The Purple Passport

Seasoned advice for British Travellers

road trip

Life on the Road: 6 Things You Can Do With a Converted Camper Van

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Travel Trailer Caravaning. RV Park Camping at Night.

If you love to travel, you’ve probably dreamt of seeing the world by road at least once. What if I told you right now is the perfect time to put that dream into action?

Hotels, hostels, and homestays aren’t very safe right now.

Sure, if you stay at one you’ll more than likely be fine. However, every person at a hotel has been exposed to potentially hundreds of other people and could be sick without knowing it, and you’re no exception. Staying in hotels during the pandemic risks your life and the life of others.

If you don’t want to take the chance, traveling on your own in a converted camper van is a safer option. If you’ve ever wondered about living in a small camper, it’s time to answer your questions. Here are six things you can do when living in a camper van.

  1. Convert a Cozy Kitchen

Running a kitchen out of a van might seem daunting, but there’s no shortage of camper kitchen ideas out there. Gadgets like induction burners and Instant Pots make cooking in a camper van easier than you ever imagined.

If you prefer roughing it, cooking food over an open flame or outdoor grill has great appeal and is a piece of cake when living in a camper.

  1. Build Yourself a Porch

If a van with a porch seems impossible to you, think again. It’s simpler than you might think to create a DIY camper van porch using wooden boards and steel cables.

Easier still is the option of purchasing a camper van awning or porch kit. All you have to do is install and you have an outdoor breakfast spot that rivals the porches of most permanent cottages.

  1. Decorate a Dazzling Ceiling

There’s no way to avoid living in tight quarters in a camper van. One way to make your van seem larger is by painting the ceiling. Endless camper ceiling ideas include night sky paintings, sunsets, clouds, geometric designs, splatter paintings, and more.

Decorating your van ceiling with stickers, clings, or paints is a quick and easy project that will make your van feel homey in an instant.

  1. Light up Your Life

A common hesitation about living in a camper van is that you’re living in a metal box—the inside of an unconverted van isn’t incredibly comfortable.

One easy way to make yourself at home in a van is by adding string lights, paper lanterns, and other light features to give your camper a warm glow.

Make sure that the lights you choose don’t cause a fire risk, though. Living in tight quarters makes fire safety all the more important.

  1. Converted Camper Van Lifestyle Ideas

There are a wide variety of things you can do to a camper van: renovations and upgrades abound for maximum comfort on the road. What you can do with a camper van, though, includes not just mechanical and cosmetic improvements, but refers to a whole camper van lifestyle.

Taking a vacation or living in a camper van long-term requires a lot of lifestyle compromises. If you’re traveling with companions, you won’t have all the privacy and space you’re used to. You won’t always be able to compartmentalize and will have to do all your day’s activities in one small space.

Some of these compromises are downsides of living in campers for some would-be travelers. However, some of these lifestyle changes can lead to a better life for you and your traveling group.

For example, cramped eating conditions can easily be solved by eating outside, whether in chairs next to your van or on an installed awning. Work and leisure activities can also be taken outside. You may be able to maximize your space by taking to the top of your vehicle, too.

These are just a few ways that changing your lifestyle to suit living in a camper van creates exciting new opportunities. The frustration of changing your ways soon leads into great calm stemming from a simpler life.

  1. Making the Most of Your Vehicle’s Abilities

Finally, if you’re asking what you can do with a camper van, perhaps you should take a moment to ask what you can’t do. Camper vans are sturdy vehicles that make all kinds of daring travel easy. If you drive carefully with proper campervan insurance, you can live a life more exciting than you ever imagined for years and years.

Whether you take a safari through wild grasslands, travel along stormy coasts, or set up camp deep in the woods, there’s no denying that living in a camper is key to opening such doors.

