GoExplore Motorhome Hire are on the move.

gomin — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:20:21 +0000

We have just signed a deal for a new forecourt, still in Llandudno Junction, and still located just off the A55.
Other plus points.

Onsite office.
Custom handover area.
Customer friendly.
5 minute walk from mainline station.
2 minute walk to Asda mini mart.
5 minute walk to Tesco supermarket and fuel station.
We will be open daily for viewing.
Motorhomes sales area with part exchange and finance available.
Parts and accessories (mail order at first).
Small provisions shop.
Servicing and minor repairs available.
Motorhome caravan and boat storage facility.
Motorhome and caravan valeting area.
Motorhome fill up and empty facility.

GoExplore senior team member Nigel told us, “We are really excited for the new facility, which will be a ‘running progress’ for a short while, but long term will bring a better service to hirers and motorhomers in general”

North Wales is waiting for you.

gomin — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:37:10 +0000

Whatever your holiday requirements, North Wales has it all, and the best way to see it is by Motorhome.
Travelling into Wales you will see constant reminders of our beautiful dramatic coastline, and our majestic mountain ranges -all totally excessable.
We have Castles, Botanic Gardens, Stateley Homes along with R.S.P.B bird sanctuaries.
Along with the beaches, we aslo have the Conwy Valley with the river Conwy flowing from the mountains of Snowdonia to the sea at Conwy.
Outdoor pursuits are not shyed away from in North Wales, far from it, activities include walking, climbing, watersports, motorsports and mountain bike trails, all within 1 hour of our base here near Conwy.

Whether you participate in an activity, or just come along to watch, then a motorhome is an ideal form of accomadation.
In a motorhome you can travel from place to place without having to turn around and head back, you can just keep going. If you like somewhere and wish to stop, you can, if you don’t then just move on.
All motorhomes are self contained, so, when you see a parking space next to a lake, just pull over, get the kettle on, and relax for a while.

North Wales is beautiful whatever the season, thats why, GoExplore Motorhomes are fully winterised, this means that they can withstand the extreme temperatures throughout the year.
There are events on throughout the year too, we have the Famous Conwy Food festival, this takes place around October time, last year we also saw the World Rally Championship visit the area which was a huge boost to the economy, one of our motorhomes was hired by one of the teams from the Netherlands.
Last Christmas saw various Christmas Markets take place, a new one was at Betws-Y-Coed along with an Ice Rink too.

As you will see, we have everything under ‘one roof’.
So why not come and see us, everyone is welcome!

Golf news.

gomin — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:48:14 +0000

Ryder Cup Scotland 2014

Firstly, the dates for the Ryder Cup 2014 have been released and are the 26th til the 28th September 2014, why not make a week of it and tour around the beautiful Scottish countryside.
Motorhomes of all sizes are available from GoExplore Motorhome Hire for the event, minimum 7 night hire in September for this event would be £725 (2012 prices)

James Braid Golfing Tours, North Wales.

On reading the North Wales Pioneer, there is great news for golfers as Golf-NorthWales have put together a trail of the 10 North Wales Golf Courses designed by James Braid, winner of five open championships between 1901 and 1910. The 10 courses stretch from Wrexham in the North East of North Wales to the most Southerly course in the beautiful Aberdovey.
If you wish to follow the trail on a golfing tour of North Wales, then the ideal accomadation and transport would be a motorhome. GoExplore can hire you motorhomes of various sizes from as little as £525 for 7 nights. Midweek rates are also available from Mon-Fri from £350.

Gourmet tourism set for Wales?

gomin — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:54:39 +0000

GoExplore motorhome would welcome a Gourmet Route through Wales

Food culture will help to sell Wales to tourists
Establishing Wales as a beacon for food lovers will help sell the country to tourists, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Alun Davies told a group of representatives from the food and tourism industries.
Monday 12 March 2012

Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Alun Davies launches the Mid Wales Local Food Directory with members of Mid Wales Local Food Talks.
The Deputy Minister was addressing a Food Tourism Workshop in Machynlleth organised by Mid Wales Local Food Talks, a joint initiative between the Welsh Government and the Tourism Partnership Mid Wales. The purpose of the day was to provide opportunities to share best practice and experiences and to identify future opportunities to promote food tourism.

