🚌 “A Quick One With The Van”A 4-Day North Wales Road Trip with Vanilla the Campervan

By John Nickolls – drone wrangler, Cadac chef, and unapologetic pub enjoyer

🧭 The Setup

Sometimes you don’t need two weeks in Provence or a wellness retreat in Bali. Sometimes all you need is a 4-day escape with your trusty VW T6.1 campervan, a full tank of diesel, a fridge full of ginger shots, and a sense of adventure.Enter: Vanilla, my Indium Grey rolling sanctuary, complete with Wi-Fi, a Ninja air fryer, Cadac BBQ, projector cinema, and enough battery power to toast a crumpet in Snowdonia.

This one’s for the wild-at-heart who still want an electric hook-up.

🗓️ Day 1 – Milford to Llangollen

Distance: 65 milesDrive Time: Around 1 hr 45 minsOvernight Stop: Wern Isaf Farm Campsite

We left sunny Milford (ok, mildly grey Milford) and trundled into the Welsh hills. Wern Isaf Farm is a cracking first stop: peaceful, with lush views of the Dee Valley and the kind of tranquillity you can’t fake.

Dinner: Cadac-fired burgersPub: The Corn Mill – it’s on the river, does good chips, and has a balcony that makes you feel like you’re on a Welsh Riviera.Drone Highlight: Horseshoe Pass – fly high, watch sheep scatter, try not to cry at the view.

Evening entertainment? Vanilla’s projector and a screening of The Trip while sipping an ill-advised rum and ginger combo.

🏰 Day 2 – Llangollen to Harlech (via Bala)

Distance: 60 milesDrive Time: Just over 2 hoursOvernight Stop: Llech Camping Site

We stopped at Bala Lake for a quick drone flight over Llyn Tegid – glassy water, perfect reflections, one near-miss with a curious duck. Lunch by the shore, then onto Harlech, home to steep roads, massive castles, and even bigger chips.

Pub: The Lion Hotel – old, solid, and knows what it’s doing.Drone Mission: Harlech Castle at sunset – cinematic doesn’t even cover it. If medieval power had a TikTok, this would be the thumbnail.

Dinner? Air fryer sea bass with some smug lemon slices. I don’t mess around.

🌲 Day 3 – Harlech to Beddgelert

Distance: 25 milesDrive Time: Less than an hourOvernight Stop: Beddgelert Campsite – Camping & Caravanning Club

Into the woods we go – Beddgelert is like camping in a fairytale, minus the talking animals (unless you count the bloke on pitch 7 who wouldn’t stop whistling Coldplay). Set in the heart of Snowdonia, this place is magic.

Pub: Tanronnen Inn – cosy, no faff, does a lamb stew that might make you believe in something againWalk: The path to Gelert’s Grave is a short one, but emotional. Spoiler: it’s a dog story. You’ve been warned.Drone Flight: Aberglaslyn Pass – dramatic river trails and forest fly-bys

Evening? Movie night in the pop-top – Alan Partridge’s Alpha Papa, obviously.

🛻 Day 4 – Back to Milford (via Llanberis option)

Distance: 90 milesDrive Time: Around 2.5 hoursOptional Stop: Llanberis – grab a fry-up, launch the drone over Llyn Padarn, and toast your final day with a lakeside espresso. Or just a Greggs.

Back to Milford by mid-afternoon. Wash the drone, empty the Porta Potti, and bask in the glow of a trip well done.

🎒 Packing Checklist

• Drone kit (Mavic 2 Pro = Nemesis, always ready for action)

• Fresh batch of Nix Shots (ginger-based brilliance)

• Cadac, Ninja, projector (the holy trinity)

• Toasty hoodie for pub evenings

• 3 SD cards (because drone footage is hungry)

🎵 Road Trip Playlist

• Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again

• Simple Minds – Waterfront

• Underworld – Born Slippy (for those winding Welsh roads)

• Dire Straits – Telegraph Road

• Alan Partridge's Audiobooks (essential)

📸 Drone Highlights Gallery (Coming Soon!)

I’ll be uploading my favourite shots from this trip to my Flickr and Instagram @johnnickolls – keep an eye out for cinematic castles, dreamy lake reflections, and maybe a sheep photobomb or two.

👋 Final Thoughts

Four days.Three castles.Four drone ops.Countless pints.One campervan called Vanilla who never let me down.

This short trip proved you don’t need months to feel like an adventurer. Just a few days, a well-packed van, and the knowledge that every great road trip ends with a full memory card, a half-full belly, and a completely full heart.

Got a question? Want my campsite list? Need ginger shots? Slide into the DMs or leave a comment below.See you on the next one, fellow road warriors.