HOW TO CAMPERVAN AS A FAMILY

Travel light

I over-packed everything, from badminton rackets to board games. So the most stressful moment was trying to stuff everything into every nook and cranny of the van. In the end we didn’t need any more than a pad of paper and a pack of cards.

Small touches make a difference Take some bunting, to shout to the world you are having fun – it also doubles as a drying line – and some solar powered fairy lights for evenings.

Pare down your wardrobe I imagined myself wafting around in a floral maxi dress, but sweat pants, a hoodie and flip flops for the shower blocks were the real essentials. Apart from fresh underwear, take as little as possible to wear and nothing that needs folding or hanging.

Take outdoor furniture The van worked best as a base – collapsible table and the camping chairs set up outside. Anthony, the chef in our family, cooked from the kitchen and passed the food down.

Take a real map Don’t just rely on sat navs and Google. A proper map will make it much easier to meander all over the country – and spot points of interest as you go. Plus phone batteries ran down much faster when we were on the road, and it was often difficult to get internet.

Practise your three-point turn

The van was easy enough to drive, but we did struggle on one occasion to free ourselves from a cramped pub car park, entertaining some amused drinkers in the process.

Tanith and Anthony hired their van from www.lovely campervans. co.uk. From May to September the cost is £830 per week (£120 per day) and in October it is £730 per week (£105 per day)