Sure, it means officially saying goodbye to summer but it doesn’t mean the sunshine or the warm weather has completely given up on us!  Cast your mind back to a balmy 29-degree October day last year…  I remember it well, as I was soaking rays on Brighton Beach.The forecast for the same period this year unfortunately doesn’t look so rosy but nonetheless, autumn is a great time to travel and the UK has many great spots that shine at this time of year!  Check out these suggestions for a Wicked Winter getaway, all in your favourite UK cities.

Wicked Campers provides cheap campervan hire from London, Edinburgh and Belfast making it super convenient to get out and explore the brilliant red, yellow, bronzed landscapes currently on offer all over the UK.
From 1 October until 31 March you can also take advantage of the Winter Special – 7 days in a Wicked Camper from just £180+VAT, saving up to 43% off (UK travel info).  If you’re still not convinced, heaters and electrical hook-ups for powered pitches are now available for hire, just £7.50/day.  Book online with your Wicked Camper.

For further information visit www.wickedcampers.co.uk and head to the ‘specials’ page.

]]> http://blog.wickedcampers.co.uk/1308/feed 0 http://blog.wickedcampers.co.uk/travel-talk-by-backpax-magazine http://blog.wickedcampers.co.uk/travel-talk-by-backpax-magazine#comments Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:44:47 +0000 Wicked Campers http://blog.wickedcampers.co.uk/?p=1295 Our friends at Backpax Magazine have posted an article about wintry roadtrippin’ in a Wicked Camper!

Have a read and if it doesn’t convince you to boycott your planned hibernation then hopefully one of our winter specials will.
“When it comes to hitting the open road, campervans gain even more supporters over the colder months of the year. It’s no surprise – when a van has everything you need, why limit the autumn colour-watch to day trips only?…” http://www.backpaxmag.com/traveltalk37.html#Wicked

If you’re after budget accommodation and travel this winter, Wicked Campers campervans are cheap and cosy and have everything you need to make your trip a comfortable one.

Head to www.wickedcampers.co.uk for bookings or visit our specials page.

Due to the 2012 break, next years event tickets are going to be hot to trot – they go on sale Sunday 7 October. Don’t forget to register first!

What’s probably not going to be so hot unfortunately, is the weather – the Glasto gods are rarely kind so don’t risk another washed out tent! Book a Wicked Camper for a glamped-out Glasto experience.

The festival runs from Wednesday 26 June – Sunday 30 June 2013 and we have a minimum hire period of 7 calendar days, which means you could pick up your camper the day prior (Tuesday 25th June) and drop it off the day after (Monday 1st July) to meet the minimum hire period requirement.

Head to our home page at www.wickedcampers.co.uk and enter the promo code ‘GLASTO’ and dates into the booking engine on the right hand side of the page. 25% off baby, yeah!

*The 25% off hire cost for early bird bookings is only valid for the next couple of months or until stock lasts. The full balance of your hire is due on booking. If you aren’t lucky enough to score tickets and have already booked your Glastonbury camper hire with us, you can move your booking to another time – just give us the heads up.

Hire a Wicked Campers camper van for all the UK and European festivals at www.wickedcampers.co.uk

We drove down the west coast stopping off at beaches drinking and partying all the way down to Bilbao were we went to the Bilbao festival. We spent 3 days there, it was amazing good times!!

After Bilbao we went to Pamplona for running with the bulls. This was a great experience and lots of fun at the same time. After running with the bulls we went to Lagos in Portugal, this was also a lot of fun we bent for 5 days straight and really lost our shit. By the end of the 5 days we were all ready to leave we had all done a number on ourselves.

Our next major stop was Barcelona had heaps of fun sight seeing partying and eating heaps of great food. We spent about 4 days here did a lot of shopping and the weather was great so also spent a lot of time in the sun.

