It’s a truth. Touring with youngsters might be one of the rewarding experiences for a household, however it’s additionally extraordinarily tiring, and generally the logistics add pointless stress. Nonetheless, embracing van life whereas touring with younger kids provides an additional layer of freedom and suppleness.
And we’re proof of that. For my household and me, our trusty 35-year-old Ford Transit Rimor motorhome, affectionately referred to as Koala (that’s the mannequin identify, we imagine!), has been our residence away from residence on many memorable journeys since we purchased it two and a half years in the past.
From the enchanting landscapes of Northern Morocco to the Balearic Islands, the picturesque villages of Portugal, and throughout ten different nations in Central and Southwest Europe, our journey has been nothing in need of extraordinary with Koala by our aspect.
After gathering some expertise over the previous few years, right here’s a glance into this way of life, together with ideas for touring full-time or for lengthy intervals with youngsters, and the way we guarantee we keep wholesome on the highway. Let’s dive proper in!
The Van Life Expertise
Embracing Van Life: Our Trusted Ford Transit
Koala, our classic Ford Transit, is likely to be over three a long time outdated, however it has confirmed to be an extremely dependable journey companion. We prefer to name it ‘classic’ IYKYK.Â
Geared up with simply the necessities (however lacking none of them from the heating system to boiler, three beds, two tables, full kitchen, and loo), our motorhome is surprisingly spacious, offering us with consolation and comfort on the highway. And was inexpensive sufficient to make it a easy choice to take again within the day!
Even when these automobiles are very overpriced nowadays – particularly because the pandemic hit, once they skilled a type of increase and costs skyrocketed, and Koala was the right instance of that, I felt comfortable figuring out the cash invested could be rapidly recovered given our confirmed love for journey and the rising costs in all places else within the journey business.
The attraction of van life lies in its simplicity—having your house with you, irrespective of the place you go. It permits us the liberty to discover at our personal tempo, making impromptu stops and adjusting our route as wanted, climate allowing.
Memorable Van Life Journeys
Most of our journeys since we purchased Koala have been to close by locations. Though we had visited most of those nations earlier than—usually a number of instances—exploring them by motorhome supplied a brand new and distinctive expertise.
Northern Morocco: Our journey in Northern Africa was a vivid tapestry of vibrant markets, beautiful landscapes, and wealthy tradition. From the bustling streets of Tangier to the serene fantastic thing about Chefchaouen’s hilly backdrop outdoors its blue-washed outdated city, Morocco supplied a mix of pleasure and rest.
Touring via the northern a part of the nation—our fourth time there—with our child daughter (she was 11 months outdated on the time) is one thing we’ll bear in mind endlessly, and Koala dealt with the rugged terrain like a champ.
Portugal: Portugal’s numerous panorama has already supplied the right backdrop for a number of van life journeys. We reveled within the scenic fantastic thing about the northern coast, relaxed on the seashores of the Alentejo and Algarve areas, and explored the historic attraction of Lisbon throughout the New 12 months’s Eve festivities.
Despite the fact that we’ve visited this nation round 50 instances or extra (it’s that near our base), every cease introduced one thing new, and Koala by no means didn’t be our cozy retreat after a day of exploring.
Spain:
We’ve taken extra journeys in our residence nation than we will rely.
Nonetheless, the longest and most vital ones have taken us to:
- Catalonia’s Costa Brava, Mallorca within the Balearic Islands (the place ferry rides are all the time an journey!), and the Mediterranean coast from Valencia to Cabo de Gata.
- Andalusia, furthermore the provinces of Huelva and Cadiz, is all the time nice for lazy seaside days, good climate, nice meals, and vigorous cities.
- Asturias and Picos de Europa, neighboring Galicia, and ideally suited for exploring by van.
- The Pyrenees, with its many nationwide parks and valleys, together with different rigorously chosen locations in Northern Spain.
- Galicia. In the event you observe us on social media (right here’s our Instagram account for individuals who don’t however have an interest), you recognize we by no means miss a chance for an in a single day getaway, an extended weekend, and even longer explorations of our yard. We’re nonetheless looking for one other stunning vacation spot with as many van-life-friendly spots as our beloved Galicia!
Central and Southwest Europe: Our latest 30-day motorhome journey via ten European nations—France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and Spain—was a whirlwind of unforgettable experiences.
From the D-Day seashores of Normandy in Northern France to the beautiful Alpine landscapes in Switzerland, each vacation spot shined by itself.
That’s the magic of the outdated continent!
Staying Wholesome on the Highway
Significance of Well being Insurance coverage for Touring Households
Now first issues first. One of the essential features of touring full-time with youngsters is making certain that everybody is protected and the entire household has complete medical health insurance. At the very least for us, having the appropriate protection provides us peace of thoughts and permits us to take pleasure in our adventures with out worrying about potential medical points.