The Deputy Minister told the delegates:

“Food touches everything that’s important to people: it marks social difference and strengthens social bonds. Food culture takes in the social, symbolic, and economic role of food.

“A strengthened Welsh food culture, leading to a steady demand for quality food is one of the most important attractions of the visitor offer in Wales. When one thinks of a holiday in France or Italy, the promise of great food is a huge attraction. I want tourists, from the UK and beyond, to think of Wales in the same way.

“Food and tourism are inextricably linked. For many tourists, sampling food and drink is one of the main reasons to visit new locations. Local food and national dishes are also an important manifestation of a nation’s culture and identity. Good food attracts tourists and encourages them to return. Tourists in turn, provide a very important market for food producers and the hospitality industry.

“My role allows me to travel around the country visiting producers and tasting their products. The more I see, the more convinced I am of the wonderful quality and flavour of Welsh food. We are producing excellent food and drink and can boast some wonderful restaurants. We need to make sure that the rest of the World knows this to boost the number of tourists visiting Wales.”

Recent research has shown that over half of producers in Wales sell directly to the food service and catering sector and that the most significant markets for Welsh food producers are identified as tourism and catering. Restaurants such as Ffresh at the Millennium Centre, Cardiff promote the ethos of local sourcing with a menu that has an emphasis on the local and seasonal, with 80% of their products sourced from within Wales.

The Food and Drink supply chain employs approximately 230,000 people in Wales or 18% of the total Welsh workforce, making it the largest combined industry in Wales; while in 2010 over 9.6 million overnight visitors came to Wales spending nearly £1.8 billion.

The Deputy Minister added:

“It says a lot about Welsh cuisine, once so derided, that emphasis on locally sourced produce is now king. Both food and tourism are big business in Wales so it follows that improving the output of these industries will be a big boost for the Welsh economy as a whole . Ensuring the two sectors work together to improve the overall visitor experience that Wales can offer as a Food Tourism destination is essential to ensuring the ongoing success of both industries.”

While at the event the Deputy Minister also launched the latest version of the Mid Wales Local Food Directory. Produced by Wales Local Food Talks , the directory highlights food and drink producers, food festivals, farm shop outlets and farmers’ markets across the region.

Roger Hughes, chair of Wales Local Food Talks said:

“We are extremely glad the Deputy Minister has joined us today to launch the latest version of the Mid Wales Food Directory, which highlights the region’s many producers. Mid Wales is fast gaining a reputation as a food destination and a great deal of experience has been built up by a range of organisations in the development and promotion of food tourism. Getting practitioners to specific events such as today allows us to share best practice and provide delegates with new ideas to drive and shape future food tourism activity.”

Brugge, Just 90 minutes from Calais.

gomin — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:07:05 +0000

One of our favourite ‘quick getaways’ is Brugge, in Belgium. Just 90 minutes from Calais Brugge is a tourist magnet with its fine architecture, maize of canals and fabulous eating places.
Belgium itself is a wonderful place, vastly underated, as alot of it is below sea level the canal systems and waterways, although built for drainage, add a lovely feel to the countryside.
With WW1 battlefields scattered around with the likes of Ypres, where at 8 o’clock everynight, they still salute the last post at the Menen Gate, this always attracts a large crowd.
Passchendaele is where the famous battle took place, and where today, you will find a large cemetry, where the bodies of thousands of allied soldiers are laid to rest.
Back to Brugge, there is a large motorhome stopover area, 5 minutes from the centre of Brugge, priced at 15 euros off season and 22 euros high season per night, includes electric and is very secure next to a marina.
Chocolate shops, lace and Mussels, all seem to be in abundance in Brugge, that along with boat trips along the canals and the romantic horse drawn carraiges that carry tourists through the network of narrow cobblestone streets.
Lunch time or evenings, there are numerous restaurants along the main square to wallow away a few hours tasting the fine food, having a coffee or just people watching.
We have found a lovely restaurant, on a quieter road, it seems to be where the locals go. Fantastic food cooked on the log fire in a corner of the resaurant, and a large wine list to choose from.
Brugge could quite easily be visited on a GoExplore motorhome hire 4 night midweek break with it being so close to Calais, however, we would recommend that you stay for a week to really see Brugge and Belgium at your leisure.
Midweek hire starts from £350, where a week is as little as £525.
The beauty of Brugge, is that you don’t have to have the fine weather of summer, we usually venture there off season, Autumn and Springtime, and I believe there are some fantastic Christmas Markets too.