From there we made our way to Monaco, on the drive we decided to make a short cut but failed and we ended up bogged in the middle of no where in the middle of the night!! The boys tried to get us out but just managed to get us in deeper we were there most of the night. Finally got the cops and a tow truck to pull us out…

We then went to Rome – really cool place and did a lot of sight seeing. We had to rush down to the bottom of Italy were we left the van and hoped on a ferry to Greece we had a 10 day tour of the islands there was lots of partying drinking sunning ourselves and once again we were spent!

We picked up the van and drove up Italy a bit then caught the ferry to Croatia we took the van this time and left it in Croatia were we did a sailing Croatia trip. This week was really cool we all had a really great time it involved us being on a boat for a week being cooked for and drinking ourselves silly.

After leaving the Spit, my friend took us to a place that I can’t remember the name of, it started with a “T” (I think it was Tisno) where he knew someone. There we were put up in their house and they took us out the night we got there where we met a lot of locals and they wouldn’t let us buy a drink and insisted on shouting all night. We heard stories of how a lot of people our age there were in the war and they lost friends but they insisted on not letting the mood get all morbid and kept telling us how much they love life now. Very nice people and a very nice little town, I’ll have to ask my friend the name of it next time I see him. The next day we hired a little boat and drove it around a few little islands there and relaxed after a very alcohol fueled night.

We then left Croatia heading for Germany. Oh god Germany.  Our first destination in Germany was Munich, it was not Oktoberfest time there yet but we still had fun. From Munich we traveled all the way up to Berlin where we met up with a friend that used to live in Australia but now lives in Germany, he showed us around and we went to some clubs. One of the nights there I got a little excited and drank way too much and got kicked out of the nightclub for reaching over the bar to get some ice for my drink, looking back I guess it was a pretty silly thing to do but I guess when you get drunk you do some pretty silly things some times.

From Germany we went to Poland where again we met up with some friends, this time that I’d met from the last time I was overseas. This was a bit of an awakening as a lot of them now had settled down and now had kids. There was not nearly as much vodka drinking as when I first met them but I definitely enjoyed my time there and it was good to see them.

From Poland we traveled down to Slovakia where we decided to stay in a hostel as we were hoping we might get kidnapped like in the movie Hostel, this didn’t happen though and instead we met lots of like minded people who were also traveling and we had a good time together seeing the sights during the day and drinking together at night. Slovakia (Bratislava), Hungary (Budapest) and Czech Repb(Prague) all kind of melded into one as we went from one to another and staying in hostels, doing the free walking tours and learning how much all these countries have in common with each other and what a twisted history they all share together.

From Budapest we went to Austria (Vienna) and I personally found this city pretty boring. I’m sure we just didn’t got to the right places. Meh. From there we went to Venice, this place was beautiful, we only spent one day on in the main part where all the canals are but it was pretty expensive so one day was definitely enough. We were lucky enough to be there when there was an are exhibition going on and so there were plenty of free little modern art displays going on all around the island. I’ll say again though, very expensive.

From Oktoberfest we traveled up to Amsterdam, smoked a lot of weed and for some reason can’t remember what we did there or what we did immediately after but I know we were there cause I came home with a deck of Karma Sutra playing cards that I bought from a sex shop there.

From there we quickly made our way back to London, returned the van, had one last hoorah with some friends we knew there and were then on the plane back home.Awesome time, definitely going back to Europe and we all agree we’re all going to definitely be traveling a hell of a lot more.  Travelling in a camper is a Wicked way to get around and Wicked Campers provide affordable campers with everything you need to enjoy a long European Summer.  Book a camper now at www.wickedcampers.co.uk.

We then made our way to Dover and headed to France, we arrived to stifling heat and drove straight to Paris. Three days in Paris didn’t really do it justice but we had an amazing time wandering around and seeing the sights. The Louvre and the Eiffel tower at night were amazing. We hit the coast heading down through Royan and down to Bayonne where we just drove through but we stopped in Biarritz for a few hours. It was a really cool place with nice beaches and the city sitting right above them. It was like an old coastal seaside village in a city with heaps of old buildings right on the cliffs and around the water. We stayed that night a few beaches down the coast, we cooked dinner on the beach which was real nice. From there to make our way into Spain for running of the bulls. What an experience, just being there was incredible let alone been involved with whole thing.

