Camper Van Daily Life
You will read here about our day by day life during the camper van trip.
Once we returned to Poland from Austria, we were thrilled about the upcoming trip.
We started planning and checking potential destinations, where to sleep, and what to expect.
But soon, we realized that detailed planning wasn't our style.
We love spontaneous travel, discovering unique places, and finding local attractions.
So, we scrapped the detailed plans and kept only a general idea of the countries we wanted to visit, and packed only the essentials and set off on our adventure!
In this guide, we will share our camper van journey one day at a time, keeping it simple and useful.
We hope our experiences will inspire and help you on your own adventures, hopefully very soon!
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A DREAM CAME TRUE!
How it started:
Here We Go!
The night before our trip, we couldn't sleep because of our excitement.
Our imagination kept taking us to the adventures we would face starting the next morning, and after a long night of impatience, the morning finally came.
Full of excitement, we quickly packed our bags with clothes, essentials like chargers and adapters, and bought highway toll stickers for the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Austria.
Our drive to Brno was filled with energy, despite the less-than-ideal weather.
Cold, rain, and strong winds slowed us down, stretching our journey to about five hours.
We arrived at a paid parking spot near Brno city late that night, tired and ready to eat and sleep.
Day 1: Underground magic:
The Caves of Punkva (Brno):
Our first night in a camper was both exciting and a bit scary idea.
We arrived to a carpark recommend by my brother-in-low at night, it was completely empty and pitch black, but fortunately for us close to nature.
I always love this feeling of waking up in the morning, finding out where I am and seeing what I couldn’t see at the late arrival.
We were still alone on the carpark, surrounded by woods, made a coffee and while seeping it we enjoyed fresh air and complete silence.
We were not in a rush although carpark was not exciting enough to keep us from exploring our new neighbourhood.
We quickly found interesting to see places, and we headed out for a walk, using Wikiloc app leading us through the forest to our first to visit destination in Moravski Kras area.
It is very nice place, well organised with a variety of tourist attractions.
First we visited a House of Nature which was included in a price for Katerinska Jeskyne, which is in a very modern, newly developed building museum.
Not our cup of tea although it might be a nice place for kids, there is also a small playground nearby.
Next we went for a cave tour which was rather short and very much resembling other caves I'd had a chance to visit in Poland before.
Our hunger for exploration was not satisfied, hence we decided to go to The Punkva Caves which was much more impressive, with a beautiful outdoor pond surrounded by rocks (Macocha Abyss), finished with a boat ride we both loved very much.
There is small tourist train available for convenience to get to the cave, although we took a walk which was very pleasant and took us maybe 15-20 minutes (around 2 km).
Useful to know is that in the Punkva Centre there are lockers (for the caves you need to carry as little as possible), although you need to have 10 CZK coin to use it.
Also note it is a cave so temperatures can be quite low so short sleeve might be not enough, even if outside is hot and sunny.
And after a short stroll around we got back on our bikes and headed towards a great park situated on Danube river (Donauinselplatz, in Donaustadt area) where we were cycling surrounded by trees and river on both sides of the park (we did over 13 km).
Day 2: Hello Vienna
Our second night, we spent in Vienna Austria in a public carpark near train station and short distance from centre.
In the morning we decided to do sightseeing by bikes, as default we chose Old Town (Inner Stadt) to visit first as I have never been there before.
Although after amazing time visiting caves in Czech Republic we quickly realised that city crowds are not our thing.
It was an amazing, sunny day with surprising 28 degrees temperature ideal for spending active time.
We even forgot that we were in a city, it felt more like being back home in Mazury Poland by the lake.
We stopped for lunch on a Copa beach and headed back to our camper van which was parked on a free carpark nearby.
We changed and decided to rest a little bit by the river, I took my new paddle board, which I got as a birthday present from my beloved sister just before we left for our expedition, for a swim and Hamza was having fun on the electric scooter.
Day 3: Driving to Croatia
After having enough time in Vienna, we've hit the road to our next stop in Slovenia, Lake Bled.
Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t the best there, its was cloudy, rainy and cold, so we immediately decided to change the plan and continue driving to Croatia.
On our way their, we bought tickets online to a beautiful place we checked in a National Park with amazing lakes and waterfalls.
