Hello everyone!

Good morning Lena and welcome!

We've seen a few pets carried with motorhomers over the years but not yet a hamster - photos of it required please so we can see what we're up against with advice

Seriously though I think DEFRA has advice about European travel and as a hamster is a rodent I believe they can travel with you without restriction, but might be worth you checking to satisfy yourself.

As far as the motorhome goes I don't see why a lady should have a problem with it. The one you're looking at isn't a great deal bigger than a car - not that size should matter anyway!

There are lots of single lady motorhomers and I'm sure that they would be happy to give advice.

Our member 'Old Soldier' produced an article all about how-to's for the newbie motorhomer, you can read it here - http://www.clubmotorhome.co.uk/articles/how-tos/3155-old-soldier-s-guide-for-newbie-chuggers

Hope this helps.

Hello Lena and congratulations

I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to drive a compass calypso as it will be similar to driving a car. It would be worth practising, reversing and manoeuvring, somewhere quiet, a trading estate during the weekends perhaps. Put some cones or similar down and try and reverse around them.

Travelling in a motorhome in France and Spain is as safe as travelling in the UK but far more easier, to find water / waste etc. During the winter season I would recommend to be in south west Spain as France can be cold and wet for long periods. You don't want to be stuck in your van for days on end, and in very cold weather the water tanks on your Calypso will freeze up.

There is quite a bit to think about and the best way forward is to draw up a list of things to consider. I am sure others will suggest and help here, but things like gas, storage, clothing, communication, insurance, emergency contingencies etc.

I suppose it would be worth starting with the question, what do you want to get out of your adventure? then have a 'loose' plan around that for mapping out your journey.

Hope this helps to start with but keep asking questions.

Spinner

Hello Neilmac and Spinner,

You both have been so kind, thank you for all your advice. I really appreciate it.
If the calypso compass is not that bigger than a car, I think I would be confident driving it then. Anything bigger I would be worried.

Here is a photo of my hamster Laramel and I!

Lena xx

Hi Lena,
It will be fine, but carefully and inspect the motorhome you like with a fine tooth comb before buying, to make sure its a good buy and the one for you.
Then drive regularly until you feel confident, then just go!
It will be great and it will be so much fun.

If you buy the right motorhome, you will be able to sell it for the same price you paid after your gap year, should you want to.

You will need to think about things like gas bottles (they don't do calor gas in Europe) and a few minor things like that, but that wont take long to sort out.

Hi Lena ... You should be fine with the motorhome you are looking at ... if you feel unsure take a friend or ask the AA or RAC they will check things but at a cost ... if it's a private buy and you must take someone with you for safety sake ... and get a HPI check ... http://bit.ly/2bKlz1o ... there other sites but I have used this one myself ... this will make sure there is no outstanding finance on the vehicle ...
Make sure they show you everything working ... I made that mistake ... ask for service history on the vehicle and when was it's last habitation check done ... take a magnet with you and go around the wings ... if the magnet don't stick it maybe full of filler ...
As to motorhoming alone ... I have just had to start going on my own (I have a dog not a Hamster) ... just use your head and common sense ... you will be fine ... remember there are more nice people out there than there are nasty ... but mainly ENJOY yourself

Hello Katmax and Tom,

You both have been so kind, thank you for all your advice. I really appreciate it. I will definitely follow everyone's advice. I valued all advice, since I am a new beginner.
I have been looking at Auto Trader, and really liking the Volkswagen compass Calypso.
Fingers crossed I hope I can get a good one.

Lena xx

Just a thought, you will need to check if there are any restrictions taking a Hamster in and out of the UK. I know dogs have to have a doggy passport and need to be vaccinated before being allowed back into the UK.
Good luck with your venture.

Hello Mikescuba,

You have been so kind, thank you for your advice! That is a good point with the animal passport, I will try to find that out before I go abroad.

Many thanks,

Lena

Hello everyone,

I am now deciding on what budget on the motorhome I will be going for. Since it all depends on how long I will be on the road for. My future university course is very hard to get on since is so popular, so I could be looking at being on the road for 2+ years.
Just out of curiosity, I wonder if there are jobs out there, even abroad to sustain my 2+ years of travelling, especially keeping the whole of the journey cost running. If I am out for 2+years I might have to spend abit more on a decent motorhome.

I'm so looking forward to it, this is all so exciting!

Many thanks,

Lena xx

Hi Again, Don't know what sort of passport you hold but if its an EU then you should be able to work either in France or Spain. In France you would have to be able to speak French to secure employment. I have had friends who have found summer bar jobs in Spain. The language wasn't so much of an issue out there as a lot of people speak English. It really depends on where you want to head for. Finding a job in France can be difficult. You might be able to find work for cash in hand as to employ people is very expensive in France.Plus employees are well protected so employers don't want to give contracts. France can also get cold during the winter months. I had some friends who used to spend winter in Portugal as the climate was milder. It all depends what you want to get out of this 2 year period.

Hello everyone,

I am now deciding on what budget on the motorhome I will be going for. Since it all depends on how long I will be on the road for. My future university course is very hard to get on since is so popular, so I could be looking at being on the road for 2+ years.
Just out of curiosity, I wonder if there are jobs out there, even abroad to sustain my 2+ years of travelling, especially keeping the whole of the journey cost running. If I am out for 2+years I might have to spend abit more on a decent motorhome.

I'm so looking forward to it, this is all so exciting!

Many thanks,

Lena xx

Spending more money doesn't always mean you will get a better motorhome!
Personally I think the Calypso is a good bet too, the motorhomes in the mid to late 1990's were built stronger and better than the later ones (in my opinion) before they started cutting back to save weight and cost using 'plastic wood' as I call it etc.
Also I would probably never buy from a dealer because they inflate the prices by a huge amount.
For example I paid 9k for my motorhome in a private sale 4 years ago and there is one exactly the same, same model, same year etc in a local dealer near me now for 17k!

Personally I have found the motorhomes that are looked after and are good ones, tend to be owned and priced sensibly by sensible people.
You can tell a lot by the attitude of the owner, the ones who think its worth what it was when it was new, tend to be the ones that don't look after or maintain things.
I know that's a generalisation and only my view, so no offence ment to any body.

As for working, some campsites take people on in return for a free or discounted pitch, usually this is done by wardens who stay for the whole season but sometimes there are issues and they need extra help, it might not be paid or well paid but it gets you a free park up for say a month and gets you doing stuff.

Also cant you just put the hamster in a locker or cupboard when crossing the channel?? lol

Thank you Tom1,
Really! So getting the Motorhome privately would be a cheaper option. I could get RAC or AA to suspect it first before I buy, that's what others have suggested. Where can I find the private sellers?

I will definitely bear that in mind with the older models like calypso.
I did see one that I love is a newer one, Swift Bolero 680. It feels really cosy and homely.

I will take on your advice on owners charging more for their Motorhome, meaning they don't take care of it.

The discounted pitch sounds good! Will try and research further with that one.

Great idea with the hamster situation. Neilmac has been so kind, she directed me to find out about rodents travelling. Gov.UK said rodents are OK to travel as long as they are with their owners.

Many thanks for all your valuable advice Tom1, I truly appreciate it!

Lena

Thank you Mickscuba,

I am a British born Chinese, so I hold a British passport.

Regarding working in France and Spain. Probably most likely to be in Spain. I cannot speak French. Also, the weather is sunnier in Spain. Win win!

Many thanks,

Lena