A couple who chose travelling the world in their van over settling into a 9-5 have revealed how a six-month trip to Australia changed their lives.
Nik and Yas, both aged 29, realised they’d caught the wanderlust bug when a backpacking adventure turned into three years on the road.
Committing to the dream of an extraordinary life, they bought and renovated a van for €29,000 (£24,700).
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It was a challenging and expensive time, with the couple working round the clock to prepare.
But despite a series of hurdles, they have no regrets, and even claim they now spend between 30 and 50% less than their friends back home.
“Van life started for us rather spontaneously,” Yas told Luxury Travel Daily.
“A two-week vacation in a fancy resort just wouldn’t give us the freedom we were seeking.
“After a series of incredible adventures, we knew that the ordinary 9-5 wasn’t for us.”
In 2017, the couple packed their bags and went on what was originally supposed to be a six-month trip to Australia.
Yas said: “We bought a four wheel drive and drove a loop once around the coastline of Australia.
“Having the time of our life, the initial six months turned into almost three years of travelling.”
After exploring Australia, the pair went backpacking in Asia and Fiji for a year.
And when they eventually returned to their native Germany in 2020, they quickly realised a so-called ‘traditional’ life wasn’t going to cut it.
The couple bought their van in 2020, went back to university and spent two years renovating their new home.
They bought their prized possession for €14,000 (£11,000) and worked on it 12 hours a day for seven months.
Nik said: “It took way longer than we thought it would, but we would argue that you can see the extra time and effort we poured into that build.
“[It cost us] around €15,000 (£12,000) but we did everything ourselves, including the electricity.
“We were aiming for €10,000 (£8,500) for the van and another €10,000 for the materials.”
However due to the huge ‘van life’ trend and Covid, the market went up, so there was no way to stay within the budget.
“It came a bit of a shock, but we would rather go over budget than compromising the build.
“After all, it was our first home as a couple and after living very basic and minimal while travelling, we deserved something nice where we’d feel at home.”
The couple confess they found the process “totally overwhelming” at times.
Nik said: “We had no idea what we were up against, and couldn’t allow too many mistakes because we were already over budget and wanted to hit the road as quickly as possible.
“This led to an intense building period with almost daily challenges that popped up unexpectedly.
“Everything is crooked in a van, which makes building an absolute headache.
“And some things just didn’t work out the first or second time.
“We underestimated the precision needed to build drawers and it took forever to get it right.
“We had no clue about plumbing or electricity.”
But the couple says it was more than worth it in the end.
Yas said: “There were loads of highlights.
“Every little accomplishment was celebrated and it was such a relief to be done.
“But most of all we were bursting with pride.
“No one would have thought we could build a van like that, not even ourselves, and it turned out way better than expected.
“The day we moved in, we were filled with gratitude and an exciting tingling when thinking of the adventure ahead.
“It was an expensive road but if we compare [our outgoings now] with friends who live in our hometown, I would say we spend 30-50% less per month on fix costs.”
The couple’s first van trip was to Norway and Switzerland during winter.
They then headed through France along the south coast of Spain to Cadiz, before taking the ferry to the Canary Islands where they stayed for a warm winter.
Yas said: “We wanted to explore all the islands but fell in love with Fuerteventura and visited Lanzarote for only a month before heading back to the mainland.
“We travelled along the west coast of Portugal and the north coast of Spain before touring back to the Canaries for another warm winter.
“This time around, we explored Tenerife before taking the ferry to Fuerteventura.
“The road trip has been going for a bit over two years now and we don’t intend to stop anytime soon.
“Our favourite place with the van is Fuerteventura, by far.
“It’s the warmest place for a winter in Europe.”
Yas said the island is great to surf, is not too crowded and there is always somewhere beautiful to park.
She said: “At the moment, we’re back on the mainland in Spain, driving along the Mediterranean Sea for the summer.”
With plans to travel to Italy and Greece, the pair dished out some advice for budding van-lifers.
Nik said: “Trust your gut and go for your dreams.
“It may seem scary or impossible, but it’s worth trying.
“You can always go back to your old life if it doesn’t work out.”
But you can’t get back the time you didn’t spend on your dreams.”
Yas added: “Van life isn’t for everyone, so we would recommend renting a camper for a trial period before buying into that lifestyle.”
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