70 years after the publication of Jack Kerouac’s novel On the Road, and 12 years after Foster Huntington* launched the hashtag #vanlife, the VanLife has been democratised. More comfortable, more family-friendly, for weekends or holidays, it’s now a way for everyone to enjoy a holiday in total freedom!
Since the advent of transport, the road has been one of the most widely used means of travelling, from the ancestral stagecoach to the motor home of the 20th century and the van of today. Here’s a closer look at VanLife and its travel style.
How about adopting the VanLife in complete safety this summer?
VanLife, a way of life on the road
Even before the birth of the hashtag on social networks initiated by Foster Huntington*, vanlife is an alternative lifestyle that has won over many followers over the last ten years. This phenomenon, which combines adventure and simplicity on the road, offers a unique experience for those who want to escape the traditional everyday life.
Today, with the range of equipment available (roof tents, conversion kits, electrical stations, etc.) at affordable prices, the Van Life can be considered for a weekend or a holiday, alone, with your partner, friends or family.
But what does vanlife really consist of and how do you go about adopting it?
What is vanlife?
At the origin of the movement
Vanlife has its roots in the nomadic, minimalist lifestyle of the beat generation in the 60s and 70s. Another symbolic figure was the hippy movement, with its famous Volkswagen Combi, which travelled thousands of kilometres around the world.
Today, it’s much more than just a trend: it’s a real state of mind, where people are looking for freedom, autonomy, chance encounters and closeness to nature.
The iconic vehicles of vanlife
The choice of vehicle is essential if you are to enjoy this experience to the full. While Volkswagen vans remain popular, other models of converted vans or even motorhomes are also popular with vanlifers, right up to the latest electrically-powered model.
The important thing is to find the vehicle that meets your needs in terms of space, comfort and budget.
Other less expensive and more practical options include converting your existing vehicle or equipping it with a roof tent and other accessories: ideal for going on holiday without breaking the bank!
Reasons for the popularity of vanlife
Influence of social networks
The rise of social networks such asInstagram, YouTube and travel blogs has greatly contributed to the popularity of vanlife. These platforms allow travellers to share their adventures and nomadic lives with the whole world. In fact, the hashtag #vanlife has millions of publications reflecting the craze for this lifestyle.
Seeking freedom and autonomy
Vanlife also appeals for its liberating aspect in an often restrictive society. Living in a converted vehicle frees you from the constraints of renting or buying a traditional house, while offering great flexibility when it comes to travelling.
People who follow this lifestyle can change their landscape as they please and decide for themselves the pace of their lives.
Environmental concerns
The minimalist lifestyle promoted by vanlife is often associated with more responsible consumption that respects the environment.
Using solar panels to power the vehicle and reducing waste to a minimum are just some of the good practices adopted by vanlifers concerned about preserving our planet.
Advantages and disadvantages of vanlife
Advantages of vanlife
Among the many advantages of this lifestyle are the following:
- Freedom: being able to travel wherever and whenever you want, with no geographical constraints
- Savings: lower fixed costs (rent, electricity, etc.) and reduced consumption apart from fuel.
- Adventure: discovering new horizons and meeting new people
- A more relaxed pace of life in line with personal aspirations
Disadvantages of vanlife
As with any lifestyle choice, vanlife also has its drawbacks:
- Limited comfort: the vehicle’s limited space can be a source of discomfort and frustration
- Logistical problems: finding places to park, managing water, toilets and showers can be a problem.
- Precarious security: the risk of theft or vandalism must be taken into account
- Social relations: living on the road can sometimes lead to feelings of isolation
Practical advice for adopting vanlife
Planning, parking, the environment… a few tips and practical ideas to help you get through it:
Vehicle conversion
To make the most of your vanlife experience, it’s crucial to fit out your vehicle properly. It’s advisable, for example, to optimise the interior space by installing functional storage units. Choose lightweight, durable materials to reduce the vehicle’s weight, and adopteco-driving techniques to limit fuel consumption.
Parking and legislation
It’s important to find out about the regulations in force concerning parking for adapted vehicles in the different countries, regions and towns you visit.
In France, for example, it is forbidden to camp in towns, but authorised in specific areas or in car parks in certain communes.
Another basic principle is respect for the rules of good neighbourliness and taking care not to disturb local residents.
Respect for the environment
Finally, adopting an eco-responsible attitude is essential when it comes to van life. For example, by using eco-friendly cleaning products, limiting waste and leaving no trace of your visit.
