Has the buzzword campervan caught your eye, and you are curious whether campervanning on your next holiday is for you? We have been in your shoes and will help you answer your questions based on our experience trying campervan road tripping as a style of travel.
Is going on a campervan road trip right for you? Making your next holiday a campervan road trip is an excellent choice for you when you:
- love the outdoors
- don’t mind getting your hands dirty
- like spending a lot of time driving
- you aim to truly break free from a work routine
- enjoy being in control of when to do what, where, and with whom.
Should you catch yourself nodding right now, then keep on reading to get honest and authentic answers on what to expect and the not so glamorous parts of campervanning.
What to expect from road tripping in a campervan?
A sense of freedom
You know that feeling of freedom being portrayed in the old western movies, cowboys riding on horses through untouched landscapes. Well, without wanting to sound too kitschy, campervanning comes pretty close to that. Replace the horse with the van, and you are pretty much there a lot of the time.
Incredible nature and a real impression of the place you are exploring
By driving roads less traveled, you get the chance to go slow, stop wherever you decide, and take little detours. You may have a beer (shotgun only 😉) in that cute place in the town en route. Notice changes in the landscape and differences in states/countries that you are passing through. Stop for an hour of hiking to stretch your legs and appreciate the mesmerizing outdoors even more.
Getting to know yourself and your travel buddy in new ways
Having (what it feels like) unlimited freedom around you, yet very restrictive space inside your temporary home, will by itself bring out actions and reactions from you and your travel buddy that you have not met yet in your daily life or other traveling styles. In serious and goofy moments.
Unexpected adventure
For us, definitely a favorite, despite my love and excitement for pre-planning. No matter how much you choose to plan, you will never be able to plan it all, and that is the beauty on a road trip! There might be an encounter with local wildlife, almost running out of gas and getting a ticket. Only to finding out later that you had to pay that ticket directly where you got it and not online, etc. (Check out our campfire stories for light entertainment 🙃).
Campervanning could make a holiday your best trip ever (it was for us 😉)
Jen and I have experienced very many different travel styles and destinations, from hiking, biking, skiing, dog-sledding trips to car road tripping with friends and family, cruises, city trips, and beach vacations. Every style has its own spark and right for existing. Campervanning, however, opened up a whole new way of exploring for us, which we ultimately fell in love with. We love to share our passion with you and help you to discover this style of travel and new exciting destinations along the way.
The not so glamorous parts of campervanning
You won’t have much time to do that beach resort relaxation thing
You will not be able to lounge in a beach chair all day, sipping on cocktails. You will, however, learn to love your very comfortable and practical camping chairs, sipping on a well-deserved ice-cold beer after a long day of driving and exploring.
The daily things you do at home will become luxuries
You will not be able to have all of your favorite hoodies handy, a private bathroom, or shower every day. Sometimes going to the restroom might be a bit more public than you are used to. Wifi reception might suck in some places, so you will most likely not be able to binge-watch Netflix every night while sipping on your favorite wine (or craft beer if you are into that).
Boredom
There might be days where you will have to drive 4 to 6 hours to reach your next destination. Despite the gorgeous landscape left and right, we are being honest here, and boredom might creep in on occasion. This is why it is essential to take short breaks during your drive and to keep entertained. If you are the driver and your co-pilot is going to take a nap, make sure to ask them to put that awesome playlist that always wakes you up. If you are shotgun, you will have to keep your driver awake, hydrated, and entertained.
You cannot see it all
Depending on your route and your vacation time, you will have to sacrifice one or two things. We recommend balancing days with a lot of driving and slower days. Sometimes, if you have to be at a specific time at a campground, make sure to get there on time (it might require to drive a not so attractive highway). But, if you don’t have any time pressure, take it slow, take the road less traveled (which most of the time is the most scenic route), and discover new towns.
Where do we recommend first-timers to travel to?
Hands down the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are the big four for campervan newbies because of many reasons. Wide, smooth, and mostly empty roads, an extensive network of campgrounds, many rental companies to choose from to fulfill your needs, and nature at its best.
What is the best campervan for a road trip?
Since we are focusing on vancations, meaning renting a campervan for your holiday, we will spare you the mentioning of brands and models, etc. as they vary from country to country anyways. We recommend you to rent a car campervan or small campervan, big enough for two people, small enough to still be sized like a car or family van. The perks are:
- easy to drive (similar to a car)
- no speed limitations compared to a big RV or motorhome
- less gas consumption
- better location and cheaper campsites
- more accessible parking in towns and cities
What to bring on a campervan road trip?
This is an essential question, as space is very limited in a small campervan. Consider the following:
- what type of bag - hard case, soft case, backpack? We answer this question in our article 'Best Luggage For A Road Trip In A Small Campervan'
- what kinds and how many clothes and shoes? Check out our article 'What to Pack for Your Next Active Campervan Trip'
- what type of camping gear - what is included, what do I need to bring? Take a look at our gear and check with your rental company, what is included.
- what kind of toiletries - not just personal, but also for dishwashing, etc.
- what type of tech gadgets - how does electricity work? These are our tech gadgets and we mostly use a USB converter while driving.
- what to bring from home and what to buy locally - single-use vs. multiple uses.
Who to take on the road (and in bed) with you?
Last but not least, this is a crucial one. Let’s be real - a road trip by yourself can turn out to be lonely, dull, and dangerous. However, with too many people in the van and on the road, the earlier described freedom can easily slip away. Too many opinions and ‘i don’t feel likes’ may take the best out of the road trip experience. Our perfect formula is a van and adventure for two. Whether you chose your significant other, best friend, or even your mum, chose wisely as this will be the one person you will spend pretty much all day and all night with (bye-bye King size bed). Make sure you are on the same page in terms of travel style, speed, budget, level of being active, etc. before going full throttle into more research and planning.
Have you tried campervanning or are you going to try ? Let us know your experiences and thoughts in the comments below.