Since it was a long drive (580 km's) we drove across Slovenia all evening, getting inside Croatia, we found a free parking spot next to the highway to spend the night, it was a bit noisy due to big trucks parking there as well but it wasnt that bad.
We walked around for almost 9 km's, and it felt like 15 minutes only even that it was actually few hours.
We were taken by the scenery to a different dimension so we didn’t even feel the walking, we were almost flying around, pushed by the gentle wind, and powered by the warmth of the sun.
It was an amazing day and an experience we will never forget.
The infrastructure and organisation in the park is very good, the language barrier is not a problem at all as all the signs are clear and intutive.
the National Park has two entrances so people can start the tour from either of them.
(the trail is a loop).
There are number of programs to choose from depending on the length you want to walk.
To see all the park you need to choose program "H", which we did.
Car park closes at 8 pm until it opens again at 8 am, and its forbidden to stay overnight.
In the morning we woke up to a beautiful views of the mountains, we had quick coffee and continued driving towards Plitvička Jezera.
We had tickets booked for 2:00 pm, but we left early that morning in order to find a parking spot there for our camper van, just as advised in the National Park website.
Day 4: Croatia National Park
As we were driving through Croatian land, we enjoyed the beautiful landscapes full of green fields and blooming trees, just similar to Poland spring time.
We stumbled upon a picturesque little town called Slunj, with fairy like rastoke waterfall which is difficult to describe in words.
These unexpected moments are what makes us love traveling without strict planning, just follow the road and let it take you to places, it is a marvelous mystery!
This we didn’t expect to see today, even though we had checked photos on google on the way here, but to hear the birds, sound of crystal clear waterfalls and water streaming all around you.
To see this spectacular paradise created by nature and feel the breeze on your skin is something hard to imagine and put in words.
After this amazing stop we encountered on our way we already knew that Croatia is going to be very beautiful and unforgettable, we did not think it will amaze us more but when we arrived to Plitvička Jezere we were stunned once again.
After that amazing day, we headed to our camper by late afternoon, we had some coffee and sorted out our things and moved on to Starigrad.
When we arrived there, it was dark already, and we found a spot to park(on park 4 night app), and spend the night overlooking the sea.
We woke up to a magnificent view of sea panorama, so it was perfect for a cup of coffee while listening to the birds and sea waves gently crashing the shore rocks.
Behind us was huge beautiful mountains so it was an amazing start of the day!
We had breakfast and drove to Paklenica National Park, we prepared the rock climbing equipment in hope to do some climbing after exploring the park.
That day there was another suprise awaiting us in this national park, we realised that the world hides from us endless number of gems, and what we saw today is one of them!
It started by going through gate number 1, we drove 2 km's after the gate to get to the parking, and on the way there, we already saw the huge magnificent mountains.
Day 5: Paklenica National Park
We were pumped with positive energy, so we got our climbing equipment and tried to climb some average routes.
It was the first time ever that I have done a lead outdoor climbing.
It was scary petrifying and amazing at the same time!
After this amazing day, we were completely exhausted, especially me but our hearts and minds were filled with joy and contentment.
We could hear the sound of very strong and loud water running somewhere nearby, although we couldnt see anything through the thick forest of tall trees.
But after walking for a while we saw a river, so we followed the sound and the path leading us up and around.
And then it was revealed, amazing waterfalls one after another, streaming down from the mountain, crystal clear and refreshingly cold.
We kept following the river! birds chirping, a goat resting on high cliff.
Once again we didn’t feel tiredness and after 11 km's of walking, we stopped by a mountain hut to have coffee before going back.
As we managed 5 days to sleep on wild spots, eventually we ran out of camper van water.
And after the hike and climbing activity, a shower is needed, therefore we managed to find a paid camper site by the sea, it looked very lovely just like a small peninsula.
We were so tired, so we refilled the water tank, had a quick dinner and went to sleep early.
Day 6: Split (Croatia)
We were wondering what our eyes will witness today, but in a mean time, we enjoyed our coffee early morning, simple breakfast, then we cleaned the camper toilets and grey water.
Unfortunately, on our way, there was an accident and we got stuck for 5 hours! (21:00-2:00)
After that long boring stop on the road we just wanted to sleep, so we found a wild stop on the side of the road by the forest in Gruda area.
