When we first dreamed of exploring Europe, we knew we didn’t want it to be a checklist of capital cities or a blur of airports and hotels. Family caravan travel through Europe with Jai allowed us to focus on travel as a family and stick to a budget. We wanted to take our time and really experience the freedom of slow, unrushed travel. And we wanted to show Jai what life could look like without the hurry and busyness of everyday life.
That’s how the idea of travelling by caravan was born. Instead of moving every few days with backpacks or cramming into budget hotels, we bought a caravan, hitched it to Jeff’s work van, and set off with no fixed plan.
It became our little home on wheels, complete with a small kitchen, a bed big enough for all of us, and just enough space to fit Jai’s toys in!
Why We Chose Caravan Life
We’d owned campervans in the past – we often had vans in Australia and had driven around New Zealand in a converted van when we first met. So Europe in a van had been on our wishlist for many years.
Caravan life isn’t glamorous. It’s small. It’s sometimes messy. And with a 7 year old, it was often muddy, sandy or overflowing with treasures he’d collected that day!
But for us, it had all we needed:
- Freedom of movement: If we loved a town, we stayed. If it wasn’t right, we drove on. No hotel bookings tying us down.
- Budget-friendly: Campsites were often a fraction of the cost of hotels, and cooking in our own kitchen kept costs low. Plus, being able to stock up at local markets made food and camp cooking a part of the fun.
- Consistency for Jai: No matter where we parked, he always had his bed, his toys, and his safe little home. That stability mattered, especially for a young child travelling through so many new places.
It was also about simplicity. We lived with just a handful of clothes, a couple of pans, and a few little luxuries from home. Every item had to earn its place, and that pared-back way of living gave us more space for the experiences that really mattered.
Our Caravan Driving Route Through Europe
We started our journey in Kent, in the UK, driving through the Eurotunnel into France on an extremely early train. There’s something surreal about crossing into France with the whole of Europe ahead of you and your home attached to the back of your car!
From there, we slowly drove through Normandy, France, down towards the Pyrenees and south into Spain, tracing the coastline and stopping at campsites that overlooked the sea when we could. We timed our drive badly, as it was the summer holidays and many campsites were fully booked. We spent a few nights free camping and sleeping where we could.
But it also meant we spent longer in places we weren’t expecting to be – we fell in love with the small towns in the Pyrenees, far from the beaches, but with a beauty that made them irresistible.
After exploring northern Spain, we headed south into Portugal – driving down the coast to Porto, and eventually to Sesimbra with it’s incredible castle perched high on the hillside.
By then it was September, and we started the slow drive back to UK – through central Portugal and Spain, to reach the east coast, then back across the Pyrenees to the wealthy South of France, venturing into Monaco and northern Italy briefly before the cooler weather of autumn started setting in.
We could have squeezed in more countries, but that wasn’t the point. Instead of racing through Europe, we slowed down, spending weeks in each place. That gave us a rhythm, days for exploring, days for resting, days for just hanging out together.
Family Daily Life in a Caravan
People often ask what caravan life is really like with kids. The truth? It’s both fun and challenging.
Mornings started simply – coffee on the little gas stove, porridge or eggs at our fold-out table, and Jai running outside barefoot before we’d even had time to get dressed. Days were a mix of sightseeing, nature walks, swimming, or exploring local towns. Evenings were for simple dinners on the barbecue, games of Uno, or stargazing wrapped in blankets.
Yes, the space was tiny. Sometimes we tripped over each other, or the weather trapped us inside and everyone got grumpy. But we learned to adapt. Rainy days became game days. Long drives turned into geography lessons with Jai asking, “What country are we in now?”
We found some beautiful campsites, and some less so. But we had the freedom to go where we wanted, so even the less great places meant we could explore more and find somewhere better for us.
Highlights From the Road
Looking back, it’s the small details that made the trip memorable
- France: Picnics with fresh baguettes and cheese, wandering through markets and making fools of ourselves with our terrible French.
- Spain: Campsites filled with other families on the road, instant playmates for our son, and long evenings sitting outside eating and drinking late into the night.
- Italy: The joy of eating authentic pizza in picturesque harbours, seeing the distant snow-topped mountains, and driving winding roads that tested both our nerves and our brakes.
- Portugal: Swimming in turquoise waters, exploring hilly Porto, and catching up with old friends from UK.
Each country left us with moments we could never have planned – like the time our caravan almost got stuck in a narrow French street, or the day a thunderstorm flooded the campsite in Spain. Those stories became part of the fabric of our journey.
Practical Tips for Travelling Europe in a Caravan with Family
Here’s what we wish we’d known before setting off — the things that made caravan life smoother, cheaper, and more fun.
1. Campsite Apps & Resources
- Park4Night: Brilliant for finding both campsites and wild camping spots.
- Campercontact: Great for reviews and practical details (hookups, toilets, etc.).
- CampingCard ACSI: Offers big discounts on campsites outside high season.
2. Budgeting on the Road
- Campsites ranged from €20–€50 per night depending on the country. France was surprisingly affordable, while Portugal and Spain could be pricier (it was high season).
- Cooking your own meals saves a fortune. We loved buying fresh produce from local markets.
- Tolls add up, especially in France and Spain – budget for them or plan alternative routes.
3. Packing Essentials
- Levelling blocks (many campsites aren’t flat).
- Decent outdoor chairs and table for mealtimes outside.
- A portable clothesline – laundry is constant with kids!
- Games/books for rainy days when you’re stuck indoors.
- Good storage boxes to keep clutter under control in a tiny space.
4. Life With Kids
- Keep a basket of “car toys” only for driving days – it keeps them exciting.
- Give kids ownership: our son loved having his own little cupboard for toys and treasures. And he loved drawing our route on the map after every long drive.
- Make time for play and rest days – not every day needs to be sightseeing.
5. Mindset Matters
Caravan life is about flexibility. Plans will change. Weather will ruin things. Sometimes you’ll wish for more space. But if you embrace the unpredictability, it becomes part of the adventure.
What We Learned
Travelling by caravan through Europe wasn’t just a holiday. It was a crash course in patience, adaptability, and slowing down. And it prepared all of us for our next big adventure in Asia.
- Slow travel is richer: Staying longer in fewer places gave us real connections and memories that a whirlwind trip could never offer.
- Flexibility is everything: Weather changed, campsites were full, roads were closed. Plans went out the window often, but that’s where the best adventures began.
- Kids thrive in freedom: Jai adapted faster than we did. He loved the routine of waking up in new places, making friends, and having us around all the time.
- Less really is more: We lived with a fraction of what we owned back home, and we didn’t miss any of it.
Would We Do It Again?
Without a doubt. Caravan travel isn’t for everyone, but for us it was the ultimate way to combine adventure, freedom, and family connection. Europe was the perfect place to try out our new freedom-seeking lifestyle, with the comforts of home but experiences we’d never have staying in hotels and resorts.
Next, we traded the caravan for a backpack and plane tickets to Asia, and this trip was the first of many for us as a worldschooling family.
Thinking about travelling Europe with kids? Or curious about what caravan life is really like?
Drop your questions in the comments or connect with us on Instagram @realtravelfamily. We love sharing the reality of life on the road – the magical, the messy, and everything in between.