Hey there! We're Ellena and Josh from @e.vantures and we're sharing the details of our recent 5-day escapade to the picturesque Cotswolds in our trusty electric Nissan e-NV200 campervan.

We’re all about the journey as much as the destination and we always try to tailor our travels to discover new sites, creating memories that blend nature, quaint towns, and the uniqueness of electric travel.

Day 1: The Journey Begins

We wanted to make the most of the day, so we made sure to leave early with a full charge. A little under two hours into our journey we stopped at a supermarket in Bedford to rapid charge whilst we stocked up on food, before heading to National Trust Stowe in Buckinghamshire for a refreshing walk. We prepared a lovely vegan Caesar salad for lunch and then continued our journey. Just as we approached the Cotswolds, we stopped at a Shell charging point where we used their app to charge for ten minutes whilst we put the kettle on for a cuppa! (See our previous blog post to find out our EV app recommendations). We set off for the final leg of our journey and arrived at our campsite 20 minutes later where we set up the awning, enjoyed garlic Kiev’s whilst we watched a movie and spent a restful night under the stars.

Total miles: 150

Time spent charging: 37 minutes

Total cost: £18.79

Day 2: Exploring Croome and Cheltenham

After charging at the campsite overnight (for no extra cost), we began the day with a leisurely 9am start. The first destination for the day was National Trust Croome for a muddy yet delightful walk followed by cheese toasties for lunch, cooked on our electric induction hob. We popped into Cheltenham in the afternoon for some shopping in the beautiful historic town and returned to our campsite in the evening for a BBQ. We had just finished our s’mores as it started to rain, so we headed in for a movie before another peaceful night in the heart of nature.

Total miles: 70

Time spent charging: 7 hours overnight

Total cost: £0

Day 3: Chipping Norton and Diddly Squat Farm

On our third day we woke at 8:30am with the aim of exploring as much of the local area as possible. Since it was so close, we simply had to visit the Diddly Squat Farm Shop, where we enjoyed some delicious treats from a farmers’ market in the barn. We took a stroll around the nearby town of Chipping Norton, then headed to Chastleton House to take in the history of the area and to try out croquet in the garden, where the game was invented. Later we visited the Dovers Hill to take in the stunning Cotswold views over the Vale of Evesham and passed through Chipping Campden, a town with over 270 listed buildings! We ended the day back at the campsite where a local business was preparing pizzas in their portable wood fired oven – a well-deserved treat after a long day of exploring. We enjoyed an evening of board games, cider tasting, and caught a few episodes of our favourite TV show before bed.

Total miles: 40

Time spent charging: 0

Total cost: £0

Day 4: Newark Park and Bibury

We plugged in the van overnight and were fully charged in the morning to prepare us for another busy day. For our fourth day, we decided to head to the other side of the Cotswolds and arrived at Newark Park after a 90-minute drive down winding country lanes. We ambled around the picturesque gardens and baked fresh scones in our van for a rather posh afternoon tea. We took a detour to Bibury, a quaint town with houses that were over 600 years old! We had to head back to the campsite early due to the weather, so we made ourselves cosy and had an evening of movies and games, not forgetting to plug in the van before bed ready for our journey home the following day.

Total miles: 93

Time spent charging: 10 hours overnight

Total cost: £0

Day 5: Homeward Bound

To make the most of our final day, we planned a couple of stops on the way home. After packing up the awning, we headed for Canons Ashby Manor in Northamptonshire to stretch our legs. After enjoying a cup of tea of in the historic parkland, we set off again and stopped at the National Trust Claydon Estate in Buckinghamshire but couldn’t stay for long as they were about to close. We put the kettle on for another cup of tea in Milton Keynes whilst rapid charging at a BP Pulse charging point and hit the road again as it was beginning to get dark. We plugged in to an Instavolt rapid charger in Cambridge where we stopped for food and by the time we had finished our meal, we had plenty of charge to cover the final stretch of the journey home.

Total miles: 174

Time spent charging: 8 hours overnight + 52 minutes on the way home

Cost: £20.17

Our electric campervan didn't just make our journey smooth and eco-friendly - it also improved the entire experience. Whilst we have already seen the cost savings of going electric for our regular driving, this adventure has shown us the endless possibilities and savings for longer journeys as well. We found public charging infrastructure incredibly convenient and any range anxiety we had as new EV owners has been completely dispelled! Until our next post, happy travels, fellow adventurers!

Join us on Instagram to follow along our adventures: @e.vantures