May 31, 2025, 5:42 am | Read time: 13 minutes

Travelbook author Anna Wengel (Chiodo) has embarked on several van trips, both with and without her family, gaining valuable insights along the way. Here, she offers tips for van travel with a toddler and partner.

9 Tips for a Van Trip with Toddler and Partner

What I learned in the last two weeks: Life in a van with a child and partner is often very different from being alone. From this beautiful yet exhausting experience, a few tips for van life with a child have emerged for anyone planning something similar.

Consider Van Equipment

Seven years ago, my van life in New Zealand took place in a converted, older Toyota Hiace van. I quickly realized it was too small and started looking for a larger model—not just larger but also “self-contained,” meaning it had a kitchen, toilet, and wastewater facilities. This is important because, in New Zealand, you can only wild camp with vans that have a green self-contained sticker—and also for convenience. I had a camping stove back then, which would probably suffice now. But being able to wash dishes directly was great. And having a toilet in the van is not only something kids (and I) find cool. In the middle of a beautiful nighttime autumn rain, it’s quite nice not to have to take your child to a public toilet.

So the first tip is: Travel with a van that is at least equipped with basics like a kitchen including a stove, fridge, and sink, as well as a toilet (plus appropriate wastewater facilities).

Ideally, the van also has a shower. Otherwise, depending on your personal shower needs, you’ll be looking for one every day or every few days. Here’s a tip from my last trip: If the van doesn’t have its own shower, you can buy a solar shower and place it on the roof. It’s cumbersome, but it works.

Tips for van travel specifically in New Zealand can be found in this text: In a Van Through New Zealand–5 Tips for the Road Trip

Consider Van Size

Now, to the size of the van. Alone or with two people, van life works in a small van. My daughter and I managed well in a converted minivan when she was six months old. A van like my old Toyota Hiace would work great for the two of us, as would any larger model. But my daughter and I are not alone in our family; we also have a dad or husband. And this number of three people was what repeatedly became a problem on our last van trip: Someone was always in the way. If the sun is shining outside, everything somehow works. But if it rains, the three of us sit in a small space and constantly climb over each other, for example, when you want to get something from the fridge or brush your teeth.

I was persuaded on this trip to book the van I had been disgusted by seven years ago: “How can anyone travel in such an endlessly ugly van?” What can I say? I’m seven years older, and I have a child and different comfort needs. I still find the green vans from the provider Jucy ugly. But the fact that they cost only a third of the other offers and were equipped with everything I wanted convinced me despite the unappealing appearance. And the fact that I could chuckle at myself every time I looked at the vehicle only made it better.

So we had our van, a Jucy Condo: three meters high, nearly five meters long. The best part: Besides all the practical equipment, there was a double bed below and one above. Perfect, daughter on top, parents below. That’s what we thought. And then quickly realized that my husband was simply too tall for the lower bed and the upper one was too cramped for me. So, another plan: child and mom below, dad above. Speaking of height: Just because a van is three meters high doesn’t mean a man has plenty of space; there are always things inside to bump his head on.

So here’s tip number two: Don’t overestimate the size of the van. With three people, it might just work in a larger van, as long as one of them is a toddler. At least if everyone likes each other and you enjoy being outside a lot. If a couple travels with two or more or generally larger children, definitely book a very large model. I now even understand the charm of a motorhome, although I also find them endlessly ugly and don’t see myself in one. But we would have liked the space during our van trip with a child in New Zealand.

Choose Child-Friendly Equipment

And by that, I don’t necessarily mean safety-related things. However, while we’re at it—if you’re traveling with a baby or toddler, they need the right seat in the van. And there’s the first problem: Not every van has the appropriate Isofix attachment that many child seats have today. So here’s a tip: If you’re traveling with your own child seat, make sure it fits beforehand. Otherwise, you can usually book a suitable one from car rental companies.

By child-friendly equipment, I mainly mean something to keep the child occupied during the drive. Because if you’re traveling in a van, you’re likely going on a road trip. Well, maybe not, as there are surely many families who just vacation at a campsite. But you have to get there first. And if you travel like I do, the whole family sits in the car for longer stretches and has to endure my “Look here…”, “Oh, that’s beautiful,” etc. My daughter enjoys it, and together, we’ve discovered lots of rainbows, waterfalls, kangaroos, cows, horses, and opossums. But she also wants to play with her things in between. So this tip: Provide a surface, preferably a table, where toys and art supplies can be placed during the drive.

Additionally, on longer car trips, always sitting alone in the back, looking out the window, or playing can eventually become boring. Besides numerous audiobooks and her favorite music, our daughter loved it when one of us occasionally climbed into the back and just sat next to her instead of always being in the front. I suspect this isn’t a big issue when traveling with multiple children.

Also interesting: Tips for a Relaxed Vacation with Baby and Toddler

Pack the Right Gear

A topic that can play a significant role in van trips is luggage. On the one hand, there’s usually not much space in a van. Depending on storage options, it’s generally worth having a travel bag or backpack because you can squish them somewhere. A suitcase tends to be in the way.

Clothing

But the contents of the bag are also crucial: I’ve never experienced a van trip where I needed particularly fancy clothes, simply because the feeling is entirely different. For all of us, the clothing mainly consisted of comfortable items like tracksuit pants, leggings, T-shirts, and cozy sweaters. Also, shoes you can quickly slip on and off, sneakers for longer walks, and possibly rubber boots. Everything else depends on the weather. In summer, swimwear is, of course, included.

