Van Life UK - First Impressions | Crossing the Channel with a Campervan

[@SheenaPerry1923]

Thankyou Nigel and Sue for not only keeping things real, but also the care and thought put into each of your posts. Love the snippets of sights, explorations, practical info and details of both historical and geographical features. I do so look forward to each episode. 👏👏👏

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Thanks so much Sheena!! Glad you’re enjoying the ride. We are really excited to launch our next travel series in a couple of weeks!

[@billcrowle]

Love your anecdotes and “Mind the Gap”

[@nigelandsueadventures]

@@billcrowle We were so emotional!!

[@RichardJarlestam]

Your films are the very best that exists! Keep on the good spirit! Keep safe👌❤️🎶🎸

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Awwwww!! Thank you so much!! 🧡🧡

[@alidabotes6264]

'Mind the gap!" I shed quite a few tears. I love such historical tidbits! Thank you - it was a most enjoyable video. I have subscribed.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

It's such a beautiful story isn't it? Glad you enjoyed the video and I hope you enjoy the show, going forward. Thanks for the sub!

[@Robert-to9zv]

Fantastic video. Lots of meaningful history. Thanks so much!

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Yeah it was a pretty moving visit to the museum and walking along the beach1

[@geoffotaylor2276]

I'm so glad that I'm not the only one that tears up at anything remotely sad or happy, I sometimes think that I've turned into a front bum! The only thing that I remember about London was a bar that we drunk Long Island Ice tea's in, the Royal Nat of course and somewhere in a park where we got breakfast and of course the launderette, the rest, just like Europe is all a haze.

[@geoffotaylor2276]

By the way, why do need to get out of the schengen area every so many days, aren't you two on British passports?

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Yeah sadly we can only do 90 in 180. It’s ok for Nige because he spends half his time in Saudi. I’m in the UK now and will come back here when he goes to work next. We do have to keep a count of our days! Bloody Brexit!!

[@alibanks2986]

Great to see Russell Square, the Royal Nat & the Green Pub again Sue & Nige🙏 And hearing “mind the gap”… priceless 🥰❤

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Yeah the new Mind the Gap just isn’t the same! I did go into the Green pub with my son Luke when I was first in London.

[@MoonRiverTravels]

Ahhh, an episode from NAS, best way to start my Sunday mornings! Good to see you made it back to Blighty without issue, and hope the upgrades are going well!! Can't wait to see what you make of van travel on the little island ;)

[@nigelandsueadventures]

thanks Kit! We won't be staying too long here this time - when Nigel gets back from this work stint we will go to Italy for a while. Will do the UK & Ireland properly next summer.

[@allovesscrapping]

Thank you for another insightful travel video. Nigel does so well with his driving and those skinny roads gave me goosebumps. Love the "mind the gap" at the station - that's really nostalgic that they still have the original "mind the gap". Totally loved going on this adventure with you crossing the Channel. Stay safe 🤗

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Glad you enjoyed it! I've been on my own in the van the last few weeks and I can confirm the driving is pretty stressful! Hope you continue enjoying the adventures.

[@fionaludbrook8193]

Wow, memories, for me as well as you two, though I never worked for Contiki. I so loved my own time travelling around Europe and being based in London.. I so love your videos and adventures. All the very best with the new van and travels round Europe. Thanks for taking us along vicariously.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

We are really chuffed that so many people are reminiscing about their time in Europe as young adults through our adventures! Glad you're enjoying the show!

[@bishopkinlyside8477]

Hi Nigel and Susie, thank you once again for a fantastic video and taken us to where you first met 30 odd years ago. Wow it must’ve been fantastic to stand in the same place and have all those wonderful memories of your first time you met and fell in love. Thank you for the history tour to. That was fantastic. My father was in the 2/15 battalion. He was actually a rat of Trobruk.Cliff from Logan City Queensland Australia 🇦🇺

[@nigelandsueadventures]

We find the war history fascinating! And yes it was good to relive those memories in London!

[@Lisamitchell-jm4kc]

Brilliant, thanks for sharing 😊

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it Lisa.

[@robertacasey5204]

After seeing some of the costs for Canadian ferries when we were up there I was surprised the Dover crossing was only 100 quid for you and the van. Great to see London too!

