Maddy and Al have sent us another update from their epic road trip across Europe in the camper that they converted together.
We’re definitely missing Al here at JK HQ, and not just because he makes at least one cup of tea an hour, but it’s great to see how they’re getting on and what they’ve learned during their trip!
Here’s the third update from Al and Maddy’s epic European road trip.
Miles driven: 5,259
Van nights: 28
Countries visited: Six (France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden)
Al and I have a game we play sometimes when one of us is moaning about something and not appreciating what we have, it is called “Fortunately, Unfortunately” and it goes a bit like this….
Unfortunately, we have been driving on the same road for 7 hours now. Fortunately, we are on our way to Norway - one of our dream places to visit in a van. And somewhere that it probably isn’t worth driving to for a 1-2 week holiday, luckily we have another 5 weeks until we have to be back in the UK.
Unfortunately, when we left France the weather forecast was not looking good for a few days. Fortunately, this gave us a good excuse to go and do a bit of culture and city life without feeling like we were missing anything outdoorsy.
Unfortunately, it turns out parking a camper van in big cities in Europe can be a) expensive and b) make you liable to break-ins. Fortunately, we developed a strategy: park outside of the city and catch a train… Parking is easier, safer and cheaper and you get to do some alternative modes of transport with less stress. Taking your bikes on the train means the opportunity to cover more ground, with the added bonus (?!) of being able to cycle back to your van when you miss the train home (speaking from experience).
We parked in Como, Italy, and had a rare evening out in nice, clean clothes including a funicular ride, drinks overlooking the city and pizza in the theatre restaurant. We have been pretty good about eating all our meals from the van and not treating ourselves to additional expenses (apart from pastries for breakfast in France, but this is inevitable). However, we agreed we would treat ourselves to a nice meal out once in every country and try to have the local food - so obviously a pizza in Italy was essential! We tested our public transport theory by catching the train into Milan and had a lovely day exploring the city and discovering that ordering drinks often includes snacks too as an added bonus.
Whilst in Milan, Al was really keen to see Da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Unfortunately, you need to book tickets well in advance as they only allow a small number of people in each day to preserve the fresco. Fortunately, we found lots of other cool sights and it meant we could afford a couple of beers on the river instead!
We drove around Lake Como and headed over the incredible Splügen Pass which hair pins its way to 2,114m at the Italy/Switzerland border. Percy powered his way to the top and we crept back down some of the steepest bends we had ever seen. It was a spectacular drive that is only passable in the summer once the snow has been cleared from the road.
Unfortunately, Switzerland is expensive compared to France and Italy. Fortunately. the motorway aires are free to spend a night in and are often surrounded by beautiful scenery (and bizarre but clean toilets).
We spent our days in Ticino, which is a warm, sunny valley and another mecca for boulderers. Unfortunately, our time in Fontainebleau did not mean we were any more prepared for technical and tricky Swiss bouldering, and we got our arses kicked again. Fortunately, it was incredibly beautiful and we found some classics, all be it in the lower grades.
Our skin and arms needed a bit of a rest from climbing so I found what I thought was the perfect bike ride for both of us, involving a funicular and cable car to the top of a mountain, followed by a downhill trail and several kilometres of sweeping hairpins descending back to the lake.
Al agreed this sounded like a great option, so we set off the next morning. “The funicular is this way…” I called out to Al.
Unfortunately, Al’s plan was to skip both the uplifts and cycle to the top before the descent…. and so began 13km of (on average) 10% gradient uphill. I was unimpressed!! Fortunately, the views from the top were incredible. Unfortunately, the ice cream I was promised at several intervals when I was on the verge of a tantrum did not exist. Fortunately, we managed to find somewhere that would do us a couple of cold cokes! The downhill was as terrifying as the uphill was exhausting, but I survived and was rewarded by a swim and a pizza at the bottom (still no ice cream!).