You can live in a camper van without going offroad and immersing yourself in nature. However, it’s worth taking advantage of your camper’s intended purpose a couple of times to get a feel for what the machine can do. Combining the comfort of your homey camper with the untamed beauty of the outdoors might open your eyes to an outdoor lifestyle that’s more accommodating than you thought possible.

Travel the World With Peace of Mind

After reading this article, you know six exciting ideas for living in and remodeling a converted camper van. While you’re planning your next trip, take a look at our site for all the advice you need on your globetrotting adventures.

We know it can be hard to find advice suited for British travelers, so we publish articles with you in mind. Click around and look at our other articles and you’ll have a safety net of quality advice to fall back on during your next trip.

6 Different Trip Ideas for 2020

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The cost of travelling has significantly reduced in recent years, and now you can find a cheap flight to Asia, or to the other side of the world on a budget airline for a reasonable price. Travel enriches the mind, as well as the soul, and it’s well renowned as being the only one thing you pay for that makes you richer.

If you’ve long been thinking about taking the time to escape your usual routine and enjoying a break next year, then be sure to begin putting a plan into action now. It’s never too early to start figuring out whether you want to embark on a cross-country road trip, hop on an indulgent Mediterranean cruise, go interrailing, languish over a series of city breaks, or a staycation.

For all of this, this guide has got you covered.

Road trip

Life is for the living, and it makes sense to do as much travelling as you can possibly afford, and what’s more indulgent and lusted after than a road trip, especially one moving from state to state in the US? Of course, you don’t need to necessarily travel through the US, but some of the routes in America are famed as being some of the very best in the world.

When making a final decision on RV rentals, ensure it has enough space to enjoy time to yourself away from your travel buddy, as well as air conditioning, a freshwater toilet, microwave, shower, refrigerator, generator, and a gas cooktop. Some rental services will allow you to travel alongside your dog, so it’s worth enquiring whether your pooch can get in on the action too.

Road trips can experience bad press due to questions of safety, so always be sensible, never knowingly take risks, and be alert when driving at all times. Ensure you’re prepared and well before your departure date.

You will need the following, and these are crucial, so take note:

  • Notes on compiled research concerning particular trailer parks, and parking permits
  • License and registration number
  • A copy of your car insurance policy
  • The vehicle’s manual
  • A spare tyre
  • A roadside emergency kit.

Learn the language before you depart

Although this isn’t necessarily a trip in itself, endeavouring to grasp the language spoken in your chosen destination is going to open up so many more possibilities to you, and travelling plans may well naturally form for you. If you can communicate with others around you, the chance of being invited along to events, bars, parties, and excursions will increase tenfold.

You’ll be able to ask after recommendations, as well as engage with interesting people.

Mediterranean cruise

Cruises afford the ultimate luxury, convenience, and easy living for their duration. By nature, you’re cruising over some of the most fantastic and tantalising shore and coastline in the world. Your needs are taken care of, there’s no washing up to do, you can easily have your laundry completed, and you can dine on some real gourmet food, enjoy daily visits to the spa, and lounge on the top deck soaking up the warming rays.

Having said this, cruises are not for everyone. Those who prefer to get out and explore may want to consider another trip for 2020, but for those looking for a slower approach to relaxation in 2020, a cruise could be for you.

Interrailing and railways

Interrailing has been a rite of passage for young people for many years now, and although it’s been met with some controversy in recent years, it still remains a hugely popular way of exploring European cities and enjoying a whistle-stop tour of many places in a reasonably short space of time.

You can create your own interrailing journey simply by collating train tickets, and hostel stays along the way. This would provide you with a less rigid form of travel, and you can explore at your own pace. Look into the best railway journeys in the world, and choose which sounds the most exciting, engaging, and exploratory to you. Consider the likes of the Trans-Siberian Railway if you’re ready to brave the bitter cold in Russia, Siberia, and Mongolia, and pass through onto China (your final stop).

The experience is truly electric, and you won’t be forgetting your chilly adventure anytime soon, that’s for sure.

