For many Antipodeans, to go on Van Tour Europe is the reason they moved to London. To be on the doorstep of the months-long tour of ancient cities, landmarks and festivals…and a whole bunch of debauchery. It is a rite of passage, without any formal arrangements or routes, and the general idea is to grab some buddies and a beat-up van and embark on the road trip of a lifetime. This chaotic rampage across the continent involves tonnes of travel, beer, partying, festivals, big gigs, laughs, hot surfing spots and cool cities – you could use one word, really: epic
The route:
Traditionally, Van Tour begins in June at Pamplona for the famous Running of the Bulls festival (see p52 in this month’s mag for more info) and ends at Oktoberfest in Germany. Where you go in between is up to you. Our suggestion would be to head to Pamplona through France (get the ferry to Calais, spend time in Paris, drive towards Bordeaux) and then into Spain (taking in San Sebastian and Pamplona) before driving into Portugal. There, take in Lisbon and Lagos, and then head back into Spain to Seville and then up to Madrid. From the capital, go east to the coast and see Valencia and then up the coast to Barcelona and spend a few days in one of Europe’s most glamorous cities, admiring the sights. Keep up the coast (taking in Girona and Sant Quirze de Colera) and head into France, eventually reaching Marseille. This historic French city is great to explore and is steeped in history.
If you’re more of a beach bum, we’d recommend those between La Pointe Rouge harbour and La Madrague. Where you go from Marseille is up to you. Some would suggest going inland putting in a stop in Lyon, which has a network of underground passages – traboules – and a great clubbing scene. Alternatively you could head up the coast to Cannes (beaches) and Nice (more beaches) before crossing the border to Italy. Here, some head straight for Venice, but it’s a fair drag (about 350 miles), so you should probably stop off and where better than Milan, or maybe even Genoa, or both? You can also work in Florence and perhaps even Pisa. Once you’ve enjoyed Italy, cross into Austria and, when in Innsbruck, wander its medieval lanes and sip sundowners while admiring the surrounding Alps. It’s about 100 miles from Innsbruck to Munich, which is the last big festival stop, and you should arrive just in time for Oktoberfest.
Once the hangovers pass, take time to explore Germany (we recommend driving to Cologne) before heading to Holland and taking on Amsterdam. You could head back to the UK from there but why not go down to Belgium (via Rotterdam), see Antwerp or Bruges, and then make the short journey to Calais and head to Dover? Your choice. The rules are there are no rules.
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The van:
The van is going to be your home for a couple of months so you’d better get a good one. Buying is an option, and although there’s always the danger you’ll end up with a piece of crap, it will be your piece of crap, so you can do whatever you want with it. Still, renting a van will make the insurance part of the proceedings a hell of a lot of easier. There are various companies that specialise in van rentals. Try Spaceships Campervan Hire or Wicked Campers.
Best of the fests:
There’s no shortage here. You’ve got the Running of the Bulls (July 6-14), BBK Live Bilbao (July 10-12), La Tomatina (August 27), Oktoberfest (Sep 20-Oct 5), La Batalla del Vino (June 29), Boom Festival (August 4-11) and even the Ibiza closing parties (Sep 17-Oct 5). You certainly won’t get bored!
Documents:
It is absolutely essential to make sure you’ve got the right licences, insurance and visas. Medical insurance is also a must, considering the hijinks you’ll be getting up to.
Campsites:
It’s worth researching where to stay and doing it properly because there’s nothing cool about turning up to a quiet, family oriented campsite and pissing off everyone by being noisy and getting shit faced. Ask fellow travellers (you’ll meet heaps) and any mates that have been before to find party-friendly campsites and look into which sites are Van Tour-friendly. vantoureurope.com
Image credit: Sarah Tucker, Thinkstock and trottininthet.blogspot.co.uk