We made a valiant attempt to do the run but the cops pushed us off the track, we hightailed it to the arena and got in to see the running , which in itself was pretty awesome. From Pamplona we headed to Barcelona to meet friends for the Super 15 final. Had a look around for a few days then headed into the hills of Andorra for the night. The scenery was something else and we found a spot to camp high in the hills with a great view. We continued on back into France where we took our time cruising around the Riviera until we arrived in Monaco which was something we had to see to believe, all the yachts and cars were awesome.

From here we headed into Italy where we stopped at Cinque Terre and camped high above the first village. Camped there for a few nights and did the walk and chilled out. What a beautiful place, and fully worth the drive out of the way to see. We then hit the toll roads up to Venice then back down through Florence and Pisa and into the beautiful country side of Tuscany.

On to Rome for four nights where we spent hours just wandering around the streets checking out the museums and all the sights while enjoying the food. Spent a day at Vatican City where it poured with rain which cut it a bit short. Then down to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast via Pompeii. Spent a week relaxing and enjoying the sights of the coast and a trip out to Capri where we headed out to the blue grotto only to find it closed, swam off the cliffs anyway which was pretty neat. We then made our way by ferry over to Croatia after having a few dramas getting on board the ferry, we finally managed to sort it out but it was touch and go there for a while whether or not we would actually get on. Spent the night sleeping outside on the deck to wake up to the sight of the walls of Dubrovnik in the distance.

Croatia was something else and arriving in Dubrovnik in the calm of the morning was awesome. Spent a few nights just below Dubrovnik where we did a yacht trip and spent time around the coast. We were a bit gutted to leave the little camping ground we found with crystal clear water but after driving along the coast for a bit we soon found another gem where we stayed for another couple of nights where the beer and wine was so cheap we sat right above the sea in the bar for hours on end making the most of the cheap prices and hospitality. From here we continued up towards Split and stayed just past Trogir. From here we did a boat trip around the islands to check out the sights and saw the beautiful islands around Split.

We then decided to head up to Slovenia where we stayed in Ljubljana which was a real surprise, it was one of the most beautiful cities we got to with the river, streets and atmosphere. From there we moved onto Austria where we stayed in Salzburg which again was very picturesque. On towards Munich where we checked out the concentration camp in Dachau which was a pretty chilling experience but really worthwhile. Into Munich for a few beers and a sausage in the beer gardens. The weather finally packed in after many weeks of sun so we just headed straight for Amsterdam. It was everything we were told, the streets are crazy and so interesting, spent a couple of nights there before heading to Belgium for the last few nights where we relaxed in Bruges, again one of the most beautiful spots we came across. After enjoying the sights and food for a few days we headed back into France where we took the ferry back into the UK.

Overall we had an amazing time travelling in our van, the places we managed to get to and sights we saw were incredible. Our van was a brilliant companion and besides one punctured tyre it performed like a champ and was a great little home for the road.  Rent a camper from Wicked Campers this summer, bookings available at www.wickedcampers.co.uk

With the action of the Olympics taking place in venues all over London, unfortunately there is also expected to be major disruptions on our roads and public transport links.  Camp In London has therefore taken an innovative approach to combatting the disruptions.

The 5,000 person per night campsite is well-located, just a 5-10 minute shuttle bus ride from the Olympic Park and 4 miles from central London. It is therefore perfectly positioned to provide eco-friendly solutions to getting around.

Their recent partnership with The London Bicycle Tour Company and Hire My Tandem will see a large fleet of bikes and tandem bikes available for hire at the campsite.

Daily rides led by qualified guides will connect guests to the most popular sites of London or assist in the journey from the campsite to an Olympic venue.

Cycling is a great way to get around London and a greener solution to taking public transport.  Now, with the introduction of free bike parking at all Olympic venues and the Olympic Park, it is the most convenient and economical way to get to your destination.

