Parental leave in the campervan
A summer in Sweden, three months across Europe or the winter on the Costa Brava – spending parental leave with your baby in a campervan, ticking off destinations you never normally have time for. These days, this is almost standard on new mums' and dads' bucket lists. And what a great idea it is!
Tips for a successful family time
While many things may not happen exactly as in those 24-hour sunshine, Instagram-filtered adventure reports, these months in the campervan can still mean a wonderful family break. A little camping experience, good travel planning and the right equipment for a toddler are all you need. Then, the family time you hope for really will be relaxing. We provide practical tips and advice – from parents on parental leave, for parents on parental leave.
Vans and panel vans – travel vehicles for young families
Parents travelling with a baby or toddler spend nearly 80 percent of their family time on the road in a van or panel van, heading to every region – from sunny southern Europe to the far north. The reasons range from “covering long distances quickly” or “we really don’t need much” to financial considerations when renting or buying a suitable vehicle.
The flip side is: there’s less storage space and you’ll need more tricks and tips for packing than you would with a motorhome or a caravan.
Travel tips from parents-on-leave couples
Both of our featured families spent their parental leave in a panel van. Nicole and Klaus, and Ina and her husband Sebastian, share why their time in the campervan was unforgettable, how important good planning is and which (baby) equipment they wouldn't have wanted to do without.
Nicole and Klaus travelled with their daughter Lotta in a Fiat Ducato. Their first journey was to Sardinia, Lotta was six months old at the time – and many more trips followed in the following years, as they spread their parental leave across several years of travel. “Our goals and wishes were to spend time as a family, enjoy the freedom, feel the sun on our skin, and take a swim in crystal-clear water. There’s always something to do at home, appointments and obligations are waiting, so family time often falls by the wayside. With our campervan, we always had our home with us and stayed flexible,” Nicole says about her reasons for spending parental leave in the campervan.
Ina and Sebastian also travelled in several stages with their then three-month-old son, with their two biggest trips taking them to the Netherlands and to England. A Fiat Ducato was their home at the time. “On our trips, we never stayed exclusively in the campervan – we also spent some of the time in holiday homes. The campervan was a great way for us to include enough stops while driving. This way of travelling made parental leave on the road much easier for us,” Ina explains.
Camping experience is helpful and valuable
Both couples had already gained years of camping experience before their parental leave – a considerable advantage. Experience and knowledge will always help in unexpected situations or when facing new challenges.
And all those who go campervanning know: Something unexpected always happens when you’re travelling. “From my point of view, it is important to be aware of the limited space in the campervan, and even more so with a baby. The best scenario is if you’ve already been camping a few times, because packing efficiently in a panel van is definitely a skill in itself,” says Ina.
Careful planning of destination and route
Especially with a young child on board, both the destination and the route are two key factors for a successful time on parental leave. Even experienced campers may question whether, on a journey to North Cape or covering thousands of kilometres in just a few days, parental wishes take priority over the much-vaunted family time?!
Nicole and her family also chose their travel destination purposely: “With our daughter at just six months old, we chose Sardinia for our first trip because we had already visited the island twice, were familiar with the system around motorhome and camping sites and knew a few spots where we could stay overnight for free. I always do research on new destinations, looking up important information in advance and picking out where we’d like to visit. However, as we travel, the plan always changes a bit, based on new ideas, discoveries, and tips from locals or fellow travellers – this is also the beauty of being on the road in a campervan.”
Ina and her husband deliberately chose the Netherlands as well: “For us, it was the Netherlands because it’s a fantastic country for camping, we’d been a few times before, and we knew it would work well with a baby.”
Choosing the right safety measures on the road
Whether travelling with or without children: it always makes sense to consider safety on your journeys. When heading out with the campervan, technical safety features and measures for theft and anti-burglary protection come into play. Our recommendation: choose the right measures for your journey route and destinations, and also based on your personal sense of safety and security.
Pack smart and choose essential equipment
Young families travelling in a van or panel van need less in the way of technical extras or special features. The core priorities: plenty of storage space and smart packing. You can achieve this with DIY shelving, storage wonders, or organisers. If you’re taking bicycles, we especially recommend swivelling carrier systems, so you always have full access to the rear doors – this makes reaching the important under-bed storage much easier. Want to make more conversions or are you looking for inspiration? You’ll find all sorts of useful items in the AL-KO VT webstore for caravan accessories.
LevelVan
The first hydraulic levelling support system with carbon cylinders for panel vans
A technical special feature that may be of interest to new parents on their travels: LevelVan, the new levelling support system for panel vans. Thanks to the stable support, little ones can sleep soundly while you move freely around the campervan. The carbon cylinders keep its own weight down, meaning you have less to worry about in terms of payload.
The top 3 packing list items for travelling
Our featured families consider these the most important travel essentials with a toddler: “Favourite toy, pasta and ibuprofen are a must,” says Nicole. For Ina, these proved indispensable: “Awning, extra compartment for changing supplies and wet wipes. The awning turned out to be really handy, as we could stay outside even in light rain or sunshine.” And another packing tip from Ina: “We set up a compartment in the campervan just for changing supplies like nappies, wipes, creams, and the like. That way, everything you need quickly is in one place and you never have to search for it.”
Beyond that, the following baby equipment is considered must-have for parental leave in the campervan:
- Pram or pushchair
- Baby car seat or carrier/sling
- Baby bath or mini paddling pool
- Travel cot
- Changing bag and mat
- Travel highchair
- Play mat
- Toys and soft toys
- Sun cream and insect repellent for children
- Personal essentials
Note: Travel documents, vaccination records and health cards should always be up to date and easily accessible when travelling with a small child, to ensure swift help in an emergency. Travel insurance or overseas health cover is also important for everyone on the trip.
What makes parental leave in a campervan special – a personal conclusion
Now for the personal conclusion from our parents-on-leave travellers: What were the best moments of the trip and why was spending family time in the campervan the right decision?
“Thanks to the campervan, we were able to enjoy unforgettable trips that would not have been possible with a standard car in our child's first year of life.” (Ina)
Ina recalls a special moment from her time in the Netherlands and England: “When we all woke up together in the morning, looked out at nature through the window and started the day with a relaxing coffee – without doubt, this was my favourite travel moment, time and time again!”
“Because we could enjoy freedom together in special places.” (Nicole)
Nicole names these among her favourite moments: “At six months old, Lotta learnt to sit up on sandy beaches – you can't wish for a more beautiful setting. We also made some lovely friends on our travels, and there's still a family we're close with today.”
We wish all parents-on-leave travellers unforgettable tours!
