Ah, the family van vacay: the ultimate mix of freedom and logistics. You dream of winding roads, wild swims, and quality time. What you get is… all of that, plus snack-deprived children asking how much longer until the next lake. We recently road-tested the Simple Plus Family Classic kit across five days in the Pyrenees — with backup support from our Caddy + Weekender combo.
Two vans. Five humans. One unforgettable trip.
Meet Your Test Pilots
We were almost the perfect test unit for the new Simple Plus Family Classic kit.
Firstly, we’re a classic family. Pre kids, we used to be fairly seasoned globe-trotting adventurers — think hitchhiking in Morocco and an old van stuffed with surfboards in Australia. These days we’re slightly less… ambitious. But still up for an adventure.
Slight flaw: family of five, a Peugeot Boxer van with only three seats. So we brought backup — a borrowed VW Caddy fitted with the Weekender kit. Mum would sleep in the Caddy with baby, Dad in the Boxer with the two boys. Two vans. Five people. One hell of a heatwave hitting SW France. Bring it on.
Day 1: Catholic Disneyland & a Jetty Dive into Sanity
Route: Dax → Lourdes → Lac de Lourdes
Picture this: Lourdes, a town where the air hums with sacred devotion and tacky commerce. It's Catholic Disneyland colliding with raw faith. And it’s the hottest day of the year.
Nuns in full habit, sweating but serene, push creaky wheelchairs ferrying frail pilgrims toward the grotto, chasing healing miracles. The sick come in droves, eyes bright with hope or dulled by pain, banking on holy water to rewrite their fate. The town is a jarring split-screen. On one side, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception—a gothic fever dream stacked atop another church, stone spires screaming "miracles happen here." It's jaw-dropping, humbling, making you feel small in both unsettling and comforting ways. On the other side? Souvenir shops hawking glow-in-the-dark Virgin Marys, plastic rosaries, and saint-shaped bottles for holy water to-go.
After dousing ourselves liberally (but respectfully) with water from the holy fountains, we escaped to Lac de Lourdes. At the end of the hottest day, we sprinted barefoot down the jetty and dove into the water. Instant reset.
We freecamped by the lake – picture-perfect spot. Getting the kids to sleep in the heat? Slightly less idyllic. Especially after a couple of gendarmes passed by at 11pm, waving flashlights into our new bedroom. After explaining for the 3rd time that the police weren’t here to arrest us, and that they were actually making sure all the small children had gone to bed… they fell asleep.
Day 2: Caves, Kayaks & Curious Toilets
Started the day renting a kayak at Lac de Lourdes (SUPs also available).
It was peaceful, beautiful, and — most importantly — not 40°C. Then we hit the Grottes de Bétharram, a sprawling underground cave system stretching across five levels, carved by the Gave de Pau river back when it flowed 80 meters higher than today. Over 2.8km of tunnels snake through the earth's bowels, each chamber a cathedral of limestone carved by millennia of patient water. The temperature plummets to a blessed 14°C – safe from the soaring temps above ground.
The 10-year-old was enthralled. After 30 minutes. The 6-year-old was over it. Until the train ride.
The train was the pièce de résistance: a clanking, narrow-gauge contraption that rattles through the deepest tunnels like something straight out of Jules Verne. The railway was installed in 1913 and still runs on the original tracks. It's cramped, rickety, and so much fun. You emerge blinking into daylight, slightly damp, thoroughly cooled, and somehow grounded by deep time. Back to the lake for another night. The kids discovered France’s robotic self-cleaning public toilets. “Are you sure you need to go… again?” We dined in the Boxer, the Simple Plus Family Classic making van meals feel like a proper dinner again — especially with the Campo Libre cooking set.
Day 3: Bears, Red Pandas & a Giant Lagoon
We didn’t expect that much from the Parc Animalier des Pyrénées - a few marmottes and a goat or two - but it was genuinely brilliant. A winding, natural-feeling zoo up a forested hillside.
We met bears (really close), lynx, vultures, wolves, and some adorable tiny monkeys (tamarins, we think). There were little goats that would nibble your sleeve (along with a sign absolving the zoo from all responsibility for clothing damage) and there was a red panda which might just be the fluffiest animal I’d never heard of. There were ice creams. Everyone was happy.
