A symbol of freedom and escape, taking off in a converted van for two has been a dream of ours for a long time! Travel bloggers on recitsdescapades.com since 2017, it was for Charlotte’s surprise 30th birthday party that we took the plunge! We set off in the City Car Sunlight van from VanBreak. A 6-day, 5-night getaway for two in March 2021 in the wide open spaces of Andalusia, off the beaten track. We tell you all about our road trip for two…

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If there’s one word that can encapsulate all the emotions of this escapade, it’s this one! FREEDOM. Freedom not to plan anything, freedom not to have a schedule, freedom to go where you want, freedom to forget everything and just enjoy.

It’s a strong word, a feeling we’ve all put aside for a while in 2020 (hello health crisis), and which with a van takes on its full meaning.

Leaving in a converted van means feeling independent, autonomous, even self-sufficient. It’s about putting aside for a few days our 1000% Parisian city life, and forgetting about the never-ending health crisis. It’s also, and above all, about taking time out for a romantic getaway, just the two of us.

Photo credit: https://recitsdescapades.com/

For this new road-trip, we chose to discover a little-known facet of Andalusia, the natural version of this highly touristy region of Spain. From olive groves and white villages to stunning mountain ranges, we explored the area west of Malaga.

Thanks to the expert advice of the VanBreak team, we spent two days in the grandiose Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. Words fail us to explain its raw beauty. This is a hiker’s paradise. You can spend a day, a week or a month here, as nature has so much to offer. Thanks to the van, we’ve been able to stop off in some very wild places for cocooning evenings for two.

Photo credit: https://recitsdescapades.com/

Andalusia is also famous for its pretty white hilltop villages. At this time of year (March and the health crisis), we were alone in the world. Our van took us to the pretty villages of Gaucin, Ubrique, Grazalema and Zahara de la Sierra. A particular favorite is Casares, one of the first villages on your route from Marbella.

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The magnificent town of Ronda, perched on its steep cliffs, also charmed us. We recommend you take the time to explore it on foot, parking your van outside town. A few kilometers away, don’t miss the breathtaking Caminito del Rey and the El Torcal de Antequera nature reserve.

Photo credit: https://recitsdescapades.com/

SCOOP: road trips for lovers are great!

Adventure in a van means taking the time to think about your itinerary, cook together and adapt to each other’s pace. Our stay of several days in a van in the middle of nowhere gave us a real sense of freedom and communion with our environment.

Photo credit: https://recitsdescapades.com/

Un van trip dépaysant et ressourçant, à notre rythme. Le séjour en van aménagé permet vraiment de profiter des lieux que l’on visite. C’est une expérience très agréable à vivre en couple. Nous repartirons à deux avec grand plaisir !

🚐 Envie de vivre votre propre road trip en Andalousie ? Découvrez les vans disponibles chez VanBreak et partez explorer les plus beaux paysages andalous en toute liberté.

Retrouvez l’itinéraire complet de notre van trip en Andalousie sur notre blog : “Récit d’Escapade”.

Charlotte & Marie Catherine

Découvrez plus de témoignages sur notre Blog de Voyage et nos suggestions d’itinéraires de Road Trip en Andalousie.

How many days should you allow for a road trip to Andalusia?

6 to 10 days to discover the Sierra de Grazalema, the white villages and Ronda.

How easy is it to travel around Andalusia in a van?

Yes, the region is ideal for a van trip thanks to its scenic roads and numerous natural areas.

When is the best time for a van trip to Andalusia?

Spring and autumn offer the best weather conditions.

Life wouldn’t be exciting without the moments that mark us, move us, thrill us, make us laugh or cry. It’s these moments that ultimately make up our lives, because in truth, we don’t remember people but rather moments spent with them, we don’t remember places, but moments spent in those places. For some people, these moments are even more memorable because they are experienced around the world and outside their comfort zones.

