The Hippy Bus Blog
Our blog is a place to find our vanlife tips and tricks, travel recommendations, and stories from life in our hippy bus. We hope these blogs make you smile, feel inspired, and provide a bit of an insight into what full-time travel and life on the road looks like.
Vanlife Diaries Morocco: Through Peppe’s Eyes
To describe the sights we’ve seen navigating down West Africa in our Mercedes 410D bus, Peppé, is a little difficult. One minute, we’re driving down a main village street where produce stall holders serve locals, and cafes overflow with happy faces enjoying Moroccan tea.
Vanlife Diaries Morocco: The Blue City of Chaouen
Nestled in the Rif Mountains in northwest Morocco, Chefchaouen is surrounded by a dramatic mountainous landscape where the cerulean sky meets blue-washed buildings.
Vanlife Diaries Morocco: 24 Hours in Tangier
As we watched Spain disappear into the mist with the last sight of Tarifa’s windsurfers, it finally hit. We were about to leave Europe's comfort blanket for North Africa’s desert sunsets and bustling souks.
Our Portuguese Homestead: Autumn
This autumn has been about clearing, burning, and building more infrastructure at our home in the trees. We’ve constructed a shower area, created pathways through the trees, and built a communal area with a bench, campfire, and mini log store.
How To Live And Travel Full Time In A Van?
Living full-time in a van is a considerable amount of work. There’s a lot to consider such as managing waste, monitoring water usage, and having consistent electrical power. It is, however, an ideal lifestyle choice for those who want to cut down on living costs, have affordable travel, and spend more time outside.
Is Vanlife Good For Dogs?
Vanlife can be a great lifestyle for dogs, provided they are still trained, exercised, stimulated, and allowed plenty of time to run around happily outdoors. Vanlife with a dog comes with the challenges of living in a small space, but if you like spending lots of time outdoors, it might be perfect for you!
What Is Frugaldom?
Frugaldom is a project based in Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland providing a place for biodiversity and wildlife to thrive. This is now our third time spending time at Frugaldom, and each time we visit, the progress is incredible and inspiring. Immediately as we pull up in our van, Susan the founder of Frugaldom greets us with a warm smile and open arms.
Is The Lake District Worth Visiting?
The Lake District is one of the 15 national parks in the UK and is located in Cumbria, northwest England. When we headed north back in the winter of 2021, we headed to the Lake District in search of impressive peaks and stunning scenery, but instead, we were greeted with torrential rain, high winds, and flooding.
Tips for Vanlife? (Our FAQs)
Now that we’ve moved onto our off-grid land in Portugal, we’ve been reflecting on the time we’ve spent in vans over the past few years and the challenges we have faced living full-time on the road in the UK and Europe.
A New Chapter Begins
It’s been a couple of months since we last shared an update on what we’ve been up to.
Well, today is the day we are finally sharing what’s been keeping us so frickin busy!
The Rollright Stones
Recently, we headed to Oxfordshire to say goodbye to loved ones before we set off for Europe again next month. We were told about a nearby ancient site, composed of various stone circles with Neolithic and Bronze Age history called ‘The Rollright Stones’.
5 Top Tips for Eco-Friendly Living
By now, I think we’re all aware of the struggle our planet is facing and it can be hard to know how to help. We’ve put this post together to share some of the things we do daily to minimise our effects on the environment, and maybe inspire you to make some small changes too!
Meet Winnie
There’s a new member of the hippy bus crew and he’s a Honda XR 125L called Winnie. He maxes out a little quicker than Peppé at 65mph and is our new set of wheels to get us to some very exciting places!
A Little Chat from a Field in Dorset
It truly is the little moments in life that fill us with so much joy. As I sit here with a coffee in my battered coral travel cup, listening to pigeons unleash their early morning ‘twootwoos’, I’m thinking how lucky I am to be able to do this each and every day.
Exploring Normandy
With an abundance of beautiful scenery, historic villages and war memorials, Normandy is a must if you’re planning a trip to Northern France. Although we love exploring through hiking and venturing to the outdoors, we wanted to dedicate our time in Normandy to visiting some of the sites and memorials from the D-Day Landings that took place in World War 2.
Eurotunnel Campervan Guide
The Eurotunnel, also known as the Channel Tunnel, is a 50km tunnel connecting the UK and France beneath the English Channel. Taking less than 40 minutes, it’s a great option for those venturing to mainland Europe and it’s how we entered France in our campervan from the UK.
The Best Campervan Toilet: Simploo Composting Toilet Review
For those opting for a toilet in their camper, it can be difficult to find the best one to fit your needs. Before we tell you about THE best campervan toilet we have ever used, let’s talk a bit about other toilet methods for on the road.
How We Work Online Successfully
Having a remote income doesn’t necessarily mean you will work less, but it means you can control your schedule and signal permitting, potentially work wherever you are in the world.
Vanlife Scotland - A White Christmas 2021
Immediately as we entered the glorious Cairngorms National Park, we were awe stricken and knew we wanted to spend a lot of time nestled away in the mountains.
Vanlife Scotland - The North 2021
After spending Autumn equinox in Wiltshire at Stonehenge, we set off with our souls recharged and in search of a snowy winter and magical festive season.