Rally of city breaks

You can keep this one cheap, or blow the bank with this suggestion. It depends on what kind of trip you’re ideally searching for. If you’re seeking indulgence and luxury, then you can book yourself into glorious all-inclusive hotels with a pool, fine dining, and spa facilities, or you can go down the budget route and crash in hostels, eat street food, head out on foot with a large backpack, and generally explore how you would as a backpacker.

Each of these has their advantages and disadvantages, so you will need to weigh up your options before ahead and choosing. You can travel through France, and onto Spain, then Portugal, for example, or could adventure through France, into Italy, then Germany, and finally reaching Switzerland.

Staycation

Think about it, have you really explored the country you live in? If you’re squinting your eyes and thinking dubiously, then chances are, you know in your heart that you haven’t. If this is a safe assumption, then you should try to head out and see more of the land you spend most of your days. Okay, it’s not the most exotic idea to form this guide, but it’s the one that’s closest to home and also, very likely, the cheapest. If you’re not particularly flush, then staying at home to enjoy a holiday may be just the ticket. There’s a bevvy of delights in your home country, it just requires time and planning to navigate your way around, and perseverance.

Consider driving from one end to the other, or driving across the landmass and stopping off in several locations. You can do this in a campervan, by hopping on and off public transport or even donning your walking boots, traversing some of the most outstanding national parks, and setting up camp along the way.

What You Need to Know Before Buying a Roof Box

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If you regularly travel long distances by car, having extra storage for your luggage can make a big difference to your comfort level. Many cars include luggage racks on the roof for excess baggage. If you already have a rack, the best solution for extra storage is to add a car roof box. If you don’t have a rack, you can still find the right setup to work for your vehicle. There are many different forms of roof storage, and you’ll find that it’s not hard to mount them to the top of your car even if you don’t have an existing luggage rack. If you’re considering buying and installing a roof box, here’s what you need to know.

Available Types of Roof Storage

There are two main kinds of roof luggage storage available: flexible roof cargo bags and hard-shell roof boxes. Both of these options allow you to free up space in your car for other supplies. The qualities to look for in each type of storage are essentially the same, but there are a few characteristics unique to each of them. Here are some of the considerations you should be aware of, along with important details to keep in mind.

Roof Cargo Bags

Roof cargo bags are made of durable waterproof fabric with reinforced leak-proof seams. Some models are even laminated with a thin rubber coating for additional waterproofing. The advantage of heavy-duty fabric roof storage is that it can be easily removed and folded up for storage. It’s also more flexible if you’re using it to carry odd-shaped items.

Hard-Shell Roof Boxes

Made from hard, heavy-duty material that’s also designed to be lightweight, most hard-shell roof boxes are designed to fit onto just about any luggage rack. If you’re mounting a roof box directly on top of a vehicle, make sure it includes a protective barrier to put between the box and the roof. The main advantage of a hard-shell roof box is ease of attachment and removal. A quality storage box will have built-in roof clamps and tightening gears or straps, and most models can be lifted and mounted to the roof of your car by one person.

Considerations When Buying Roof Boxes

  • Aerodynamic Design: Your roof box should be shaped to eliminate as much wind resistance as possible. This is easier with a hard-shell box.
  • Sufficient Storage: Find a roof box that has at least 15 cubic feet of storage capacity. If you have a very small vehicle, you may want a scaled-down storage box that holds 8 to 11 cubic feet. If you opt for an extra-large unit, make sure it will fit your vehicle.
  • Ideal Shape: Be sure to write down the measurements of your car’s roof or luggage rack before making a selection. There are many different shapes and sizes of car roof boxes, so you’ll be able to find one that’s just right for your car.
  • Ideal Weight: Many roof boxes are made of strong, flexible polymers that provide support and protection without adding extra weight. If heaviness is a consideration, compare the weight of each model in order to find one that suits your requirements.

