A man has travelled 4,000 miles around Europe in a converted van he bought from Facebook Marketplace for just £1,500. Ryan Holland, 31, took a gamble and bought a 2007 Fiat Doblo after falling in love with hiking during lockdown.
He wanted to push himself out of his “comfort zone” by travelling solo and found the perfect vehicle in May last year. After searching the internet, he came across the van on Facebook Marketplace and within 10 minutes was “dressed and driving up to go and get it.”
He then spent 28 days over three months converting the van on his driveway, spending just £1,500 more on materials. The adventurer road-tested his new van around Scotland, Wales and the Lake District before taking the plunge to travel solo around Europe in April this year.
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His journey started along the West coast of France, before he visited the Pyrenees, south coast of France, Italy, and Switzerland. Ryan has now been on the road for seven months, and believes his DIY van renovation has saved him almost £30,000.
The van is equipped with a foldable bed and cupboard, and he uses a portable shower, camping stove and public toilets when on the road. He spent £1,300 for fuel, food, ferry crossings and permits during his three-month trip around the continent.
Ryan, a photographer, from Colwyn Bay, North Wales, works as a content creator while on the road and shares photos of his travels on Instagram. He said: “The van was such a bargain. No one believes me when I say it was £1,500.
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“I cleaned it all out and started from scratch and used recycled wood free from Facebook Marketplace to make the bed frame and cupboard. I just researched YouTube videos and on Facebook groups to help me do it [and] paid for the electronics so they were done properly.”
“I’ve created a little home on wheels. It’s taken me out of my comfort zone.”
Of the places he has visited on his journey, Ryan says Switzerland was one of his favourites as it looks “straight out of a postcard.” He said: “I wanted to get out and about and have an adventure.
“I come from an introverted family so I’ve always had to keep pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I found a passion for hiking and the UK during lockdown.
“I’m quite comfortable on my own solo traveling and you can make your own path.”
Ryan took his first road trip in the van with his friend James New, travelling around the west side of Scotland, before also exploring the Lakes and North Wales. In April this year, Ryan decided to take three months to travel around Europe in his van, which he lovingly named ‘Pablo.’
He started along the west coast of France, hiking, surfing and enjoying the culture of each place he visited. He then ventured to the Pyrenees before continuing to the South of France, where he met locals and joined in with their parties.
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“I was relying on very little Spanish and French to get by,” he said. “In France I visited Monaco and got to see them setting up for the Grand Prix and even went round the track.”
From there Ryan visited Italy and Switzerland before cutting his trip short when temperatures started to get too high. He added: “I managed to see the backstage of where they were filming Fast and Furious in Turin.
“I had no air con in the van so I would cool off with a wild swim. But when saw it was going to reach temperatures of 37 degrees I decided to head back.”
Ryan said many people think van life can be expensive as they opt for large vans and spend £30,000 converting them, whereas he believes his smaller van and DIY conversion has saved him £27,000 “for the same experiences.”
Ryan next plans to use his van to travel to Slovenia, Croatia and Italy’s Dolomites mountain range. You can follow Ryan’s van life journey on Instagram here.
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