Van life: Our return after 3 years in a van, 4x4, and bike

We hear more and more about Van life around us, we’ve experienced this lifestyle and we tell you everything: the pros, the cons, and everything you need to know before diving into van life!

What is Van life?

Let’s start by defining Van life.

It’s a nomadic lifestyle sought by people who crave freedom and adventure.

Van life is about changing your life to travel the world in a van, living in your vehicle and leaving behind sedentary life.

Who invented Van life?

In 1885, William Gordon Stables, a Scottish doctor, decided to cross Great Britain with his caravan out of passion. He named it "The Wanderer".

This motorhome did not have a thermal engine, but rather real horses to move it! William marked the beginning of Van life, even though we’re far from the 150,000€ fully equipped vans we know today, the essentials were still there in his caravan.

For reference, motorhomes only became popular in the 1970s, making William a pioneer of Van life.

Van life adopted by the hippie movement

This is the image everyone pictures when thinking of Van life: late 70s, hippies traveling the world in the Volkswagen Combi model, thirsting for freedom.

Today: vanlifers, the representatives of Van life

If you want to learn more about Van life, there are many vanlifers today who have chosen this way of life and invite you aboard their vans, campers, or even buses to give you all the details of this nomadic life.

You’re on the right path, and it’s a good start to get an idea of Van life, but like many things, it’s better to experience it firsthand to really understand the feelings of Van life. Living it through others is different, and even though they usually show you the good moments on their YouTube or Instagram channels, in reality, it’s even better, and you have to experience it to feel it.

What budget for Van life?

Even though living in a van is synonymous with returning to basics and minimalism, Van life still has a cost that must be considered before embarking on the adventure.

How much does a converted van cost?

It depends on the choice you make:

• A motorhome
• A van converted by a professional
• A van converted by yourself
• A van converted by a professional
• Convert a van yourself (table, bed, fridge, accessories, ...)

Additionally, if you plan to travel to places where it's cold, you’ll need to budget for proper insulation and even auxiliary heating.

If you own a utility van and convert it with our Combeing solution, expect to spend around €3500 to start your Van life journey.

If you buy a van to convert it yourself, expect to spend around €10,000-€15,000.

As for a custom-converted van or motorhome, be prepared to budget €60,000-€100,000.

Yes, Van life has a price before you even start. That’s why we’ve created an affordable solution to convert your utility van into a camper van and be able to experience Van life without spending too much money.

How much does it cost to live in a van?

Living in a van costs around €400 to €600 per month per person, based on our experience.

Here’s a list of your expenses for daily life in a van or camper:

• Fuel and tolls
• Insurance for the van
• Van repairs
• Gas for cooking
• Water (be sure to have good autonomy)
• Electricity
• Laundry services
• Food
• Campsites
• Mobile phone plan
• Various activities

The majority of expenses are related to the van itself, including insurance, repairs, and fuel. Food also represents a significant portion of daily expenses. But keep in mind that living in an apartment comes with similar expenses (heating, food, etc.) and is much higher!

How to make money living in a van?

To earn money on the road, there are several ways to make a living:

• Vanlifer or Vanlife influencer: live off your followers on social media (typically Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram) or a blog
• Alternate between travel and work with short-term jobs like hospitality or farming (fruit picking)
• Teach online with platforms like Udemy
• If you’re a graphic designer, video editor, photographer, or similar, sign up on Fiverr to get hired
• Translate texts if you speak multiple languages
• Become a Community Manager and find a company that offers 100% remote work by managing their social media
• Become a content writer to improve the SEO of business websites by writing articles in your van in the middle of nature, or for a magazine

Where to go in Van life?

It’s hard to make a top 10 list of must-see destinations around the world. After traveling around the globe, we realized, after speaking with other vanlifers, that our favorite places are often linked to a story or a particular adventure that happened in that location.

Whether it's a positive memory or a mechanical issue (you'll go through this phase), we always find solutions, and the memories remain wonderful!

Van life in France: must-see destinations

Where to go with a van in France?

Our best van destinations in France are:

1. Brittany, the perfect road trip to do in a van
2. Corsica, ideal for a 3-week road trip to fully explore the island
3. The Basque Country with a surfing culture and Van life everywhere
4. The Alps with incredible mountain hikes

Van life in Australia: return after 3 years living in a van, 4x4, and converted car

We toured Australia for 3 years in a 4x4, then a van, and finally a car. Here’s a detailed article telling the story of our Australian road trip. We’ve also included a map if you want to follow our trail. Guided by the seasons, we usually avoid heavy rain, wind, or extreme heat during our travels.

Van life in New Zealand: 3 months by bike, an incredible way to travel

After Australia, we decided to detour to New Zealand before returning to France. This time, my partner wanted to take on the challenge of traveling across the two islands by bike.
We’ll tell you all about this bike road trip with the sacrifices it requires, but also the advantages of being able to travel on smaller paths compared to a van or camper trip.

Van life in Europe: incredible destinations

When extending the best road trip destinations to Europe, the choice becomes harder and harder.

But if we talk about what we’ve experienced:

• Portugal
• Corsica (yes, again)
• The national parks in Wales with landscapes reflecting the wonders of nature
• Hungary with its natural reserves
• Poland
• Slovakia
• Brittany

What are the pros and cons of Van life?

What are the benefits of Van life?

The benefits of Van life are numerous!

It’s hard to give you an exhaustive list.

After 3 years of Van life, it was hard to return to "real life," which is why we decided to start converting vans with the company Combeing. This allows us to continue traveling on weekends and vacations, and to hear daily stories from Van life enthusiasts who tell us about their more incredible journeys.

But the most important benefit is the freedom that Van life brings. You’re free to go wherever you want, whenever you want, change your plans last minute, without the constraints of Airbnb reservations.

What are the downsides of living in a van?

Household chores: changing the gas bottle, doing dishes, emptying waste water

But even at home, we have to do this. Ultimately, there aren’t many downsides to Van life. It’s quite easy to find water, toilets, showers, etc...

Van life means always being on the road; you’re never in the same place for long. That’s the nomadic life principle. So, after a few years, it can sometimes be tiring to change locations, languages, and customs all the time. But you quickly get used to this new challenge...

Practical tips for Van life

What are the best books on Van life?

When it comes to advice, we prefer to take an average of the opinions of several people who have experienced Van life. Therefore, we recommend reading a few books before embarking on Van life and finding a vanlifer who most resembles your character to follow their advice and better understand the Van life.

Here’s a list of books that could help you:

• Vanlife in France
• Traveling in a Van: The Guide to Traveling Differently
• Weekends in a Van
• Road Trips in France
• Convert your Van
• Convert a Van into a Motorhome
• Traveling in a Van
• Converting Your Van from A to Z

Using Van life apps

One app we used the most is Wikicampers. Here, we talk more about Park4Night. You can see ratings for spots, comments from individuals, ask questions, find highway areas or places to sleep, check availability, or see if there are showers. A more in-depth search will lead you to apps that will accompany you throughout your journey and answer your needs and questions.