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Plan summer camper trip

It's recommended to start planning your summer camper trip now

A pandemic is changing the habits of travelers: instead of traveling by plane, train or car, more and more people choose to go on holiday in a camper. Experienced travelers and camper rental experts say that people want freedom, space and avoid unnecessary contact with other holidaymakers when traveling.

Jorūnė Neringa Cijūnėlytė, one of the founders of the Camper Club, which has been operating for almost 10 years, says that camping gives a person more freedom than traveling by plane and staying in hotels. When traveling in such a vehicle, holidaymakers can enjoy all the hotel's amenities - shower, toilet, kitchen, comfortable bed, as well as gas heating, and thus the abundance of places visited during the trip. For those in a hurry to load things and fly on a trip, campers are advised to take a closer look at this way of traveling.

Freedom is the biggest plus of a camper

Traveler J. N. Cijūnėlytė states that the biggest plus when traveling by camper is freedom. “When you travel by camper, you are mobile and can see a lot of things. It's convenient - you don't have to bother with suitcases, you can take a lot of things with you, you don't have to worry about hotel reservations, and when you are bored you can travel from one place to another - no one obliges you to stay where you don't want to. If the weather in one country gets worse without publicity, you sit in a camper and in a couple of days you are where it is warm. ”- an experienced traveler shares his impressions.

Most European countries are ready to accept campers, so holidaymakers can enjoy great, specially prepared stops: “In Croatia, for example, campsites are just amazing. As soon as I get out of the camper I can reach the sea, enjoy the most beautiful places, rest among the flowers, palm trees, set up a table, have breakfast there, enjoy nature. Germany is also perfectly tidy, there are countless sites for campers to stop, fill up, pour dirty water for a minimal fee. There are places where you can walk in the mountains, visit cities, because there are many free parking lots with service, ”says J. N. Cijūnėlytė.

A pocket-friendly way to travel

An experienced traveler is advised to use websites that are specifically designed for camper travelers and help you find the best value for money. “There are websites that are very well-suited for camper travelers. You can find not only European countries, but also countries from all over the world, their maps with coordinates, places to stand and how much it costs. People share descriptions, photos. ”- advises the traveler.

J. N. Cijūnėlytė states that when traveling by camper, you can save money for food, but without homework you may have to spend time in campsites: “I make my own food in the campsite, I buy the best products, fresh fish and vegetables. In this way, you can eat your own food, not go to restaurants, ”says the traveler. According to J. N. Cijūnėlytė, it would be best to rent a camper if you want to try a camper trip, because not everyone can buy a camper.

Trips with campers need to be planned now

Those who do not have their own camper and are planning to rent it for a future trip should start thinking about it in advance. Marius Balandis, the head of the camping company Kertušas, says that those who want to travel by camper this summer need to think about renting now: “When preparing to travel in the summer season, it is best to start thinking about it a good half a year ago, If you plan to travel in the fall or winter, you really don't need to apply so early. "

When going on a holiday with a camper, be sure to evaluate its size, take into account how many people will go on the trip. "First of all, you need to know how many people will travel and choose a camper accordingly. Often people make the mistake of thinking that a seven-seater camper is bigger than a four-seater or a five-seater. This is completely untrue, because four- or five-seater campers are similar in size compared to seven-seater campers, only their internal layout is different, ”says M. Balandis.

Mr. Balandis emphasizes that when preparing for a trip, it is important to think about the route and consider very carefully how long it is planned to travel. “You need to plan your route carefully because most people think that this way of traveling is the same as traveling by car. Often people decide to drive 100 km per hour and drive 1000 km per day. You won’t see anything and really rest during this trip. My most important advice is to plan your travel route wisely, calculate and understand that if you want to see something and relax, you need to drive no more than 500 km a day, ”advises the head of Kertušas. It is important to find ways to save empty driving hours - for example, to reach Germany or Scandinavia from Lithuania is especially convenient by ferries, which help to cover hundreds of kilometers during the night.

The ferry is a way to save time

Experienced traveler Jorūnė Neringa Cijūnėlytė states that it is especially convenient to take a ferry with a camper: “We live in Palanga, so if we decide to go to Germany not by ferry, we should travel not only through Lithuania, but also all over Poland. My husband and I immediately go to the port in Klaipeda and move by ferry to Kiel. Germany has very good roads, in one day you can cross the whole country without any problems and reach France. You save two days on a camper ride. ”

The traveler reassures those who think that it is difficult to travel by ferry and buy tickets: "It is very easy to buy tickets online, when buying a ticket we indicated that we are traveling with a puppy, the whole purchase process is very simple," says J. Cijūnėlytė. She also adds that the ferry ride does not take long: “It is very fun to sail on a good ferry. In good weather you can sunbathe on the deck, look around, breathe in the fresh air, do not worry about the camper - it stands in the hold. The ferry offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and a TV, ”says the traveler.

Ferry travel is becoming more popular

Vaidas Klumbys, DFDS's Head of Public Relations and Communications for the Baltic States, says that travelers' interest in ferries is growing. "A study by DFDS shows that travelers' habits changed during the pandemic - as much as 48 percent. respondents will choose to travel by ferry in the future. This is due to the desire of travelers to limit contact with other passengers, to spend less time in closed common areas. Ferries are ideal for this - here you can go out on the deck during the trip, avoid gatherings of people while staying in a private cabin, and then continue the trip in an individual vehicle - car, motorcycle or camper. This advantage of ferries compared to a plane or bus is seen by 12 percent. more travelers than before the pandemic, ”says V. Klumbys.

The DFDS Communication Manager adds that the DFDS route Klaipeda - Kiel is frequented by a number of campers, as there are especially many places for campers in Northern Germany. "Germany is a country of campers, famous for its excellent campsites. It is easier to reach the rest of Europe from Germany, which has good roads, ”says V. Klumbys.

DFDS until February 28. carries out a campaign of advance offers: it is possible to buy tickets with 30%. discount on family tickets and camper trips. If you plan to travel with a pet, a 50 percent discount will be applied to the pet ticket. discount. By purchasing advance tickets, DFDS guarantees that the travel date can be changed once free of charge if the plans change.

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