We started moving to Split, but not towards the city itself as we love nature much more.
We found a beach where we could park our camper, this spot was panoramic as we could see all the landscape around us.
After this short break, we decided to drive for 2.5 hours and stop for the night in a wild spot with a sea view jut past Dubrovinic.
We were driving just before sunset and the views were spectacular. If it was possible, we would’ve stopped every five minutes to take photos of the mountains, fields, rivers and the sea.
Croatia is truly unbelievably gorgeous and it has unreal nature!
Day 7: (Croatia, Montenegro, Albania)
Ferry ride, view points, crossing two countries, scary drive in the mountain with an incident, night on the beach.
We have done it all in just one day!
The day started really well by waking up to a nice view of green hills and fields in Croatia.
We started driving through the countryside with the beautiful landscapes which was calming.
For the very first time, Hamza would try how it feels to ride a ferry, not with a normal car, but with a camper van!
We approached the Bay of Kotor, bought the ticket, it was a big ferry so it was easy to get in and park, Hamza was a bit nervous but drove the vehicle well and smoothly.
It was a 10 minute ride, then we drove 20 more km's while enjoying the coast and the mountains.
Our navigation system(google maps), was working just fine like always, our destination was Albania, but the navigation system showed us that the way there is through Kunje which is through the mountains!
We ignored it and continued driving by the coast for few kilometres, but it still showed us we are driving wrong way, so we gave up and turned around and turned right to the mountains road.
We were driving up, but everything went down the hill for us!
Not only it was very narrow, steep curves and steep uphill road, it also was getting worse the more we drove up.
We hardly managed to get through all the curves, but eventually we got stuck in one of the turns as our camper hit the corner of a stone structure.
It was a deadly spot! On our left its a steep exposed cliff, and to our right the camper is stuck.
There was no way or space to manoeuvre or turn around, even going reverse was dangerous due to the slippery dirt road.
It was somehow the most scary experience for me in my life, it was unusual as I normally perform well under pressure. I left the camper van and started crying in the middle of the street.
Hamza on the other hand stayed calm and under control, he secured the camper van, went out and approached me to calm me down, then took a look at the surroundings to see the possibilities of getting unstuck, then we noticed a small farm ahead of us which had a flat area.
We saw a chance of getting free by driving forward and backward very slowly which we managed to do after many times of doing so, then we turned around on that farm and went back to the main road!
At the end the camper van damage was minimal with only a broken plastic part on the bottom of the side entrance.
Earlier on the top where we were stuck, we met two nice ladies which explained to us the route to go to Albania through the main road, which Google maps has not given us!
We wanted to drive to Albania through Montenegro, and visit it on our way back to Poland.
In Montenegro we had to stop for fuel, and in the gas station we met a local man, a very kind one, and we had a very nice conversation.
He knew a lot about Poland and Jordan. He told us when God was creating the world, he gave each country something nice, but for Montenegro, he opened his bag with gifts and dropped it all there!
This type of adventure that we were hoping to avoid, but we think with such long trips, its inevitable!
We gained a very good experience out of this unpleasant situation.
The beauty of the places ahead of us will help us to forget it.
Day 8: (Relaxing in Albania)
I woke up just after sunrise, the beach was completely empty, and the water kept changing its colors because of the sunlight.
Unfortunately the view was spoiled by the big amounts of rubbish people leave behind!
I collected a full bag of bottles and other waste, but it didn't make any noticeable difference.
Today we decided to have a break from driving long distances, so we found a nice looking camp by the coast and we called it just to find out it was still not in service but ... the nice man on the other side of the phone allowed us to stay there for free!
The way to the camp was a bit steep and curvy gravel road but it was doable. It was just shaky all the way there.
After putting this stressful adventure behind us, we arrived to Albania and found a beautiful beach called Velipoje just before sunset.
It was a sandy beach with tall trees and empty from people, which is where we parked our camper van.
We had a walk by the beach to witness the sunset, it was an amazing feeling to relax and vent after a hard, long day.
After that we prepared a quick dinner and went to sleep really early.
It was time for sunset but it was a bit cloudy, around us there was a lot of branches so I decided to make a bonfire as the temperature started to drop down.
it was so quiet and peaceful, and by the end of the evening we head back to our camp, and fallen asleep among the sound of the sea. Nights like this are the best ever!
