The move from a sedentary life to an itinerant life on the road is a fascinating phenomenon for the community, and some of them have decided to take the plunge. The freedom to set off on adventures with no return date, and explore Europe’s finest wonders and more. Take 5 minutes and find out more about Vandipety’s van adventures, off to explore the world!
Today, let’s discover together the adventures of the Vandipety crew, originally from Turin in Italy, they are new itinerant travelers, passionate about this new way of life and the benefits of traveling in a converted van in the company of their pets 🐕🐈⬛…
Hello Vandipety travelers, can you introduce your travel project to the community?
Is this your first trip in a converted van? If so, why did you choose to travel in a converted van rather than a motorhome?
VANDIPETY: Hello everyone, and thank you for giving us the opportunity to tell you about ourselves. Before summer 2021, we had never traveled by motorhome, and while everyone thought we were crazy, we bought our van and left for a month in Denmark. It was love at first sight! We approached this adventure with no expectations, seeing each event as an opportunity to surpass ourselves and overcome many mental barriers.
At the time, everything was new to us: life on board and our new jobs, but also the language, lifestyle, food and geography of the countries we were traveling to. At home, we were already living on very limited resources. But it doesn’t matter: for us, emotions are far more important than material possessions.
We chose to buy a van because we were looking for a small, handy vehicle that was easy to park, even in the city center (our van is 5.40 m long), and could also be used as a car. In effect, it’s both our home and our means of transport!
How long have you been on the road?
VANDIPETY : For almost 7 months! We still can’t believe it! We left Turin on May 18, crossed Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain to arrive in Portugal. We’ve covered over 11,000 km and had some wonderful adventures on board!
How did this desire to travel come about? What triggered it?
VANDIPETY : Travelling seems to be in our DNA: we like to define ourselves as “world travelers”. When we travelled by car or by plane, we always had the feeling that we’d stopped and then set off again. Living on the road allows us to quietly discover many aspects of ourselves and the world around us. All this makes us better and richer human beings.
What are your life and travel values as itinerant travelers?
VANDIPETY : Without doubt, love, transparency, respect, generosity and gratitude. As itinerant travelers, these values are even stronger: we attach great importance to every place we visit, every smile we meet, and we try never to upset the cultures of places, but rather to learn from others.
What are your travel habits when you go on adventures?
Do you have a particular ritual before or after arriving in a new country or spot?
VANDIPETY : When we arrive in a new country, we learn the greetings in the local language and take stock of the food we’d like to try! We usually buy at least one typical dessert straight away, because we have a sweet tooth! When we leave, we never fail to say thank you, even if only mentally, for the hospitality!
Do you prefer to plan or improvise?
VANDIPETY : We used to be a bit of a planning maniac! Today, this is much less the case: we locate most of the information once we’re there, and we’ve also learned to let ourselves be guided by our emotions and, above all, by the local people.
Discover the tips from the adventures of Vandipety, a couple who dream of traveling to as many countries as possible without delay. Their main aim is to explore and share all the great things they’ve discovered on their itinerant roadtrip with the CaraMaps community, and to meet new people along the way!
How do you manage to organize your European roadtrip with your two pets?
In a few words, tell us about your pets…
VANDIPETY : Olimpia is a 9-year-old Rottweiler who has always travelled with us, even in the car! She’s very cute, but very determined! Sakè is a 2-year-old European kitten. A bit like Olimpia, her “master” at home, she accompanies us everywhere without fear.
Why did you take them on such a wonderful adventure with you?
VANDIPETY : Because for us, they’re part of the family: it was all or none! Seeing Olimpia and Sakè so serene by our side is our little victory. After all, we’re only looking for the best emotions.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of going on a roadtrip in Europe?
VANDIPETY : The advantages are that we always have a happy tail wagging all day long, reminding us that the important things are the simple ones, and that people often stop to give them a pat, so we always have a chance to chat! After that, of course, there are a few difficulties. Many places don’t allow pets, we have to be very careful about the temperatures where we travel, some breeds aren’t allowed in certain countries, and in others, special vaccinations are required in addition to passport and anti-rabies. Here are just a few examples: in Venice, pets can board ferries and buses without even paying a ticket; in Austria, dogs are often not even allowed on lakeshores.
Any tips or tricks you’d like to share with the community?
VANDIPETY : For us, it was essential to see our vet before we left, do all the checks and ask him for lots of advice. Knowing that, whatever happens, we can call him and receive a modicum of virtual assistance is very reassuring.
What do you use CaraMaps for when you travel, and which feature(s) do you use most?
VANDIPETY : CaraMaps was very useful in helping us find safe places to spend the night. Especially when you arrive in the evening, sometimes in the dark, it’s reassuring to find positive, reliable reviews. We also use the level quite a lot. And on several occasions, the filter for finding dealerships has helped us solve problems with our vehicle.
Finally, do you have a travel anecdote or crazy adventure to share with us?
VANDIPETY : We have more than one, in fact! In Poland, in the village of Zakopane, a deer crossed the road right in front of us: we were very surprised, and our fellow travelers even more than we were! Still in Poland, in Poznan, a lady invited us into her home to taste her famous pierogi, traditional ravioli. In the Netherlands, we stayed three days in a small village, Belt Schlusslot, to build flower-covered gondolas for a festival, becoming famous as “the Italians walking around with their kittens on their backs”. In France, too, we were very well received: one lady showed us around the little village of Bergues, and another offered us freshly picked tomatoes! So many happy stories thanks to the beautiful people we’ve met! In our videos, we share just how precious all this is to us.
The crew had the opportunity to meet part of the CaraMaps team, in Bordeaux, during a short stopover to discover the magnificent Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and continue their adventures towards the south of France, Spain, Portugal… A meeting that moved us a lot, at CaraMaps, a meeting between enthusiasts of itinerant travel that was very enriching!
We wish the best of luck to the wonderful Vandipety travelers, who are on their way to discover many more countries in Europe! We also invite you to support them on their roadtrip and follow their next adventures directly on their social networks with their dedicated roadtrip blog, on Instagram, on Youtube or on TikTok.
Enjoy your roadtrip with CaraMaps!
