Week 1 - Europe vanlife with 3 Dogs

Hello! I am currently writing to you from a snowy Switzerland. Today marks day 8 in the first leg of our year long travel extravaganza and to tell you the truth.... I couldn't be HAPPIER.

We started our journey to Europe by leaving my mumma's house (thanks mum) where we had been living on Wednesday 15th Jan at 6am. Our task was to drive to Dover, take a ferry to Calais and then drive onwards to St Omer, France. The ferry crossing was very easy and we enjoyed spending time in the pet lounge (so cute). This was so straightforward and easy to access and made the start of our trip feel very comfortable.

Weena having a Titanic moment on the Dov-Cal Ferry ride.

From Calais we made a stop at a nearby Carrefour (French supermarket - various sizes everywhere) for supplies then headed to our spot in St Omer. We stayed in an Aire which was really useful. We were able to hookup with electricity and set up our Starlink Wifi which worked a treat. We were the only people in the Aire so it was quiet and peaceful.

Next we drove approx 7.5 hours towards the Swiss border to stay in a small Skiing town called La Bresse. It was beautiful; snowy mountains, waterfalls, hot chocolate etc... the best. the dogs were very well behaved (for a change) on the campsite which was quite busy. We stayed in La Bresse for 2 nights before making our voyage onwards to Switzerland.

A lake in La Bresse

Between St Omer and La Bresse; La Bresse was the winner without question. St Omer was cute for a day visit but La Bresse was La Breathtaking. It felt like a very surreal moment to be waking up next to a river in the shadows of a snow capped mountain in a van. The drive down the mountain from La Bresse was also insane; windy roads surrounded by the forest with spectacular views of the small towns and lakes. I would definitely recommend a visit to La Bresse with a pet or as a family. With the cost of our 2 night stay, we had access to the toilet and shower facilities which worked a treat and the ability to roam around the campsite and the town beyond. There is a free bus that can take you into the town as well as up high to where the Skiing action happens. As an accident prone person, I did not do this for the wellbeing of my limbs.

The windy road down the mountain

There have been a few teething problems with the van but the highs far outweigh the lows; tenfold. The views, the quiet from the daily grind, the lack of responsibility to anything except ourselves, quality time without interruptions, snuggles with the dogs... it feels like an endless list of stuff that is good for the soul. It can be challenging too - but I would take this life over anything else. We are so blessed to have this opportunity and grateful for our experiences so far.