For certain tourist, local or regional journeys, once you’re there you can also opt for public transport or car-sharing, where possible to reduce your environmental impact.
The van life is a way of life that appeals because of its freedom and adventurous nature. Although it can be challenging, it offers a unique and rewarding experience for those who want to get off the beaten track.
By adopting this alternative lifestyle, you’ll discover a new world where the essential takes precedence over the superfluous, and where every day is a new adventure to be lived to the full.
Another option is to choose van life during your holidays and weekends, for a different way of going on holiday.
So, are you ready to join the community of vanlifers?
Equipping yourself for Van Life?
As well as a van, you can also convert your car for a Van Life holiday. Here are a few suggestions for equipment to get you started on your next holiday:
Roof tent
As its name suggests, it’s designed to be fitted to the roof of your car, so you can sleep in safety and comfort. The roof tent offers great mobility and saves space inside the vehicle.
There are different models, depending on your budget, your space requirements and, of course, the size of your roof.
- Find a roof tent? Consult the Naitup online catalogue
Vehicle fitting kit
Ideal for transforming your car and fitting out its space for your next trip. With this kit you can sleep, store your belongings or prepare the kitchen with your favourite equipment.
Easy to fit without tools, it’s compatible with more than a hundred models, including cars, minivans and vans.
- Find a vehicle conversion kit? Consult the online catalogue
Portable electric station
Need extra power for your equipment (computer, small electrical appliances, lamp, smartphone, etc.)?
The portable power station gives you peace of mind and can be recharged from the mains, in your car, via USB or with an optional solar panel.
- Ecoflow? portable electric station Consult the range and options
Maps, books, podcasts and videos about van life
And to keep you going, here are a few books, guides, radio programmes and videos to complete your overview of van life.
Maps and guides for touring
Au fil des routes, vanlife guides and road maps for adventure withIGN:
Van life magazines, guides and books
Vanlife, the magazine
Van Life magazine is opening up a new way to live out your passion for travel and escape in a converted van.
On the pages of this quarterly magazine, you’ll find all the information you need to choose your next vehicle, put it to use and follow in the footsteps of the legendary combis that have criss-crossed the world.
The aim of this magazine is to summarise what’s new.
Best value for money, usefulness, it gives out the good points as well as the bad. The editorial team also provides tips and advice on how to make the most of your motorised property.
Lucky van owners, have you had any problems finding your haven of peace?
Don’t panic, the magazine also offers a panorama of the best places to discover. For a night or a lifetime, the planet has them all. Since they don’t appear on the maps, the members of the editorial team list them for subscribers to enjoy.
Free or annual subscription, paper or digital:
Camping-car and Van Guide in FRANCE
More and more holidaymakers are discovering France and criss-crossing its regions in motorhomes, and at last they have a guide designed just for them.
This Petit Futé de la France en camping- car offers a selection of itineraries from Brittany to Alsace, from Normandy to Provence on the most beautiful roads in France.
The essentials of what to see and visit, good restaurants, service and parking areas and campsites are presented for each route.
The most beautiful tours by Le Petit Futé
In your favourite bookshop or online via :
Weekends in a van: 52 destinations in France
In this updated edition of the Weekends in a Van guide, Volume 1, you’ll find lots of ideas for tailor-made weekends in a van, in 52 destinations in France :
Activities, places to visit, places to take a break, good places to eat and party.
Not forgetting our top tips for finding the best place to spend the night (rest areas, parking in the countryside, campsites…), and our advice on making the most of vanlife.
Weekends in a van in France by Michelin, volume 1
In your favourite bookshop or online via :
Partir en Van: The guide to alternative travel
Living on the road in a converted van means waking up each morning to a different landscape, and rediscovering the flavour of a simple, nomadic, eco-responsible and economical way of life, far from the superfluous and reconnected to the rhythms of nature.
For a weekend, a holiday or longer… alone, as a couple or a family, to work or to enjoy your retirement in a different way… you can travel according to your needs and desires.
In this guide, a veritable reference for the van lifestyle, you’ll find all the practical advice and tips you need to :
- Calculate your budget
- Choosing your vehicle (purchased or leased)
- Fitting out your van
- Planning your road trip
- Selecting the right equipment
- Manage day-to-day life and any unforeseen circumstances (meals, laundry, minor injuries, breakdowns, etc.).
Throughout these pages, experienced Vanlifers share their experiences.
What if this year was the opportunity to take the time to discover France and its most beautiful regions?