Shillong to Cherrapunjee: The most beautiful roadtrip in India

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The Scotland of the East, as they had once named it, is a treasure trove of nature’s wonders. The capital city of Meghalaya serves as the gateway to the mystical hills and valleys of the Northeast. With lush green hills, silvery waterfalls, and sparkling rivers, Shillong offers the most magnificent views that you can find.

But the highlight of Meghalaya’s landscape and its pride lies in Cherrapunjee, also locally known as Sohra. Popular as the wettest place on earth, this town, receives the highest rainfall and thrives on nearly 70-80% humidity (with an average of 45%) in the rainy season. If you are in Meghalaya, then a trip to Cherrapunjee is a must. After all, it’s not every day that you can find yourself drenched in mist, without so much as a drop of rain.

The route

Sitting on the East Khasi Hills of southern Meghalaya, Cherrapunjee is roughly 54 Km from Shillong city. You can plan for a road trip from Shillong to Sohra and extend it to Mawlynnong and then Dawki. From Shillong, it takes nearly two-three hours to reach your destination.

If you are traveling from Guwahati, you can book a cab from Guwahati to Cherrapunjee and take the Guwahati-Shillong-Nogkrem- Sohra route.

Mode of travel

It is always better and safer to rent a car for a comfortable and hassle-free journey, especially if you are new in this part of the country. Also, since you will be treading hilly terrain and unknown routes, it is better to avail of popular car rental services with experienced drivers who are well-versed with the road. Savaari’s Outstation cabs are premium quality but extremely affordable and come with vehicle options that can ply the rough mountain roads.

Also, when you leave the driving part to the experts, you can sit back and enjoy the ride and absorb the beauties of nature that this scenic route offers.

The drive

A major part of Meghalaya’s road system is great for traveling, except for in places where the mountains close in and the road narrows. Despite being at a higher altitude, there are no steep curves or zigzag roads, which makes the drive more enjoyable.

Irrespective of which season you are traveling in, you will find it much cooler in Cherrapunjee than in Guwahati or Shillong. The best time to travel, however, is in the summer months, when you can enjoy the misty air and the cooler mountains, which are a far cry from the summer heat of the plains.

The view

The route from Shillong to Cherrapunjee is arguably the most scenic one for a road trip in India. And if you are lucky to find the right weather, then it would the perfect icing on the cake!

As you cross the city limits of Shillong you will find yourself driving through the clouds, across the undulating roads. While one side of the roads are lined with thick forests of pine and other evergreen trees, the other edges into deep gorges. The crisp air and the cool, wet weather will make you feel refreshed inside out! Roll down the windows and let the fog come in and brush your face and even before you realize, it will disappear.

Places en route

A road trip becomes wholesome when you take the right pit stops and soak in all that the route has to offer. While traveling from Shillong to Cherrapunjee, here are a few places you can stop at:

The viewpoint at Laitkor Peak: This point offers breathtaking views of the Shillong city, from its airbase. You might need to seek prior permission and present your identification documents. Formalities aside, this point is a popular spot for photography.

The Elephant Falls: A few miles ahead of the Laitkor Peak, take a small detour to reach the Elephant Falls. It should take another 30-40 minutes to reach. For a complete experience, climb all the way down to the pool for a closer view. If you can spare more time, then spend some time at the base and take a walk around. Get your pick-me-up from the local Khasi Kongs with a hot cup of freshly made tea.

Mawkdok Valley: This would be your last major stop on your way to Cherrapunjee. The rolling hills and the lush valleys with their gorgeous views, definitely call for a visit. There is a flight of stairs that leads to the valleys below, all the way to a small waterfall that cascades down a plateau.

As you cross the Mawkdok Bridge, you will start experiencing the magic of Cherrapunjee, starting with the dense fog, with reduced visibility. This makes for another reason to hire a car and not drive yourself.

Cutting through the misty roads, you will reach the Seven Sisters Falls or the Mawsmai Falls that welcome you to Cherrapunjee.

