Innocence abroad

Shortly after my luggage catapulted down the stairway in a European train station, taking me with it, my first thought was: We're spoiled. For the first time in years, in the eight weeks we were in Europe, we traveled the way millions of other benighted and bedeviled souls do when they're on holiday-without the expedience and comfort of an RV.

Our trip was a spur-ofthe-moment decision, triggered by friends who wanted to switch houses with us for a couple of months-a happy idea that worked well. But deprived of our rig, we discovered that, as longtime RVers, we were as innocent as babes about all other facets of travel.

"Coddled" and "pampered" are a couple of additional adjectives that frequendy came to mind during those two months, as we struggled with hotel reservations, car rentals, tips and timetables-along with a dozen other daily irritants. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but it's true: RVers are spoiled, pampered and coddled. Hungry? Just open a cupboard. Thirsty? Cold drinks are in the refrigerator. Tired from a day of travel? A familiar bed is waiting.

Home again now (with pockets empty), we're more convinced than ever that RV camping offers the best vacation value any one can buy. A recent study by PKF Consulting, an international consulting firm with expertise in travel and tourism, reached the same conclusion. According to their figures, an RV vacation costs 50 percent less than driving and staying in hotels, 60 percent less than traveling by bus or train and 65 percent less than flying and renting a house or condo.

For a personal testimonial to the accuracy of this, let me tell you a bit about our experience-comparing not only cost, but-perhaps more importantly-convenience and creature comforts.

The hassle began long before we left. We found that prices varied widely from one airline to another, and even the same carrier quoted vastly different rates. You probably know the routine: If you're willing to depart at 3 a.m. on a Thursday, if you have green eyes, wear size 10 shoes, have a mother whose maiden name was Jones and you promise not to return until five weeks from next Friday, you can get a cheap ticket. Otherwise, you're stuck with full price-far more than we'd anticipated.

Complicating matters, we had to mesh several connecting flights within Europe-as well as deal with conflicting train schedules for two different railroads. Like the airlines, European trains offer cut-rate tickets, useful only if you're able to compress your schedule to meet an involved set of rules. Throw in a car rental somewhere down the line and, as they say, it was like trying to nail Jello to the wall.

What a difference from planning an RV trip. Given a few hours to check maps and buy a little food, we can be on our way to just about anywhere. Best part: Except for the rare ferry crossing, we've never been dependent on any pre-set timetable.

Then there's packing. Here's where RVers are really spoiled. Think you might need that sweater if the weather turns cold? Just take it along. Can't decide which pair of shoes would be best? Pack both pair. Need a smart dress for dining out and "grubbies" for hiking in the rain? Never a problem. You can have it all.

But when every ounce is on your own back (although our luggage had wheels, we often had to lift and carry), you think twice about what to pack. You also make mistakes, as we did. Not once, in airports or train stations, did we find a porter Yet even as we cursed the weight of our luggage, we wished for-and needed-certain items left at home.

Time heals all wounds. Mercifully, I'd long ago forgotten the joys involved in an overseas flight-packed like sardines in an airborne can. Attempting to sleep (pretzel-wise) on our flight to Europe, I remember finally giving up, walking the darkened aisles (stumbling over feet and discarded dinnerware that had missed the cart) and longing for the comfortable bed in our RV after a day of travel.

Although some of our expenses were cut because we were trading homes with another couple, we had to rely on hotels any time we traveled beyond reach of "home." Familiar with campground charges of $15 to $20, we found ourselves swallowing hard when we were hit with as much as $150 a night for a midlevel hotel. (Better hotels in most cities ran from $250 to $500.) We found many so noisy that ear plugs were essential if we wanted to get any sleep. Ah, for the quiet of a campground, where after 10 o'clock you hear only the somnolent croak of frogs or the sounds of night birds.

Taxi fares to and from airports and train stations-none less than $30 for a one-way ride-also added up. We're both good walkers, so we used up a lot of shoe leather for sightseeing. But if we'd taken cabs to all the tourist attractions, I'm convinced we could have run up several hundred dollars more on fares.

Now we come to a delicate subject: the availability of what is politely known as a WC, or water closet. No expense involved here, but at some of life's most trying moments, money hardly counts. To make the point, I'll describe a particular Saturday afternoon in the lovely city of Seville. It was hot. Sizzling hot. So every time we walked by a soft-drink stand, we guzzled-with the obvious result.

With our interest escalating (to the point of frantic), we visited one restroom after another only to find doors bolted shut. In this otherwise sane city, we later learned, public restrooms are closed on Saturdays. As spoiled RVers, we found that restrooms were everywhere few and far between.

Eating out three times a day does nothing for the pocketbook (or the figure), ei-. ther. We saved money by doing our own cooking whenever we were in our borrowed home. But, of course, the rest of the time we were dependent on restaurants and high-fat food, which meant mucho cost as well as mucho calories.

Our credit card charges haven't started rolling in yet. But when they do, I think we're in for a major shock. The PKF study indicates that our European trip will cost us five times more than our usual RV holidays.

Neighbors of ours, who yearly opt for a "bargain" package vacation, have often chided us about our extravagance in owning an RV But the PKF study shows that their package vacations are seven times more expensive than an RV trip for the same period of time. This is like burning money: When you get home, you have nothing left to show for all you've spent.

Now, more than ever, we appreciate our RV as a lasting investment-one with resale value that will continue to give us many years of low-cost pleasure. Europe was impressive with its monuments and cathedrals. But our next vacation? No doubt about it, you'll find us out there on the road. TL

Copyright T L Enterprises, Inc. Aug 1998
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