Couple refit old school bus to create their very own hostel
Belgian couple Val and Tim had an idea. They love each other, they love nature, and they love the open road. They’re both more at home out traveling with backpacks than settled in one place.
They thought about opening a hostel. Because of their love of travel, they wanted to be around other travellers. But the truth was, they’d rather be the itinerants than the hosts. And that’s when it came to them: a moving hostel. In a school bus! Here though, the bus would be home and the whole world would be school.
They embarked on a fundraising campaign that collected enough money to ship a classic yellow school bus from the United States over to Belgium. Then together with dozens of volunteers they re-fitted the interior of the bus, installing bunk beds that people can book on their website. For a little more than $500 you can reserve a bed for a week or two and travel with Val and Tim — right now through Austria and this coming summer in Norway!
The difficult part of the process was registering the bus and getting the papers in order to be allowed to drive it legally. But with a lot of patience and persistence, they finally got everything in order. In the meantime they even had a baby, Fenna, who will come with them and their dog on their journeys.
They’ve been at it for three years, sharing the open road with new people all the time and and following their dream.
The interior is a real haven of peace and comfort.
The beds look so cozy!
And the little kitchen is perfectly functional.
There’s space for a bathroom and washing machine…
Solar panels installed on the roof provide all the electricity they need. Despite its outer appearance, this is a state-of-the-art bus!
Living a nomadic life involves hard work and some sacrifice, but having an attitude like Val and Tim's changes everything.
For this globe-trotting pair, it’s the most beautiful experience of their lives.
From country to country, encounter to encounter, the bus is their ticket.
Here’s a video of the inside of the bus:
And a short video about their life:
With all the people and landscapes they’ll see and meet, Fenna will certainly have a wonderful and unusual childhood. It’s inspiring… What’s holding you back from your dream?!