However if the delights of the United Kingdom still aren’t enough to tempt you then remember you can still take a leisurely drive to the continent whenever you want. If you look at my equation earlier on my annual holiday spend without bank holidays and weekends away it certainly is food for thought for those that think it might be a bit of an extravagance.

I am beginning to think not.