Our home!
We sold our house and almost everything in it, Oh boy how much you accumulate over the years.
We found a Citroën Jumper that we start to build our home on.
The van is blue, so we named it blueboxvan.
We bought it 2020 and we did a quick job, we worked almost every day with it.
The van was in a god condition, so that was a god start,
it took around 3 months, and we had to do it out in the free because we had no garage to work in.
Even if we rebuild the van on a short time and without any drawings almost everything went super well.
In October 2020 blueboxvan make the first trip to Europe.
Kjell & Åsa
Welcome to read more about our tips, since we mostly been in Portugal the tips is about this country.
We visit other countries more and more so we surely wright more tips about them in the future.
There are so many beautiful places to see in Portugal but some are especially close to our hearts that we recommend visiting:
Armacao de Pera, Silves, Portimao, Lagos, Sagres, Aljezur, Vila Nova de Milfontes, Odemira, Santo Andre, Costa Nova, Porto, Peniche, Nazare, Douro valley, Lamego, Evora.
Some of the tings we have use for in Portugal:
1. We use the app Park4Night to find all places to overnight
2. Translating app we use is DeepL this translate Portuguese (some other apps is in Brasil language not Portuguese)
3. If you are interested in learning Portuguese you can use Memrise that is for Portuguese language (not Brasil)
4. Web page Portugal news
5. Weather page impa.pt (we use the satellite page very much)
6. There is a app that you can fill in all information off your van and see if you can drive with your van in different cities and if you need to buy a badge, the app name is Green-Zones
7. Fuel prices in Europe at ANWB
8. On this page you find some cultural info VIRAL – Agenda Cultural
9. We have bought a Portuguese sim card with unlimited data from NOS at a "computerstore" 40 euro for 30 days, after 30 days you can refill it.
10. Via Verde A page to calculate the road toll and see what class your car/van is and much more things.
Road toll:
There is two kind of road toll, one is that you stop and get a ticket the other one is automatic with cameras, this one you can pay a sum in advance at CTT, when you have done that you can check how much you have left at Check Your Easy Toll Service more info on PortugalTolls
When you cross the boarder to Portugal there is also a station where you use your credit card to automatic payment valid for 30 days (not all boarders)
Starting January 2025 some of the roads changes to toll free, you can find information on internet witch roads it is.
Gasol:
Some of the places that you can fill a gas bottle (what I have read about so I´m not 100% sure)
Portugal
https://goo.gl/maps/nSDyuiDv3S2mQxKt6 (we have filled our Swedish bottle here)
https://goo.gl/maps/RBUnZKKMy8Hw7sDX7
https://goo.gl/maps/REoT9pAg8F44gcaY9
Spanien
https://maps.app.goo.gl/8Af2B5jXtbWeyXEC7
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zupHr82ppbkcV5iSA
https://maps.app.goo.gl/k4n7TSmGTBfHakb3A
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1WT1q9nLzdm72AeB9
https://maps.app.goo.gl/coeYik9JGTo1tUpP6
More tips coming later.
2020-2021 Our first trip with blueboxvan
Our first trip with blueboxvan, was with the boat from Malmö to Travemünde.
We traveled through Germany to Mosel valley where we ended up spending some time. It was so beautiful that we couldn’t leave!
Then we continued to Luxembourg to visit some friends.
Next stop was to the border between France/Spain with a stop in Hondarribia. It was unexpected treat and we spent some time in this nice town.
In the end of October, they started to discuss closing the boarder to Portugal, because of corona, so we packed our things and drove fast to cross the border before they did. This way we ended up in the highest town in Portugal named Guarda.
From there we drove directly to Ermidas do Sado, a small village town near Sines, where we stayed for 4 months. The Portuguese countryside is lovely!
Time to travel back to Sweden.
In March we started our trip home by driving to Spain, where we ended up in Isla Cristina. There we stayed some weeks before we finally drove to Sevilla.
After Sevilla we continued exploring Spain as we drove north through the mountains. We saw among others Rhonda, Casarabonela and Caminito del Ray.
In the beginning of April we drove to Granada and look at Alhambra. Because of the pandemic we could enjoy the palace without sharing with a crowd of tourists. This was very luxurious indeed, because normally it is very much people.
Our last stops in Spain were Cartagena followed by L'Hospitalent de I'Infant. In this small town we had to get a corona test and a paper confirming our health to show during our trip home.
We were not allowed to stop anywhere the last part of our journey, so we had a quick drive through France with one nights sleep in Saint-Alexandre and one in Luxemburg.
Last stop was Travemünde were we boarded the boat to Malmö and finally arrived to Sweden in the middle of April.
