Kath Cross, 49, and her partner Stu Hall, 47, sold most of their possessions and set off on a van life adventure across Europe and beyond after Kath’s daughters moved out of the family home
A couple of drove around the world have named their favourite place(Image: Kath Cross)
A couple who flogged all their belongings to explore the globe in a van have disclosed their top destination from their remarkable journey.
Kath Cross, 49, and her partner Stu Hall, 47, chose to embark on worldwide travels after Kath’s daughters from an earlier relationship, Stephanie, 30, and Jessica, 22, had flown the nest. Following their departure, Kath came to the realisation that she could work from wherever she fancied and opted to sell much of what she owned.
Using the proceeds from flogging items on Facebook Marketplace, she and Stu purchased a van, a 7.5m Mercedes Sprinter, and set off to see the world after vacating their rented property in Cardiff, Wales.
Since departing, they’ve weathered the highs and lows of perpetual life on the move, while also lending a hand to others during their travels.
Chatting to WalesOnline, Kath and Stu, who crossed paths through a walking club, revealed which country had impressed them most during their adventure, reports the Express.
The duo have journeyed through destinations including Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Montenegro, amongst other European nations.
They selected Morocco as their standout location, saying: “In Morocco we went to the edge of the Sahara. We were sitting looking over the edge on the sand dunes drinking coffee from a mug from home – it was huge.
“Then we had snow in the Atlas mountains in January 2024 when we rescued Mohammed, ‘MouMou’, who was stuck 3,000m up in the snow in his car. We took him out with our snow chains and lent our snow chains to him. MouMou is in his late 20s and a really nice guy.
“We were just heading over the Atlas mountains when we saw him. People were just driving past him worrying he was a bandit when he just couldn’t drive on.”
However, Kath and Stu aren’t the only ones to have embraced van life, with the likes of Suzy Greenwood ditching her London job to live on the road after falling head over heels for the lifestyle.
Suzy, 39, had spent 15 years forging a career in PR before deciding to make the leap once the Covid-19 lockdowns had lifted. Confronted with her flat in Shepherd’s Bush, London, she told the Independent she realised she was “no longer doing the things I loved” in London.
After offloading her two-bedroom flat, she purchased a converted Volkswagen Caddy van and embarked on a fresh chapter. She revealed that despite the van’s compact size, it carries several distinct advantages, not least the financial savings.
She explained: “The van itself is tiny, which is great because I can park up anywhere. It looks like a workman’s van, so I can sleep in a lay-by, or at beautiful spots overlooking the sea.
“Where I once spent maybe £200 on a fancy dinner, I can now spend £10 on a whole weekend and be having the time of my life. The life I live now really doesn’t cost very much at all.”