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Yeah it’s always fun to come back to an old haunt after many years

[@createandliveyourbestlife]

HI Sue and Nigel. Just WOW incredible happy for ÿou both 🎉Flying “by the seat of your pants” as us Aussie say, brings out in us our incredible skill sets and ingenuity instilled THANKFULLY in ‘our generation without us realising from our upbringing and experiences. Shared and gifted to us by our families, connections and those who came before us. Another great Vlog THANK YOU For sharing the REALITY OF LIVING ON THE ROAD IN VANS AND IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. Great Job. 👍🏻👏🏻❤️🙏🏻🇦🇺🙋🏻‍♀️

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it!!

[@sparklepea]

So fun to have the Contiki trip down memory lane. I stayed at the Royal National before my Contiki trip to Eire in ‘97

[@nigelandsueadventures]

oh we were there in 97! Seems like just yesterday.

[@ianrobinson4501]

I enjoyed watching this episode it would have to be one of the best travel channels I have watched

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Thank you so much Ian!! E appreciate you being along for the ride. 😊🧡

[@glynnjarrett4220]

I struggled heaps on the roads over there last year, and I was in a car, with right hand drive. I take my hat off to you.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Driving a LHD van here is definitely not for the faint hearted! I'll be glad when Nigel is back and he can take over the driving duties again!

[@HermionefromAustralia001]

Ta for sharing - Lovely vlog - lots of memories for us too - including dropping a daughter off at the National for her Contiki trip! (Bed bugs made it memorable for her!) Looking forward to the work progress! :-)

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Oh no!! Bed bugs are awful. I had them the first time I went to Uluṟu, which was also on a Contiki tour!

[@kevantjones]

Watched your two most recent in the UK, interesting seeing your take on the roads. We have ambitions of the big lap once we've retired, so just starting to watch your lap of AU also. We're in the south midlands, try not miss The Cotswolds! Perfect in autumn as less crowded.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Plenty of room on the roads in Australia!! It's scary driving here!! We will be coming back to the UK next summer for an extended road trip. Seems like there are plenty of great places to visit! (I think we're going to need more than 3 years for Europe!!

[@kevantjones]

@@nigelandsueadventures Well all the best and keep the content coming.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

@@kevantjones Oh we will!!

[@Lee-astrololee]

London is such a fascinating place, haven't been back since 1999 but have fond memories of many walks, the transit system and buying bright purple metho in the local dept store where l got interrogated as to why l wanted it! lol Not been to Dunkirk, pity l didn't do France at the same time!

[@nigelandsueadventures]

OK now we have to know too! Why purple metho??

[@Lee-astrololee]

@@nigelandsueadventures To stop the alcoholics drinking it, apparently lol

[@nigelandsueadventures]

@@Lee-astrololee ah, that makes sense!!

[@Qwertyuiopclub]

Welcome to the UK! From Kent and an Aussie!

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Cheers! It’s great to be back!

[@Qwertyuiopclub]

⁠​your welcome!

[@stevenjohannesen88]

Another great Vlog, and a history lesson too, cheers from Downunder 🦘🦘🦘❤️🇦🇺

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Thanks Steven, there might be a few more mini history lessons to come!

[@heinzmartin8266]

If ever there was a first item for your merchandise line , it’s that T-shirt lol Cheers

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Haha it’s a good one right?

[@ibagm.8]

oh... already in UK 🎉

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Just for a little while, getting some work done on the van

[@neilthorman3646]

Hi guys we are really enjoying this series, it’s amazing how you just drive into another country. I don’t know why but I had tears flowing down my cheeks when you told the Mimd The Gap story. Thank you and be safe.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

@@neilthorman3646 yes its such a beautiful story isn't it? At first the cynic in me didn't believe it was true, but there are countless real Newspaper articles about it, and there was even a short film made about the story - although they did film it at a different station. I think because that was an outdoor station so they could film the lady sitting on the platform from the other side of the tracks. Can't do that in the tube!

[@Hodgie65]

I am so loving following along with you as you journey around overseas. Did you manage to get your passport stamped before you boarded the ferry?

