But I must say that, in general, the people I have met in my travels have been friendly, interesting people, from young families to retired couples who, like us, want to travel without the time-constraints of a tour group, without the hassles of scheduled flights, and sample local culture in a more intimate, calm way.

A caravan vacation can be challenging. If you are happy to drive for long hours and want to truly sample local culture, it's perfect. Keyword here is patience - a caravan is not a racing car. But you will be in control of the destiny of your vacation. If you don't like the first spot, you can simply drive off and choose another. You choose when to arrive and how long to stay for.