Our van is not self-built; it is a premade campervan that we call home. This experience has made us happy again. It is great to travel through Europe in a motorhome. We thoroughly enjoy the time we can spend together in our campervan. We can chase good weather while discovering new places and meeting other travelers, just living day by day in this full-time lifestyle. These are some things for which we are very grateful!
Meet Stefan and Laura: Adventurers Traveling Full-Time in Europe
Hi! We are Stefan and Laura, both in our late 20s. We have been fortunate enough to travel through Europe in a motorhome since the middle of 2022. Both of us were born and raised north of Amsterdam but have spent more recent years by the coast. Before buying our campervan, we had a love for holiday trips. Generally, these were city trips, though we made a few longer journeys along the way. Laura even did a three-month internship in Ghana 10 years ago.
How Our Van Life Journey Began: Finding Home on the Road
Last year, both of us had full-time jobs that didn’t leave us many days for vacations—certainly not enough to fulfil our travel needs. Unfortunately, our jobs wouldn’t allow for a sabbatical gap year, so we decided to turn the tables around. We sold our house, car, furniture, and everything else before buying our motorhome to hit the road full-time. We kept a partial position with our jobs while we sought adventure in Europe in a motorhome!
Why We Chose This Campervan: Comfort for Full-Time Living
We are very happy with our campervan, especially the sitting area. This was an important point for us when searching for a motorhome because we wanted to be able to sit comfortably while working, among other things. In 2021, we rented a small, older campervan for a week. After the first day, we already had problems with our backs. This experience made us prioritise a comfortable seating area in our home on wheels, making a motorhome more attractive to us.
Although our motorhome is not self-built, there have been many DIY projects to customise our campervan the way we want it. We’ve upgraded the electrical system, added new household batteries, and replaced the fridge with a 12V alternative to reduce our consumption. We even installed a new garage floor and created better storage solutions as part of our DIY efforts.
The Pros and Cons of Traveling Through Europe in a Motorhome
What are the pros and cons of camping in a motorhome? Let’s start with the benefits. We have the chance to have a new backyard whenever we feel like a change while travelling through Europe in a motorhome. We can see many places while having our house right beside us. We’ve started living outdoors a lot more and becoming content with much less stuff, this has come along with our new lifestyle.
Of course, some challenges come with this lifestyle! It is sometimes hard to remember that we need to do groceries regularly, and when our fridge is empty, we may be left eating sardines out of a can. There’s also the frustration of arriving late at a campsite to find it is already full or doesn’t feel safe to spend the night. We’ve spent a few nights sleeping with earplugs because the noises can become impossible to ignore.
Another issue that can keep us busy is finding a place to empty the toilet cassette or locating the camper services that we need. Nonetheless, there is a solution for all these problems, and they are just little annoyances along the way when living full-time in a motorhome.
Managing This Lifestyle Full-Time: Tips for Life in a Motorhome
We are fortunate to afford this lifestyle and have set ourselves up to sustain it. The money from selling our house gives us a lot of comfort, though we mainly live off the work that we do while travelling through Europe in our motorhome. We try to stay aware of every euro we spend and keep in mind what is important to maintain balance in our lives and finances.
Words of Advice for Traveling Full-Time Across Europe
Would you consider changing course and travelling full-time in a campervan? If so, we advise you to do a bit of research. Find stories from people who have already taken the step into this lifestyle. Be sure to learn as much as you can from their past experiences. Read all the blogs about life in a motorhome and reach out to ask questions; you’ll find everything you need to know.
Good luck with the preparations if you decide to leap into this full-time lifestyle of travelling in a camper yourself. If you like, you may travel digitally with us or find us on the road!
Find Them Here:
Website: Wereld Reizigers
Instagram: Reizen Doen We Samen
