Combine catch-ups with friends and a caravan getaway to get the best of both worlds! Former editor Nigel Donnelly explains how to make your free time go further
The old saying tells us, ‘the years go fast but the days go slow’ and nowhere is that more apparent than when you’re trying to catch up with friends and relatives. With 52 weekends in a year, it should be easy to align diaries, but fitting in caravan trips and catch-ups with mates can leave your calendar at breaking point.
A great way to have more nights away in the van and catch up with your buddies is to do both at the same time.
There are plenty of advantages to this. Nobody has the frantic tidying up and hassle of hosting at home, you can meet halfway if you are far-flung friends, and you get an extra trip out in the van.
Even if those friends aren’t caravanners themselves, searching for sites with guest houses or inns nearby can overcome the difficulty and give everyone a minibreak combined with their socialising.
It also allows you to get a bit of a mass catch-up done all at once, freeing up more weekends for other trips. It’s a win-win.
But the success of group getaways hinges on thoughtful planning, a dash of creativity and a collective spirit of adventure. If you are the sort of person who likes to live on your nerves and fly by the seat of your pants, you can throw everything together at the last minute, but it is a high-risk strategy, particularly if others are relying on you for having a great time. The very best outcomes need a bit of forethought and we’re here to help you make sure you’ve got it covered.
Seamless planning for smooth sailing
The first step should be to take advantage of modern technology and get a group chat going. WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or even email round robins will do while you flesh out the initial ideas for your tour.
If there’s a core group you need to make this the event you want, get them in the chat first to sort out the basics. When is it going to happen? What part of the country is in range and what sort of event are you planning? Then extend the group invite.
As anyone who has ever organised a group night out will know, synchronising diaries can be tough. Give yourself the best chance of success – start with a small group and work from there. Some people won’t make it, but if this goes well, they’ll drop everything to make sure they don’t miss out next time. Begin your planning with a big group and you’ll never go any
