Van Life

We’ve been asked what van life is like. Our first response, is that it is great. We are loving it.  We have tried to answer some of the more common questions we’ve received. If you have any particular questions please ask.

What is van life like?

We largely wild camp ie legally parked; not in a paid camping area. We do this for a few reasons. It enables us to reallocate about 1/3 of our daily budget, to eating out, etc.  It is more enjoyable camping by the beach listening to seagulls; a river watching ducks, etc. We are largely self-sufficient with a 140L water tank, a 2 burner gas stove, gas heating, a solar panel on the roof which runs our electric fridge, lights and powers up our devices (but not our camera or computer, which are largely sponsored by McDonalds as we have a coffee and use their wifi about once a week).

Our bathroom is tight in size, so hair washing is difficult. For this reason we seek out a proper shower every 3-4 days and need to do laundry about once a week. We have been grateful of our friend’s kindness as we’ve done many washing loads at their houses. Showers are easy to come by at swimming pools and marinas, in addition to camping grounds.

We largely live outside with a picnic rug, two folding chairs, a table and a small gas cooker. Early in our travels we were inspired by cassoulets so we purchased a pressure cooker saucepan. For anyone who likes camp cooking on gas, we recommend a pressure cooker.  Not only does it produce great food quicker, but it has saved us money, as we use far less gas.

We have joined some European motor home groups which enable you to free camp. In France, the group is called France Passion and the free camping is largely in vineyards and on farms.  In the UK the properties are largely pubs. In the less touristy areas we’ve been shown around farms, talked with producers and their neighbours in villages,  gleaned some insights into their livelihoods and acquired some fabulous produce.

We’ve been asked how we establish the route. 

How do you establish the route?

Our route has been defined based on:

·       places that we’ve yearned to visit for some time;

·       places that Tanya has formerly visited and thinks that Craig would like; 

·       the location and availability of our friends; 

·       tips from others, our interests, knowledge and research of areas; and then

·       random information from our road atlas: “green – scenic route” roads,  “blue boxed cities – UNESCO World Heritage Listed” areas and “blue underlined towns – of interest”.

We have fallen into some set roles which largely work to both our interests and strengths: Tanya route plans and navigates; Craig drives.  As we both enjoy cooking, we share this task, but only one of us can do it at a time, as there is limited space.