Kym, like thousands of other Brits, was left disappointed when her summer plans fell through due to the COVID-19 outbreak and resulting regulations. A holiday to Spain was no longer happening, and so they had to look elsewhere for a trip this summer. A staycation was clearly the safest option, and so the question was how to enjoy that staycation.
“It’s not our typical type of holiday”, Kym says of campervan travel. She admits that without Corona, she and her family would never have taken a trip like this. But the silver lining of her cancelled holiday plans is discovering an awesome way to travel with her family. They picked up Matt’s adorable 1971 VW campervan, close to London, and headed to the coast.
A simpler pace of life
“It gave us a chance to reconnect with nature and a simpler pace of life”, and isn’t that something we all would hope to get from a family holiday? To slow down as a group, without school and jobs coming in the way, and enjoy the moment. Campervan travel allows this through the freedom of it. There is no need to plan ahead or stick to a strict schedule excessively. You can take each day as it comes. Base your plans or next destination by a feeling, mood or even the current weather.
This is what the Smith family did, following the coast for their three-day getaway. Short, but certainly sweet. A staycation like the one they took can truly allow you to get to know the area that you live in or the destinations just out of reach that you put off yearly. We are so quick to fly away to Spain or France, seeing it as the only way to spend your summer ‘right’, when staying close to home can be a beauty in itself.
A summer staycation
A staycation can sound great, but is it truly possible during this period of COVID-19? For the Smith family, it was. It took adjustments, such as finding somewhere to eat and then booking it in advance. Masks had to be at the top of the packing list, worn in indoor attractions such as an aquarium. But campervan travel allows you to minimise the impact of such regulations, as Kym summarises that “being mostly outdoors meant we didn’t have to change very much. We probably ended up spending more time outdoors immersed in nature than we normally would have done, which was good for our wellbeing!”
Summer 2020 was not what we asked for, not what we expected and certainly not what we would’ve chosen. But Kym and her family have managed to find a silver lining from the bad situation. They tried renting a campervan and got a three day escape from everything together. The reassurance of knowing that they’re travelling safely, and a chance to enjoy the great British outdoors together. When asked whether they would travel in a campervan again together, the answer was a firm “yes, definitely!”
Thank you to Kym Smith for sharing her story with us!
Would you like to enjoy a staycation with your family like Kim? Find a motorhome near you!