2021-2022 Start earlier
This year we started our trip a little earlier because we wanted to swim in the Mediterranean Sea before it was too cold. So, in the middle of September we left Malmö with the ferry to Travemünde.
We chose to drive the Romantiche strasse passing Würsburg with a quick stop at Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Next stop was Strasbourg where we deiced to do some sightseeing in the town.
After that we drove to the French town Agde and stayed there one week dipping our toes in the sea.
Next stop Cartagena! Here were we decided to stay for 3 weeks.
We then drove down to Almunecar and La Herradura were we stayed more than one week.
Driving further towards Portugal we came to Pizarra were we stayed a few nights, the camping is difficult to reach and you need a small and maybe a offroad van but we manage to go there and leave without problem, we visited Caminito del Ray again. Again with no luck since the caminito was closed due to strong winds!
Next we stopped in Tarifa before we once more made our stop at Isla Cristina.
In the beginning of November we arrived to Armacao de Pera in Portugal.
This year we stayed in a rented house near Vila Nova de Milfontes from the end of November to middle of January,
In end of January we moved to a house in Ermidas do Sado and stayed there to the beginning of March.
12 February Åsas’ daughter came to visit us and to see Portugal.
In middle of March we arrived in Porto at a camping site on the south side of the river. The area is named Canidelo, here we stayed for about three weeks. What a lovely place!
Time to travel back to Sweden.
In the beginning of April we had to start our trip home and drove slowly by the Douro valley (as beautiful as the Mosel valley). There is a lot of wine producers, historical places like Lamego and spring flowers to enjoy!
From Douro valley we drove to Gijòn over the mountains. For the first time in a few years we could play in the snow and Kjell made a snowman.
After a slow drive through France and the coast north of Bayonne, we found a nice place by the coast near Montalivet. Here we stayed one week to celebrate Easter and French cuisine.
Then we drove to Brygge in Belgien, which is a beautiful historical town. We didn’t stay for long since our goal was to visit the Netherlands in the end of april. We came just in time to see the flowers at Keukenhof and the flower parade. Before we left, we also went to spa in Harderwijk.
29 April this year’s trip ended as we took the ferry from Travemünde to Malmö.
2022-2023 Mosel valley again
This year our trip started in the beginning of oktober when we took the ferry from Malmö to Travmünde.
On our way down to Spain we decided to drive through the Mosel valley again because it is so beautiful. We took our time exploring the surroundings as we moved ourselves slowly down by Mosel staying at different camping’s film on YouTube
In Luxemburg we stayed for a few days with friends, celebrated a birthday and made some excursions.
As the weather got colder and rainy we drove down to France vest coast to Montalivet for a couple of nights.
Next up was Biarritz for some nights but as it was rather windy and chilly, we left after a few days. Next stop was El Puente Cantabria, a very nice and well-kept place to stay in a cute village.
We stayed 4 nights at Bidaivan Camper Park and enjoyed the sceneriers and a nice ride on 4-wheel drive up to the mountain film on YouTube
In the end of October, we arrived at Portugal, first a stop at Chaves and then finally Porto.
We didn’t stay so many nights in Porto this time because we wanted to see the waves in Nazarè. We stayed for 4 nights hoping for some spectacular waves but no, however we did catch some small waves that you can see on the film on YouTube
Next time, perhaps!
Last stop before moving into a house this winter was 3 nights in our favorite village Vila Nova de Milfontes.
Even though we moved into a house, we drove to Algarve for a weekend before Christmas. Time to explore Portimão!
In the beginning of November, we took a tour to Algarve which is full of historical places and nice beaches, unfortunately there is also a lot of wind and big waves (which is why there are so many surfers in Portugal).
In December we went to Sines for Christmas market film on YouTube We also went to a Christmas concert in Portimão that presented a lot of old well known Christmas songs.
New Year’s Eve we spent in Vila Nova de Milfontes, there was a big party at the beach with a huge firework film on YouTube
Time to travel back to Sweden.
In the beginning of February we started our trip home (very slowly).
First we went to Cadiz for the carnival, a lovely carnival.
Next stop was in Estepona to meet friends from Sweden.
After Estepona we stayed for 7 week's in Torre del Mar for the Easter festival in Vélez-Málaga.
We also went on trips in the lovely mountains with our scooter.
In the middle of April we stayed at a camping in the mountains/forest in the Murcia area and had some nice walks in the beautiful nature.
On the way to Sitges we stayed in the old town Montblanc.
Next was some nights in Sitges, Åsa was hired as a keynote speaker in Barcelona and the closest camping that looked ok to us was in Sitges.
