How to plan a campervan trip: route, camp spots, and what to check

A campervan trip trades a fixed itinerary for freedom: you sleep where the view is good, you stop when you like, and your bed travels with you. The freedom has some limits, though. Vans are slow, campsites fill up, the rules on where you may park overnight differ from place to place, and a van that is not set up properly turns a good idea into a long week.

A little planning before you collect the keys is what makes the freedom real.

Choose a route that suits a van

A van is not a car. It is taller, heavier and slower on hills, and many are harder to park in towns. Plan with that in mind.

• Keep the daily distance short. Three or four hours of driving a day leaves time to stop, cook and walk. Long days in a van feel longer than in a car.
• Prefer a loop or a coast to a line. A loop avoids driving back over the same ground.
• Check the road type. Narrow lanes, low bridges, steep passes and ferries all matter. Look up the height and width of your vehicle, and use a navigation app or map set for large vehicles where one is available.
• Leave a spare day. Weather, a mechanical problem or a place you do not want to leave will use it.

If the route includes an island or a crossing, check how vehicles are booked. Island hopping by ferry covers timings and why vehicle spaces can need booking earlier than foot passengers. For a longer route that takes in several stops, plan a road trip goes through the basics, including how to pace the days.

Where you can sleep

This is the part that surprises people most. Rules about overnight parking and camping vary by country, region and even town, and they change. In some places, parking and sleeping in a van on a public road or car park is tolerated or allowed; in others it is restricted or banned, especially near beaches, in national parks and in towns.

Your options are usually:

1. Official campsites. Reliable, with water, toilets and often electricity. They can be booked in advance and are the safest choice in busy seasons.
2. Dedicated motorhome and campervan stopping places. Many areas have simple aires or stopovers with basic services.
3. Private land, with the owner's permission, which some farms and vineyards offer.
4. Wild camping, where it is allowed. Check the local rules for where you are going, using the official tourism or land authority's site, and leave no trace if you do it.

Do not assume that because you have seen others parked for the night, it is permitted. Look for signs, and ask locally if you are unsure. Choose spots that are quiet, level and away from the edge of a cliff, a river or a road.

Water, power and waste

A van's basics decide how long you can go between stops.

• Water. Know the size of the fresh water tank and where you can fill it. Drinking water points are marked on many maps and apps for van travellers.
• Waste. Grey water and toilet cassettes have to be emptied at proper points, not on the ground. Plan where you will do it.
• Power. Hook-up at a campsite charges the leisure battery. Without it, the battery and sometimes solar panels run lights, a fridge and phone charging. Use less than you think you need.
• Gas. Check the gas cylinder before you leave, and find out whether fittings are the right ones for where you are going, since they differ between countries.
• Heating and ventilation. Never run a heater or stove in a closed van, and open a vent when you cook. Know where the fire extinguisher is.

Check the van before you drive off

When you pick up or buy a van, spend half an hour checking it rather than driving straight away.

1. Walk around the outside and photograph any damage with the owner or hire company.
2. Ask them to show you how everything works: gas, water, electricity, the bed, the toilet and the awning.
3. Check tyres, lights and the spare tyre or repair kit.
4. Confirm the insurance and breakdown cover, and what happens if something goes wrong in another country.
5. Check the rules for driving the van where you are going. Driving abroad covers licences, documents and local rules.

Living in a small space

Space is tight, so be strict about it.

• Pack soft bags that squash into lockers, not hard suitcases.
• Give everything a home, and put it back there.
• Cook simply, with one or two pans.
• Agree who sleeps where, who sets up the bed, and who does what at each stop.
• Keep the wet things separate from the dry.

A road trip packing list is a good starting point, and you can add items like a head torch, a spare gas hose and a small mat for the door.

Planning it with others

Camper trips often involve a couple or a small group, and everyone has a view. Some like to plan every night; others want to decide at lunch. A good compromise is to book the first night and the last night, plan the main route and leave the rest flexible.

Costs such as fuel, campsites and groceries are easier to share when they are logged as they happen.

The next step

Decide how many nights you have, roughly how far you want to drive each day and which nights you want a campsite with facilities. Then check the local rules for sleeping in a van in the places on your route, from an official source. Everything else can be worked out on the road.