Europe Tour By Van: A Step-By-Step Guide
Who hasn’t dreamt of doing a great Europe tour? Amazing countries to discover, so much history to admire, different cultures, infinite traditional food and changes of languages from one hour to the next. And, which is the best and cheapest way to do so if not with a van? Indeed, van life means freedom! You will be able to change your plans according to what you will fancy more and you will have the chance to discover places that are not among the more touristic destinations. Yeah, this is the real beauty of doing a Europe tour by van: the possibility to get lost among European roads and spots that you’ve never heard of before!
So, what are you waiting for? Whether you want to plan your next holiday in the name of adventures or you are ready to quit your job and begin a fabulous and incomparable Europe tour for months, read on this guide and start to plan your trip!
1. Rent or buy a van
Depending on which is your plan, you should decide if it’s better to buy or rent your motorhome. Indeed, if you are willing to set off for a long road trip, you should think to buy one. Online you can easily find offers for used and reliable vans. On the contrary, if what you have in mind is just a vacation for some weeks, I reckon that, for the first time, it’s better to start with renting one. Looking for it on the internet, you will come across different websites that offer with a couple of clicks estimation of prices and easy booking methods. Good websites you should look at include SIXT Europe Car Rental, Auto Europe and Wicked Campers.
2. Set a budget and track your expenses
Preparing yourself at the best for your Europe tour by van means, also, staying on top of your expenses. First of all, you need to save money and set a budget for your trip. For doing this, you need to do some researches and come up with a realistic daily cost. On top of that, tracking your expenses is a simple manner to not go over your budget and understand how you can manage your money more efficiently.
There are also lots of ways to keep your van life costs down. For example, opt for wild camping and free spots for the night significantly help to save money. Plus, avoiding paid roads: your journey will be slower but cheaper, with the possibility to enjoy more what will surround you. The cool thing about a van is, that it offers the possibility to cook your own meals. Avoiding going to restaurants is the best way to cut your costs.
3. Where to stay
As said before, the freedom of the van offers plenty of options when it’s time to decide where to spend your nights. Of course, the easiest choice is to book a campsite where you will have all the facilities that you need. It’s not always the cheapest way though. There are, also, tons of fantastic places to stay which are better positioned, cheaper or often free. In order to find them, asking locals will be the most immediate and conscious choice for finding the best spots to stay in. On top of that, websites and apps will help you to easily find all the available locations around you. To start, have a look at these names: park4night.com, campercontact.com, campingcar-infos.com, and serchforsites.co.uk
4. Plan your itinerary
A Europe tour can involve different kinds of experiences. First of all, you need to design your itinerary according to your time and the season in which you think to set off your journey. A Mediterranean tour of the best beaches is obliged in summer, while for the cold months you should opt for skiing on the highest European mountains.
Another time, researches are indispensable for having a mental idea of what you don’t want to miss as well as ranking the countries. It will be helpful to design your budget too! If you have a strict budget, perhaps you should avoid expensive Scandinavian countries and replace them with cheaper East European ones. However, leave your itinerary open to embrace suggestions throughout your trip and get lost among the amazing places that you will discover only during your tour.