The London Bicycle Tour Company has been in operation for 20 years and holds London’s largest fleet of privately owned bikes.  Together with Camp In London and Hire My Tandem they will ensure guests have the very best London experience in 2012.

More information about affordable accommodation for the Olympics is available at www.campinlondon.com/camping.  For daily and weekly bike hire pre-bookings please visit www.londonbicycle.com/booking

Games volunteers will receive a 20% discount on pre-erected tent accommodation. They will enjoy the luxuries of free daily continental breakfast and access to all facilities, including special events in the entertainment zone.

For volunteers with their own tent and a tight a budget, Camp In London is offering rates from a very affordable £10 per person per night, a saving of up to £15 per night!  Pitch-your-own campers will be able to take advantage of all advertised camp facilities and can purchase daily breakfast for just £3.50 per day.

Now volunteers’ bookings are even more flexible with FREE length of stay and date changes and no minimum stay required.  Games Makers will also have access to the site from 23 July – 14 August 2012 and their own dedicated Games Maker camping zone with private entrance.

Admission to the onsite entertainment zone, featuring a stage, large screen TV, bar, various food outlets and two five-day festivals is included.  Both festivals are free of charge for volunteers camping during those periods however pitch-your-own campers may be required to pay for the special ticketed events.

To sweeten the deal, Camp In London will provide FREE shuttle bus services for Olympic Games volunteers staying in pre-erected camping. This will ensure fast, easy and convenient access to and from the Olympic Park.

For more information, head to the volunteers’ page of the Camp In London website. For bookings, click here and choose the accommodation you are after.*

*All volunteers seeking accommodation will be required to present a London 2012 letter of acceptance.

In the lead up to the London 2012 Games, London & Partners, the official promotional organisation for London has implemented an initiative aimed at reassuring visitors to London that they are getting quality products and services for a reasonable price.

The Charter ensures that signatories commit to maintaining a fair price for their products and services while conducting business in an ethical, environmental and sustainable way during the 2012 Olympic Games.

Over 30 companies have signed up to the Charter including big names like the O2 Arena, Eurostar, Addison Lee and now Wicked Campers campervans.

Managing director of Wicked Campers, Denis Geary said “It’s important to make a good impression to visitors to London in 2012.  Some of them will be first time visitors to the capital so we need to ensure that we provide them with quality and value for money to ensure a repeat visit.”

Wicked Campers campervans, in two or five berth designs, are family friendly, comfortable and reliable.  Complete with double bed, kitchen sink and cooking equipment, they are a cheaper way to see London and the UK in 2012.

Wicked Campers signing up to the London Visitor Charter came as a result of their existing partnership with London & Partners for Camp In London, a 5,000 person per night campsite for the Olympics.  Geary recognised London & Partners consumer facing website visitLondon.com as a key component in marketing the campsite and was interested to see what other initiatives were being implemented in 2012.

A spokesperson for London & Partners commented: ‘We are delighted to be working with Camp In London, who will be providing accommodation for visitors to London during Games time. As our partners, they join a number of other companies who will be providing a variety of accommodation options this summer. ‘

For more information about camping options at Camp In London please visit our website or for more information about alternative accommodation during the Olympic and Paralympic Games please visit visitlondon.com/2012.

Not twelve months earlier, Renee and I had our first ‘Wicked Van’ experience with a 5-day excursion in Northern Ireland.  We had of course heard of Wicked Vans as they were a common sighting along our home Eastern coast of Australia, but had yet to cocoon ourselves in one.  The idea of camper-van living has always appealed to us and after making a few inquiries with the most helpful Julie, our Northern Ireland trip was booked.

I can think of no better way to experience a new country than having your home on wheels and our ‘Jellybean’ painted Wicked Van did not disappoint.  Everything we needed within arms reach (literally!) and once we acclimatised to the cabin fever; our home away from home became a magic part of a wonderful stay.  At 30-something years of age, this was both our first time ‘camper-vanning’ and was a taste of things to come.

