23 Countries in 1 Year in a Van / Travel

Just before the pandemic my family bought a motorhome and the four of us set off with no set plan for a year of travel and open roads. I studied my A-Levels online during this time. Luckily for us this was before Brexit so things will be different now. There's a lot of content, I'll try to keep it short and sweet.

Summary

Top tip for 'wild' camping - use Park4Night. Cook your own food, use free camping and avoid paid routes where possible. Germany was expensive to drive and Switzerland and Norway we found to be the most expensive. Everywhere out of the 23 countries we visited were stunning and I would revisit any of them in a heartbeat. The Baltic states are underrepresented. Italy was hard to drive a big van so be confident. My favourite place for photographs - Norway. It wasn't always easy, but remember - you're rarely stuck in the van.

For a family of four the year cost on average £65 a day including everything - food, fuel, camping and attractions. Practical thing we wish we'd known before going - some EU countries require a black box for you to drive on motorways.

Most Memorable & Best for Vans

For me, and my young brother who wants to move there, it has to be:

Norway

And I don't like the cold. What to expect? Nature -lots of it -, glaciers (Svartisen glacier - the second largest in Norway), northern lights if you're lucky, great fishing (go to Saltraumen), free camping spots to yourself and a dip in the Arctic sea. Most sites were free to camp but the food is expensive - we stocked up in Germany. Free sites included: Dovre, Haukland Beach, lake Femunden and Kiruna. Fishing is free and compost toilets are usually provided. Other countries great for motorhomes include France and Morocco.

Musts: The Trollstigen mountain road with valleys, fjords, waterfalls, and timber houses. Geirangerfjord is possibly Norway’s most famous fjord and is a UNESCO Heritage site. Don't forget the Atlantic road. Taking The ferry over to Moskenes was stunning but rough.

Lofoten Islands - Norway

Moskenes Camping was situated right by the ferry port so it was in a perfect place by the ocean with great facilities. Reine is the most famous village on the archipelago, with a mountain backdrop, glistening ocean surrounding the red timber houses reflecting in the turquoise water. We cycled both ways exploring the villages of Tind, Sørvågen and Å. If you get the chance hike to Kvalvika beach near Fredvang. The fishing villages of Nykvåg and Hovden were abandoned in September and were the most memorable destinations, here we saw the Northern Lights.

For Kids

Lego House, Billund, Denmark.
Copernicus Science Centre, Warsaw.
Carcassonne a UNESCO Heritage Site castle, France.
Dune du Pilat, France.
Saturnia, Italy - hot springs!
Anywhere with a beach, fishing spot, playground or swimming pool.

Unique Sites

Nature:

Saintes Maries-de-la-Mer, The Camargue, France. Wild horses and salt marshes.
Mourèze, France - unusual landscape.
Zugspitze (tallest mountain in Germany).
M'Hamid El Ghizlane or/and Erg Chigaga desert camp- the Sahara Desert, Morocco! Drive through Ait Sedrate.
Camp along the cliffs of Lagoa e Carvoeiro, Portugal.
Drive through the Spanish desert Bardenas Reales.
Lake Bled, Slovenia.

History:

Liepaja Northern Forts, Latvia.
Hill of Crosses, Lithuania - pilgrimage site.
Treblinka camp, Poland.
Wieliczka Salt Mine, Poland
Sedlec Ossuary, Czech.
UNESCO Heritage Site Vers-Pont-du-Gard, France.
Matera and Rome, Italy.

Art & Culture:

Figueres for the Salvador Dali museum, Spain.
Gaudi park, Barcelona.
Sierra Alhamilia, Spain - for Game of Throne lovers (free camping in the desert).
Uffizi Museum, Florence.

Towns/Cities: