It's a big step to start vanlife but here we go

Living in a campervan offers a unique way to explore the diverse landscapes, rich history, and vibrant cultures of so many different countries. With stunning coastlines, majestic mountains, and charming towns and a cheaper way of living. In our first post, we tell you why we made the decision to start our adventure

The first 9 months.

After leaving the UK we will spend 3 months in Spain before crossing over to Morocco where we will spend a further 3 months. We then head back into Spain and head north. The journey will be split into 90 days before leaving the EU for the following 90 days

1. Why?

We first visited Spain in 1999 and loved it so much, we stayed for nine years. We eventually returned to the UK to be with family. Now our families are all grown up and have lives of their own. We are both in our 60's but think we still have lots of life left in us. We are so tired of whet the UK has become and feel that every other country has so much more to offer us

2. How?

We purchased our campervan in 2025. It was brand new and exactly what we wanted. It ticked all the boxes whether we ended up in another country or just holidays in the UK. The Autosleepers Kingham is on a Fiat Ducato base, a two berth and is packed with everything (well almost) that we need.

So what's onboard? Of course it has everything you would expect in a new campervan, including solar power. We immediately changed the 100Ah battery for a 300Ah as we will be off-grid 99% of the time. It has a small shower cubicle but we also purchased an outdoor shower for beach days. This saves bringing all the sand in the van.

It has a 125l fresh water tank and we also carry two spare 25l tanks. The onboard LPG tank should last 2-3 weeks.

3. When?

Our departure ferry is booked for the 1st November, it's been booked for a year so this hasn't been a quick decision. It's took a lot of planning and preparation. We have had a business to close down and lot's of loose ends to tie before we leave. At the end of the day, we consider this to be a permanent move, there's no running back

4. Where?

We arrive in Santander and drive into Spain where we will spend the first three months of our new van life. We initially wanted to stay in Spain but the visa process was far too complicated. It's also difficult legally in a UK plated campervan. We finally decided to play the 90 day rule, dipping in and out of the EU. This would give us scope to see so many more countries but it will increase the challenge to a level beyond belief