Dear Fellow Motorhomer,
November and with winter approaching it can be a quiet time for travel; however, at GB Motorhome Tours travel continues. With the Wonderful Christmastime and Scottish Hogmanay tours still to take place before the end of this year. Also, those on the Cyprus and More 2023 tour are still away as they make their return to the UK, crossing Europe having now left Cyprus. This tour is a real adventure, covering 6,000 miles UK to UK, passing through 10 countries whilst touring the Black Sea coast of Turkey and the whole of Cyprus.
Camping Aphrodite, Southern Cyprus 23/10/2023
Cyprus is a divided Island, separated in 1974 between North and South where it has only more recently become possible to cross between the two sides, particularly so with your own vehicle. With the organisation of GB Motorhome Tours, tour participants were able to take their motorhomes across the ‘Green Line’ freely and without many formalities, meaning both sides of this fascinating island could be explored, and all in great weather. Being the Mediterranean’s eastern most island it enjoys a summer climate extending into late autumn. Some reviews from this years tour
‘The Cyprus and More tour was truly an adventure and we enjoyed every day of it, seeing much more of both Turkey and Cyprus than we could possibly imagine. Kevin and Nurcan were excellent guides who went out of their way to make the tour an enjoyable experience, even organising an optional trip to Istanbul. We would recommend the tour to anyone who wants to truly learn about the sites, life and customs in both Turkey and Cyprus.’ Howard and Margot Smith
‘A mixture of cultures, history and adventures on this tour. Taking your motorhome to places you never imagined you would go. Very much a driving adventure with beaches, forests and mountains thrown in. It’s definitely a tour to tick off your bucket list.’ Kim and Allan McKelvie
‘What an incredible adventure, surpassed all expectations. Not for the faint hearted but Kevin and Nurcan led us on a trip of a lifetime; travelling to places not many motorhomes go. We loved it.’ Carolyn and Nick Griffiths
‘Our second adventure with Kevin and Nurcan that took us out of our motorhoming comfort zone. We would not have ventured into Turkey or Cyprus without the support & guidance of GB Motorhome Tours. Highly recommended.’ Mike and Sheila Brooks
‘Once again Kevin and Nurcan have gone out of their way to look after us. They gave 100% all the time and never seem to be off duty. This tour is not for everyone, but if you want to see the non-tourist side of Turkey and Cyprus it’s not to be missed. Many thanks.’ Howard and Yvonne Hogton
The Cyprus and More tour is being planned again for 2025, if you would like to express an interest in this tour, send us an email and this will be done for you. The tour itinerary will then be emailed to you in advance of it being made generally available, giving you first opportunity of requesting a tour place if you so wish at that time.
For next year there is a new tour that is yet to be made available, this is the French Atlantic Coast 2024 tour, which will take place throughout September. The tour will travel along the Atlantic Coast of France and includes a 2-night stay at the wonderful Puy du Fou, where we have just secured tickets for the magical Saturday night Cinescenie performance. The full tour itinerary will shortly be emailed to those with pre-registered interest, followed with being placed onto the GB Motorhome Tours website towards the end of this month.
November is a time when many people make plans for travel in the forthcoming year. It is worth remembering when travelling in the EU that post Brexit, British citizens can no longer be in the EU for more than 90 days out of 180. This rule can take some understanding, as it is assessed over an ongoing rolling 180 day period. In the simplest of definitions, it means British citizens can spend within the EU, up to any 90 days out of the previous 180 days. These days do not need to be consecutive and can be accumulated over any number of trips. For the purpose of the rule, reference to the EU refers to those countries who are members of the Schengen visa scheme, which are most EU member countries plus a few others of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. However, there are a few EU countries who are not currently in the Schengen visa scheme, namely; Ireland, Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria, so time in these countries does not count towards the 90 days. Also, time in non-EU countries like Turkey and Morocco is not included. Further details on the scheme can be found on the EU’s official website.
For calculating the 90 days you go back 180 days from the time you wish to check your entitlement for being in a Schengen country and add up all the days you have already spent within Schengen countries within that period. If this is less than 90 days you are fine to be there for that day. To assist with making the check there are a number of apps/calculators available on the internet. Our recommendation for accuracy is to use the one contained on the official EU website, this is found at Short-stay Visa Calculator (europa.eu). If you are looking to join a tour and would like us to also make a check for you, then feel free to contact us and we’ll happily assist with this.
We have been asked if there is a way around the rule, so more than 90 days out of 180 can be spent in the EU. The simple answer is not really. Maybe over time the situation will change, but for now it is best for British Citizens to stick within the permitted time, so as to not face a fine and possible restrictions for re-entering a Schengen country. For most people it will not be a problem as they will not get close to the permitted time, but do be aware and check yours if you are spending longer periods out of the UK.
If there is anything you wish to ask about our tours, or motorhome travel in general, feel free to contact us; we are always happy to assist.
Kindest regards,
Your GB Motorhome Tours Team
Tel. 0044 7481 479 057
Info@gbmotorhometours.com
www.GBMotorhomeTours.com
Dear Fellow Motorhomer,
October and four tours have recently come to an end with one still away. The 2023 Croatian Highlights tour, the Rhine in Flames tour, the Swiss Magic tour and the Romantic Strasse tour have all been completed over the last month. The weather throughout all was very favourable, allowing for lots of outdoor time. One customer review from each tour follows, with further reviews on the GB Motorhome Tours reviews page.
