My name is Marie, I am 35 years old and I grew up in Paris. From my childhood spent between the buildings of Porte d'Asnières, I kept a love for the smell of gasoline and a deep disgust for small animals.

Today, I am Interface designer at UX-Republic and my view of the world has evolved considerably. Like most of my peers, I was made aware very early on of ecological crises, to social injustices, to the many economic turbulences, and to the loss of our childhood innocence. 

Allow me to warn you from the outset: I am not going to address the subject of eco-design or the natural disasters that await us if we do not change our behavior on an individual and collective scale, whether in our personal or professional sphere. There are a wealth of fascinating articles on this topic, written by experts whose commitment I admire and whose commitment I strive to follow carefully.

In this article, we're going to talk about what I've discovered to make a modest change on an individual and personal scale, a much-needed change in thepost-Covid era, where professional, economic and political orientations evolve at breakneck speed, sometimes leaving us disoriented. At a time when we are overwhelmed by an avalanche of information and updates of all kinds, it is necessary tolearn to pick up.

Thus I found myself on board a camper van (I had never driven anything other than small automatic cars), in an area I had never visited, with no other route than the one recommended by the locals. Of course, this didn't happen in one day. I started by exploring what was available on the market for applications designed to disconnect us from the worlde, and without much surprise, I got lost along the way. Here are the ones that really helped me in my quest.

Not to be missed

Google Maps 
Essential for daily journeys, Google Maps is the essential element for calculating your route, and therefore the price of your journey. It indicates all motorway areas and all navigation data is easily readable.

Park4Night
Park4Night is the safest free app to check available parking spaces if you're traveling in a campervan (or van). It is also very practical because it clearly indicates where the stations are located where you can empty your gray (and black) water, and fill your vehicle's tank. The only thing we could criticize is not mentioning what is near these parking areas (often cemeteries), and when you arrive in the middle of the night, you can have nice surprises at the small Morning.

RainToday
Of course, it's nice to hear the rain falling when you're warm and sheltered. RainToday helps you plan your outing times (and your outfits accordingly) by offering real-time rain alerts and high-resolution radar. Thanks to geolocation, you can anticipate the arrival of showers and know precisely the time when you will be sheltered. However, it should be noted that it is not yet available on Android.

Windy
Regarding the weather forecast, Windy goes well beyond offering a wide range of content and features. This includes detailed monitoring of precipitation risk, UV index, as well as wind speed and direction. With this wealth of information, forecasts are highly accurate and comprehensive, eliminating surprises.

Great apps

FreeTaps
Exploring a regional nature park or going camping requires traveling light. FreeTaps lists all drinking water points to stay hydrated without generating waste. Its excellent documentation makes it easy to locate paths leading to the nearest source, whether a fountain or spring. All you need is a water bottle to go on an adventure!

AllTrails
Those who know well AllTrails know how complete this application is. I used it to prepare my hiking routes. I was on foot but it also works just as well for bike rides or horseback riding. You can even view the various map previews, including the "World Parks", a topographical map with contours and elevation that demarcates the boundaries of regional, national and state parks around the world. Map details allow you to display, among other things, landmarks, routes, and distance markers wherever you are. 

VisoRando
This application offers the possibility of planning your route, referred to in the application as “create a track” to define your path. VisoRando presents itself as a collaborative platform offering itineraries already established by experienced hikers. Its main advantage, which personally reassured me, is its offline availability, in addition to a very user-friendly interface incorporating detailed mapping. It is free, but to access certain cards, it offers a subscription for €24,99 per year.

Yescapa
It’s the AirBnB of motorhomes, vans, and converted vans. Yescapa is the place where novices (like me) meet purists (like Anne and Jo, who rented their motorhome to me). I spoke a little with the owners, reserved my vehicle, and subsequently, we continued to chat on the exchange platform, even during the trip. Furthermore, Yescapa provides insurance at fairly reasonable prices and allows you to pay in installments without fees. 

Of course, it is in my capacity as a novice that I share what helped and reassured me the most in my approach.  I also downloaded the following apps, but didn't find any use for them.

Other useful apps but not yet tested

CurioCity
Free, the CurioCity app is a real tourist guide that works worldwide and is multi-language. LANGUAGES.

IGNRando
This app is intended for fans of hiking (it is highly recommended by the hiking community).

CamperNight
Like Park4Night, CamperNight makes it easy to find a place to spend the night, rest, or simply take a short break.

HomeCamper
HomeCamper is not an application but a site which allows you to settle down for a day or more in an individual's garden. I had anticipated this as a precautionary measure in case I found myself stranded in a location without access to water. 

GetYourGuide
This app allows you to find the best circuits and tickets: sporting, culinary or thrilling activities. 

The good plan is the Human

If I had to choose just one good tip, it would be Anne, the owner of the wonderful rental campervan. When I arrived at her house (to pick up the keys), I showed her the routes I had anticipated, with my daily hiking goals. She quickly brought me back to reality. Indeed, I had not taken into account the challenge sometimes posed by the relationship between the size of the campervan and the narrowness of the roads, nor the large number of tourists in the regions that I initially wanted to discover. In just thirty minutes, my entire itinerary was reviewed: I quickly noted around ten essential places to visit and I followed his advice: “Improvise, it's more pleasant”. As it turns out, she was totally right. The real asset is the human encounter.

 

 

Marie Laventure, Artistic Director – UX designer at UX-Republic