The truth of van life: I left UK for better life abroad – it's been beautiful but I never realised how hard it would get
Plus, the man who travelled around 12 countries and spent just £700
ROLL ON The truth of van life: I left UK for better life abroad – it's been beautiful but I never realised how hard it would get
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
THIS brave traveller ditched her 9-to-5 life for an epic three-year journey across Europe and has travelled 80,000 miles so far.
While for many this sounds like the dream, but Alice Sutton shares tough realities of leaving a settled life in the UK.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
4
Alice has been travelling Europe for three years
Credit: mediadrumimages
4
She works remotely from her renovated van
Credit: mediadrumimages
Alice Sutton, 25, was born in Italy, but is from Woking and spent seven months converting her £12,000 ex-British gas VW Caddy Maxi - which she called Remi for a travel adventure.
So far she's travelled through France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Gibraltar, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Monaco, Wales, England, Scotland.
Despite loving her van life, Alice shared how tough it can be on the road - especially travelling solo.
Alice revealed: 'I have had a breakdown and a break-in in the space of a week."
Despite the setbacks, Alice insists she's never lonely. She said: 'I can't help but be amazed and excited by the incredible natural world and places I travel.
'I sometimes wish I could share the moments with particular people, or course, but being solo doesn't detract from the moment."
While Alice is happy with her lifestyle choices, she confessed that along the way, she does get some strange questions.
Mostly, people ask where she showers and where she goes to the toilet - to which Alice is always happy to tell them about a nature-wee.
Alice showers using a water tank and has to get clean water from public water points which she has to spot while driving through towns.
As for electricity, her lights and fridge run off EcoFlow RiverMax which charges through her engine when driving, or is plugged in when she stops at a cafe or restaurant.
Traveller has great money saving hack that also allows you to experience destinations better
4
So far Alice has been travelled through 14 countries
Credit: mediadrumimages
The worst part about van life for Alice is the lack of warm showers in the winter as well as the unfriendliness of town councils all over the UK and Europe to people travelling in a van.
Alice added that there are 'no overnight camping' signs in lots of the destinations she goes to, which makes it difficult for her to park up and rest.
Before taking on the van life Alice lived in student rental houses with friends at university and then with her parents while the van conversion was underway.
All lifestyles have pros and cons, but Alice has found the one that works for her.
She originally bought her van six months after graduating and knew that she always knew she wanted to commit to 'van life'.
Luckily Alice's job as a digital marketer allows her to work remotely for six months of the year.
After travelling for years, Alice says other people wanting to do the same should just commit because that's the most difficult part of making it happen.
And she added that for anyone wanting to travel in a van, you should spend money to get all the best bits - or risk setting yourself up to fail.
Alice isn't the only one quitting the UK - Natalie moved to the world's best value holiday destination and spends £200 on rent.
And Robert spent £700 a month travelling through Europe – saving money by sleeping wild in 12 different countries.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
British child, 4, in holiday nightmare after being sucked into hotel pool vent
The youngster was stuck up to his elbow in a pool cleaning hole at a resort in the north of Majorca and needed firefighters to free him A four year old British boy was left frantically trying to free himself after his arm was sucked into the cleaning system of a hotel swimming pool in Majorca, Spain. Onlookers were reportedly horrified as the young holidaymaker suddenly became trapped after inserting his arm into the pool's suction hole, which was not covered. The vacuum effect from the hole ensnared him up to his elbow, prompting staff at the Hotel Zafiro in Can Picafort, a resort in the north of the island, to call emergency services. Paramedics were first on the scene but were unable to liberate the boy, leading firefighters to drain the pool and then use a pneumatic drill to access a pipe leading to the hole. The boy was given a helmet and ear protectors as they drilled down, but around 30 minutes later, they eventually cut it off at the source and freed the boy. Images from the scene show the boy in an orange cap waiting patiently as emergency workers strive to extricate him. Police and members of the Spanish Guardia Civil were also present, reports the Mirror. The boy was taken to a local clinic but fortunately did not sustain any serious injuries. Police later interrogated the hotel's lifeguards, and one confessed that he had already reported issues with the suction system to the resort's management team. A makeshift solution to the problem involved reinserting a screw to cover the hole, but this often became loose. Local reports indicate that an investigation into possible negligence by hotel management is currently in progress.
