Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas, and a happy new year! These are words you will hear countless times in the following week, actually, you have been hearing them for about a month now. Almost everyone is getting ready for a special Christmas celebration and a New Year’s Eve party. However, where do you go and what do you do if you are an avid motorhome camper and your idea of a family celebration involves other motorhomers and other campers, and a campsite? What if you feel most romantic and celebratory when in your home on wheels?
Here are a few ideas where to go to feel at home:
- Europe
For all of us Eurocentric campers out there, we know that Christmas and New Year are necessarily connected with cold and gloomy days that are to be spent inside. Or are they? Many campsites around Europe do offer New Year’s Eve parties, often in connection with a local camping and caravanning club or association, didn’t you know? If you are taking a motorhome trip to any European destination, from the United Kingdom to Slovenia and Croatia, you have to look at the camping and caravanning clubs’ websites to see where they will be partying.
Christmas and New Year’s Eve events are really something special in European campsites. Since it is the colder part of the year, it is advisable to camp with a motorhome, not so much with a tent. The motorhomes must have functioning heaters and the showers must have hot water, of course. Other than that, it is partying and celebrations all around. The campsite is full of different aromas from the prepared Christmas or New Year’s meals, there are decorations and Christmas lights everywhere, most of the motorhomes will even sport a small Christmas tree on the roof or tied to the wing mirror. If the event is being organized, then there is usually a big bonfire for all the members of the motorhome family to gather and talk, share stories and sing songs. Just like for the rest of the folks, it is a night to remember, albeit a bit cold.
European motorhome travelers are like a big family, always socializing and sharing the odd beer, therefore such new years’ jamborees are very popular. Therefore, it’s advisable to book your spot by the fire well in advance. New Year camping celebration spots in the UK are almost completely full, so are they in Slovenia, France, Italy and elsewhere. But do not despair, look and you will find. Several campsites will organize parties of their own, unconnected to camping and caravanning clubs.
2. Southern Asia
Apart from a few countries, Asians are not known as exactly camping folk. However, for the nature-loving Westerners, there are always some campsites or camping organizations that will organize new year celebration camping events. Many of them take place in India, most notably in the southern part, where nature camping events take place with rafting, paragliding and other outdoor activities. Since it is quite warm despite the time of the year, campers will sleep in tents and spend much time outdoors. Sri Lanka also offers many camping parties, so does Taiwan and Bali, but they are more at the high end of the price scale.
3. Australia and New Zealand
Australia is the land down under, and so is New Zealand. So if you connect new year and Christmas with cold weather and short days, then you might want to go and celebrate in Australia or New Zealand. In both these countries ‘camping and caravanning’ is very well developed, so there are many camping events in both of these lands to celebrate Christmas and new year.
Australia is warmer than New Zealand, especially places like Adelaide or Alice Springs. Many New Year’s Eve events will be going on all around both the countries. There are many music festivals running for three days in a row where attendees are supposed to come packing a tent to sleep in and lots of good vibes to get the party going. However, it is advisable to bring some sort of internal campsite navigation system; even bread crumbs or pebbles will do; because of the limitless rivers of alcohol that will be flowing. One might get lost in there! But if you’re not so much of a wild party goer, then you can pick one of the quieter campsites and just enjoy the stars from your cabin or tent with your loved ones beside you. Camping is still the best way to spend New Year’s Eve in Australia and New Zealand, they say.
4. USA
The USA are also located in the Northern Hemisphere, so camping in the middle of the winter might just not be the best idea one has ever had. Or might it? As it turns out, there is a lively camping scene out there, with lots going on, especially in the southern, warmer or less cold states. The obvious choice here would be California and Florida, even though there are campsites all over the country which are open on December 31 and January 1 and will be hosting events, from music festivals, religious get-togethers, nature parks, or just simply an ordinary new year’s celebration beneath the start besides a campfire.
5. Latin America
Last but not least, how will our brothers and sisters under the stars be celebrating Near Year’s Eve in Latin America? You would be surprised! There are lots of events in Baja California, Mexico, Chile, Argentina etc. Since these countries range from the tropical to almost polar, it is understandable that the nature of the events is also quite different. In some places like the Patagonian highlands, there will be more campfire and less bikinis, but quite the opposite in Mexico or Brazil.
So, dear campers and motorhomers, wherever you are, wherever the road might take you — have yourselves a merry little Christmas and a happy New Year and hope to meet you in one of the many campsites next year!
What do you think, what will the main camping and caravanning trends be in the new year? Please consider giving us a clap and do write your opinion in the comments section below.
