Even though I am reminded elsewhere elsewhere that VAT is payable on fuel, it appears that the VAT element actually serves to stabilise fuel prices.

I thought it would be handy to find out quite how the rise in cost of a litre of fuel has compared with inflation as a whole over the last twenty years or so. Do my readers (for I now know there are two of you) know?

We travelled, in a manner that we now find hard to believe, to Prague via Dresden in a Peugeot 106 diesel with our rather nice, spacious Khyam tent and communicated with others via postcard. Oh, and I did all the driving while Kate earned her Navigator’s medal (and bar) for getting us out of the Czech Republic while the country was suffering severe flooding, blocking the route through Plzeň.

This year, we booked a week on a Bavarian campsite and filled the Merc and its roofbox. Music choices were rather simpler with a 30 gigabyte iPod, lighting was provided courtesy of 240V AC mains, our Bavarian site had wi-fi (truly, I fail to understand why more sites don’t), we communicated with others by texting Twitter and Kate shared the driving. Navigational services were provided by the very efficient Navman.

Altogether, it made for a rather more pleasant experience. Despite rumours to the contrary, satellite navigation is tremendous: we were directed, without hassle, to all (but one) of our destinations and, when running low on fuel, could simply press the fuel button to find a nearby petrol station. We were even able to find local super- and hypermarkets thanks to the Navman’s onboard database so we had no repeats of the 2002 Trier experience where we were caught out by Germany’s then habit of closing down on a Saturday afternoon and had to hunt through France and Luxembourg for food to eat.

Our solitary navigational difficulty came in Italy. We hadn’t initially planned to visit the country so hadn’t obtained a guide book before going. However, Kate wanted to visit Verona which was only twenty or so miles from our campsite on the shores of Lake Garda. We therefore told Navman to drive us to the most central tourist information office in Verona. Although it was perfectly permissible to drive through the centre, many of the turns we were asked to make were simply not designed for a large saloon car so we looked instead, as perhaps we should have done in the first place, for a car park.

The Lonely Planet describes Lake Garda as the least attractive of Italy’s lakes. If that is the case, then the others must be tremendous.

14. The train is the most economical transport mode in terms of energy consumption per person transported.

True On the Paris-Marseille route, consumption in kep1 / passenger is 32.2 for the airplane, 28.8 for the car, and 9.6 for the TGV.

I find this interesting. This summer, we shall be taking the car from Preston to southern Bavaria, a distance of roughly 900 miles each way. There will be three of us in the car.

I suppose the difference is that most trains will travel whether I use them or not. In general, my car will only travel when I’m inside it. (That’s not so much a high-tech anti-theft system as the fact that Kate has her own, more stylish vehicle.)

However, this does suggest that the mathematics of train pricing is way out. If we travel from Preston to Leigh-on-Sea by train this Easter it will cost us £110.25 for the Saver Return using a Family Railcard.

If I travel on my own, by train, it will cost me £73 for the Saver Return. Or around £62 to take the car. If I fill the car with people, it will cost me around £62. Surely it would make sense to charge me less to take the train than the car.

I’m typing this on a computer powered by renewable energy, watching renewably-powered television but I cannot afford to travel by train. Sorry world.

3 Socket mobile mains hook up
• Bring mains electricity into your tent, trailer tent or camper.
• RCD protection for valued peace of mind.
• 20m lead with standard mains site plug.
• Complete with carry case.
• Clips to tent poles or hangs from clip.

Price: £59.99

That should solve the question of how to charge the digital camera this summer. Maybe we ought to find ourselves a small fridge too…