If you’re traveling around summer in a van, be aware that it can get really cold at night. During our trip, for example, one night near the Coromandel Peninsula, I gathered all the hats, warm socks, and such and put them on my daughter because it was so cold. Back in Queenstown, I woke up one morning to unexpected snow. So my tip is: Pack light but weather-conscious, and include warmer items like hats and wool socks.

Kitchen Utensils, Bug Spray, Light, and More

Everything else needed for a van trip, like kitchen utensils and such, is usually provided by the rental companies. Other travelers often leave things there that you can take. Otherwise, you can buy everything on-site or, of course, bring it with you. Just stick to the basics you need for cooking at home. What often lacks, however, is a small light. There’s often bright interior lighting, but if you want to read in the evening or eat without festive lighting, a small travel light is worth it.

Also, depending on the destination: bug spray. Some vans come with mosquito nets on the windows; others have entire nets set up. I did this in our minivan during our Europe van trip and can only say it was a really good idea. Because: It gets pretty stuffy in the van, especially in summer. If you can open the windows or doors without worrying about mosquitoes, that’s really nice.

More general tips for camping in a car can also be found in this text: Camping in a Car–How the Road Trip Succeeds

Choose Child-Friendly Campsites

I’m not sure if I’m the best for such a tip because I tend to love wild camping in the middle of nature. Especially in New Zealand, I love just being somewhere at a dreamy spot, preferably by the sea, where I can open the tailgate in the morning and admire a dream view at sunrise. My daughter loved it as much as I did, especially when she could run to the beach first thing in the morning, so maybe that’s a tip.

But the tip is probably more about finding campsites that suit you. If you don’t feel like cooking in the van or feel safer surrounded by other campers, a campsite might be the better choice. We mainly used them to shower regularly.

Another option is designated wild camping spots. I’ve raved about this app in my previous New Zealand articles: Campermate. It lists all sorts of helpful things like public showers, toilets, gas stations, and all types of campsites. And that includes those where a self-contained van can simply park without having to pay. The app only lists places in New Zealand and Australia, but there are many equivalents for Europe, the USA, and more. How much wild camping is allowed depends a lot on the country. I can say for New Zealand that 17 years ago, you could park almost anywhere, self-contained or not, seven years ago a bit less, and now it’s really much more restricted and only in a self-contained vehicle. You should definitely inform yourself about the rules for your specific travel destination, as they vary greatly.

Another tip for campsites on a van trip with a child: Choose campsites where your child can easily run around and play. Beaches, meadows, a playground nearby, there are many options. But a simple parking lot somewhere on a road is not a good idea. So it’s better to search earlier in the day to ensure you find a nice spot for the night and the next morning.

Plan Together

This tip isn’t necessarily about van trips but about travel in general. It’s still important. My tip: Plan the trip together, including everyone’s wishes.

I had a lot of wishes for our New Zealand trip. The same was true for our family trip to Scotland last year. There, with all the things I absolutely wanted to do and see, I overwhelmed my family. Fortunately, a bit wiser from the Scotland experience, I planned the days on this trip less and more relaxed. And also left much more time for spontaneous breaks. Above all, we also tailored all activities much more to our daughter. And I must say, thankfully. Otherwise, would I have gone to the beautifully lit Redwood Forest in Rotorua in the evening and looked for fairies? Or tried the Luge? Let’s say, on both of my last New Zealand trips, I didn’t do either. I could still show them my favorite places that make me sentimental. However, these were not the highlights of our trip.

Consider Individual Needs

Seven years ago, I loved sitting in my van for hours with a book, writing materials, and coffee, gazing at the sea or other dream landscapes. My three-year-old found that quite boring: “Mom, can we play on the beach?” “Mom, can you read to me?” “Mom, I’m hungry,” “Mom, I’m bored.”—I heard these phrases constantly.

The lack of silence was the hardest thing for me to accept now that I was no longer traveling New Zealand alone and at my own pace but with my family. So what to do? My tip, even though I still have a lot to learn here: All needs count. And that can also mean incorporating breaks where mom and dad can do exactly what they want. Admittedly, this is a bit more challenging in a camper. But you can, of course, leave it and walk down the beach with your coffee cup. Or the partner grabs a bucket and shovel and builds the biggest sandcastle in the world with the child. This is a general parenting tip but also applies to van trips with a child.

Stay Relaxed

As with any other trip, things can go wrong during a van tour with a child. For example, our fridge broke down in the middle of the vacation, and even a workshop couldn’t help. Did it annoy us at first? Sure. Especially my husband, who had just bought a lot of meat. So what did we do? Cooked everything, ate it, and from then on, shopped differently. And ate out more. It wasn’t ideal. But it still worked.

What’s the tip here? Perhaps, just expect that not everything will go according to plan and deal with it when something happens. In any case, don’t lose sight of the beautiful place you’re in and that the trip is so much bigger and more important than the piece of meat in the broken fridge.

More on the topic

How do I find a car, where can I park, … ? New Zealand in a Van: 5 Tips for a Perfect Road Trip

Experience report Travel Author Explains: ‘This Is How I Earn Money on Vacation’

Family vacation How to guarantee a successful trip with children

Show Openness

The previous tip is followed by a similar one, especially for van trips: Stay open to the possibility that plans might change. I’m a convinced lover of van life, and apparently, so is my daughter. My husband, on the other hand, was very happy when we visited friends during our trip and could also be in a house. And also when we spontaneously booked two nights in a hotel. A friend recently told me about her van trip with two teenage children and a partner. It ended after one night in the van in various cabins on campsites because it was simply too cramped for them.

Having learned something from our experience, we’ve already made a decision for our next van trip in New Zealand or elsewhere: Instead of an exclusive camper trip, we’ll probably switch between vans, motels, and hotels.