10 REASONS TO TAKE A CAMPER VAN ROADTRIP
Every day we see more and more content from travel photographers and adventurers who decide to make their routes in Camper Van, giving us spectacular landscapes and moments.
While it is true that exploring the camper world is not always about joy, adventure and beautiful scenery, I must admit that the pros consistently outweigh a few small cons. Travelling in a campervan is a way of finding much more than just spectacular places and moments: where you learn to live differently, to give priority to the basics, to practice order, to get to know your travel companion better...
Today, after having experienced my first trip in these conditions, I can shout to the four winds that you have to do a roadtrip in a camper at least once in your life. If you don't believe me, here are 10 reasons to explore the world in this way:
AWAKENING IN MAGICAL PLACES
This is only within the reach of those adventurers who travel in camper vans or like to camp. One of the advantages of travelling in a camper van that I like the most is being able to wake up at dawn in hidden places: on a beach full of reflections, on top of a cliff or in a small cove. Although it is true that we have to be careful where we decide to spend the night, since in all countries and places it is not always allowed, if we choose the right destination we can find beautiful places where getting up early to see the sunrise is not only more bearable, but it will be one of the moments of the day that you won't want to miss.
First shot of the day, waking up in the middle of volcanic mountains
2. LEARNING TO LIVE WITH THE BASICS
In this chaotic and modernised world in which we live, we have become accustomed to having almost every convenience we could possibly need at our fingertips. Many of them are luxuries that we may not appreciate enough in our day-to-day lives. Travelling in a campervan will make you value many of the things we take for granted in our daily lives and re-learn to live without them. You will give free rein to your creativity to be able to manage in a few square metres in an organised way, to consume less water in the shower, when doing the laundry or when washing the kitchen utensils. Because, my friend, when we have a resource that we take for granted in a limited way, adaptation is key. However, refilling the water tank is not complicated, and can usually be done at any service station for free or for just one or two euro.
3. NOT HAVING TO CARRY THE EQUIPMENT WITH YOU
As a photographer, traveller and lover of landscapes I have to admit that my photographic equipment goes with me at all times when we talk about travelling and of course, 7-8 kg of equipment on my back for 12 hours a day, in the end it makes my back suffer, although you know, If you love scabies, they don't hurt…
One of the things I noticed a lot when travelling in a camper is that, by literally carrying your house on your back, you don't need to carry your equipment for so many hours and that makes us more agile, less tired and the energy takes longer to run out.
However, every pro has its downside and that is the issue of battery charging. Many of the campers are not adapted with transformers capable of supporting the voltage that our equipment needs to charge, so portable batteries will do you a great favour. Also, take advantage of every stop to have lunch, a coke or some water at a bar or restaurant. If you treat the staff kindly and ask them to do you a favour, you won't have any problems!
4. GOOD WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE WITH THE SAME INTERESTS.
While it is true that campervan tourism allows you to adapt your trip/getaway to the "mood" you prefer, I feel much more comfortable with uncrowded places, full of tranquillity, peace and good views. And these spaces, respecting the unwritten rule of leaving enough space to allow privacy to your camper neighbours, are perfect to meet people from all over the world who are travelling and living the experience in the same way as you.
On our trip to Lanzarote, for example, I remember that we met a Swiss guy in the northern area, from the area where I was on my last trip to that country, who was touring the island with his dog and it was very interesting to exchange ways of seeing camper life with him, teleworking, love for animals and nature...
The world is full of experiences and people that add a plus to our days, being open to this in the camper world ensures you find people with a different way of life and way of thinking with whom you can have interesting conversations and learn something new.
5. ABSOLUTE FREEDOM
Someone recently said to me that we are free because of our lack of freedom, and it is a statement that could make for a great philosophical debate. Even so, travelling in a camper van and having contact with nature most of the day is something that made both me and my travel companion feel free, enjoy the grandeur of nature (and this planet has so much to offer us!) and live through the senses, soaking up all the sensations and being guided by sunlight rather than by any clock or planning that required us to be in a specific place at a specific time.
This was one of the moments where we were able to experience the sunset with all our senses and feel the grandeur of the world.
6. DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE
The truth is that there are many ways to travel, whether for work or pleasure. The camper experience reminded me of this premise. There is life beyond hotels and cabins. There is the option of getting lost in the world with your portable home. An alternative way of travelling, a different experience that opens up new horizons and new ways of enjoying our trips.
7. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Any occasion is a good opportunity for personal growth and on a camper van trip personal development is guaranteed. We all have our fears, insecurities, points that we would like to strengthen personally... In our case, for example, sleeping outdoors alone in the van was a challenge for two women. Feeling safe and calm while sleeping, which is a time of vulnerability, was something we were somewhat concerned about and we had many conversations about it. While it was not every day easy to find a place that met the premises we had agreed upon to try to mitigate and overcome our fear by progressively exposing ourselves to the stimulus, we learned to select places and see ourselves in situations where we had to face our fear if we wanted to enjoy the experience to the fullest. Today, I can proudly say, we succeeded and this is something that we both took away with us and that travelling otherwise we would not have been able to work on.
Sunrise on a beach where there was only us.
8. FELLOWSHIP
If you're not used to it, travelling in a campervan is a challenge on many levels and taking the perfect travel companion with you makes your life much easier. Not every moment is idyllic: unforeseen events, mood swings, small frustrations, decisions that have to be made quickly... In addition, this way of travelling makes you spend almost 24/7 hours with your travel companion in a small space. With good communication, mutual support and companionship the end result is a much closer bond with the person you are travelling with. You end up getting to know them in a different and much more human way.
Happy to have strengthened the relationship I had with my cousin after this experience and to have gained an incredibly good reinforcement in our personal relationship.
9. ECONOMICS
Budget is something that worries all of us who travel. Although it is true that the camper option is not always the cheapest way to travel, on our first adventure it was. Before closing the expedition we were considering all the options: from staying in a hotel and renting a vehicle to booking a holiday flat together with the vehicle. Both options were feasible and another way in which we could have visited the island without any problems, but we came up with the idea of the camper van and after doing our calculations, it was a way that was not only more economical, but also much more comfortable.
Being able to cook in the van, at any time of the day, lowered the costs substantially and having only a joint cost of accommodation and vehicle also meant that we were able to adjust the budget to our possibilities.
10. TRANQUILITY
The sound of waves going to sleep and seagulls waking up, making coffee and drinking it by the beach, sitting and watching a storm in the distance, escaping the noise and chaos of the city... all these things bring you peace of mind and, now that we are getting to know each other a little better, you know that this is something I value very much and it helps me to create my photographs being faithful to the dreamy and calm style I like.
Sunset from our personal rooftop
I hope that after reading and reflecting with me through these points you are looking forward to experience the next campervan getaway, that you are already thinking about which travel companion will go with you and exploring the places where you want to wake up at dawn.
If you have any questions or would like to comment on any point, just contact me through social media or the comments section of this post. I'll be happy to share travel experiences and hear what positive points you would add to this list.
See you on the roads!