In the end of April we took some time in south of France and this was something we didn't regret. There was a lot of old beautiful village's and lovely nature to enjoy.
We went kayaking in the river Hérault and also made a visit to an old town named Saint Guilhem with the scooter.
During the last part of our way home we stopped in Strasbourg, a town we have been to before and like very much.
In the beginning of May we passed by Göttingen and Hamburg to finally reach Travemünde for the ferry to Malmö at May 11.
Throughout our travels we use Google maps to find the way. The app also keeps track of where we have been so that we can go back in its’ history and see where we have been.
As our travel continues, we will keep this site updated with more details about the new places we see on our way.
2023-2024 Cold and rainy start
This year, our trip started in the beginning of November when we took the ferry from Malmö to Travemünde.
We slept a few hours at Stellplatz in Travemünde, or beside the Stellplatz, really, since it was full.
Luckily, there is a parking place right beside it, which you can use for free during the night if you don't need electricity.
Our goal was to shop at Citti Markt in Lubeck, but it was closed because of a holiday. You might think that we knew to keep track of these holidays, but we haven't learned a thing during these 4 years on the road!
We had planned to enjoy Europe on our way down, but we were a bit delayed compared to last year, so the weather in Europe was already cold and rainy. Due to this, we traveled very quickly through Germany and then France.
When crossing the border to France from Germany, we stayed in the charming little town Wissembourg. Old buildings, water canals, and local cheese. That cheese was expensive but the most tasty cheese we've had in a very long time. NICE!
Another interesting town was the French city Mornas, partly built into the rock of the mountain. We would love to go back there in the summer when everything is open, and you can sit outside enjoying a glass of wine.
We had planned to visit farms and vineyards through the Passion de France program on our way through France, but since the weather was so cold, we decided to move more quickly towards Spain.
This was a bit disappointing since we had bought their membership card that granted us the right to stay for free at their members' farms. We used it a few nights though, and thanks to that, we tried to eat snails for the first time!
Åsa found it yummy, but Kjell was too scared to even try.
We also dropped by a wine producer with a castle ruin and bought their excellent wine. Very tasty.
When we travel back to Sweden in the upcoming spring, we will try some more farms and vineyards. It's truly interesting to see the production, taste local delicacies, and meet friendly people. All at once!
Sleeping at a farm like this is also much more secluded and quiet than the "normal" places where we stay. It is something we recommend for sure!
We spent all in all 937 SEK (around 90 euros) on road tolls in France, we also travel on toll free roads not only because it is expensive but also because we like to see the country and nice old villages.
In Spain, we felt it was time to stay a night or two where we could get a shower. That was easier said than done. The camping sites had started to close for the season.
We were lucky and found one that was open during the weekend and also had a Halloween party going.
Warm showers are the best!
When approaching Valencia, we had hoped to stay a night or two to enjoy the town. But there were so many camper vans everywhere that we had to sleep one night on "the street." After that, we went straight to our favorite camping site outside of Cartagena.
But our main goal was Torre Del Mar close to Malaga, so after two nights, we continued our journey.
Torre del Mar is a place we like and wanted to enjoy. We stayed there for 10 nights and enjoyed the surroundings, exploring the mountains on our motorbike.
Velez-Malaga has a great shop and repair center for Yamaha motorbikes, so we took the opportunity to buy some new motorcycle clothes for a good price, last year we bought new helmets and had service on the scooter there to.
From Torre del Mar, we chose to drive the straightest way possible to Algarve and stayed for two nights in Olhao.
This time we didn't have to stay and pay for the road toll because we had money left on the toll card (it is valid for one year), see info about road toll in the top of the page.
In Olhao, we discovered that one of our tires was leaking air. We got recommended a good repair shop that helped us. It took only 20 minutes to get it fixed and cost 5 euros. Excellent!
Our main purpose for visiting Olhao was to buy handcrafted salt at the place Salinas do Grelha, we love the salt with piri-piri, so when that was done, we continued towards Sagres.
A small stop at IKEA first, of course. Time to stock up on knäckebröd, pepparkakor and glögg! (Google that ;))
Sagres is the most distant part of Europe, called "the end of the world." It's filled with surfers, but what we enjoy the most is the Atlantic Ocean, the beaches, nature, and how quiet it is.
In Sagres, we decided it was time to move into our place for the winter: A nice house in the middle of a forest of cork oaks, sheep, and good friends.
Time to travel back to Sweden.
We started the road trip home in the beginning of april. with a visit to Lissabon, one of the goal was to find some material to the kaftans Kjell make, we found some nice material in some of all the nice stores in Lissabon.