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Yes we did! Sorry we should have said that.

[@retirement-adventures]

Loved the video. When I make my big trip from the Sunshine Coast to France in 2026, I'll be heading to the UK for upgrades too. Is there a reason you bought in France rather than the UK? I will also be buying a Bluetti power bank so that I can carry it with me if I need to get it recharged somewhere. Did you have to do anything special with your insurance to drive in the UK? Kind regards, Stuart

[@nigelandsueadventures]

We actually bought the van in Germany as we wanted a left hand drive

[@CookingAroundTheWorld]

I managed to squeeze a tear out too, for the "mind the gap" story. I wonder if I can get a recording of my ex-wife yelling "take your bloody boots off" for when I come in out of the garden.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

I used to have a recording of my son's Voicemail message from when he first had his phone, with his high-pitched little boy voice. Don't know what happened to that. I'd probably cry if I heard that now!

[@RichardJarlestam]

Hi Ehen you get back to France you must visit Normandy and the museum La Copoule where Verner von braun built V2 rockets with targets in uk. Could not be bombed out because boms were bouncing against the copoule. But after the invadio in normandy troups could destroy the 7 store down in the moutain. Today a fantastic museum with films och moon rockets . Best war museum in France. Great f your films. Good luck

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Oh thank you for the tip! We will definitely check that one out when we do our France Road Trip

[@RichardJarlestam]

You need to spend 1 full day there, which I did!

[@dale9896]

Biblical beer, I love it, well done 👍 😅

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Well you know, historically it was the monks who made beer!

[@Davidjeng049]

Hi, Have you found many other motor homes that are fully self sufficient like the ones back in Australia, or do they all just use camping grounds and caravan parks.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Most over here seem to be self contained in terms of toilet and grey water, but all that we looked at lacked the off grid capability we need. They all had 3 way fridges. That has to go!!

[@Davidjeng049]

@@nigelandsueadventures Did you know about the lack of off grid capacity before or have you just found out when looking? I went with Auto tours when over there but that was 50 years ago, there was Contiki tours but I wanted to go skying.

[@michaelsecomb4115]

Reminds me of when 4 of us spent a month driving a Ford Focus around the UK. Pity Brexit has made travel across the channel more difficult. Well done Boris - not!

[@nigelandsueadventures]

I haven’t spoken to a single person here in the UK who thinks Brexit was a good thing. It’s going to be tricky but we will manage.

[@davidhale4830]

Why has it made it more difficult????

[@nigelandsueadventures]

@@davidhale4830 before Brexit, when the UK was part of the European Union, those of us with a UK passport could travel freely throughout Europe with no restrictions on how long we stayed. Now, we are restricted to 90 days in 180, so we need to plan ahead and spend half our time outside the Schengen Zone. We will produce a video explaining this and how we are working around it soon.

[@TassieEV]

You can't take the van on the train thru the chunnel or is it because it's too big for the train? English breaky seems to be missing something...black pudding which is fantastic I might add. :)

[@nigelandsueadventures]

We definitely could go on the train, I think it’s a lot more expensive, and I don’t like being underground. Let alone under water underground!!

[@jamescrawford9883]

Did you take the “scenic route” from Dover? Lol.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Haha! Certainly did!

[@jamescrawford9883]

Love your vids, you two! Cheers from Wagga.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

@@jamescrawford9883 Thanks so much James, glad you're enjoying the ride.

[@billdonald3671]

I bought a LHD Hymer motorhome in the UK in 2019. Those UK roads are tight and people drive like lunatics. Don't get me started on the roundabouts - you know there's a traffic issue when the roundabouts have traffic lights. I find the UK the most difficult place in a camper - they just hate them. Very NIMBY. France is infinitely better.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

I agree Bill, I was very nervous driving in the UK. Glad to hand back to Nigel!

[@davidhale4830]

Great videos you guys,keep them coming,have you the full name and contact details for Marcus please I'm looking to buy a van from Germany and export it to Spain, I think this guy sounds a godsend.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Hi David, you can find him at mycarturf.com Tell him we sent you!

[@LJSheffRBLX]

Nigel & Sue Adventures, We could make a great team, wanna be friends?

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Thanks for watching!