By Cheri Sicard
Have you ever dreamed of ditching the daily grind, selling everything, and hitting the open road? That’s exactly what UK RVer Carly of The Curious Collective did. She’s currently exploring Spain and heading south along the coast.
Can you really travel Europe on a budget? Carly says yes, and she made the video to share her tips and strategies for budget European travel in a camper van.
Finding free campsites in Europe
One of the biggest ways Carly saves money is by finding free places to park the van. In France, these are often called “aires.” In Spain, these areas are called “areas.” They’re basically camper van areas, and some are free, while others charge a fee. You can find them on Google Maps.
Another great resource is the Park4Night app that helps find motorhome areas. Carly says that France and Spain are motorhome-friendly and offer lots of these areas, some free, some paid. Be sure to watch the video as Carly goes into detail about some of the areas where she has stayed.
Carly has cooking facilities and a 12-volt fridge in the van, so she doesn’t have to eat out all the time.
To power everything, she carries two 100-watt solar panels and a 2,000-watt inverter. So she is fully self-sufficient.
Internet on the road
Since Brexit, EU roaming charges have become an issue for many UK networks. To avoid paying extra for data, Carly bought a Wi-Fi router that accepts a SIM card that you can use to connect to the internet. She gives more details in the video, but it costs about €25 (about $28) for 100GB of data.
Carly says fuel is much cheaper in Spain than in the UK. It cost her £87 (about $115) to fill up the tank as opposed to £120 (about $159) in the UK.
The bottom line is that van life in Europe doesn’t have to be expensive. By finding free campsites, cooking your own meals, and being smart about internet access, you can travel on a budget and still have an amazing experience.
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RVDT2637
Thank you, Cheri, for sharing this informative and interesting video. I can see how/why she can do this. I find driving a tiny rental car in Europe challenging enough without the increased size of an RV. We’ll stick with rental cars and hotel rooms if we return. Meanwhile, there is much of the lower-48, Canada, and Alaska still to be explored. Have a great day and safe travels!