A Month in a Caravan. Easy.
June 2012 we spent with my family in southern Europe — in Croatian Camping Split. It was a crucial experience. It has showed us, that it would be possible to life half a year in a caravan. Very easily.
Questions before our stay
- Will we have everything we need?
- What about doctors and eventual injuries or sicknesses?
- Have we forgotten something essential?
- Will both caravan and the car make the long trip?
Traveling differently and better
I have traveled through several comfortable locations and I realized that appetite is proportional to opportunities. Tourist sightseeings are full of hoodies and both fake and genuine Vuitton's. Couple of times I thought that this was beginning to get boring and I would like to expand my boundaries bit further.
I have stopped traveling with a travel agency ages ago. In fact I went just once with travel agency to Greece – it took 28 hours with old Karosa bus. Nowadays travel agency does not add any value for me. And what is more, I would have to stick to the schedule. There's a plethora of opportunities how to enjoy planning of your own trip:
- Control Risks – current level of risk abroad
- Google Maps – unbeatable route planner
- Yr.no – weather including yearly temperature charts
- Booking, HRS, AirBnB, HomeAway – biggest accommodation database
- MZV – Czech source of information regarding travel duties and risks
Much closer to my mind is experience and exploration focused traveling. Well, the same way as Mr. Hanzelka and Mr. Zikmund did some time ago. In fact, there is a variety of examples, that can provide you inspiration and courage to travel on four wheels (or more).
- Lambarene expedition – Africa in Tatra 138
- Trans Trabant Expedition – different parts of the world in a Trabant
- Wally Byam – Airstream caravan inventor
- Toyota Adventure – Czechs in Toyota around the world
- Route 66 – information in Czech about mother of all trips
- Wiki Voyage – Czech news from Wikipedia
Another level of traveling, we would like to try, was to travel without much planning. Just to some place with our caravan, stay there as long as we would like and from there we would choose our next destination.
Proper preparation of our trip
We did not want to underestimate our first longer trip. So two months before the trip we started to make a list of things we might need.
The same way as for bungalow, we are taking a bit more things for our caravan than to a hotel. It is a food and dishes, but also our favorite Nespresso coffee maker, that will make great espresso and lungo at the end of the world as well.
Above all, in June/July 2012 a caravan trip was still a crazy vision, so I did not want to spend too much, in case it would not work. My vision to break the stereotype was more than clear. Simply speaking: I had no other option than to go and see in Croatia.
Kids and stuff around our Caravan
Technical notes
- We had no air-conditioning, but it would be nice to have it for work
- Service in Burimex is a bargain
- You can find doctors through locals on Couch Surfing
- Sun intensity in Europe:
Sun Shine and hottest parts of Europe
What to take with you for longer trip
- Tools, electrometer
- Map of Europe, catalog of campsites
- CCI and ACSI discount cards
- Cards, dices, board games
- Detergents
- Sanitary items, special toilet paper
- Swimming trunks, inflatable toys, sunshade
- Passports
- Pillows, duvets, blankets
- Spices, tea, coffee
- Films / games
- Books for reading
- Plastic dishes
- Cutlery, spoon, ladle, dish-towel
- Kettle for clean water
- Coffeemaker Nespresso
- Electric Kettle
- Pot, pan, colander
- Corkscrew
- Baking tin
- Socket changer
- Electric heater
- Hand vacuum cleaner
- Children bath
- Camera, tripod
- Clothes-racks
- Lamp, hanging lamp
- 2x notebook, notebook charger, battery charger
- 2x cellphone charger
- Keyboard, tablet, screen
- long 1/2” and 3/4” hoses
A few shots from our Caravan Experience in the first year (2012)
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