We met Wafia, business coach and communications specialist for small businesses, who spent a month traveling around southern Spain with her husband, both digital nomads. As you can see, what counts most for adigital nomad are the special moments that take us out of our comfort zone or create strong emotions within us. That’s why Wafia is a digital nomad and her motto in life is “Life is about moments”. “I don’t actually remember VanBreak, but the great times I had in their van! That’s what I’ll always remember,” confides Wafia with a big smile.

Introducing our digital nomad Vanbreaker

3 years ago, my husband and I decided to go it alone and become Digital Nomads. We travel while we work and mainly go to Coworking or Coliving because we like to meet other digital nomads, but in a small corner of our heads, the seed of the Vanlife experience was already well planted.

After almost 3 months of confinement in Spain, this seed has blossomed; we crave freedom, space, nature and fresh air more than ever. Come on! we went for it, leaving for a month in a van to explore southern Spain.

After a magnificent month marked by the invincible wind of Tarifa, the sunsets of the caleta de Cadiz, the delicate charm of the white villages of Grazalema and Jerez de la frontera, the crystal-clear water and sand dunes of Bolonia, the loving, benevolent non-conformism of Caños de Meca, the impetuous ardor of the fishermen of Barbate, the raw landscapes of Capo de Gata, the flamenco rhythm of the streets of Seville, the exquisite beauty of Granada.A month marked above all by the charm, ardor and benevolence of Andalusia and the good paella of Valencia. We’d like to share with those interested in this #VanLifeWork experience, the important information you need to know when traveling by Van while working.

1/ Choosing a converted van: your home as well as your office

When we decide to rent a Van, we look at the Van’s comfort because we’ll be sleeping and living in it for a month, but as a Digital Nomad there are additional criteria to validate:

• Sockets : How many sockets are there? and how autonomous are they? because you’ll need to recharge your computer often.
• The office: Make sure you have a good place to work comfortably and take calls. In our case, there were two of us, so we had to be able to work on both at the same time.

We chose to rent a Van from Vanbreak. The rental process was fairly straightforward, the customer service was super-available and, above all, the van is perfectly suited to work. We’re off to Malaga in June 🙂

2/ Internet connection: Not just a simple connection but a very good one

Once you’ve rented your van, like all good digital nomads, you’ll have to deal with the all-important question of Internet connection. This was our main concern, because we not only had to manage the Internet connection, but also ensure that the speed was good enough to support videoconferencing. After a good deal of research, we opted for a Vodafone router and chip (local supplier). This was the most economical option (router 75 euros + chip 50 euros). It was great knowing that Spain has good internet coverage. We had no problems there, with the exception of Cabo de Gata, where we turned around for hours before finally finding a spot – in the middle of nowhere – to get Internet. We needed a few challenges to spice up our experience!

3/ Managing spots and customer calls

There’s no denying that the experience of working remotely and living in Van can sometimes be challenging. When there are emergencies to deal with and the place you’re in is full of people and lots of noise, you have to lock yourself in the Van to take your call. And when it’s 35 degrees outside, it can get difficult! But it’s worth it. The best advice is to manage your spots well, looking at the testimonials in the “Park4night” app when you have an important call.

Another essential point: even if you have a good relationship with your customers, you probably don’t want to take a video call where they see you in a car… It’s not very professional. Fortunately, there are now backgrounds with Zoom, Skype or Google Meet. So you’ll be able to take your calls in a van by the sea with a meeting room backdrop… isn’t that wonderful? 🙂

4/ Working is good, but living is better

Every Digital Nomad knows the importance of finding the right balance between work and pleasure. When we travel, we want to discover, marvel and have a good time. So it’s important to choose the right period to leave in a Van, if you’re going away for a short time. Don’t leave at a time when you have big projects to deliver, for example.

After a month in Van, we’ve managed to keep up with work while enjoying the finer things in life. Life in a van is an incredible experience. Experience the true meaning of freedom, connect like never before with nature, let go of the material, get back to basics and understand more than ever that home is where the heart is, and the office too 🙂