Podcast Episode 1: Fulltime Van Family Exploring Europe with Rainbows on the Road
Welcome to first episode of the Exploring It Families podcast! I am thrilled to introduce dear travelling friends of ours, Laura and Carly, better known online as Rainbows on the Road. Along with their daughter Agnes, they swapped their 9-5 lives for a life lived in a converted van travelling around Europe.
In this post you’ll find all the details discussed in their podcast episode, which you can listen to above (or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and Google Podcast), plus more photos and information. I hope you’ll give it a listen and please leave a review or rating if you enjoyed it. And share it!
You can find all our podcast episodes here.
About Rainbows on the Road
Laura and Carly along with their 10 year old daughter Agnes embarked on a life change to live in a converted van and travel through Europe long term. 18 months into their ‘new life’ they share their story – from how they made their life change to what life looks like for them now living on the road. They talk about how they manage family life in a tiny space, how they travel with their van dog Roy, and the impacts they’ve experienced of being a lesbian couple.
Laura and Carly are an inspiring couple whose love for this alternative lifestyle is truly uplifting.
Their life change and what they did
- Bought a Luton van and converted it into a permanent home on wheels.
- Laura negotiated with her employers to work remotely while they travelled.
- Sold their home in England.
- Took their 8 year old daughter out of school.
- Set off to France.
- Returned briefly to the UK to rehome their beloved cat Nu.
- Travelled through France, Spain and Portugal on their first adventure.
- Adopted Roy their van dog, puppy of a rescue dog.
- Travelled all the way to Turkey where they were at the time of recording.
Photos of their life change and travels
Their van Ludo just after their bought it – an empty shell!
Carly, Agnes and Laura outside their home the day they sold it – another step further on their life change
Agnes 9, Carly and Roy enjoying a meal in their converted Luton van
Agnes 9 and mum Carly on a hike in Turkey
Laura, Agnes and Carly exploring the burning rocks at Mount Chimaera, Turkey
Carly and daughter Agnes enjoying the view on a walk in Turkey
Carly, Agnes and Roy the dog enjoying a Turkish coffee
Van views – washing drying surrounded by a herd of sheep!
Topics discussed in the podcast
- Why they made their life change
- How they made their life change happen – buying their van, jobs/work situation
- Removing their daughter from school – life on the road, meeting other families, learning while travelling
- Details of their van conversion – challenges of the conversion, converting a van whilst still working
- How they finance their travelling lifestyle – move from office to working remotely
- Highlights of their travels
- How they find living in a tiny home as a family of 3 – getting space,
- Challenges they face driving a larger vehicle in Europe – weight, height, garages
- Impacts of being a lesbian couple – challenges they’ve faced, how and where they travel
- Vanlife with pets – a cat that didn’t like travelling, how to deal with places you can’t take a dog
- Breaking down – their experiences, how they handle it, top tips
- Low points from their travels – breakdowns, migrants trying to get into their van, intimidating youths, corrupt police
- Impacts of Brexit on their travels
- What they’ve learnt from their travels
- Dreams for the future and settling down
- Advice for families considering vanlife or a life change
Resources and websites mentioned in the podcast
- Schengen Countries list
- Our blog post on the impact of Brexit on our travels
- Roadschooling Europe Facebook group
- Vanlife Family Hashtags on Instagram: #vanlifewithkids and #vanlifefamilies
- Instagram accounts to follow: @vanlifefamilies and @offgridfamilies
- Educational resources
- From Rust To Roadtrip website
- Maps of water points, laundrettes and showers: Western Europe, Central Europe, and Eastern Europe
- Country guides – really useful info about each country
- Baby Bus Adventures blog posts mentioned
Find out more about Rainbows on the Road
To find out more about Carly and Laura (Rainbows on the Road) and their life change, you can find them:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rainbowsontheroad
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RainbowsOnTheRoad
You can contact them via the direct message tools on either of those.
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