And thus, from one gem of Meghalaya to another, make your trip to Cherrapunjee a journey to remember!

Top RV Adventures For Pet Lovers

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A great many regular RV travelers prefer to bring their dogs out on the road to leaving them at home to be cared for by others. Road tripping is a lifestyle that is well suited for dogs since they get to enjoy fresh air and outdoor activities just like their owners do. Fortunately there are many parks across the country that not only allow dogs but even encourage and pamper them. RV rentals can be chosen specifically to make sure your dog or dogs are comfortable on the trip, and if you book one of these dog friendly parks for your stay you can rest assured that your pet will have just as pleasurable an experience as you will. Before you set off on your adventure, you should check if everything is OK with your pet, so it can stay healthy during your trip. The best way to do this is to invest in a pet health insurance and keep your pet safe and happy during your trip. If you happen to be taking a longer trip you can even book two or three different dog friendly RV parks along the way. Whatever the case may be for your trip, check out these top dog friendly hotels and consider them if you are traveling in these regions.

Garden of the Gods RV Resort, Colorado

Located right in the heart of hiking and climbing country, not to mention some of the most gorgeous scenery in the nation, this well-equipped and maintained park is fully dog friendly. There is even a dog park here so your dog can run off some steam and get to play with the other visiting dogs. Plus with all the nearby hiking trails you can take advantage of, your dog will have plenty to do. All of the trials are dog friendly so you can bring your traveling companion out on your hikes. Not only is this one of the top parks in the country, it’s also one of the dog friendliest.

Evergreen Park RV Resort, Ohio 

Travelers have been discovering Evergreen Park for many years and this has rapidly becoming one of the most sought after camps in the Midwest due to its stunning scenery and access to the Amish country. He park is totally dog friendly as well and comes equipped with a grooming station and dozens of dog-friendly trails.

Riverside Campground & Cabins, California 

Located right in the heart of iconic Big Sur on the California coast, this is a stunningly beautiful park offers water views and a plethora of activities. The park allows for two dogs on your stay. Plus there is lots of outdoor space and many activities that your pets will love here, including hiking and miles of stunning coastline. Any dog owner on a California coastal RV rental run should definitely consider a stay at Riverside.

Lake Whippoorwill KOA, Florida 

Down in sunny central Florida you will find this great park known for its manicured grounds, relaxing atmosphere, and pet friendliness. Your dog will love it too since this park is fully pet friendly. This is a leash free zone, so your dog can run free with the others in the camp. Plus there is an obstacle course and lots of open outdoor space for any pet to enjoy. With great year-round weather and plenty to do, both owners and their dogs will have a great time at this park.

Escondido RV Resort, California 

If you’re traveling with a dog in southern California, then you will definitely want to check out Escondido. This is also a leash free park where dogs can mingle and run around free, but it is fenced in so there are no worries in regards to safety. There is a large dog park here  plus a dog fountain so they can cool off on hot days. Plus don’t forget about the many beaches in the region that can be enjoyed by owner and dog alike.

Normandy Farms Family Camping Resort, Massachusetts

When it comes to dog friendly RV Parks, Normandy Farms really takes the cake. Not only is there a 2 acre dog park where dogs can run free and mingle but there’s also an obstacle course, drinking fountains, and a dog bathing area. Plus, if you wanted to head out on an activity that is not dog friendly, there is a kennel at the park that will look after you’re dog while you’re gone. This really is the top of the line in dog friendly parks, so consider it if you’re on a New England run.

There are a great many RV parks across the country that not only welcome dogs but even pamper to their every need. Never be afraid to take your pet out on the road since dogs are perfect for RV travel, plus they are great companions and work to enhance the trip. No matter which area of the country you may be traveling in there is sure to be a dog friendly park in the region. Take after the thousands of RV rentals travelers who travel with their dogs each year.