Motorhome Taster Weekends

gomin — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:25:09 +0000

We have the pleasure to offer you a motorhome hire tester weekend.
Throughout March on selective weekends, you can try out a motorhome for the 3 nights from Friday through to Monday, with Sunday being your last night.
This, all for just £200, that is a saving of 33% on list price for March.
With limited availability and selective weekends only, do not miss your chance for this great offer.
Terms and conditions are available from the website with the addition of a mileage restriction of 50 miles total.
This would mean limiting your weekend to the Conwy and Snowdonia area.
For more information or to book your taster weekend now, call or email.

Tour of two battles, February 2012

gomin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:13:59 +0000

We set off on another trip last week, keen to take a look at the Meuse area of Northern France along with the Verdun in particular. We had seen the Meuse area advertised and it looked pretty and we had wanted to go to Verdun for a few years now.

Just four and a half hours from Calais is Verdun, once acclaimed as one of the most heavily defensive areas in Europe, it was here that we started our tour.

An underground Citadel was built in the 1800′s to defend the town, with it maze of underground tunnels, partly open now to the public. Visitors are driven around on automated cars, as the corridors open up to show you what the Citadel has been used for throughout its history.

We walked around the town of Verdun before heading into the nearby hills, where, during the 1st world war, huge battles took place. The road we drove along was the front line, all along the route, there were constant reminders of its chequered past. From defensive ‘pillboxes’ and underground fortresses, to wiped out towns, memorials and vast cemeteries.

After a few days visiting the various sights, we decided to head North, Belgium in Fact, to Waterloo and visit the Battle of Waterloo area. It was a few hours drive, just short of Waterloo itself stood the Lions Mound. This was built not long after the Battle, actually on the battlefields, it is a huge mound with a Broze statue place on the top, looking over the battlefields. There is a visitors centre where you gain entry to the mound and the 200 steps to the top. Inside there are two short films to watch, next to the mound there is a circular building, built in 1912 for the 100th year anniversary of the battle. Once inside, you will find a 360′ panoramic painted scene of the battle.

Across the road, in an old pub, there is a wax museum, with Napoleon along with The Duke Of Wellington.

We took a 6 berth motorhome for the week in February Half term. The motorhome from GoExplore motorhome hire would cost £525 to hire for the week for UK hire for 1 driver, add £75 for European Insurance.

The Lion Mound

Verdun

Good walks and fine food awaits you in the Peak District.

gomin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:47:38 +0000

Setting off on a Friday evening in late January for a 2 hour easy drive to the Peak District, namely Castleton. As we approached Castleton, and not having eaten yet, we called into the Travellers Rest Inn, Nr Brough.

This charming Inn with roaring log burner was quite the welcome. We promptly ordered our food, 2 steak and chips, we hadn’t hoped for much as the price was only £11.95. How suprised we were when the plates arrived with a huge sirloin, (cooked to perfection) chips, veg, homemade onion rings, whole cooked tomato and mushrooms.

Good food seemed to be the order of the day, or weekend, throughout our stay, whether it be lunchtime snacks or evening meals, like the Meal on Saturday night at the Castle in Castleton, really good food.

Castleton town was just half a mile pleasent, level walk from the Caravan Club site where we were staying in the motorhome.

Walking and outdoor activities are what people generally come to the Peak District for, and although there was snow on the ground, (see picture below) we donned our walking atire on Saturday and bravely set out again on a level 4 mile circular walk around the countryside……fresh air!

Sunday, the campsite which had been full, was awakening and avid campers were packing up camp and heading home.