Leaving in a van, a guide by Camille Visage and Pierre Rouxel
In your favourite bookshop or online via :
France: Road trips in a van
From the great capes of the Opal Coast to the sparkling peaks of the Pyrenees, from the monoliths of the Breton forests to the dizzying waterfalls of the Jura, discover a secret and little-known France through the itineraries and travel stories of two vanlife enthusiasts!
Joana and Éric left their daily lives as architects in 2015 to set off on an adventure along the roads of North America. A first experience of over 200,000 kilometres!
Having returned to France in 2020, these lovers of the open road have not abandoned their way of life. Aboard two vans they’ve renovated themselves – Toaster, the blue Combi with a bohemian spirit, and Kaktus, the unstoppable explorer – they’ve chosen to take to the back roads of France and explore every secret nook and cranny.
In this book, they share their itineraries and their discoveries, both expected and unexpected, after a year spent criss-crossing the country. They also offer technical and practical advice for anyone who would like to embark on a van adventure of their own.
If you love travelling and the great outdoors, France by road is for you, with landscapes to contemplate, walks to enjoy and peaceful corners to discover.
Wild and bucolic itineraries, by Joana Boukhabza and Eric Bournot
In your favourite bookshop or online via :
In a van around the world
Driven by a need for freedom, a desire for nomadism or a thirst for the great outdoors, these extraordinary travellers have left everything behind to live on the road. Passionate about vans of all kinds, they have decided to turn their Volkswagen Combi or Mercedes Sprinter into a real home on four wheels.
Whether it’s Foster, who has left New York to travel 130,000 kilometres across North America in his VW T3, James, who is criss-crossing the North West Pacific in his yellow VW T2 to conquer the waves, or Calum, who has travelled the length and breadth of Europe as far as Scandinavia in his VW T4, what they all have in common is an irrepressible need to live in the open air and follow their own desires.
Interviewed by Foster Huntington, they all talk about what fuelled their dream and made it a reality.
From a makeshift bed nestled among surfboards to a tiny flat with a wood-burning stove, each of them has fashioned their van in their own image. From one lorry to another, from one territory to another, they each embody in their own way the quintessence of van life: the destination is far less important than the movement itself.
Constant customisation, breakdowns of all kinds, exceptional encounters – discover what makes their lives a permanent road-trip!
En van autour du monde, by Foster Huntington, translated by Hélène Borraz
In your favourite bookshop or online via :
Podcasts and radio
Chronicles or radio programmes, podcast on the subject:
- Complètement à la rue, micro trottoir by Quentin Lhui
Hector and his candour, Charlotte and Romane who wouldn’t necessarily go on this kind of holiday, Edwige who is going to Brittany this summer with her boyfriend and Camille who sees ‘nomads’ as a very broad category of people.
- Zoom zoom zen, programme by Matthieu Noël
Van life” means living in a converted vehicle for a set period of time. This trend is attracting more and more “van lifers”. Who are these people who seek escape on the road?
- Côté Experts, The Vanlife Expo trade show
If you’re an adventurer at heart, or intend to become one, you may have already thought about going on holiday in a converted vehicle. A van, why not, but also other vehicles such as a van or a simple car, for example.
- Experts, a romantic teleworking version of nomadic life for two
It’s all the rage at the moment to fit out your van and go on a road trip, so how do you go about it and where do you go? Dana and Stéphane have taken the plunge and have put together a guide to help you make sense of it all.
Videos and van life
Feedback, practical advice and a bit of humour, all on video:
Travel
Want to follow 3 years of Vanlife, practical advice and other roadtrips?
Philippe and Michel (that’s the name of the van) will take you on a tour of France:
For a smile on nomadic life in a van
Fancy a bit of humour on the subject? Fake reportage and an acid column are on the programme!
- The real life of a digital nomad, Broute:
- La vanlife, Moi, ce que j’en dis… by Yann Marguet on France Inter :
Hire a van, motorhome, find a campsite?
Because sometimes you need to find a campsite for a little (more) comfort, and hiring a van or camper van could also be a way of fulfilling your desire for a van life!
Van and motorhome hire
Whether you’re in France, Europe or the rest of the world, CamperDays is the place to rent and hit the road:
Camping pitch
Looking for a camping pitch for your car, van or motorhome?
It’s up to you to choose from our selection of pitches for your vehicle:
And finally, I’d like to wish you a safe journey, whatever your mode of transport… #VanHoliday!