What a trip!
We hired a VW Campervan in June and travelled to Wales. Wowsers – it was everything I wanted it to be…and more! If a campervan trip is something on your bucket list then buckle up as this post is for you!
🚐 What campervan did we hire?
I’ve wanted to hire a VW camper for ages; I travelled around Australia in a motorhome for a bit many moons ago but I wanted to share the experience with my boys too. I’m a bit restricted as I only have an auto licence but hey, don’t let this stop you! After looking around and asking friends for recommendations, I went with OxCampers. They have a range of campers for hire, all reasonably priced, all top notch and top spec (one half of the husband and wife team is a VW mechanic and they also do camper conversions) and it was perfect – and auto too of course! Can’t recommend them enough, they are genuinely lovely and did such a thorough handover. Brontë (our campervan) was new for 2023 and I actually felt a bit giddy driving it with all its fancy bits. We also hired a small tent as rain was forecast and it was handy to be able leave all the cases and ‘stuff’ in.
I actually thought my boys were going to explode when they saw the camper! They were so excited and it was just something so different – in fact the hardest thing was getting them out of it to enjoy the sights of Wales. In terms of sleeping arrangements one night me and my youngest slept downstairs and the big boys slept up top in the roof and we swapped for the next night. Both equally comfy! Sign up to their newsletter on the website to get 10% off your next booking.
➡️ Visit the Oxcampers website
🌸 Where did we stay in Wales?
Dolwen Riverside Camping in North Wales. It’s a Greener Camping site, which are small, quiet campsites in great locations, that allow campfires and are gentle on the environment and committed to sustainable, responsible, eco-friendly camping. It’s £12 a year membership and worth it. The campsite is in one big wildflower field with 6 pitches, each with campfire and picnic bench and a little stream at the end. There’s also (hot!) showers, toilets, washing up facilities and an honesty shop (jeez my boys went to town on that! They spent a fortune and I discovered Biscoff spread!)
➡️ Visit the Dolwen Riverside Camping site
🎢What did we do when we were in Wales?
Fforest Coaster in Betws-y-Coed on the edge of Snowdonia of course! The UK’s only alpine coaster, you basically go 375m up in a toboggan type thing then pelt down at speeds of up to 25 mph 😳 The going up bit was definitely my favourite part! I knew my boys would love this but I was seriously not keen, however I took one for the team and went on with my youngest and I have to admit that it was a lot of fun, even though I was heavy on the breaks so we weren’t going at full pelt, and also slightly hysterical! I don’t have any pics of the going down bit as I using the hand brakes HARD with both hands but check out the website for the full experience. After we went on the Treetop Nets, Europe’s longest net walkway suspended 60 ft high in the trees with a series of nets pulled between them. Great fun, albeit tiring! This is part of Zip World and they have all sorts of other activities here, and at numerous different sites, including bonkers jumps and Zip wires too.
➡️ Visit the Zip World website
☀️Any beaches?
On our last day we went to Rhyl beach, which seems to get a bad rap and is known as the worst seaside town in the UK! Sold! 😂 We found it rather delightful! We didn’t go near the busy bit and parked at the Pavillion Theatre. I think the other end is where there seem to be issues but the stretch that we were on was practically empty and we enjoyed splashing in and out of the water and building sandcastles before travelling back to Oxford.
➡️Visit the Rhyl Beach website
If you are thinking of a campervan adventure then go for it! I’ve never driven one before but it was super easy and the newer ones have all the cameras and the beeps so it’s practically impossible to crash into anything as the van is shouting at you! This is the holiday that you think sounds pretty idyllic, but will it live up to expectations?’ YES! Of course we had our bumps, especially when trying to pitch our tent next to the van in the rain and the dark on arrival, but that’s just family life and future stories around dinner table fodder! We’re already planning our next camper trip for summer 2025! Where to? The world is our oyster!