Metro
6 hours ago
- Metro
Tourist smashes two Terracotta Army warriors during bizarre museum rampage
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Two of the world famous Terracotta Army clay warriors have been damaged after a tourist jumped into a pit and pushed them over. The 30-year-old man launched himself into the pit at the museum housing the antiques in Xi'an, China, on May 30, while eyewitnesses looked on in shock. Once inside the 18ft deep pit, the man, only identified by his surname, Sun, pushed and pulled over the statues. Video footage then shows him lying on the ground covering his face as eyewitnesses yell at him. One, Xiao Lin, said he was visiting the site with a tour guide when he suddenly saw the man jump in. He shouted, 'What are you doing?' before the man touched the figures and pushed them over. He said: 'Later, the museum was closed, and we were evacuated by staff. I didn't see how the man was removed from the pit.' A tour guide at the scene, named Tete, confirmed the man jumped in and toppled over the terracotta warriors. Afterwards museum security restrained the man while authorities confirmed he is suffering with his mental health. The exhibit is still open to the public while officials work to repair the damage. The Terracotta Army is regarded as one of China's greatest archaeological treasures and features a collection of more than 8,000 life-sized soldiers. The figures date from around the late 200s BCE and were discovered on March 29, 1974, by local farmers just outside Xi'an. In 2017, a man admitted to stealing a thumb from one of the Terracotta statues that was on display in Pennsylvania. Footage showed him taking selfies with the statues before appearing to break something off. The missing thumb was only noticed a month later and the FBI was called. More Trending Michael Rohana, snapped it off at the the Franklin Institute museum from the statue which was estimated to be worth $4.5million. By that figure, the damage to the statues in Xi'an could possible be $9million. Rohana later admitted that he had kept the thumb in a drawer. He was acquitted after his lawyer argued he was wrongly charged under laws that usually apply to major museum thefts. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: British man arrested in the US is accused of spying for China MORE: Leader who killed 6,000,000 of his own honoured in new statue MORE: I live in a 'murder house' – this is what it's really like
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
We bought a huge 3-bed home in Bulgaria without viewing for £25k, we've quit the UK with our kids, every day's a holiday
The mum revealed the tiny amount of tax they pay annually HOUSE ABOUT IT We bought a huge 3-bed home in Bulgaria without viewing for £25k, we've quit the UK with our kids, every day's a holiday BUYING a home can be expensive in the UK - and one couple decided to think outside the box. TikTok users RenovateBulgariaWithUs shared how they managed to snap up a huge three-bedroom house in the European country for just £25,000. 2 A British family have shared how they bought a home spontaneously in Bulgaria for £25,000 Credit: 2 The couple have been sharing their renovation story on TikTok Credit: Relocating from the UK with their kids, they have now set about turning it into their dream home. The large family pad needed quite a bit of work to it, and they have been updating following with their renovation journey. On their @renovatebulgariaw account, they revealed that they bought the house on a whim. They wrote: 'We bought this three-bedroom house in Bulgaria without viewing on a spontaneous Wednesday afternoon. 'Three bedrooms, half an acre of land, outbuildings.' One of the first jobs they tackled when they moved in was adding a working toilet to the bathroom, as it didn't have one. Thankfully they did have a working shower and sink to get them started. They've also replaced the windows, laid a new stylish floor and added a fire, which looked perfect for winter. The couple shared how they have decked out the house with bargain furniture that they have upcycled to make them look stylish. This included £15 chairs and a £15 dresser. I fled the UK for sunny Dubai - life back home is miserable & no-one has any cash Given the national average house price in the UK was reported at £264,500 in 2024, the family's Bulgarian home is an affordable alternative. As well as managing to snap up a cheap property, the couple shared how living costs are less in Bulgaria too. The mum wrote: 'You pay a tax yearly, like council tax, which is around £45. 'Then there is water and electric to pay, costs are very low compared to UK.' While the renovation appears to be a large project, the family have been taking advantage of a nearby pool and stunning lakes and hikes. And thankfully the kids are said to love their new home, with the mum saying: 'It's lovely.' Many people were impressed with their DIY renovation, with one saying: 'amazing house.' Another added: 'Everything you've done so far looks incredible!' A third commented: 'What a life.'