The camp (CAMPING, Plazhi i Bardhe) was in a perfect spot, huge and directly by the coast, cliffs and mountains were covering it from behind so its completely isolated which makes it very beautiful for walking, relaxing and chilling along the beach.
We parked the camper and had a long walk along the shore, I was collecting stones and shells while Hamza was more interested in taking photos and videos.
There was no one but us and the sound of the waves, the whole day there was really perfect to relax and regain energy.
Day 9: It's my birthday!
I woke up just before sunrise, Hamza was still asleep, so I went for a walk by the other side of the shore.
I was completely alone and started looking for my special gems (stones and shells), and admiring sun reflecting on the surface of the water.
The time sometimes stops in moments like this for me and I live this moment for eternity.
After blowing the candles and the wishes, we went for a lovely walk together, the same way as the evening before but this time further.
We wanted to have breakfast in a restaurant in the other camp by the shore, but unfortunately after getting there we realised it was closed.
Since we were there, we took some selfies, photos and videos, and headed back to our camp, on the way there, the sun was high up and it got warmer, so I dipped myself in the sea to refresh.
We were not sure where to sleep, Hamza felt good to drive more so we decided to continue until he get tired.
I convinced him to go through Serpentines road, he was a bit distressed at first but so was I!
I think it was because what happened to us in Montenegro few days earlier.
But as I drove this road myself few weeks before with my friends, I was sure its going to be fine.
It was very curvy and steep but it was well maintained asphalt road, and Hamza did very well and drove safely.
Time passed quickly, it was already 9:00 am, and it was time to go back to Hamza and wake him up, especially that it was my birthday that day.
Surprisingly, Hamza was not only up, but also was waiting for me.
The camper was decorated with balloons and happy birthday lights, on the table there were cakes with lit up candles.
He even tried to blow the confetti but it didn’t work.
It was the best birthday gift I've had in my life! He made it simple, surprising, and special.
That afternoon we decided to go towards Sarande, and to visit Vlore on the way there.
It was nice to go back to Vlore pier with Hamza where few weeks earlier i was there with my friends.
We had a pizza and greek salad in a restaurant by the pier, then we went to the beach to enjoy the sunset. We do not ever have enough of sunsets!
We were passing through amazing views, and stopped few time for photos.
The night came but we still could see the lights of the cities below and it looked really nice.
We kept driving until we arrived to Himarë, where we decide to spend the night on the side of the road by the beach of Potami.
It felt safe and we slept undisturbed until the morning.
Day 10: Ksamil
We woke up early that day, had coffee and explored through the rock cliffs nearby the beach looking for a hidden gems.
The beach was surrounded by a very high cliff, and looked very beautiful, we kind of found a small beach there and a small little island in front of it.
I went swimming which was a great morning activity.
We carried on with our journey and we drove 65 km's only because I wanted to go to a place that looked so good in pictures from google.
When we got there, we discovered that I was right about my feeling, its was the best part of the Albanian coast.
Beaches in Ksamil are dream-like and impossible to describe in words, water is crystal, almost white sandy beaches, and there are few islands in the distance which makes it picture perfect.
We wanted to find a near by restaurant and found one five minutes away from us, and there we met a very friendly son of the restaurant owners working in the family business during the peak season.
We really like meeting locals and learning new things from them.
That day we found out that Petra means stone in Albanian!
We explored around the beaches which are separated by natural rocks, and also cooked a delicious dinner in our camper van kitchen, then we enjoyed sunset with hot tea by the beach.
It was too touristic place for our liking, even though it was still off season time, so we drove around and found an isolated spot to spend the night away from the crowds.
Day 11: Hello Greece!
After spending few days in Albania, we thought its time to go to Greece.
We were sorting things out and start driving when we realised we are out of internet, but the offline map showed us just enough to know the way.
We got to a small village by the water with ruins of a castle and a small wired ferry running back and forth across the river transporting vehicles.
So we had to use it to get to the other bank and continue to our destination, it took 3 minutes to cross the river but it costed us 14 euros!
We continued driving toward Halkidiki, our final destination in this journey.
during the drive, we payed for 5 tolls in total, the way there was super beautiful as it is a mountain landscape, and it gave us the feeling like driving among clouds.
