Magnificent places to sleep in a converted van

How do you find the best places to sleep in a converted van?

 

Travelling in a converted van has become a very popular way of travelling in recent years, so how do you find a good place to spend the night? Whether you're a budding adventurer or a road trip enthusiast, whether you're going on your own, as a couple or with your whole family, finding the right places to sleep in your van is, in a way, the key to a successful trip. For the last four years, we've been travelling the roads of France and Europe as a family in our converted van, and in this article we'll be giving you our tips and advice on finding the perfect places to spend the night in complete safety and comfort during your van journeys.

A trip in a converted van offers an incomparable sense of freedom. You can change scenery as you please, live by the rhythm of the road, and sleep under starry skies almost every night. Yet with this freedom also comes the responsibility of finding places where you can rest peacefully, safely and without disturbing the peace of the locals.

Preparing well before you leave

As we have already discussed in the article Preparing your converted van for a family road trip, before you set off on your next road trip, we recommend that you make careful preparations. Even if a van trip is an ideal opportunity for the family to get away from it all and enjoy the moment, it's still essential to prepare for the trip so that you can find the right places to sleep in your converted van. Here are a few tips and recommendations that we make before setting off with the family.

1. Plan your road trip itinerary

The first step is to plan your itinerary, or at least outline it. Choose the destinations you want to visit and mark the areas where you might spend the night. It's a good idea to use online mapping applications, such as Google Maps or specific motorhome applications, to identify suitable rest areas, campsites and parking zones, which we'll come back to later in this article.

2. We are concerned about local regulations

Each region and country may have specific rules on parking recreational vehicles. Find out about local laws, overnight parking zones, time restrictions and any permit requirements. This will help you avoid unnecessary hassle and fines. If, like us, you travel mainly in France or Europe, you should still be aware of parking bans at night, which unfortunately are common in many towns and cities, particularly near the coast.

3. A safe night's sleep

The safety of your vehicle and your tribe is paramount when you're looking for a place to sleep in a van. As far as possible, and especially if you are shy or perhaps on your first trips, opt for areas that are a little busier, where other vehicles are present, and why not with a little night lighting. At the start of our van road trips, we avoided deserted areas or areas too far from villages. What's more, discretion is often the key to success. A converted van that knows how to remain discreet attracts less attention and allows you to spend peaceful nights undisturbed.

 

Types of Spots for Sleeping in a Van

 

A variety of spots are available for van travellers. After four years of travelling in a van with our family, we've tried out many different spots on our road trips throughout the year. Here are a few ideas of places you might find during your road trips:

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  1. Parking areas for leisure vehicles

 

Rest areas, often referred to as motorhome parks, are areas specially designed for travellers with fairly large vehicles - motorhomes, vans, etc. - but in some cases it can be practical to spend a night there with your converted van. They are often equipped with toilets, picnic tables, an area for emptying and filling up with water, and sometimes even shower facilities. Most of the time, these areas charge a fee, and may belong to a network or be privately run. They offer a safe environment in which to spend the night.

 

We don't use these areas very often, although efforts are being made to make them more attractive (planting, bread on site in the morning, shuttles to town centres, etc.), so we prefer other types of spot.

 

  1. Campsites and farm or producer visits

 

Who hasn't spent a night camping? Campsites are a popular option for van travellers. From small municipal campsites to large holiday estates run by leisure groups, you'll be spoilt for choice. On site you'll find all the services you need (access to facilities such as showers and toilets, and sometimes even electricity and Wi-Fi), as well as a programme of activities to keep the younger ones happy. However, campsites can be more expensive than other options.

 

We regularly use the campsites, often after a few nights in the wilderness, to recharge and empty the van or do the washing. For the last two years, we've also loved discovering farmstays and spots with producers. The best thing is to spend a night in peace and quiet, while enjoying an excellent welcome and discovering local know-how and products. The France Passion network, for example, will enable you to meet many producers and spend the night free of charge (annual vignette to be acquired).

