Guide to planning a long distance hike with micro – campervan.
This is my tried and tested method for planning and carrying out a long distance campervan hiking trip where you have no prior knowledge of an area.
For me, nothing beats the excitement of starting a National Trail or other multi-day long distance hike I’ve planned myself. If you’ve always dreamed of tackling any route but find thinking about the logistics difficult then this will help you.
The great thing about hiking with your campervan is the flexibility it offers. You don’t have to stick to a strict schedule or worry about losing money on pre-booked accommodations. If you’re not an experienced hiker, you might not know how many days you can hike in a row before needing a rest. Or, you might find something interesting along the way that you want to explore. Having your campervan gives you the freedom to do just that.
However, it’s important to plan your route, consider your options for public transport back to your campervan, and figure out where you’ll park for the night. If you’re using a micro camper, you’ll also need to think about where you’ll shower and find toilet facilities. Planning ahead can make your adventure much smoother.
While this guide specifically relates to hiking and travelling with a micro-camper in the UK, most of it can apply to other countries.
Step 1 – Find the trail you want to hike
There are loads of different hiking apps and web pages dedicated to hikes but the first thing I do is download the GPX file of the hike I want to do and upload it to Google MyMaps.
For example, if I wanted to walk the Vanguard Way. I would do a search on Google ‘VANGUARD WAY GPX”
From the results I find the GPX file on the brilliant walks website Saturday Walkers Club.
I then download the GPX file on to my computer.
Step 2 – Upload GPX file and upload to Google My Maps
I then open Google MyMaps, create a new Map name it ‘Vanguard Way’ and upload the GPX route I previously downloaded. You do this by creating a new layer and uploading it to that layer.
Step 3 – Decide on each stages length
Once you’ve chosen to hike the Vanguard Way, next you’ll need to have some idea how many days you’ll be hiking and the distance you want to cover each day. Most trail websites offer suggested itineraries, providing a day-by-day guide on distances and daily endpoints.
I like to hike about 15 miles on average a day but because of the logistics it may be that some day I’ll do more and others less. Usually I like to start early and finish my hike by early afternoon giving me time to explore the area that I’ve arrived at.
For longer well trod path trails like the South Downs or North Downs way, there are more options for breaking up stages. A hike like the Vanguard Way public transport may determine stage length.
Once I have an idea of my stages and waypoints, I like to add these to my map (shown above).
Step 4 – For each stage explore Public Transport Routes
I usually find that I do one of three things when hiking long distance routes.
1. I park near the start do the walk get public transport back to the start where the van is.
2. I drive to the end of the hike I plan to do that day, get the bus back and then walk to the van.
3. I drive to a mid-way point that is connected by public transport to the start and end. Get the bus back to the start, do the walk, get the bus back to the mid-way point.
The place I usually start to explore public transport is Google Maps, but i find it is not always accurate. Once I have an idea of the journey, I will check this against local bus /train schedules.
Step 5 – Research Parking options at start or end of each leg
Once I have a handle on public transport. I explore parking options.
There are a number of websites that can help with this. I use Parkopedia and Park4TheNight, but ultimately because I am in a stealth micro-camper to avoid parking fees and places where I feel unsafe often I will park up in residential areas.
Step 6 – Familiarise yourself in detail with the route
While Google Maps with the uploaded GPX route can be a useful map when walking, and sometimes its the only map i use. I also hike with the Ordanance Survey mapping App, as it gives you all the public footpaths, and lots of other using mapping information to help not get lost.
But for planning a trip I like to use Google Maps as I can easily add point of interest and park up option.