It was the beginning of spring season, and the pinkish, purplish flowers blooming on the trees everywhere along the way was the most beautiful scene during the drive.
We passed through numerous tunnels built through the huge mountains, and huge high bridges built above canyons and forests below!
It was truly wonderful drive which ended on beautiful spot in Halkidiki by the beach which we found on the app.
The last 3km's to get there was off road and bumpy but was completely worth it!
Usually we fall asleep with sounds of sea waves, but that night the sea was very calm, and instead, we have fallen asleep with sounds of birds singing. What a way to fall asleep!
As soon as we got to a Greek territory we pulled over by the sea view and as we were admiring the landscape, we saw a seal swimming near the beach!
Seeing this seal made us visit this beach and stop for quick breakfast and coffee.
There were other camper vans enjoying the sun and the beach, and I made friends with a French border collie!
Day 12: Greece first night!
In the morning we had a very nice walk along the beach then we drove off to our next stop, a beach we found on the google maps, it looked magical and its a stripe of white sand in the middle of the sea.
Despite feeling a bit cold after snorkeling, I got sun burns, and then we took a long nap until sunset time.
We got super lucky to have a group of people practicing kite surfing by the beach, so I took advantage of that and recorded a beautiful sunset scene.
We had our expectations set high and we imagined it slightly different.
Possidi beach is in fact beautiful but far from magical, the stretch going into the sea is too wide and it hardly feels like being surrounded by water.
It was warm but the strong wind made it feel colder.
Non the less, we went to do some snorkeling close to the beach, the water was crystal clear.
Hamza read on few websites that this area is dangerous to swim in, due to crossed currents, which swallow swimmers and drift them away from the land, and few accidents happened in the last few years.
Day 13: It's beach time!
We started this day a little bit late, we cleaned around us and started driving.
On the way we noticed a hidden beach, with the steps going down.
We checked it out, and it was a narrow beach, but with lovely stones to collect, we sat there for a short time and carried on to the next beach.
The sea water in Pefkochori Beach is much calmer than on Possidi beach, so finally I had an opportunity to use my paddle board.
I was a bit scared at first as I've never surfed in a sea before, but soon enough I felt the balance and perfect control. It was amazing!
This good circumstances didn’t last long, the waves became strong and it was harder to control the board, but still felt fun and under control.
Soon enough it became very windy and waves got harder, so I rushed back while it was possible.
The beach we have chosen to go to was in the sea neighbourhood, narrow streets, barley wide enough for any camper van to drive through.
But we managed to reach the sea front and park just by the street. It was off season so there was barely anyone there and the most of the shops and restaurants were still closed.
Only few shops and restaurants were open in the center of this small town, thats what we discovered later after taking the bikes for a short ride around.
After that we decided to go for a bike and the electric scooter to explore the area.
We started with the sea to our left and shops to our right, the street was narrow but straight and long, then we decided to go off road by the forest.
It was a bit demanding ride, but the fun was so much bigger.
We passed by abandoned resort and basketball courts, and on our way back we stopped by a perfect spot for camping, which was in front of the sea and surrounded by the forests.
By late afternoon, we had a delicious dinner in one of the few opened restaurants (bakalis restaurant).
Then we bought some gifts and souvenirs for my family before heading back to our camper van.
Day 14: The Orange beach!
But what came after, we could have never imagined, besides the azure of the sea and white soft sand, what amazed us the most was the rocks formation.
Not only their majestic size and structure, but also it looks. Plasticine-like looking forms, made of sand and small stones, they are brit and easy to walk on.
In some places they create layers stuck onto one another, parallel at different heights.
Its impossible to describe and a joy to see.
That day, as we got used to on this trip, we wanted to change the scene to a new one, so we started driving ahead.
The first half an hour wasn’t that interesting, then the road became curvy and surrounded by the sea and the forests.
We arrived to a beach called the Orange beach and while parking the van, we already could see bits and pieces, what I mean by that is the crystal clear blue water colors, shining through the trees.
What also we could see from there was Athos mountain, which is located on the 3rd finger.
Although as we were surrounded by mountains, we couldn’t witness the sunset, and we realised we won’t be able to witness the sunrise too.