Working fulltime for the previous 3 and a bit years in the UK put a slight dampener on our original plans of a 2 year ‘working holiday’ where we expected to do quite a bit more travel then we had.  We had had a number of trips to various parts of the world but no longer term stints, which was now high on our priority list.  Our many friends who had been on Van Tour all had almost unbelievable stories to share on their time on ‘the tour’ so we decided to use this as the Launchpad to return home.  One final dig you could say.

Obviously, after the great experience in the Wicked Van through Ireland the previous year we had no hesitation in booking the van again and got the ‘early bird’ deal.  As was always the case, Julie (sorry Julie, your surname escapes me but I think you’re based in Scotland?) was very thorough and professional in managing the booking and follow up info sharing, which made the process a breeze.  Renee and I grabbed a massive map of Europe, stuck it on the wall and began pencilling out our planned trip.

Three little tips here:  1/ worth getting a map with the English spelling of EU cities otherwise gets a bit confusing (e.g. who knew ‘Wien’ is Vienna and ‘Firenze’ is Florence?!) , 2/ You can be guaranteed your plans will change so don’t be too rigid  & 3/ Europe is a lot bloody bigger than I thought J so don’t try and bite off the whole thing for a 90 day trip unless there’s a heap of you in a bus to share long driving trips.

The prep work was done.  We packed up the flat in Edinburgh, sent our stuff home to Oz, quit the jobs and were now ready for the crazy, awesome, spiritual, liver-damaging trip that was Wicked Van Tour 2011!

Before I launch into a snapshot of the trip highlights, time for a few more tips:

• ICE – As a couple of Queenslanders, we are more than used to hot summers but we’re also used to having plenty of ice readily available to cool the beer/food etc.  Real eye opener that many EU countries, particularly the stinking hot ones (i.e. Italy, Croatia, France and many others) just don’t seem to use the stuff.  Real pain in the arse so learn the local word for ice and think of ways to get it.  Fishmongers proved useful and some camp grounds let you freeze water.
• Mozzies – The little bastards got thick in some places (Croatia was our worst experience although expect anywhere.  When it’s hot in your van (which you will be) and with no fly screens, this becomes a real problem.  Either get so pissed you don’t notice or have a battle plan before you go
• Free-camping – real money saver and the best parts of our trip were outside of campgrounds.  Depends what you like of course as the campgrounds during the EU summer are one massive, bloody brilliant party!  If free-camping, always better with another van for extra security.  Don’t leave your van if doing this – Bratislavian pricks
• Food/supplies – Lidl defo the go
• Eat well – Try to stay fairly healthy and not swap too many meals for beer (have both) as 3 months of hard-core partying does wreck you
• Budget – Pretty tricky to pin point but could basically say you can’t operate on much less than 50-60 quid per person per day.  This includes fuel and half the time camping fees and is still pretty frugal.  Those of you who have extravagant tastes need 70-80 quid a day and those who are happy to live on vege sandwiches the whole time, 30-40.  Fuel and partying the main costs and site-seeing (especially in cities) gets expensive because those Euros are waiting for us!  Good idea is to split out the fuel costs and budget separately.
• ‘Decathalon’ outdoor store is your friend – gas cans at decent price.
• Pack a small tent!! – refer to note on mozzies and heat

Ok, the only place to start is the start…

London pick up went smoothly, get a congestion pass for the day when doing this to avoid 60 quid fine.  We booked a ferry from Dover to Calais which was cool but you have many options.

Basically our plans were to hug the coast as much as possible around EU, going anti-clockwise.  Paris and surrounds brilliant.  Stay outside the city and travel in as this keeps costs down.  Spend some time here before Pamplona.  Hug the French coast if you have time before the ‘Bulls’ – you won’t regret it.  For the surfers – I scored 3-4ft offshore Hossegor – stuff dreams are made of!  Don’t miss Biarritz.

Pamplona – Just magic!  Do stay at Zarautz – this is singly the most beautiful campground I’ve ever seen.  Mad party for 3-5 days.  Don’t NOT run with the bulls as they are about to pull the pin on this and you will regret it for life.  Listen to the local rules at all costs and party hard.  Good idea to make a few friends here that you can convoy with later etc.