 

  1. Free parking areas

 

Many villages offer dedicated parking areas for recreational vehicles in their communities. We use them regularly too, often during a short stopover on the road. These free zones, either in the heart of villages or very close to the centre, often have water points, litter bins and, regularly, toilets. The big advantage: a bakery just a stone's throw away for your morning croissant...

 

  1. Outdoor spots

 

If you're looking for a wilder experience, bivouacking in the wilderness may be the way to go. Make sure you respect the local rules and minimise your impact on the environment by leaving the place as clean as you found it. Admittedly, at the start of our van life adventures as a family, we were rather apprehensive about sleeping out in the open, sometimes with no-one around on the spot. Fear of having to leave in the middle of the night, of being disturbed by revellers etc...

Over time, we've learnt to recognise THE spot where we can spend the night in complete peace of mind, and we don't hesitate to turn back at the slightest doubt before settling in!

These days, there are a whole host of digital and common-sense solutions for finding your own nature spot!

 

Our advice and tips for finding a nature spot

 

Ahh, our beloved smartphones, what would we do without them, eh? Their modern technology and on-board GPS chip make it easier for us to find places to sleep in our van, I'm sure you'll agree! Like many of us, we use them to prepare our itinerary in advance, noting and recording the spots where we'd like to spend the night. Once we're on our way, because travelling is also about the unexpected, they allow us to find other pleasant places to sleep in the van at a moment's notice.

The list below is by no means exhaustive, but here are some of the applications we use to find a place to sleep during our van road trips:

iOverlander: This community application offers a vast database of places to sleep in a van, with reviews and practical information left by other travellers.

Park4Night: Probably one of the best known, isn't it? Another very popular application that lists a variety of parking spaces suitable for van travellers. It's a mine of information: you'll find reviews from travellers who've visited the spot and (with a paying subscription) you can contact campsites and producers directly from the app to check availability - clever, isn't it? Of course, you can also navigate to the spot.

Google Maps and Google Earth: simple, effective, a sure thing! Use the search filters to find campsites, rest areas and parking zones close to your current location. The satellite view allows you to see where you are before you get there, to avoid getting bogged down or silted up, for example...

Travel forums and social networks: Online forums, such as Facebook or forums specific to converted vans, are an excellent resource for getting personalised advice and recommendations from other travellers. The community of travellers, which is very active on Instagram, is also a great way of forging links and getting feedback before travelling to a location.

4. Respect the environment and premises

When you're looking for places to sleep in a van, it's essential to respect the environment and the local people. Sounds obvious, doesn't it? However, we are often forced to clean up places in the middle of nowhere before settling in. Too much rubbish is still left behind by previous occupants...

 

Here are a few simple, common-sense principles to follow when you're on a spot:

Leave No Trace: Take all your rubbish with you, including organic waste, toilet paper, etc. This will ensure that you leave no negative impact on the environment. This will ensure that you leave no negative impact on the environment.

Be Respectful of Wild Animals: Avoid disturbing local wildlife by keeping your distance and avoiding sleeping in certain areas at important times for wildlife (breeding, grazing, etc.).

Respect the Rules of Private Property: If you are planning to sleep on private property, or at least if you have any doubts about a spot, always ask the locals if the spot is authorised, or if the owner has given you temporary permission to use the spot to spend the night.

Interact positively with the locals: why not offer your help in exchange for a night on a farmer's property, for example. We've already done this during harvest time, and it gave us the chance to discover a new skill as a family, and to introduce the children to it during the grape harvest, for example!

Conclusion

Finding the right places to sleep in a converted van is undoubtedly one of the keys to a successful van road trip! By planning your itinerary in advance, using dedicated applications and websites, and respecting the environment and local people, you can enjoy a van travel experience that is both rewarding and responsible. You can choose the best place to sleep in a converted van: a parking area, a campsite or a sleeping spot in the middle of nowhere.

Travelling by converted van is an adventure that lets you discover the world at your own pace. By finding the right places to sleep, you can turn every night into a memorable experience for you and your tribe. Who hasn't dreamed of sleeping under a starry sky, in the comfort and safety of your own home on wheels? So pack your van, map out your route and set off to discover new horizons, because the world is just a few wheels away.