A family motorhome adventure in Northern Ireland

Is the romance of the road still a thing in a family-size motorhome? And what if you’re completely new to the whole house-on-wheels experience? 

To find out, we came up with a plan – to send a Boundless family on a week-long trip in a shiny new motorhome, to explore anywhere in the UK. 

Their wagon: a Swift Voyager 485, a top-of-the-range model from Swift Go – motorhome hire specialists and Boundless partner offering 10% off bookings to all members. Their mission: to report back with what went well, what didn’t, and who had to deal with the toilet cassette…

So allow us to introduce you to long-time Boundless members – but rookie motorhomers – Greg and Joanna Garrett, along with kids Jack (4) and Florence (3), plus a few friends they met along the way. Read on to discover how they enjoyed their first motorhome adventure with Swift Go. 

Meet the Garrett family/Credit: Dan Read

Motorhome travel in the UK

England, Scotland and Wales have some of the best motorhoming routes around, whether you’re breezing along the North Coast 500 or threading through Snowdonia. 

Swift Go currently has depots in Manchester and Edinburgh, both gateways to great adventures – from the Pennines to the Lakes, or up into the Highlands and Islands. Swift Go rental also includes access to Uncover Britain, an online app with suggested tours and ready-made routes, including interactive maps showing overnight stops, attractions and hidden gems. All of which is very handy if you’re not sure where to start.

Of course, you can also choose your own adventure in the UK or Europe, which is what we did. Having driven up from Bristol, we collected our sparkly clean Voyager from the Manchester depot – leaving our car there for free – and drove an hour or so across to Birkenhead to catch the Stena Line ferry to Belfast. 

Enjoy the journey, not just the destination on Stena Line/Credit: Dan Read

The Stena Edda felt more like a mini cruise ship – there were two swish movie rooms showing family films, two soft-play areas to explore, an arcade room, a great restaurant and a permanent sea view. We also had a four-berth cabin (complete with video on demand), though only used it for a quick nap and a freshen-up.

Northern Ireland’s been on our bucket list for years and this seemed like a great chance to explore it, while packing in as many Boundless benefits as possible along the way.

A visit to Hillsborough Castle and Gardens

So after rolling off the Saturday daytime crossing around 6.30pm, we headed south of Belfast to Lakeside View Caravan Park (as pretty as it sounds). On Sunday morning it was just a 10-minute drive to Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, which is Northern Ireland’s official royal residence. 

It’s managed by Historic Royal Palaces, so we had free entry with our Boundless Plus membership. With its 100 acres of grounds to explore, including secret grottos, the kids spent a few happy hours running around before we all headed inside for a family-friendly tour of the palace rooms (hosted by brilliant guides) and a free pumpkin-carving workshop. Then a pint or two of Guinness for the grown-ups in The Plough, a beamy old pub in Royal Hillsborough village.

Exploring the Causeway coast/Credit: Dan Read

Over the next few days we gradually made our way north, via Belfast, following the scenic Causeway Coastal Route – through the Antrim Glens with their elemental rivers and waterfalls, all the way around to the otherworldly stepping stones of the Giant’s Causeway. It’s one for the dream drives list…

What’s included in the Voyager? 

The Voyager comes with a bike rack, free WiFi, a smart telly, a fridge, oven, gas hob, microwave and a combined shower/toilet. We were dreading the management of the latter, but we needn’t have – just fill up your water tanks when pitching up and empty everything when you leave, including the pop-out toilet cartridge. 

Jack in the sleeping area/Credit: Dan Read

We stayed in fully serviced campsites with electric hook-ups, shower blocks and waste areas, which makes life easier. 

What’s it like driving a motorhome?

Driving a home on wheels/Credit: Dan Read

The Voyager might be 7.5 metres long and three metres tall, but after a while you forget about it being a 70mph house and just drive it like a long van – it’s based on a Ford Transit, after all. Both of us are paramedics and have driven ambulances, so the weight and size weren’t too much of an issue. But even those with less experience of larger vehicles will get the hang of it, and you can drive it on a normal driving licence.

Having said that, it always feels a bit strange, driving around in what was – minutes before – your sitting room. But when you park up at your next adventure spot, as we did at the beautiful Glenariff waterfalls, it’s always a novelty to swivel that front captain’s chair, gather around the table, put the kettle on and enjoy some home comforts after a long walk.

What the trip cost

Children of all ages will enjoy the magic of motorhoming/Credit: Dan Read 

A week away for a family of four in the October half-term can really start to add up. But with a Boundless membership up your sleeve, there are loads of ways to keep costs down. 

For starters, we saved 10% on our seven-night Swift Go rental (rentals start from £125 per night for a two-berth motorhome or campervan). We also saved 10% on the ferry crossing with Stena Line, and Boundless Plus membership meant free access to Hillsborough Castle and Gardens. 

We could also have visited the nearby WWT Castle Espie with a huge saving. Kids Pass helped with the cost of the Belfast bus tour and we even chanced upon a few restaurants with tastecard discounts to complete the Boundless money-saving bonanza.

Every Swift Go rental also comes with unlimited UK mileage and free temporary membership of the Caravan and Motorhome Club, for discounted rates on 2,700 sites across the UK, Ireland and Europe.

We spent around £25-£40 per night on pitches with electrical hookups and full facilities on site, but this was during half-term week when rates tend to be higher.

With its 2.0-litre diesel engine, the Voyager was pretty fuel efficient, even for such a big thing. We actually did the whole trip – from collection to drop- off – on just one £85 tank of fuel, averaging 30mpg over the 360 miles.

Do more with Boundless

If you're working in or retired from the public sector or civil service, Boundless has two great membership options to choose from: Boundless and Boundless Plus. 

With Boundless, you get unlimited access or discounted entry to many of the UK’s top attractions, including Kew Gardens and Wakehurst and WWT centres across the UK, as well as year-round deals on restaurants, holidays, shopping and much more. With Boundless Plus, you can enjoy additional benefits including unlimited access to Historic Royal Palaces sites, National Trust for Scotland places, access to The Ramblers' extensive walking community, and peace of mind with roadside assistance and local recovery by LV= Britannia Rescue.