Ninety Days on the Road — We Went Together

Germany and the Alps · Days 1–6

Before the Motorhome

The motorhome was not ready when we arrived, so the trip began in a hired car. For six days, we drove through Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

The children got to play in snow for the first time. We then returned to Frankfurt to collect the vehicle that would be home for the next eighty-one days.

The family at Neuschwanstein Castle — Neuschwanstein Castle, the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.

The children playing in snow for the first time

The family beside Lake Constance — Feeding swans on the German side of Lake Constance.

Frankfurt to Paris · Days 7–12

Finding Our Rhythm

Once we collected the motorhome, the real journey began. Everything took practice at first: driving, finding campsites, cooking, making the beds and packing it all away again the next morning.

Paris was the first major stop. The weather was poor and the top of the Eiffel Tower closed despite our tickets, but by then we were beginning to understand how life on the road could work.

The family loading luggage into the motorhome — Moving into our home for the next eighty-one days.

The children sleeping inside the motorhome

The children looking from the motorhome at a pig in the campsite — Meeting "Little Tiny", one of our campsite neighbours.

France, Spain and Portugal · Days 13–28

South into Better Weather

We kept heading south and the weather steadily improved. Spain and Portugal changed the feel of the trip: warmer days, more time outside and a family that was settling into the routine.

We planned to arrive in Santiago de Compostela on Good Friday to see the elaborate Easter processions.

By the time we reached Gibraltar, the motorhome no longer felt temporary. It had become our normal way of living.

The cathedral square in Santiago de Compostela — Santiago de Compostela.

Easter processions.

The children riding a public train across Porto — Taking the train across Porto.

The family with the Rock of Gibraltar behind them — Gibraltar—the southernmost point of the circuit.

Andorra to Vienna · Days 29–47

Across the Middle

The route turned east through Andorra, Monaco, Italy, Slovenia and Hungary. The days ranged from the canals of Venice to Slovenia’s caves to ordinary evenings cooking in the motorhome.

Vienna became the midpoint reset: three nights outside the city, time for laundry and a chance to slow down before the long drive north.

The children drying dishes inside the motorhome — The children helped with the daily chores like drying the dishes.

Philip holding George inside the Monte Carlo Casino — The famous Monte Carlo Casino, featured in so many movies.

The family travelling by gondola in Venice — Venice.

The children at a mask-making workshop in Venice — A Venetian mask-making workshop.

The family beside the cave train in Slovenia — Postojna Cave in Slovenia—the train ride through it was a unique and surprising highlight.

The family at the Volksoper Wien — The Jungle Book at Volksoper Wien—in German.

Central Europe to the Arctic · Days 48–64

The Long Drive North

From Vienna we crossed Czechia and Poland. We continued through the Baltic states and took the ferry to Helsinki.

Finland’s campsites were quiet and often nearly empty, but the country was vast and the long driving days began to add up.

By Rovaniemi, we were inside the Arctic Circle—approximately 66.5° north. With the summer solstice approaching, the days grew unbelievably long.

The motorhome alone in a large campsite field — One of the huge, nearly empty campsites on the way north.

The children walking beside a bunker at Hitler's Wolf's Lair in Poland — The Wolf's Lair: Adolf Hitler's first Eastern Front military headquarters in World War II.

The children walking through the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania — The Hill of Crosses, Lithuania.

The motorhome waiting to board the ferry to Helsinki — Waiting for the ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki.

The family sitting on a lakeside jetty in Finland — Staying in nature is what we love about campervanning.

The family beside reindeer near Rovaniemi — Inside the Arctic Circle.

A partly frozen shoreline in northern Scandinavia

The children licking a piece of river ice in Sweden — Swedish lake popsicle.

Lofoten and Norway · Days 65–76

The Hardest Part

We had high expectations for Norway and drove far north to see Lofoten. Instead, the weather turned cold, wet and windy. Even the views we had come for were mostly lost in cloud, and for almost a week we were largely confined to the motorhome.

Only farther south did the sky begin to clear. We could get outside again and, with almost continuous daylight, spent the evenings outdoors exploring. The mood of the trip changed with the weather.

Vanessa looking through the rain at the mountains in Lofoten

The family spending another wet day inside the motorhome — A week of bad weather kept us inside most of the time.

A child looking through the motorhome window in Lofoten

The motorhome below snow-covered mountains in Lofoten — A brief break in the weather at Lofoten.

The family playing beside a Norwegian lake at eight in the evening — Finally outside again, with daylight stretching late into the evening.

Oslo to Frankfurt · Days 77–89

The Road Home

After Norway, the trip became easier again.

We had originally planned to travel for a year, including six months campervanning through Europe. Then, just before we left, we found out we were expecting our third child. This 90-day journey ended only a few weeks before Vanessa could no longer fly.

Looking back, the distances were immense, our moods went up and down and Norway tested us more than we expected. We still wonder how we managed it at all, but we are deeply grateful we did.

The children collecting jellyfish on a beach near Gothenburg — Collecting jellyfish.

The family at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen — Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen.

The family at the original Legoland in Billund — The original Legoland, Billund, Denmark.

The family sharing a meal inside the motorhome during the final days — Final days.

A dark road seen through the motorhome windscreen at night