First trip! Destination... Cornwall

By the time of my first solo trip, I had only owned my van for 4 months! The basic renovation was complete and this trip would be the perfect practice run as I could use it as an indicator of what further renovation could be added to the van and also see what necessities I may have missed that could be useful for my next trip away.

Figuring out where you want to go on your first trip can be difficult because the options are endless! For me, Cornwall was not too far of a drive, so it was something I was comfortable doing. Feeling comfortable is important on your first solo trip especially if you haven’t driven a vehicle the size of your van before. DISCLAIMER! Always investigate what the area/roads are like to where you are heading, Van lifers are well known for getting stuck in places like Cornwall because of the small tight roads, so bare this in mind!

Itinerary

Sometimes it is great having an itinerary planned for your trip, but it is also nice to go with the flow (exactly what I did in Cornwall). I had pre-booked a campsite in advance as again I wanted to feel safe and grounded on my first solo trip away. Using the Park4night app, I browsed at different camping spots in different locations, coming across Perranporth I packed up my van for a two-night stay.

As I was staying local, I did a small food shop prior to leaving so that my fridge was stocked up with everything I needed. This also meant that once arriving at my destination I was free to just do what I like!

Exploring

Getting familiar with your surroundings, that way you can work out what you wanted to do first! Although I was only in Cornwall for three full days, during that time I explored two local towns, went surfing and did a long coastal walk. It was a great euphoric feeling to be able to do things on my own schedule. Plus travelling alone somehow gave me the courage to chat with locals in shops and pubs to ask about any good sights to see.

Travel Bug

Without a shadow of a doubt, my trip to Cornwall gave me the travel bug. As a test run, it went smoothly with only a few bumps in the road. It showed me exactly why I chose to do van life and gave me even more motivation to keep improving my renovation so that I could travel to new places.

Your travelling experience can be as local, sustainable, and as fun as you like!