Ready to embrace the van life? If you love to travel and have always dreamed of living on the road, then it could be time to learn more about this self-sufficient way to get around.
When it comes to ticking off all the places to visit in Europe that you’d love to see for yourself, you can do a lot more for a whole lot less when you travel on four wheels.
Living in your vehicle while you travel Europe and seeing all that this continent has to offer can be revolutionary but don’t set off without some important need-to-know bits of info!
Before you embark on the European vacation of a lifetime, these are our top tips for staying safe and having an amazing time while you roam the borders of this incredible part of the world.
Van Life: Tips and Tricks to Living on the Road
As you think about embracing a nomadic way of roaming open roads, you should start picturing your ideal van for travelling! You may already have a vehicle you’re planning to convert or be in the market for a new travel van.
So whether you’re just making tweaks or starting out fresh, we’ve got a rundown of some of the top camper van must-haves to keep in mind:
- Choosing the right van – If you’re thinking of camping in a van and start browsing options you’ll see there are tons to choose from; you might want a van with a toilet onboard or even a shower – see what’s out there!
- Maximise space – Making the switch from an apartment or house to living in a van means space is everything so think about how many people will be travelling in it and how you’ll fit everything.
- Breakdown insurance for your travel van – as you consider the budget for your motorhome, remember that size and policy extras will affect your premiums – don’t just look for the cheapest option though as things like European cover could be essential.
Van life is a huge travel trend so why not try it for yourself and find out why more and more travellers are falling in love with this four-wheeled freedom?
When travelling by campervan or motorhome with P&O, you simply need to select the option for your type of vehicle while making your online booking. We’ll also need a couple of important details like the dimensions of your caravan so make a note of these before booking.
Tip 1: Paperwork
There are a few essentials to keep in your glovebox while driving in Europe, so be sure to bring all of these along to avoid being caught out:
✔ V5 Logbook
✔ Insurance Documents
✔ Valid MOT
✔ Driving Licence
With P&O Ferries’ dedicated Brexit advice you can easily find answers to some of the top questions you might have about new rules that may apply to UK drivers in Europe. For instance, you must now ensure your national identifier sticker or number plate is marked UK instead of GB – feel free to contact our team for anything you’re unsure about.
Tip 2: Safety and Security
Staying safe while travelling in a van is all about keeping in mind some essential tips that nomadic travellers know well!
Firstly, thieves can be a potential risk as with any kind of travel. So make sure you keep your vehicle locked whenever you park up to embrace van life with peace of mind.
Leaving any valuables you can live without at home is another way to reduce your risks of danger. Remember that 112 is the universal emergency number across Europe if you ever need assistance.
Tip 3: Travel Gadgets
With all that space in your travel van, it’s worth taking along some handy extra items that make getting around a breeze.
We’d suggest bringing a camping stove for cooking, solar panel chargers for getting some power on the go and power packs as a backup source of energy. A fire extinguisher is also a great idea in case of any cooking mishaps.
Navigating a continent the size of Europe means that Sat-Nav is also essential so if your van for travelling doesn’t have this built-in be sure to bring a stand-alone device. A Wi-Fi dongle can also be incredibly useful if you need to find out info while on the go!
There are also a few required items that drivers in Europe are expected to carry onboard:
- Reflective jackets – compulsory in most European countries
- Warning triangle – compulsory in most European countries
- Headlamp beam deflectors – compulsory in most European countries
- First aid kit – compulsory in Austria, France and Germany
Tip 4: Looking after Your Money
With our bureau du change services on board, you can now reserve foreign currency before you drive on board. This service is available on our Dover to Calais and Hull to Rotterdam crossings.
We’d also suggest starting budgeting before you set off travelling – a few extra tips to look after your funds en route are to watch your travel van’s speedometer for more efficient driving and keep eating out for special occasions!
Tip 5: Maximising Space in Your Van
Taking everything you could need for travelling in a van calls for making the most of every inch of your vehicle. So as you load up, be sure to take advantage of storage possibilities on top of your van as well as inside.
Installing cabinets or using any space under your bed are great van life hacks that loads of travellers use for themselves – try filling up your space in the weeks before you set off and see what works for you.
Choosing the Right Places
Travelling Europe in a van is a great way to explore as there are plenty of national parks, camper van sites and other places to stay.
Of course, some of these destinations involve off-road terrain and some challenging driving conditions. Making sure you’ve got spare tyres, road-tested suspension and other motoring musts will let you traverse Europe by campervan with peace of mind!
So along with finding the ideal travel destinations for you, make sure you’ve got the trusty vehicle that will let you live van life to its fullest.