The first stop was a free place in Evora, we visited the chapel of bones, aqueduct, cathedral, templo romano and some more things.
Before we cross the boarder to Spain we passing rio Guardiana an international river defining a long stretch of the Portugal-Spain border.
Next stop was Belmez, there is a place near Castillo de Belmez to park the van (not to big van) and sleep for free.
Next stop was Torre del Mar one of our favorite places in Spain, there we stayed 3 weeks in a camping place, we like the town and you have the little bigger town Velez Malaga in the north and you can take the bus to Malaga (that we did) and it is not so far to Nerja (to buy Swedish products like kaviar, knäckebröd, lakrits, ostkrokar, dillchips).
Next was Castellon de la Plana, there is a free place to park and sleep but it is often full as we have mentioned before, this time we was very lucky and got one place.
Next was a trip up in the mountains passing Montblanc, we have been there before and it is a nice old town, Montblanc was founded by the monarch Alfons I in February 1163, there is nice shops and restaurants inside and outside of the old wall.
We ended up in a camping in the mountains and we took the wrong way to it so we was little worried what to do if we meet another car because there was almost no places to meet, and with almost no internet connections for our phones we decided to stay only one night.
When we was leaving the camping the road was not so god so it twisted little in the car body but there was no problem we thought, when we have driven some time I got a feeling that something is wrong so I stooped the van and look under the van in the back and saw that the spring was broken, we decided to drive slowly to the closest Citroën workshop and it was in Tarrega and they recommend a truck workshop in the town, and we arrive there before lunch and a couple of hours later they have both found a company that could delivered a new spring and the workshop have changed the spring.
Happy that they could fix the van and that we did not need to sleep in the town over the weekend.
On the way to France we stop in Capmany with free parking/sleeping under the olive trees, a small nice village with some old houses and vineyards, in the morning we drove the last kilometers to the barder.
We chose to drive by the coastline, it take long time to go this way but it is worth it, the road is not so big and have a lot of curves, so we understand why there is so much motorcycles here, this is a dream road if you have a bike.
The road goes sometimes upp in the mountains so there is a beautiful view, on one place we stayed and cook some food and this film can you see on our Youtube channel, link to the film.
On the boarder to France there is a memorial place, small but eloquent memorial commemorating the refugees in France who fled Francoism.
A stop in Sainte Marie la Mer there is a place to park/sleep with a low cost, we stayed 3 nights, we took the motorbike to the old center and walked round and look at passage des amoureux and the paintings on the houses.
We left the place and drove by the cost passing between the lakeÉtang de Leucateand the sea, a nice road.
Next free place to sleep at was Saint Chély dÁpcher, did some shopping and get some fuel.
Now we noticed that many places was full and also that after all the rein it has been flood on many places had limited space, we finally found a free place in Montceau-les-Mines.
We also missed to check the calendar for holidays in France, we have to be better on this, now we ended up traveling when all other people was traveling so everything was fully booked, we try to get a camping before Luxemburg and in Luxemburg and even in Germany but everything was full, so we had to stay on a parking place, the only god thing was that there was a kebab place so we get some food and there was also a toilet, some younger party people stopped in the night and make some noise so we had some problem to sleep.
The plan was to visit Luxemburg but we have to do that another time, we filled up the fuel tank and also some wine because it is god price in Luxemburg.
We love the Mosel valley and have been there before so we took a drive by the Mosel but not the all way, we ended up outside Koblenz at a camping in Bad Ems, we was little lucky because there was a bicycle race and food market with nice beer and wine.
We also discovered that Bad Ems is a old health resort with termen bath and a casino, some big hotells and some historic buildings.
We arrive 2 days earlier then the plan because we had a warning in the display saying check break pads, it have been for some time in Germany so if there be some problems to drive we need time to visit a workshop, we try to break as little as possible.
A stop in Wismar was a good decision, we found a place named offroad camping Quaduxenbarg Wismar, and a link to the homepage this was a surprise because it was in the forest but everything was newly renovated so the toilet and showers was super nice and there was a fast food stand so I got a nice curry wurst, and you can order fresh breed to the morning.
We took a trip in to Wismar centrum, that is a cozy old town that use to be Swedish, here I also got a nice curry wurst, we try the local herring but Åsa ate it.
The harbor was nice with old ships.
Now the only thing left is passing Citti-Park for some shopping and found a spot on the Stellplatz in Travemünde and wait for the ship to Malmö.
We took the ferry Travemünde-Malmö because the price is ok, it is a boring journey that take long time and some ships don´t have internet, next time we maybe take another way (we say this every year).
Now we hope that we get some nice weather in Sweden.
You find more pictures on our Instagram page