4 reasons (from many) why traveling in a Campervan is super fun!
If you could live anywhere, wouldn’t you want to live everywhere?
A little while ago, my French friends who had just started their company VanBreak Malaga came up with the best idea. They asked me to test one of their newest campervans, the Volkswagen California Beach for a road trip from Malaga (Spain) to Faro (Portugal)…a route along the most beautiful coasts of Europe. A verrrry welcome break after some intensive hikes so I didn’t need much time to say YES :).
The days before I left I couldn’t think of anything else then driving around in my bikini all day. Dreaming of camping on beaches and gathering around a campfire while drinking beers under the stars.
Guess what? The reality was e-xac-tly like this. What an experience! It was hard to say goodbye to my new “home” after 6 days of living like a gypsie. This way of traveling perfectly represent exactly what I am about; flexible travel, finding your own way, getting an authentic and fulfilling travel experience, traveling with – and making new – friends.
There’s no freer, more satisfying feeling than packing your (few) belongings into a van and taking off on the long open road, with nothing but some good tunes, good friends or lover and the tarmac for company. And…road tripping in a campervan is not only for hardcore adventure seekers and outdoor lovers. With a shower on board (cold, but this will warm up during the day), a little kitchen, and a pretty comfortable bed, this way of traveling is suitable even for the less experienced camper.
1. Freedom
This is absolutely the best reason and the beauty of road tripping in a campervan. You can go wherever you want to. Just so long as there’s a road and you’ve not run out of petrol you’re perfectly fine. You are completely free to go and stop & sleep where ever you want! Today you’re in Paris, tomorrow you sleep at the beach in Spain and in a week you’re checking out Rome! Navigated to a place but you don’t really like it? Don’t worry and look for that perfect spot! Even sleeping in the middle of a city is possible (and saves you loooooot’s of money on expensive hotels). #your home is where you park your van 😉
2. You sleep on the most exclusive places
There are few five star hotels in the world that will offer you as unrivalled immersion and breathtaking views in nature as a van will. You can literally sleep on the beach, feel the breeze of the sea and hear the mesmerizing sound of rolling waves (which made me pee a lot, but hey that’s part of the deal). Come the morning, it will just be you and the birds watching the sun rise over the horizon. Waking up with the sunlight in your face is the best feeling in the world!
Yes, it can be a bit creaky and a little less comfortable than a five star bed but that’s the charm!
3. It’s a cheap way to travel
Camping in a van is the cheapest way to travel (not counting a tent and a bike, but you’ve got to be bloody fit and feel like it to cycle around with a tent). It’s accommodation and transport all rolled into one, so if you’re looking for adventure, it’s the way forward.
When I stay in a luxurious hotel resort, I get so bored after a couple of hours near the pool that the only way to entertain myself is to go shopping or to order food and drinks, and more drinks, and more food. When you do a road trip, you will be grateful for all your adventures and beautiful views, so you won’t need much entertainment. The most amazing moments are the mornings when you have your freshly brewed coffee while enjoying the sunset from your bed, and pick nicks on the beach with stinky cheese, some bread and cheap ass wine. This way of living saves you at least one bottle of Moet a day.
Stock up with snacks, water and other drinks from supermarkets instead of getting them from the service stations on route. You will save lots of money.
4. Everyday is an adventure
From deciding where you’re going to sleep, eat and shower, from one day to the next, it will never be the same! Each day, a new road will take you to a new place, a new view, a new community and a new way of life. Each day you will be lucky enough to meet new people from all walks of life, and learn things without realizing.
Camping in a campervan definitely takes you off the beaten path. While looking for cool places to stay, we often drove into small roads, not knowing where to end up…and found the most beautiful places. In addition to hotels booking up, a lot of places you end up with your campervan in the search for a beautiful spot are very rural with few hotel options, especially the areas near or, even better ON the beach. With a campervan you avoid driving to and from your hotel every day, allowing you to spend more time in these beautiful off-the-beaten-path places where accommodations are limited.
I loved the sense of freedom that came with this road trip. The idea that you can head for the horizon and never come back. I might consider living like this for the coming few years…;)
For more info contact VanBreak Malaga
@https://ilenainwanderland.wordpress.com/
