A couple took off work to tour Europe in a luxury camper they renovated for $25,000 — here's their cost breakdown and how they financed the trip
Amelie Falke and Mathias Nösel
- Amelie Falke and Mathias Nösel have been touring Europe in a converted van for a year.
- The couple spent 25,000 euros converting it into a "luxury" camper van.
- They told Insider how they built it and what life is like on the road.
This is an edited, translated version of an article that originally appeared on September 9, 2022.
Amelie Falke and Mathias Nösel spoke to Insider as they were taking a break in their van at a rest area near Vechta in northwestern Germany.
The couple are touring Europe in an old van that they converted into a camper for 25,000 euros, or about $25,000, after they decided it was the perfect time to leave their Hamburg apartment, dip into their savings, and take a break from work.
"After graduating from high school, I went straight to university, then joined a PR agency for four years and quickly took on responsibility. Last year was the right time to take a break," the 28-year-old Falke said. "It was definitely a leap into the unknown."
Amelie Falke
The couple budgeted 15,000 euros for the van and another 15,000 euros for the conversion.
They managed to get the van for 16,000 euros, but the conversion cost them 25,000 euros despite the couple doing almost all the work themselves.
The extra 10,000 euros came from the camping hype during the earlier days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 35-year-old Nösel told Insider.
"Prices for wood also rose sharply during the pandemic," he said, adding that this made the conversion much more expensive because they lined the inside of the van with wood.
The couple said they taught themselves how to install the bed, stove, and shower with the help of YouTube videos.
"We were pretty proud that we managed to do it," Falke said.
"We have a sink, a shower, a dry toilet, a gas cooktop, a 4.6-foot-wide bed, and an air-suspension chassis to compensate for sloping ground," Nösel, who is a self-employed art director, said.
Amelie Falke
They also installed a second battery and a solar panel on the roof, which can generate enough energy to power the van for up to five days, the couple said.
The stove tops are powered by gas, for which they bring a five-liter bottle of gas that is enough for about three months, they said, adding that they've been able to get free water from most places they've been.
"It's kind of a luxury camper," Falke said. But she said that was important to them because "we knew we weren't just going to be on the road for a few weeks, we were going to be living and working in the van indefinitely."
Amelie Falke
They started their journey last summer, first driving from Germany to Tuscany, Italy. From there, they took a ferry to Sardinia before moving on to Barcelona and then Mallorca. They said that they enjoyed Mallorca so much that they ended up staying for three months.
They then returned to Germany to visit family over the Christmas period before driving up through Denmark and on to Sweden and Norway.
Amelie Falke
"My highlight was definitely Scandinavia. There was a real sense of adventure in the Lofoten Islands," Nösel said.
"We spent 1,500 to 2,000 euros a month per person, financing ourselves through our savings," Falke said. That included all their living costs, fuel, tolls, and car insurance.
The costs varied per country, but they said that Scandinavia was the most expensive place they've been so far.
Their biggest expense on the trip has been gasoline, Nösel said, adding that Russia's February invasion of Ukraine and the resulting sharp rise in fuel prices exacerbated this.
Another significant cost has been food, Falke said. While they said that cooking on their two gas hobs worked well, "we also ate out a lot. For me, that's part of experiencing the culture of a country," Falke said.
"I don't think we're actually saving by living in the van. Our cost of living has actually increased compared to Hamburg," Falke said. In Hamburg, the couple rented a small apartment for 850 euros a month.
They said that it would be possible for them to live cheaply in the van, but their savings have allowed them to afford a more expensive lifestyle on their trip.
Despite this, they have tried to save some money through methods like avoiding camping sites, Nösel said. "I've always preferred staying in the middle of a field anyway," he added.
Amelie Falke
"We haven't always camped on dreamy beaches. We've often just stayed by the side of the road or in a McDonald's parking lot," Falke said. They've been particular fans of McDonald's parking lots because "there's always free WiFi," she said.
The couple were positive about their experience on the trip so far, but they said they do miss one thing: "You don't need much when traveling in a van, but what we've definitely missed was our family and friends," Nösel said.
Despite this, they have no intention of moving back into an apartment any time soon. They said their plan now is to return to work, but to do it on the road and continue their journey.
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