We didn't care much about it as we had a view straight from heaven when we woke up the next day!
Mount Athos: Greece's Forbidden Garden
Mount Athos, on Greece's Halkidiki peninsula, is a unique autonomous monastic state.
For over a millennium, twenty major monasteries have preserved Byzantine Orthodox traditions.
Life here is dedicated to prayer and devotion, untouched by modernity.
The Avaron: Why Women Can't Enter
A strict ancient rule called the "Avaron" forbids all females—human or animal—from setting foot on the peninsula.
This is due to the deep reverence for Mount Athos as the "Garden of the Virgin Mary."
Tradition states the Virgin Mary blessed the land as her exclusive domain, and any female presence would disrupt the monks' celibate lives.
Access for males is strictly controlled via permits.
Day 15: Life around the beach!
We were going up and down, climbing these rocks. The smell of the air, the sound of the birds, feeling of the salty water, the view of the waves bouncing across and crashing into the cliffs, the lizards running away from us the approaching humans, and the view of Athos mountain was accompanying us all the way.
The last beach we got to was the biggest with a huge space including a gorgeous forest, it was empty, the sand was smooth with no feet marks or camper vans!
Waking up early morning, I had a coffee while consuming the view around me, this has become my morning ritual!
We went for a walk on the east part of the beach, the coast was filled with monumental rocks, offering us the most wonderful views in the world.
We put the groceries in the van and went back to hike along the beach again, we only went back just before sunset, which wasn't visible due to cloudy sky.
But we were starving, so we started cooking before enjoying our meals inside the camper van.
That day was so perfect that I will be going back to it in my head endless times in the future!
We decided to stay another night on this beach we discovered, so we went back to our camper and drove around to it, but unfortunately it turned out to be a camping site and it was still closed until 3rd of may!
Change of plans, we drove to near by town called Satri, where the season hasn't started yet, but we still managed to do some grocery shopping and bought delicious cookies, then we returned to our original wild spot.
Day 16: Sadness and goodbye!
We continued driving until the border with North Macedonia, and there we had another unpleasant surprise, we were greeted by a rude and arrogant lady who was not helpful at all and suggested us to turn around and drive through Bulgaria.
It turned out that in order to cross the border we needed a green card for our vehicle which apparently we didn’t have in our polish insurance, so we ended up paying 50 euros for it.
Due to weather declining, we decided it is the time to start moving back to Poland, we sorted out our stuff and started moving away from the sea, away from nature and mountains.
Soon enough, a deep sadness hit me and stayed with me for the rest of the day.
These situations in Thesssaloniki and on the border made us feel down and stressed, so we kept driving North, and after a couple of hours we suddenly realised we reached the Serbian borders!
That meant we missed exploring Macedonia which we were intending to do.
At that point, we were really tired and out of energy, so we drove through the highway for around 100 km's.
It was pitch black but from what we could see, we were passing beautiful places and landscapes.
Eventually, we decide to stop on a motorway's gas station to sleep.
It was a shocking change of sleeping routine, from listening to birds and waves of the ocean, we moved to a loud parking by the highway with high noisy work being done at 2 am!
I felt depressing and made us feel even more sad for leaving Greece.
I started regretting and thinking we should’ve stayed longer there despite the changing weather.
As always, I woke up before Hamza, around 6:30 am, I prepared my coffee in a flask and ran towards the sunrise, I was in such a hurry to not miss it, I started tripping over my own feet but I made it unhurt!
I spent 1.5 hours stretching, taking videos, enjoying nature and drinking coffee.
This was the last beautiful moment to remember today, I wasn't emotionally prepared for what was coming after.
Heading North, we decided to stop in Thesssaloniki to have a quick look around, but unfortunately it was Friday afternoon and the traffic was horrendous and we didin't manage to find any spot to park!
Driving through a huge city, we decided to not waster any more time and continue driving North.
It was really stressful experience as the streets were very narrow and some of them are on a steep hills. Hamza felt he is in Amman again!
Day 17: It's cold again!
What we noticed is that Serbia is a country of contrast.
The highways are really good, well maintained and signed, clean and taken care of, but as soon as we left the highway, the roads were really bad, ditched cars on the side of the road.
As an example of our experience, we went to visit a fortress in Golubac, it was well maintained, very clean and well arranged with beautiful flowers.