‘This was our first GB Motorhome Tour and we thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip. Some lovely sites, meals and good facilities to make the tour a pleasure. Excellent tour leaders, Ron & Sue ensured our group was well looked after. Roll on our next.’ Penny & Trevor Pinder – Croatian Highlights – Aug/Sept 2023
‘Excellent tour with brilliant lively hosts, Jenny and Brian. Lots to do, shame it wasn’t longer!’ Selwyn and Joan Green – Rhine in Flames – Sept 2023
‘A very enjoyable and well organised tour led by Sue and Dave. The tour included many excellent trips that had been well researched and enabled us to explore the beautiful and fascinating country of Switzerland.’ Rosemary and Alister Watt – Swiss Magic – Sept 2023
‘Favourite place on the whole trip was Fussen, Neuschwanstein Castle and the surrounding area, well worth staying. Our fellow travellers were all friendly and fun. Hopefully we’ll all meet up again on another GB tour. Thank you.’ Bill and Gell Knight – Romantic Strasse – Sept 2023
The tour that remains away is the Cyprus and More tour, where the group arrived in Northern Cyprus last week. On route to reaching Cyprus, the tour has travelled across Europe; through Greece and along the Black Sea coast of Turkey, before crossing the central Anatolian plain. During this time, stops were made in the important Ottoman city of Amasya, in the heart of the Hittite empire of Hattusa and at the geographical wonderland of Cappadocia. With no campsites in or around Amasya, in conjunction with the local tourist ministry, the group were granted permission to park outside one of the museums in a very central spot, perfectly positioned for easy access to all the major sites of the city.
Amasya, Turkey – 03/10/2023 Cyprus and More 2023 tour
Being around 3,000 miles from the UK, the weather in Cyprus at this time of year is wonderful for touring, with daytime temperatures of high 20’s combined with plenty of sunshine for swimming, sightseeing and relaxing, whilst night time is a little below 20, ideal for sleeping in a motorhome.
Camping in the Karpas National Park, Northern Cyprus 14/10/2023
This week the Cyprus and More tour crossed the ‘Green Line’ which divides the island, as they moved from the Islands north to its south side. Crossing the ‘Green Line’ with vehicles has only been possible in more recent times, and for crossing with a foreign registered vehicle this has only become possible more recently. An interesting feature of travelling in Cyprus is that all the driving is on the left, this being a throwback from the British involvement with the island over a very long period.
For a closer to home tour in December this year, a cancellation place has just become available on the Wonderful Christmastime tour. This is an 8-night tour, taking in Paris and Epernay. In Paris a night at the Moulin Rouge is included and in Epernay an evening at the Champagne festival. For the full tour itinerary click on the link above; if you would like to join the tour, send us an email and we will reserve the one available place to the first received request.
A new tour for 2024 has just been released onto the GB Motorhome Tours website. This is Southern Norway in June next year. Be there for the long light nights and see a land of scenic and cultural wonders with so much to experience and enjoy. This tour will take you to the cities of Oslo and Bergen, to the pristine landscapes of Norway’s dramatic coastline and takes in many beautiful scenic drives en-route. Get ready to be captivated by all the wonderful views and Fjords that make Norway such an attractive destination. The full tour itinerary is available by clicking on the tour name above and bookings can be made on the GB Motorhome Tours website.
On many of our tours we are beginning to now see motorhomes fitted with Lithium batteries to power their habitational area. These batteries offer some real advantages over traditional lead acid batteries, in that they provide far superior capacity for the same physical size and at around half the weight. They also offer a longer life span compared to lead acid batteries and can charge much faster. With costs of Lithium batteries coming down, they are becoming an attractive option for more people. However, we are also seeing instances where Lithium batteries have simply been dropped into motorhomes in place of an original lead acid battery. In many cases this gives some problems, with the charging structure for Lithium being different to lead acid, and in the fact that they can draw much larger charging currents. When switching from lead acid to Lithium batteries, some changes to the charging and wiring arrangements is usually required, to make things work correctly. When taking advantage of the benefits Lithium batteries provide, it is worth seeking professional advice from a company that specialise in this relatively new technology of powering a motorhome. One company that can assist is Offgrid Power Solutions. They are based near Oxford and can provide you with advice, all the suitable products for switching to Lithium and offer a full fitting service if required.
Despite winter approaching, do keep enjoying your motorhoming. Feel free to contact us at any stage with anything you wish to ask. GB Motorhome Tours is open 12 months of the year, with tours operating all year round.
Kindest regards,
Your GB Motorhome Tours Team
Tel. 0044 7481 479 057
Info@gbmotorhometours.com
www.GBMotorhomeTours.com
0044 7481 479 057
‘Our first tour with GB Motorhome Tours but certainly not our last, a fabulous experience. We have seen so many of the wonderful sights of Poland, dined like royalty and enjoyed good company. Thank you Ron & Sue for a well organised tour and your guidance’ Ruth & David Hornsby – Poland – June 2024
‘Our first tour with GB Motorhome Tours and it’s been amazing. We enjoyed the whole experience with like minded people. Kevin and Nurcan were excellent, making sure we were all well looked after. The itinerary was interesting and varied. Thank you GB, see you again.’ Chris and Barbara Norris – Austrian Alps – June/July 2024
‘This was our first adventure with GB Motorhome Tours and it did not disappoint. Our Tour Directors Jen and Brian were absolutely superb. Best wishes.’ Carol Fraser and Sheila Burn – Rhine in Flames – June/July 2024
‘The tour more than fulfilled our expectations, a very friendly group well gelled together. Outstanding scenery, excellent choices of meal venues, excursions and itinerary; a very well planned tour. Some not so easy driving but excellent rewards and views. Location of some sites was exceptional, memories to treasure. Thank you.’ Kay and John Lane – Southern Norway – June 2024