Spend some time in Portugal before you hit Lagos – wonderful people and country generally.  Surf pumps but windy as hell at this time of year.

Lagos – Farkin Hell.  All I’ll say is I wish I could remember more as this was one of the best 4 (or 5?) days of partying ever!  Do try and get to the beach at some point as it’s bloody glorious.  The water’s a bit cold at this time of year but worth a dip for recovery purposes.

Seville and Southern Spain – Cracking place site-seeing.  Bit hard to find a place to camp as there is nothing in Seville city (don’t even bother) – camp ground about 20kms SW.

Terifa as a magic place and parties hard.  Perfect Launchpad for Morocco if you’re heading there as you can almost lob a rock from here.  We had been to Spain quite a few times before this and it remains one of our favourite places in the world.  So many reasons why, so spend as much time as you can here and you’ll see why.  Many people by-pass Madrid – this is a mistake.  Hug the coast otherwise and enjoy.  Barcelona is everything you’ve heard and if you’re in there for Tapas – you simply cannot beat ‘Sinatra’s’

Southern France – Again simply brilliant.  Great people (possibly better than the northerners).  If you’re looking for a mountain get-away, the Seven Mountain range goes down as our best free-camping memory (but we’re kinda hippies at heart).  Riviera is cool but expensive – we drove through and admired.

Italy – This was the country I was most looking forward to for the culture, food and wine.  Even tried to learn the language for 12 months before going, which I certainly don’t regret.  People were a little disappointing but you take the good with the bad.  Unforgettable cultural experience obviously.  Genova worth some time, Florence just awesome and Rome is what it is (Camping Tigra the go).  Naples is dodgy but wonderful.  The South is well worth the drive as everything gets better again.  The Italians flock to the beach so don’t expect a quiet time there.

Croatia – Just brilliant, go there!  Sailing a good option but the land based stuff is just as fun.  Amazing inland national parks you won’t see anywhere else!  Hot as hell though.  Visit the capital, Zagreb as it is a must see and often gets missed.

Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland -  Get off the beaten track and get lost.  Just unreal! Beware of the taxes on highway – buy these.

Slovenia – Was one of the hidden gems.  Learn and explore this place – especially if you’re a bit ‘green’

Germany and Beerfest – Awesome people, great country and massive party.  Beerfest is everything you’ve imagined and better.  The ‘100 Club’ is quite simply the most disgusting and brilliant thing I’ve ever seen (and I’ve been around the block a few times).  Not for the faint-hearted but an Aussie/Kiwi tradition well worth a look.  You’ll by now have all the tips in Beerfest so follow the crowd.  Make sure you head to the Monastery before though.

Amsterdam – Probably the only place in the world I’d live outside of Australia.  Spend as much time as you can here.

Summary:  I’ve condensed a story that I’ll be telling for the rest of my life only because it would become boring and endless unless you’ve been.  As young people, Van Tour with Wicked is simply one of the, if not the best experiences you’ll have in your life.  Dive head first into everything (except shallow water) and embrace the cultures of all countries.  There’ll be plenty of piss-ups, sex, fights, break-ups and make-ups and you will make new friends for life.  This has been a tradition for Aussies and Kiwis for over 50 years now so I expect you will be telling your grandkids about it.

Be responsible for yourselves and look after others.  We’re starting to get a bad wrap in Europe nowadays as the minority behave like mongrels.  Don’t add to this.  Both countries are far too proud to give us this type of profile overseas.

Best of luck, be safe,  and get ready for the ride and thank you Wicked for providing the wheels and the roof.  – Craig, 33

Hire a Wicked Camper from 9 different depot locations in Europe.  Available from London, Edinburgh, Belfast, San Benedetto (Italy), Barcelona, Malaga (Spain), Prague, Munich and Amsterdam. Visit our website for further details www.wickedcampers.co.uk