Previously, we had our truthful dose of surprising points on the highway and a very long time in the past we determined it was time to begin packing insurance coverage on all our journeys to keep away from hefty payments and plenty of time sorting the medical programs wherever we is likely to be.
Anyway, we’re excited to introduce you to SafetyWing’s newest addition: Nomad Well being.
Particularly designed for expats, digital nomads, and sluggish vacationers like us, this insurance coverage covers over 175 nations. So whether or not you’re mountain climbing within the hills close to Chefchaouen or exploring Belgium cities, Nomad Well being gives entry to high quality healthcare wherever you’re.
Nomad Well being gives in depth protection, together with hospital stays, physician visits, and even psychological well being help. You may also add dental and imaginative and prescient protection by paying a premium charge, which is especially helpful for households. The continuity of protection is a serious profit, permitting us to journey throughout a number of nations with out having to change insurance coverage. For extra particulars on how Nomad Well being can profit your travels, try their protection choices.
Managing Well being and Wellness Whereas Touring
However, let me inform you, staying wholesome on the highway entails extra than simply having good insurance coverage. That’s why on high of getting nice insurance coverage in place, we additionally concentrate on sustaining a balanced way of life as a lot as potential (we’re solely people in spite of everything!) by incorporating common hikes and walks in addition to wild swims and another occasional outside sports activities into our routine whereas touring.
That method and though I want I had extra time for issues like yoga, we will take pleasure in stretching repeatedly and easily transferring our our bodies as a lot as we will each day, which helps preserve us energetic. Babywearing our daughter doubles as a exercise and a bonding expertise, and cooking half of our meals in Koala permits us to keep up a nutritious eating regimen with out too many processed meals.
Babymoons: Touring Whereas Pregnant
France Highway Journey: From Galicia to Mont Saint-Michel
Earlier than our daughter was born, we launched into a memorable babymoon highway journey via France. Touring whereas pregnant was an journey in itself. The journey from Galicia to Mont Saint-Michel was fast-paced, crammed with stops at charming cities and landmarks.
The spotlight was visiting Mont Saint-Michel, a magical island commune with breathtaking views. Regardless of the challenges of touring throughout being pregnant, the journey was a improbable solution to bond and create lasting recollections earlier than our household expanded.
Spain Adventures: Exploring Regionally
As soon as our daughter arrived, we continued our love for van life with frequent highway journeys inside Spain as I shared earlier than. From the beautiful landscapes of the Pyrenees to the uncooked seashores of Cabo de Gata, every journey supplied new experiences. Koala turned our cell base, permitting us to discover Spain’s numerous areas whereas conserving our baby snug and entertained.
Suggestions for Touring with Children
Making ready for the Journey
Touring with a toddler requires some additional planning. Packing necessities like toys, snacks, and luxury gadgets is essential. We’ve discovered that having a well-stocked motorhome makes life on the highway a lot simpler. Making ready Koala for consolation and security entails making certain that it’s geared up with a safe sleeping space, sufficient drinkable water, ample storage, and a well-functioning kitchen for meals to begin with.
Retaining the Children Blissful and Wholesome
Journey Actions: Retaining a toddler entertained on lengthy drives might be difficult. We deliver alongside a wide range of small toys, books, and video games to maintain our daughter engaged. Easy dialog and music additionally assist make the journey extra fulfilling.
Wholesome Consuming on the Highway: Managing meals and snacks whereas touring is usually a bit tough, however it’s doable with just a little planning. We cook dinner half of our meals in Koala’s kitchen, which permits us to keep up a nutritious diet and accommodate any dietary preferences or wants.
Showers and Hygiene: Retaining everybody clear whereas on the highway is important. In our case, we like to mix showers in campgrounds and dips in lakes or seashores when potential with our motorhome’s bathe each different time we want a bathe. It’s all about discovering a stability that works for your loved ones.
Discovering Protected and Handy Parking
Discovering parking for in a single day stays is usually a problem, particularly in cities. We desire avenue parking or designated campervan spots when out there. In cities like Ghent, the place parking might be tough, planning forward is essential. We additionally search for protected and quiet areas to make sure a very good night time’s sleep. And if a spot feels off, it doesn’t matter what time is it or if it’s simply certainly one of us considering that method, we all the time search for one other one.
Conclusion
Touring full-time with youngsters is a novel and rewarding expertise. Our adventures with Koala have proven us the fun and challenges of van life, and we wouldn’t commerce the recollections we’ve made for something. For households contemplating an identical way of life, having the appropriate medical health insurance is essential. Nomad Well being gives complete protection that’s good for our nomadic adventures. To study extra about the way it can help your travels, go to their web site.
As now we have explored, embracing the van life with youngsters may include its personal set of challenges, however the rewards far outweigh them. With just a little planning and the appropriate help, you’ll be able to create nice experiences for your loved ones, irrespective of the place the highway takes you. Protected travels!
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