In 2017, with the idea of a 3 month trip around Europe, we purchased a Westfalia Columbus 600D campervan. Based on a 6 metre Fiat Ducato panel van it gave us a fixed rear-bed with loads of storage underneath, hob+sink and a loo/shower. We had hired a VW California a few times but decided that for an extra 1 metre in length the extra room, standing height, together with fixed bed and loo/shower would provide a far more liveable space for a longer trip, without compromising too much on the size and usability.
After a few UK weekend trips I booked by extended leave from work 
and we set-off for Europe pretty much as beginners and only a loose idea of a route up through Norway. We soon settled into things and three months later we’d covered 14,000 km and visited 11 countries. Mainly wild/free camping we sought out campsites only for laundry and a few remote working days, which reduced our costs significantly (see here for details on our budget). The freedom was liberating – Europe is so much easier in a camper than the UK – though in hindsight we were too ambitious on our route plan and did way too many miles, too fast. We packed in an awful lot but skimmed the surface of many places.
You can see our full route and overnight stops click on our Polarsteps page:
https://www.polarsteps.com/amountainhigh/757938-northern-exposure
We now have the bug and have no plans to sell the van. We find the 6m van size perfect for the two of us (+ dog), allowing us comfortable space and not limiting our ability to reach remote and out-of-the way spots.
Since our euro-trip we’ve spent many weeks away in the UK and a trip to Poland’s Baltic coast. Our biggest challenge is finding the time while we are still working!
Recent #vanlife posts
Get ready for your first campervan trip to Europe
In the summer of 2018, a few months after buying our first campervan, we headed off on our first journey across the Channel as we embarked on a 3-month trip around Europe. Europe is a wonderfully welcoming and diverse region waiting to be explored. More importantly, unlike some of the Read More …
How to Watch TV in your Campervan
Whilst many of us like to get away in our campervans, a bit of TV does no harm whether its keeping up with the news, keeping the kids occupied or helping while away dark winter evenings. But what are the options for receiving/watching TV in your campervan when you’re out Read More …
Norway Highlights
Our 3-month campervan trip in the summer of 2018 was planned around visiting Norway and in particular heading up to the Lofoten Islands. Norway is such a stunning country, so rich in natural beauty its difficult to define the highlights. Sometimes just rounding a bend will give another view to Read More …
Wye Valley Weekend Wander
August bank holiday often seems to signal the end of summer but with a forecast of warm weather after a miserable few weeks of rain we decided to hot-foot it down the M4 to the Wye Valley in the campervan. After a busy drive down the M4 we crossed the Read More …
Self-Install GPS Tracker for your Campervan or Motorhome
With an apparent increase of motorhome/campervan thefts, security is a hot topic on Facebook groups/forums and GPS trackers are a commonly discussed option. Approved trackers, professionally installed and monitored, are often mandated by insurance companies for high-value vehicles. But cheap self-install options are available. Some will say GPS trackers are a waste of Read More …
Europe Camper Trip Overnight Stops
The video below is a compilation of our overnight stops during our three month trip to Europe in the summer of 2018. I’ve also added all our overnight stops from our three month Europe trip on the map below. Blue = free/wild overnight spots Red = campsite/aire paid overnight stops Read More …
Budget Breakdown: Three Month Europe Campervan Trip
Following our three-month trip around Europe this summer I received several messages asking for information on costs/budget for our trip. I’ve managed to collate a log of all our spending during the 3-month trip and prepare a full breakdown of our spending for the entire trip. Some context/caveats on our Read More …
A plan hatched and executed!
A somewhat belated post as we are already a month into our trip. We bought our campervan (a Westfalia Columbus 600D) last August with the idea of eventually taking an extended break from work and undertaking a tour around Europe. Fast forward to this year and after a couple of Read More …