Van travel, which is becoming increasingly popular, is perfectly compatible with children, even the very young! Summer or winter, with heating, anything is possible. On the practical side, spring and summer are obviously the two winning seasons, as it's much easier to "live outside".
We know that children love to move, explore, play and experience new things.
Travelling in a van offers endless possibilities, and they generally love it.
What could be more enjoyable than cooking outside while your children play in the sand, on the edge of a forest or a small stream?
Climbing trees, observing flowers, making ricochets with pebbles - all these activities develop their imagination, and provide a pleasant sense of well-being.
Travelling by van is a real adventure: daily discoveries for the whole family, which makes this mode of transport exciting.
From personal experience, here are a few tips for stress-free family travel.
Organize and split your van trip
When traveling as a couple (or with teenagers), it's possible not to make a plan, or even not to plan any itinerary at all, and just let yourself go as you please.
With young children, it's a little different, and you have to play it safe when it comes to "sleeping spots" and initial routes.
But that doesn't mean you can't take a few liberties and make changes along the way.
As far as the itinerary is concerned, take it slowly and choose a destination that's not too far away for a first road trip, for example. The journey can be long for a child if you have to ride for several hours at a time.
Here, we're not necessarily in favor of driving at night while the kids are asleep. It's not necessarily restful: comfort in a car seat leaves a lot to be desired for a good night's sleep.
Here's a concrete example based on our own experience: with a 1-year-old child, we're planning a 2500 km road trip through south-east France, Italy and Switzerland. The result: far too much time spent on the road every day...
For example, plan shorter days with little or no driving from time to time.
As you can see, the "Slow Travel" method works very well with children.
We'll remember one thing: "If you want your road trip to be perfect, you'll miss out on a happy one!
Respect their rhythm
Obviously, it all depends on the age of the children in question.
Everyone has their own pace, and their own limits.
If you want the journey to go by more quickly for them, set off at the usual napping times
for young children.
Take regular breaks and plan playtime to stretch their legs!
The same is true of life in a van, where children go to bed earlier in the evening...
Remember to bring your headphones if you want to watch a film without disturbing your child's sleep.
In our Mike van (2-3 seats), suitable for families with just 1 child, the bed is located in the front cabin of the vehicle, with blackout curtains to delimit the space with the rear cabin. This means, for example, that when your child is asleep, you can read a book with the little light at the back of the van. All you have to do is listen to each other and take account of each other's pace, to ensure a pleasant journey for all.
Let them choose, take their wishes into account
When choosing a family road trip, don't forget to take your children's opinions and desires into account.
There has to be something for everyone. Imagine going on holiday, but being forced to do only activities you don't like, or that aren't suited to your desires. You'd soon get fed up, and well, it's the same for the kids!
Plan activities or visits that are suitable for them too.
The easiest way is to alternate visits for you and those that are more child-friendly.
Involve them in the choice of destination if they're teenagers, for example, or simply ask for their opinion.
Taking part in organizing the road-trip is already a way of getting the trip started, so if they're interested, it's a good idea to offer to get them involved.
Keep them busy
During the journey, or for a quiet moment during the day, take something to pass the time.
time. In this respect, the possibilities are infinies: from coloring books, to holiday notebooks, to Lunii, to board games...
The choice is yours, and you can choose according to your children's preferences.
But be careful to limit the volume of toys they take with them, as they often prefer to play outdoors with a jump, pebbles, water or sand...
You can also invent games that require you to search the landscape or other areas to make the journey more enjoyable.
Leaving room for moments of "boredom" isn't a bad thing either.
They'll find a way to play with what's around them!
Being inventive is the key!
Play the explorer
Van travel has the magical power to bring us closer to nature (and, of course, to teach us to respect it).
learn to respect it). It's not always easy for a 3-year-old to understand why you shouldn't pull up flowers or throw your papers anywhere, or why you shouldn't pick mushrooms without knowing what they are...
It's a chance to learn from all the riches that surround us!
And believe me, that's the real school of life!
During walks on the beach or in the forest, you can discover a whole host of things, and sometimes find a little treasure that will follow you all the way home!
A pebble more beautiful than the rest that will end up in the "souvenir box of your road trips"! Each object will then have a story to tell your friends back home!
We also sometimes take a garbage can bag, gloves and pick up any garbage we find!
It's a great way to raise their awareness and turn them into tomorrow's eco-citizens.
Just one word of advice: Venture out!
Travelling with children in a van is actually very simple. Easily adaptable and fond of adventures of all kinds, they'll have great memories every time.
In the end, discovering new playgrounds every day is great fun for kids - you just have to get involved and make every visit interesting! And you'll see, in the end, they're very demanding.
Note that you also need to have a minimum of camping spirit, even if comfort is relatively improved, it's not a hotel either!
For more information on our rental vans from Pau, click here.
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