Family Campervan Adventures, Surf Trips & Wild Swimming
We’re Claire, Dan and our two boys — a UK family exploring surf, wild swims and coastal adventures in our VW California. Honest itineraries, practical tips and real‑life vanlife for those who want family campervan adventures without the overwhelm.
Start Here: Our Most-Loved Campervan Itineraries
If you’re planning a family campervan trip in the UK or Europe, these are our most popular routes — complete with ferry options, park‑ups, swim spots and practical tips you can actually use.
Northern Spain and Galicia
Ferry from the UK to Spain, surf beaches, wild swims and park-ups across Galicia and Asturias.
Galicia Surf & Swim
A slower, wilder Spain. Rugged Atlantic coastline, Galician surf scene and secluded coastal swim spots.
French Alpine Lakes
Freshwater swimming, mountain scenery and lakeside campervan stopovers in the French Alps.
Ireland / Ring of Kerry
Tour Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way in a Campervan. A water-led road trip of the Ring of Kerry on the Emerald Isle.
About Us
We’re a family of four — Claire, Dan and two teenagers — sharing real-world campervan travel built around surf, wild swimming and coastal adventure.
Claire is a Chill Swim Triple Crown marathon swimmer and Level 2 swim teacher. Dan’s love of surfing shapes every coastal route we plan. Between us we’ve covered the Wild Atlantic Way, the Spanish coastline, Scottish islands, Welsh peninsulas and the French Alps — all in the same VW California.
Everything on this site comes from real experience.
Practical Guides and Kit
Eight years of road testing — the practical stuff that makes family campervan trips actually work.
Family Campervan Packing Checklist
Everything we pack for a 10-day surf and swim trip. Download the free PDF.
Family Campervan Kit List
The gear we actually use. Affiliate links, honest reviews and eight years of road testing.
Our Campervan Setup
How we’ve set up our VW California for travel as a family of four.
From the Van Diary
- Our Favourite UK Campsites for Sea Swimming: Walk-In Coastal Access, Tested by Us
Our favourite UK campsites where you can walk straight from the van into the sea — no driving, no parking, no fuss. From Cornwall to the Llyn Peninsula to the Isle of Mull, every site tested by us as a family of four. - Buying a VW California: what we wish we’d knownThinking of buying a VW California? We’ve owned our T5 SE for eight years. Here’s what we wish we’d known before we bought — from mechanical checks to model choices to who it’s actually right for.
- Our Favourite Wild Swimming Campsites: Lakes, Llyns and LochsOur favourite UK campsites with direct access to open water — lakes, llyns and lochs perfect for a wild swim straight from the van. From Coniston to Snowdonia, Loch Lomond to Bala Lake, with water safety tips and kit advice for dippers and distance swimmers alike.
Follow Our Adventures
We post regular reels, trip updates and swim spots over on Instagram — follow along for the unedited version of what you see here.
Work with us
We work with brands and tourism boards across the UK and Europe to create authentic campervan and outdoor adventure content. Our audience is engaged, family-focused and actively planning their next trip.