We, on the other hand had other plans. We were heading for Bakewell, parking for motorhomes is by the Agriculture Auction car park, follow signs for the coach park. Again, in Bakewell we had a delightful lunch of Steak and Kidney pie was devoured, after we had browsed around the numerous outdoor clothing shops. A last stroll along the river was pleasant, it must be lovely in the summer, and then it was time to head home ourselves.

All in all, a great weekend, it was £30 for the 2 nights on the site, and we used half a tank of fuel.

A Motorhome could be hired for this weekend from GoExplore motorhome hire for £295, Fri-Mon, Midweek hire would be Mon-Fri £350 in Jan, Feb and March.

Route 66 New name for Welsh road?

gomin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:42:44 +0000

Discussions taking place to rename the A470, to attract more tourists to visit Wales

It’s the road to the Valleys and beyond – known for its rush hour traffic jams and the many journeys spent stuck behind a Mid Wales tractor.

But support is growing to rename the A470 from Cardiff to Llandudno the Royal Welsh Way to boost the morale of the armed forces and attract tourists in search of a road-trip to remember.

A spokesman said: “The spectacular scenery, activities, attractions, stories and communities along the A470 already make it an iconic tourist trail for many visitors. Giving the A470 a title to reflect this would be an interesting proposal.”

William Powell, a Lib Dem AM, plans to champion the campaign in Cardiff Bay. He intends to lay a statement of opinion to seek cross-party support.

He said: “The A470 is very much the spine of Wales. I think it would be an enormous boost to [the armed forces’] morale if they had that further endorsement. Obviously, the people of Wales are very strongly behind them.

“I look forward to engaging with the regiment to see if we can move this forward.”

Another suggestion put forward in an Assembly petition is that the road should be renamed “Prif Ffordd Tywysog Owain Glyndwr” (Owain Glyndwr Highway).

The petition, submitted by a group called Embassy Glyndwr, yesterday had just five signatures. It was launched in response to the campaign for a Royal Welsh Way, arguing that while soldiers swear allegiance to “English royalty” Owain Glyndwr pursued independence.

John Wake, a leading expert on Welsh tourism, said just as tourists travel great American highways so the A470 deserves to be counted among the world’s great roads.

He said “It’s the Route 66 of Wales” adding that naming it either the Royal Welsh Way or after Glyndwr was “fantastic”.

Tribute songs to the road have been written by both folk singer Lorraine King and Welsh psychedelic band Soft Hearted Scientists, and it inspired a 2005 S4C drama series.

The campaign to name it the Royal Welsh Way was sparked when a member of the public suggested the idea to Lib Dem councillor Mike Priestly via Facebook.

He said: “As soon as I saw it I thought, ‘What a blooming great idea’.”

The councillor is pressing ahead with efforts to install signs honouring the troops along this section of the A470 but he would be delighted to see the entire road renamed.

Mr Priestly said: “If people want to extend the name along the A470, of course I’d back them. Wouldn’t it be great to have a connection from South Wales to North Wales?

“It’s things like this really that get me up in the morning.”

Conservative shadow transport minister Byron Davies said: “Changing the name of the A470 – to further show the admiration and high regard our armed forces are held in across Wales – is an idea that should be properly considered.”

Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/need-to-read/2012/01/18/a470-rename-plans-to-attract-tourism-set-to-take-off-91466-30144762/#ixzz1jniEbN00

Christmas Ski trip

gomin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:28:00 +0000

We ventured to the French Alps for Christmas again this year, once we had seen the last motorhome out for hire.

We left on the 16th December taking a night crossing via Euro Tunnel, stopping at Calais Plage for a good nights sleep.We headed off in the morning reaching the Burgandy region by dusk, approx 6hrs drive. We made good use of the Aire de service, right by the river. When we woke the next morning, it had begun to snow, so we left to complete the journey to Samoens, 3hrs away.We drove through some heavy snow reaching Camping le Girffe at lunch. It continued to snow for the next 4 days.

We took in some great ski-ing for the next 6 days, the sun shone and it got quite hot up on the slopes.

Night times were filled with games and DVDs, and the odd visit to the nearby town, just 10 mins from the site, for some apres ski.

We had to leave before the new year, stopping an extra day due to heavy snow, spending new years eve in Reimes after a 6 hr drive.

All in all another great Christmas trip.