“Look mom – water slides!” On night three, we caved on our free-camping pledge and checked into Camping Le Monloo for the night. Water slides, a lagoon, a pool — and AC sockets to charge the EcoFlow. €40 well spent. Yes, we felt like we were cheating. And we’re fine with that.
Day 4: Cows, Climbs & Supercars at the Col
Winding road up to Col d’Aspin, through classic Pyrenees villages and cow-studded hillsides.
At the summit, it was a surreal mix: cyclists prepping for the Tour de France, lazy cows blocking the road, and a convoy of British lads in McLarens and Ferraris. We parked our van between a Porsche and a herd of goats.
Final night at Lac de Payolle — a cooler, pine-scented slice of heaven. We stayed at Aire Campan-Morère, which felt like the true mountain vibe. If we’d had another day: hiking trails and horseback tours were calling.
What We Learned (So You Don’t Have To)
1. Bring Insect Screens.
A couple of our stops were fly central. Leave a door open for ten seconds and it’s like hosting a bug rave. Keeping cool meant keeping doors open — insect screens would’ve saved our sanity.
2. Coolers Need Juice.
Electric coolbox + big EcoFlow battery? Great… as long as you keep driving. Our 12V port wasn’t enough to recharge the EcoFlow. If you’re planning to freecamp the whole way: bring solar.
3. Tiny Vans Are a Personality Test.
My wife (and our baby) slept in the Caddy. Or tried to. Turns out if you’re even mildly claustrophobic, micro-campers can feel less like a cosy nest and more like a wheeled coffin.
Our 10-year-old, however, adored it. He identifies as a cave bear.
Take a moment to reflect on your inner mammal before going tiny.
Final Thoughts
This trip had everything: heatstroke, awe, wild swims, animal encounters, family chaos, mountain magic, and two very good vans that made it all possible.
At the time, it often felt a little too hectic — a constant cycle of checking the route, refreshing the van parking app, cross-referencing opening times with snack schedules, rotating various electronics through the van’s DC output, grocery shopping, dishwashing, filling and emptying water tanks, and swatting flies with increasingly philosophical rage.
But now that we’re home?
All I remember are the good bits:
Capuchins sitting in a row, silently watching my baby daughter like she was the zoo exhibit. Diving off a jetty into a cool lake with my two boys. Reading a good book in a camp chair by lamplight, sipping a cold beer as the day’s heat finally gave up. Cooking simple family meals over a single burner stove in a van that very quickly began to feel like home. We’d do it all again in a heartbeat.
(With insect screens. And solar.)
Designed for families who love long journeys, the Family Classic Kit combines smart storage, versatile seating, and a spacious sleeping setup to make life on the road comfortable, organized, and clutter-free.
Table leg included
Mattress not included
Designed to maximise utility while creating a sense of spaciousness, The Weekender packs all the essentials needed for your mini adventure – a comfortable and roomy pull-out bed, easy access for a coolbox, and an all-new compact side unit for even more easily-accessible storage. This kit makes the ultimate Micro Camper, and weights only 35KG.
Compatible with 99% of small vans on the market the Universel kit is made for vans like the Ford Transit Connect, Nissan NV200 and others which aren’t in our catalog. The Weekender is our perfectly simple solution to make the most of your small space.
Compatible with all large vans like the Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer, Citroën Jumper, Renault Master, Opel Novano, Nissan NV400, Mercedes Sprinter, Volkswagen Crafter, Iveco Daily...
By THEME
THE TINY KIT
By MODEL
Berlingo / Partner 2 Berlingo / Partner 3 Kangoo 2 Kangoo 3 VW Caddy Universal
Compatible with all large vans like the Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer, Citroën Jumper, Renault Master, Opel Novano, Nissan NV400, Mercedes Sprinter, Volkswagen Crafter, Iveco Daily...
SIMPLE VANS
USEFUL INFORMATION & LINKS
Compatible with all large vans like the Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer, Citroën Jumper, Renault Master, Opel Novano, Nissan NV400, Mercedes Sprinter, Volkswagen Crafter, Iveco Daily...
By THEME
THE TINY KIT
By MODEL
Berlingo / Partner 2 Berlingo / Partner 3 Kangoo 2 Kangoo 3 VW Caddy Universal
Compatible with all large vans like the Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer, Citroën Jumper, Renault Master, Opel Novano, Nissan NV400, Mercedes Sprinter, Volkswagen Crafter, Iveco Daily...
SIMPLE VANS
USEFUL INFORMATION & LINKS
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