But when we went for a bike ride among the the river there, we saw rubbish everywhere and the lake was really dirty.
New reality hit us hard with the cold temperatures and we woke up to the traffic noise.
We tried not to give up to these circumstances and started looking for a place to visit.
That evening we headed to Belgrade to spend the night on top of a hill in a beautiful park on the outskirts of the capital city.
It had a panoramic view of Belgrade, and a nice monument of the unknown soldier.
The park is huge and goes up the hill through a clean forest.
Day 18: Coming over sadness!
After that active morning, we started driving towards Hungary. I checked google maps for the borders and it led us to Horgoš 2 border crossing.
We arrived to a long queue, we were waiting for more than one hour there, and when we got really close to the check point, Hamza said: we have a problem!
He noticed the check point sign addressing that the maximum height of the vehicles is 2.2 meters! (our camper van is 3.2 meters)
Therefore, he stepped out of the camper van and asked the officers, they confirmed!
Meanwhile I was checking other crossing points and there was one parallel to us.
We turned around and drove 9 km's to get to the right borders.
To get things clear, if we inserted Budapest instead of Szeged in google maps, that situation wouldn’t have happened.
We finally crossed the borders, and we felt really tired, then I remembered about thermal baths in Budapest, which Hamza hasn't seen before.
I decided to treat us to a little bit of luxury as a good ending to our trip, especially after all the bad luck situations on the way back.
I bought us tickets to the thermal bath with a private room in this castle like place to feel like royals!
In the morning we decided to skip the sightseeing part as we are not big fans of cities, although we were sure that Belgrade is worth visiting and has a story to tell, but maybe the bad weather helped us making such a decision.
Instead, we had a walk around the park, and even raced up the long stairs to the statue of the unknown soldier.
We arrived to the capital city, and found a public park just next to the thermal baths, so we parked and spent the night there.
It was a peaceful night and the streets barely had any traffic around us.
Day 19: Treating ourselves!
It is a beautiful building in a shape of a circle with baths, saunas, and hot water swimming pools outside.
Unfortunately the place got filled with hundreds of people very quickly.
Thats why it was nice to have a private room.
We enjoyed ourselves with variety of saunas like herbal sauna, aroma sauna and salt steam room.
Just over 4 hours stay was perfect for us as we tried all attractions on site, and we felt its time to explore the city a little with our bikes.
We took the bikes and we cycled to Castle District. On the way there I felt like eating a good Langos.
While we were cycling, I had a sudden feeling of hunger that came over me, so we stopped to check restaurants around us and we got super lucky to find one with the highest reviews serving Langos.
It was only 3 minutes away by bike, so we stopped there and enjoyed really good and delicious ones.
For the first time far away from nature, we woke up feeling excited.
We changed our parking spot to a secured one quickly and walked to Szechany baths for our retreat.
We found out that I booked a private room only, without a massage which I thought I purchased with the ticket.
After that, we continued cycling and went through the Chain Bridge, we parked our bikes and walked up for the panoramic views of Budapest.
As expected, it was busy but we had a very good time walking around and admiring the architecture of the buildings and landscapes.
After a long fun day, we returned to our mobile home and started driving towards Lake Balaton and found a camp site near the lake.
And finally we are back to sleeping in nature and birds singing!
Day 20: Back to Warsaw...
We decided to drive all the way back to Warsaw.
Google maps showed us 9 hours of driving, but we knew it will take longer due to many stops ahead of us.
We bought vignettes (highway tickets) for Slovakia, Czech Republic and started driving.
After many stops for food, fuel, and resting, we finally got to Warsaw, our final destination.
It was 12:45 am.
We were happy to see our family again. But we already miss our life on the road, and we both couldn't fall asleep in a normal bed.
Now its time to unpack, clean, and pass our lovely mobile home to someone else to take it for another adventure.
I wish I could say that we woke up to a lovely sunny day, but that morning all what we saw was grey thick layers of clouds.
It was raining a bit during the night and it was only 6 degrees. We tidied up, emptied our tanks and left.
We drove to a nearby beach of Lake Balaton which I've been to before with my family.
A small walk by the lake was enough, then we decided that our adventure has finished and it's time to return to Poland.
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