The exploding ‘vanlife’ trend: which countries are adopting #vanlife in 2024?

With 16.5 million tags on Instagram, the #vanlife movement is booming. High rent and mortgage payments, surging bills and increased remote working opportunities are helping people switch to nomadic van living, whether temporarily for travelling or a permanent option.

Globally, annual searches for “vanlife” have increased by a huge 22%, averaging 90,500 every single month. But which countries are seeing more transient residents?

Find out with Zego, your smart insurance provider and discover the surprisingly low price you could convert a van for to start your vanlife adventure.

Finland takes the crown as the country most likely to adopt ‘vanlife’

According to our data, Finland’s residents are most likely to embrace the nomadic lifestyle, with 65 searches per 100,000 people every month for ‘vanlife’. There’s an average of 3,600 searches each month for the term, suggesting residents are the most likely to move into a van and escape the high cost of living or even take on a temporary adventure.

Staying in a campervan is a cost-effective way to see the country. According to HomeToGo, the average Helsinki Airbnb will set you back £125 per night whereas wild camping and most car parks in Helsinki are free of charge. With low fuel costs averaging €1.83 perlite, vanlife in Finland is a cost-effective way to stay.

The northern country is known for its beautiful landscape – ideal for travelling in a van – which could be the reason people are embracing the popular living trend. For the last seven years, Finland has also been awarded the ​​World Happiness Report’s happiest countries to live award, so whether you’re at home on wheels or foundations, Finland is likely to be one of the best places.

Finnish annual ‘vanlife’ searches increased by 510%

To add to that, Finland underwent a huge increase in annual ‘vanlife’ searches from 2023 to 2024. Searches rose by a whopping 510% in the last year.

The trend may have increased thanks to the popular documentary series, Van Life. The series follows Aino Huilaja, a writer and journalist living in her van which may have helped push others towards the nomadic craze.

San Marino and Liechtenstein’s low population help boost vanlife

Despite both locations only having a few ‘vanlife’ searches per month, their low populations of under 40,000 help the trend boom. Per 100,00 people, San Marino, the world’s fifth-smallest country, has 29.7 monthly ‘vanlife’ searches. The roaming trend is seemingly popular in the beautiful mountainous landscape.

The small, western principality of Liechtenstein is just behind with 25.4 searches per 100,000 people. Another mountainous nation, found between Switzerland and Austria, Liechtenstein is home to the Rhätikon Mountains and the central Alps, which boast some stunning sites to park up.

Four in five Nordic countries are in the top nine

Vanlife is a hugely popular trend in the Nordics with four out of five making it into the top nine positions.

• Finland – 1st
• Sweden – 4th
• Denmark – 8th
• Norway – 9th

Iceland misses out in the countries analysed but still places in 15th. The lower level may be due to the country’s remote location and low temperatures averaging around one to two degrees Celsius in winter.

The USA has over 27,000 ‘vanlife’ searches a month

The US unsurprisingly leads with the greatest number of ‘vanlife’ searches per month with 27,100, likely due to the large population of 333 million people. But per 100,000 people, it’s tied with the UK.

Germany leads with #vanlife Instagram posts followed by the UK

With 779,000 #vanlifegermany tags on Instagram, Germany is one of the most popular countries for van-dwellers. That equates to 35 German users per Instagram post.

In Berlin, the average Airbnb cost for four people for a night is £177 according to HomeToGo. For a campervan park, Camercontact’s average price is just £15.13 (€17.52) – that’s a £161.87 saving. There are also nearly 20 free options to choose from.

The UK is close behind with 504,000 #vanlifeUK posts meaning there are 45 British Instagram users per post.

Third, we have Sweden and Ireland, each jumping up to 98 users per #vanlife post. The nations have a total of 58,400 and 23,400 respectively.

UK and EU van registrations are booming

Year-to-date, UK van registrations continue to rise, confirmed by SMMT data. Annually, vans under 3.5 tonnes are up by 8.6% and 3.5 to 6 tonnes are up by a huge 59.8%.

This continues the annual trend which saw vans under 3.5 tonnes surge by 21% from 282,139 at the end of 2022 to 341,455 in 2023.

The trend is also seen in the EU by a 14.6% upsurge according to the ACEA. New van registrations shot up from 1,280,235 at the end of 2022 to 1,467,001 in 2023.

You can convert your own van for travelling for as little as £383

Zego has discovered you can convert a van into a campervan with all the legal features for as little as £383 and adopt life behind the wheel. The prices were the cheapest found online for brand-new items.

The most costly aspect of your conversion will likely be the seat and bed but choosing a multi-purpose bed-seating can help reduce your price. Buying new, we found a unit for just £290.

The cheapest part is the vinyl stickers for the outside of the van, which are a legal requirement for your campervan in the UK.

Converting a van into a campervan

With a new campervan setting you back typically around £60,000, converting a van is the affordable way people are embracing the trend. But in the UK, the DVLA has some guidelines on what you must do to make sure your van qualifies.

These are minimum requirements but you can add plenty of home comforts as well like a chemical toilet, more kitchen equipment, TV and entertainment, and more.

If you’re looking to convert a van to start your life on the road, you’ll need to make sure you choose the right kind of vehicle. Luton vans, panel vans, MPVs and ambulances are just a few you can choose.

The body type must be listed on your V5 document. You’ll also have to add a few features which officially classify the vehicle as a motor caravan (motor home).

Internal features

All aspects need to be secured for travelling:

• Seats and a table
• A bed or convertible seat into a bed
• Cooking facilities – minimum microwave or a single-ring burner with a secure fuel pipe
• A storage facility

External features

• Two or more windows – not including the passenger or driver window
• A separate door for access to the living quarter
• A campervan graphic on both sides of the vehicle
• At least one awning bar attachment

You can also covert your own food truck for just over £700

But it’s not just people living in their vans, food trucks are also booming. In the UK, 6,600 of us a month are searching for ‘food truck for sale’, up by 50% compared to last year suggesting that this is a booming business and one to watch out for. If you’re one of the potential mobile chefs, thinking of starting a food truck, it may not be as out of reach as you’d think.

You can convert a food truck with the bare essentials for as little as £735.76.

Equipment prices are typically under £150 each, so if you know exactly what you’ll need, you can keep your costs down. Installing a serving hatch can be the most expensive aspect with the lowest price we discovered at £215.

Just keep in mind that you will have to register your food truck and will need different permissions and licences depending on your location and what you’re selling. Register your food truck online and find out more about potential costs.

Five expert tips on how to convert your van for less

Whether you’re looking to convert a van to start your own business or set off on your vanlife adventure, you can reduce your costs even more:

1. Look for high-quality second-hand kit on the likes of Facebook Marketplace and eBay
2. To save you money in the long run, get an expert opinion on your van to make sure you’re buying quality
3. Ask people for help who have been through it – online communities are great ways to find people for advice
4. Boost your power with solar panels
5. Stick to your budget and avoid overspending

Make sure you choose reputable van insurance from a trusted provider like Zego