Now it was time to clock some miles! We still had Germany, Denmark and Sweden ahead of us before making it to Norway…
Percy flew through most of Germany, with a couple of pleasant overnight stops where we managed more cold-water swimming (or shivering in some cases). Our only day-long stop in Germany was to visit Hamburg, again catching the train into the city, this time with our bikes, spending the day cycling up and down the rivers that criss-cross the city and through the Old Elbe Tunnel. The tunnel opened in 1911 to connect central Hamburg with the docks and shipyards on the south side of the river Elbe, an impressive feat of engineering at the time.
There was an ironman triathlon taking place the following day, so the city was filled with very fit looking people checking out the course. Unfortunately, trains do not allow you to travel with your bike during rush hour. Fortunately, sort of, rather than wait an extra three hours, this meant we got to cycle back to the van, an additional 19km after a long day. Actually fortunately, I did get my ice cream on the way this time!
Just before the border with Denmark, we stopped for fuel and decided to do the right thing and check our tyre pressure. Unfortunately, the valves popped out of both back tyres and all the air came out with no way to refill them. Disaster!!! Fortunately, we had RAC European Breakdown cover. Unfortunately, it took 4 hours for rescue to arrive. Fortunately, we were parked safely and at a petrol station, so more ice cream!
All is well that ends well, and eventually, with 4 brand new tyres (lesson learnt, don’t drive across Europe on very old and slightly worn tyres!) we were on our way and made it to a woodland carpark in Middelfart (actual name), Denmark that evening.
The quickest way to Norway would have been to catch a ferry from Northern Denmark to the Southern tip of Norway. However, we have a dislike for retracing our steps anywhere when possible, and love a good bridge. The Øresund Bridge is 8 km long and connects Denmark and Sweden by way of an artificial island so it was the perfect reason to add another country to our list and drive up through Sweden.
Unfortunately, we found changing countries so often can be a bit tiring as you are constantly adapting to a new language, culture, set of rules for driving, parking, camping etc.
Fortunately, changing countries means new snacks! And new sights. And it turns out Sweden is pretty big as countries go, so we had at least a few days to adjust. Our main aim was to get to Norway, so we planned to take the most direct route and to stop off a couple of times on the way.
One thing we learnt is that Sweden is BIG, and full of water. We probably clocked around 24 hours of driving in four days, but did manage one campsite for showers and laundry, with the added excitement of a sauna on the lake. So we partook in the Swedish tradition of running to and from the sauna and the freezing cold lake - good for the soul and the skin!
We found a gorgeous bouldering spot in the woods by a lake one day and started to make the most of the Scandinavian “right to roam” meaning that you have the right to walk, cycle and camp on any land with the exception of private gardens, within 150m of a residence or on cultivated land.
Unfortunately, it turns out Stockholm is not quite the “fishing village” that Al imagined and we didn’t manage to navigate a stop off there with the van without prior planning. Fortunately, as a result we ended up in a picturesque coastal town eating a variety of herring dishes right on the water at The Albertina restaurant in Skärså instead. A pretty unforgettable evening, especially as we snuck in 5 minutes before the kitchen closed!
Eventually we left the lowlands and the forests behind and started climbing high into snowy mountains. Our final stop-off in Sweden was for a walk taking us to the peak of a nearby mountain.
Unfortunately, there was still a bit too much snow to complete the loop we had planned.
Fortunately, we made it to the summit and could see snow covered peaks all around us.
Unfortunately, we decided to follow the “winter trail” back down so we didn’t have to retrace our steps, which turned out to be more of a river than a path in June - 4 very wet feet!
Fortunately, we made it back to the van for dry shoes and socks and won’t forget that adventure for a while.
Unfortunately, we have driven all of the way through Sweden and failed to see a single moose so far.
Fortunately, we saw several reindeer grazing by the roadside, and even two more from where we parked up for the night high on the mountains on the Sweden/Norway border.
We have been living in the van for about 6 weeks now since we finished the conversion. It is not always easy, your mind is often full with figuring out where find water, wash, get fuel, sleep for the night etc. but fortunately so many times we look outside and are reminded just how lucky we are and how much we love living in our van.
