Our van is not self-built, it is premade camper which we call home. This experience has made us happy again. It is great to be able to travel through Europe in a motorhome. We thoroughly enjoy the time that we can spend together. We can chase the good weather while discovering new places, and meeting other travellers, just living day by day. These are some things that we are very grateful for!
Meet Stefan and Laura
Hi! We are Stefan and Laura, both in our late 20’s. We have been fortunate enough to be able to travel through Europe in our motorhome since the middle of 2022. Both of us were born and raised North of Amsterdam, but have spent the more recent years by the coast. Before buying a campervan, we certainly 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 Did Your Van Life Begin?
Last year, both of us had full-time jobs which didn’t leave us many days for vacations, certainly not enough to fulfil our travel needs. Unfortunately, our jobs wouldn’t allow a sabbatical gap year, so we decided to turn the tables around. We sold our house, car, furniture, and everything else before buying a motorhome to hit the road. We kept a partial position with our jobs while we went looking for adventure in Europe!
The Motorhome for This Couple
We are very happy with our camper, especially the sitting area. This was an important point for us when searching for a van because we want to be able to sit well to work, among other things. In 2021 we rented a small, older camper van for a week. After the first day, we already had problems with our backs. This was the reason for us to prioritise a comfortable seating area in our home on wheels, and it made a motorhome a bit more attractive to us.
Although our motor home is not self-made, there have been many DIY jobs for us to make our home the way it is. We’ve upgraded the electricity system and added some new household batteries and replaced the fridge with a 12v alternative to reduce our consumption. We even put in a new garage floor and created better storage solutions.
What Is It Like Travelling Through Europe in a Motorhome?
The pros and cons of camping? Let’s start with the benefits. The chance to have a new backyard whenever we feel like a change. Being able to see many places while having our house right by us. We’ve started living outdoors a lot more, and becoming content with much less stuff.
Of course, some bad always comes with good things! 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. Or the frustration when we arrive late at a campsite to find that 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 finding the camper services that we need. Nonetheless, there is a solution for all of these problems and they are just little annoyances along the way.
How Do You Manage This Lifestyle?
We are fortunate to be able 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 have. We try to stay aware of every euro that we spend and keep in mind what is important to keep ourselves and our wallets in balance.
Words of Advice
Would you consider changing course, and travelling full-time in a camper? If so, we would advise you to do a bit of research. Find some stories from people who have already taken the step. Be sure to learn as much as you can from their past experiences. Read all of the blogs and reach out to ask questions, you’ll be sure to find all that you need to know.
Good luck with the preparations if you decide to take the leap to travel in a camper yourself. If you like it, you may travel digitally with us or find us on the road!
Find Them Here:
Website: Wereld Reizigers
Instagram: Reizen Doen We Samen
If you enjoyed reading this post, then you may be interested in checking our blog pages. We have covered a range of topics about Van Life, Van Build, Van Travel, and our Van Buddies, where we share our experiences from living in a campervan for the past two years. You can follow us on Instagram or Facebook to stay up to date with our latest posts and to take a closer look into our daily lives.
