Isa and Juju are 32 and 35 years old and made use of the year 2020 in a very unique way.
While many people sat at home during the lockdown they enjoyed spending time with their bus Bruno on a road trip through Europe. Always corona-compliant, of course, and usually even alone on the pitch. In our new podcast episode they'll tell you where their journey took them and what exciting experiences they had on their almost 6-month long trip.
If you'd rather hear about Isa & Juju's road trip adventures than read about them you can listen in at the RoadCast.
´You should just do it`
In April 2019, Isa and Juju bought their camper and rebuilt it within 3 months - pretty impressive with two full-time jobs. Luckily, Isa is very talented with her hands and so their camper Bruno was finished quite quickly and without any major problems. Isa and Juju got help with the electrics. And they recommend the same to others. "Feel free to accept help once in a while. First of all, you have to be clear about which car you're considering. For us it was clear: you have to be able to stand in the bus. That was really important to us for our European road trip. We also wanted to have a fixed bed. And the car also had to be right. We wanted to drive 250,000 km ourselves but everyone has to decide for themselves what's important."
´It was also not an option for us to install a shower as that can quickly backfire with the condensation`. Jumping into the sea to clean up is better anyway 😉 A big tip they gave is is to watch YouTube videos. They have optimized their bus with the help of many videos. ´In the end, you should just do it - you'll gain experience` Juju says.
The first short trip to France with the new camper immediately excited the two of them. Fortunately, the electrics worked great until then and so they were able to really enjoy the first smaller road trip together.
Then they started planning their big European road trip. After 14 years, Juju decided to quit his job in the event industry for a big trip. In June 2020, they set off. Isa really wanted to go to Norway but that was all they had planned. Due to Covid they had to make a diversion or two to cross the borders of Norway. This allowed them to drive around the Baltic Sea and visit beautiful countries like Finland. In the end, it was even a happy coincidence because they were able to travel to many great places that they wouldn't have had on their list otherwise.
´Norway is simply astonishing - dreamlike`.
Camping in nature, waking up every morning to the sound of waves and enjoying Norway far away from the campsites. That's probably how many people imagine a road trip through Norway. So did Juju and Isa. Unfortunately, like many others, they were wrong because they have not experienced the Norwegians as campers-friendly people. ´Many people are annoyed by campers because they often leave a lot of rubbish behind. Of course, it shouldn't be like that` they say.
Nevertheless, they were thrilled by the beautiful vast nature of Norway. They even benefited from Covid because many popular places were not overcrowded and so they could really enjoy them. ´There's something to see around every corner in Norway and it's even more beautiful in real life than on pictures . The camper also says he is not on the run - ´the joy is in the journey and so we really drove along the fjords at 50-60 km/h - that was just beautiful`.
Off Guide
Did you know we have our own travel guide? The Off Guide.
It creates individually planned routes for camping trips. These are tailored to your personal vacation ideas and include locations, campsites, activities and restaurants.
For a road trip without the stress of vacations planning.
P.S.: Your trip still remains flexible, because the Off Guide provides input without fixed bookings.
After the trip through Norway they decided to go south as well - due to the weather. ´But that won't be the last time we went to Norway` says Isa. ´Friends of ours were in Portugal at the time so that motivated us to take on the kilometres to go south as well`.
For Juju, their best road trip moments were in Latvia. They camped at a beautiful lake where there were also three cabins. The owners of the site made their sauna and barbecue hut available to the campers. ´I think it's just amazing how nice it was of them to let us use their sauna for little money` Juju says. So the two of them enjoyed Latvia from a very special side and after the sauna they could jump into the lake located in front of the camper's door.
For Isa, Estonia was a big highlight. ´We felt more welcome here than anywhere else! It was really like in a dream. We had the best weather and drove along the sea in a good mood with beautiful music. And you could stay anywhere by the sea here. It was just wow`.
Besides vanlife, Isa and Juju have other things to do, of course. Isa and Juju have turned their passion for hats and caps into a business and developed their own headwear label. But that's not all. Because Juju actually comes from a gastronomy background and has always dreamed of making his own liquor they threw these two things together and created their brand ´Hats & Shots`. They make sustainably produced headwear - completely Made in Germany, of course. Their caps are also made of recycled plastic and there's not plastic in the peak. So these are pretty great products made from pretty great materials.
Once again, we would like to thank Isa & Juju for this fun and wonderful conversation about their road trip through Europe and wish them a safe and enjoyable journey!
