Camperfans
Scandinavia and the Austrian Alps, require the use of winter tyres and/or snow chains, even for those just passing through. If you’re unsure how to check what tyres are mounted, look out for the letters “M+S” or the image of a snowflake within a mountain peak on the tyre walls.
If you are intending to drive through mountain ranges, use snow chains any time from November through to April.
Before departing, it’s important to know how to fit them correctly. You can swot up on this via the Indie Campers blog.
The hire company will supply snow chains, as well as all other safety equipment that is legally required in the country where you are starting your van rental, at no extra charge.
Campervan kitchen with stove and sink
If the weather is not playing ball and there’s no option but to stay inside, there are lots of ways to have fun right there in your van.
A campervan provides the cosy feel of home with the added charm of snug quarters. After a long day out in the fresh air, snuggle up with pillows and blankets on the back seats and enjoy a movie marathon or box-set binge. The best way to enjoy a movie is on the big screen, so invest in a portable projector. Many can be connected to a laptop, mobile device or streaming stick.
Portable canvases in various sizes are cheap to buy, but white sheets offer a suitable alternative.
If the sound of a laptop is not enough, Bluetooth speakers can provide something closer to a cinema feel.
Add some hot chocolate, popcorn, and fairy lights and you have the perfect setting for a magical evening.
Ditch the screens and deal out the cards. Whether it’s a standard deck for a few rounds of whist or family favourites Uno and Dobble, a pack of cards takes up very little space but can provide hours of entertainment. Look out for other smallsized games such as dominoes, Pass the Pigs or mini Jenga.
If it’s solitude you’re after on your trip, escape the outside world for a while by getting lost in the pages of a book.
Hire a van from a company that includes round-the-clock roadside assistance wherever you are travelling, and ensure you have the relevant phone numbers to call for breakdown and recovery.
Insurance is a travel essential. You may already be covered for medical needs and personal property but the van needs the same protection.
Indie Campers includes a basic insurance package for all campervan rentals, including cover for accidents caused by a third party.
There is also a premium package available with more extensive coverage. Drivers should purchase the appropriate insurance package based on their anticipated use of the vehicle.
Enjoy a sense of freedom A motorhome emergency kit should include tools, lights and other repair equipment. You can customise yours based on where you’re travelling, but the essential things to have in every kit are: jump-start cables, tyre repair kit, spare tyre in case full replacement is required, multi-tool or Swiss Army knife, bungee cords, whistle, flares and first-aid kit.
In addition, consider packing other useful items such as a fuel jerry-can, power bank, hi-vis vest and torch. Indie Campers supplies a car jack and an emergency triangle. Be aware that some countries, including France, require all vehicles to carry emergency kits which include hi-vis vests for use in a breakdown.
All that’s left to do now is book the van.
Indie Campers has its own fleet of vehicles available for pick-ups at centres in London, Manchester and Edinburgh, as well as dozens of cities across Europe.
Or head further afield to rent a van from its newest centre in Los Angeles. indiecampers.co.uk
US brand Graduate Hotels, which has properties in college town locations, has debuted its first European outpost in Cambridge on the banks of the River Cam.
The quirky lobby is filled with nods to the university city, from the punts lining the walls to the huge installation suspended in front of the reception desk representing the double helix DNA structure discovered by scientist Rosalind Franklin.
The retro theme is carried through to our room, one of 148, with a green velvet upholstered armchair, wood and leather desk bureau and flamboyant tapestry headboard. The bathroom sports a rural-scene patterned wallpaper and a mirror in the shape of a university crest. Many of the rooms overlook the river and the view from ours stretched to the Mathematical
Bridge.
ON THE MENU:
Chef Adam Wood has brought his skills from London’s award-winning Perilla restaurant to the open grill of the Garden House. His passion for local and British produce shone through in the eclectic seasonal dinner menu, kicking off with an amuse-bouche of moreish coffee and seaweed-flavoured crisps.
Dishes are served tapas style. So the starters of grilled sweetcorn with honey (from the hotel’s beehives) and fennel butter, £7, and Cornish bass, cauliflower and brown butter, £17, arrived at the same time as our mains. Our mains were grilled Norfolk quail with girolles and redcurrants, and local Flourish Farm’s onion with Berkswell cheese tart, £22.
The signature dessert, a slice of Cambridge burnt cream tart, £8, and the surprising salted caramel flavoured mushroom ice cream, £4, delivered a sweet finale.
The Garden House was also where the breakfast was served, offering a continental selection of pastries, fruit, cheese, yogurts, cereals and home-baked breads, £12, as well as hot dishes including a vegetarian full English of Glamorgan sausage, portobello mushroom, spinach, tomato, egg and baked beans, £14.
After a day in the fresh air, snuggle up for a movie marathon or box-set binge
WHILE YOU’RE THERE:
Take a punt along the river by joining a tour with Scudamore’s on the hotel’s doorstep. Explore the breathtakingly stunning King’s College Chapel, £10, shop.kings.cam.ac.uk.
It’s only a short stroll to the city with its teashops and historic open-air market.
WAKE-UP CALL: