In an article I read, the author reflects on how the internet and the widespread availability of travel information has meant that travelers rarely encounter unexpected or unknown experiences. That made me think.
About traveling in the Internet age
In the article, the author poses the question of whether the convenience of researching everything in advance detracts from the actual travel experience. He emphasizes that the abundance of online reviews, travel blogs and recommendations means that travelers already have an accurate picture of what to expect when they arrive.
Loss of the unknown
He goes on to say that the wealth of information on the Internet means that travelers hardly ever come across anything unknown. It used to be different. Without the information from the Internet, you simply resigned yourself to the fact that you didn’t know in advance how good a restaurant was, for example. You had to rely on your instincts and senses. But it was precisely this uncertainty that was somehow part of the actual “vacation adventure”!
Insider tips are hard to find
The author also notes that the search for real insider tips has become more difficult nowadays, as information is quickly shared and spread. No wonder. How can you discover something new and experience something special when almost everything has already been documented and published?
Instead, we study blog posts with titles such as “The 10 most beautiful hikes in Madeira” or “The most secluded bays that no one else knows about (!)”. It is certainly clear where the contradiction lies.
Commercialization of experiences
It is then discussed that despite the desire for unique experiences, many travelers fall back on similar tours and places. It is clear that the commercialization of experiences influences the actual uniqueness and authenticity of travel.
You could see this during the pandemic when you could watch countless young couples on YouTube getting hold of an old van and converting it into a camper. And although you could theoretically have seen a variety of different designs here, the results were often very similar, right down to the fairy lights and the macramé tangle.
Personal discoveries vs. online reviews
The importance of personal discoveries and chance encounters, on the other hand, cannot be overestimated. And I ask myself: How can we get back to a situation where we are no longer so dependent on online reviews? How can we strengthen our perception of the unexpected? How do we find the courage to try things out without a safety net?
Using the “disadvantages” of an electric camper to your advantage
In addition to healthy self-reflection, external circumstances can also be taken into consideration. For example, the first question we are almost always asked in connection with our vehicles is about range. This is apparently based on the conviction that only a long journey is a good journey. The fact that there are also questionable aspects to this is not even considered.
Our customers, but also we ourselves, have found that imposing a different travel speed on yourself leads to quite astonishing results. For example, we usually drive less than 100 km per day (once we arrive at our destination).
This not only benefits the electric camper with its limited range. Rather, you suddenly gain a lot of time that you can use, for example, to just really “be” in one place for a while. So much longer than just taking the Insta photo and then rushing to the next item on the checklist.
Personal test beats theory
Of course we can tell a lot of stories. But the real aha moment only comes when you try it out. We would therefore like to encourage you to question supposedly incontrovertible “facts”. Even if only on a trial basis!
Grab one of our campers and see the technical limitations such as range and necessary charging stops as an opportunity to try out what positive aspects you can gain from these things. And see what this deceleration does to you. And the great thing about it: you’ve only borrowed the vehicle and can return it after your trip if the whole slow travel thingisn’t for you after all!
And if you still need a little help planning such a “snail speed trip”, we have put together some electric tours for you, where the daily stages are so short that you theoretically don’t have to charge on the road at all, but only at the parking space. You’ll be amazed at how good you can still be on the road!
If you’re curious now, book your personal electric camper and put it to the test!
