Escaping the UK winter - Ideas please for a beginner searching for sun ☀️

[myvanrodney]

Hi,

Not much recent posts on this from what I can see in search.

We are desperate to try the 'I went south in the winter' manouvre that Im told is possible now we own a van, but not sure where to start. So many options, so I thought I would seek some advice.

Something not too adventurous (we like well provisioned sites);
happy to drive (to avoid the cost and potential discomfort of a long ferry crossing);
Somewhere that has a pretty reliable climate and will feel sufficiently home from home;

Just wanna ride my bike, paddle my kayak and bask in the suns warmth

Thank you all...

 

[CaliforniaCylus]

Southern Spain.

Have a look at our blog. Many winter trips here.

www.caravanramblings.co.uk

 

[kurienp]

Hi,

Not much recent posts on this from what I can see in search.

We are desperate to try the 'I went south in the winter' manouvre that Im told is possible now we own a van, but not sure where to start. So many options, so I thought I would seek some advice.

Something not too adventurous (we like well provisioned sites);
happy to drive (to avoid the cost and potential discomfort of a long ferry crossing);
Somewhere that has a pretty reliable climate and will feel sufficiently home from home;

Just wanna ride my bike, paddle my kayak and bask in the suns warmth

Thank you all...

Follow this thread https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/road-trip-france-spain-portugal.55748/ , pick up sites that you like and drive there!

 

[willwander]

Follow this thread https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/road-trip-france-spain-portugal.55748/ , pick up sites that you like and drive there!

For reliable winter sun. Southern Spain. Stick to the coast. Barcelona south to Gibraltar. You will feel at home here, many brits and everyone speaks English. There are lots of good campsites, much better than the uk.
Don’t worry. It’s easier than you think.

Lovely here today, 24 degrees and the sun is shining.

 

[turnitdown]

I know that winter (especially Dec/Jan) is the rainy season along that coast, but does anyone know whether the rain tends to be intense but short-lived (which is almost no bother at all) or day-long drizzle (e.g., as in Scotland, which would be annoying). I have only gone on a short week or two trip before (not with a van) and can't really remember (plus that sample is too small).

E.g., Faro gets almost 50% more rain (in mm) than Edinburgh in December. But how it comes is much more important than just the quantity imo.

@myvanrodney, I find weatherspark to be a good website for comparing two places for hours of sun, daily temperatures, etc., - if you are not familiar with it, check it out.

 

[Wannabecamperman]

I know that winter (especially Dec/Jan) is the rainy season along that coast, but does anyone know whether the rain tends to be intense but short-lived (which is almost no bother at all) or day-long drizzle (e.g., as in Scotland, which would be annoying). I have only gone on a short week or two trip before (not with a van) and can't really remember (plus that sample is too small).

E.g., Faro gets almost 50% more rain (in mm) than Edinburgh in December. But how it comes is much more important than just the quantity imo.

@myvanrodney, I find weatherspark to be a good website for comparing two places for hours of sun, daily temperatures, etc., - if you are not familiar with it, check it out.

Forget the Algarve Nov-Feb. I lived there for a few years and can confirm that anywhere on the Spanish coast from Alicante all the way South and West to Gibraltar is lovely by comparison. My personal favourite is Murcia and around Mazarron. As others have commented, tons of Brits and English breakfasts available around many camp sites if that's your bag.

 

[Kayleigh]

I have lived in Valencia (although you may wish to travel further south) and it doesn’t really rain much during winter. It probably rains most around autumn when the sea temperature is still warm. The mid-winter nights can get pretty chilly, but the days can be gloriously sunny. If heading along the Mediterranean coast I recommend taking good quality down jackets for the winter evenings. I would avoid the Balearic Islands as you will find very few decent campsites and you did say you wanted to avoid long ferry journeys.