A lady managed to travel across eight European nations for five weeks spending only £15 daily due to a £25 car hack.
Madeleine Jaye, who is 23 years old, has had a lifelong passion for travel. Last summer, she embarked on an extensive road trip with her friend Ashla Prakash, aged 24.
In order to cut costs on lodging, the couple opted to transform the rear area of Madeleine’s Corsa into a sleeping quarters—equipped with a full-sized mattress, comforter, cushions, and room for their belongings—enabling them to camp out inside the vehicle.
Madeleine’s grandfather, Keith Davies, aged 83, constructed a wooden bed frame and trimmed a memory foam mattress to fit — all for only £25.
Madeleine mentions that they expended £450 on fuel, obtained complimentary parking, and conserved over £4k in lodging expenses.
The duo journeyed through Germany, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, France, Italy, Slovenia, and Switzerland within a span of five weeks, all while adhering to a daily spending limit of £15.
The enthusiastic traveler mentioned that it didn’t just “save money” but also provided a certain “atmosphere.”
Madeleine, who works as a live-in caregiver from Nottingham, mentioned, “I stand at 5 feet 7 inches tall and found plenty of space.”
In Switzerland, you’re looking at €100 per night for a hotel room or as low as €60 for a hostel.
We managed to save a substantial amount of money.
We saved around £2k each – adding up to about £4k together.
In 2023, Madeleine encountered Ashla in Japan when she was there on a work visa. The two then agreed they should explore Europe as companions.
She mentioned, “We talked about going on a road trip.”
But the cost of lodging was extremely high — I wondered why we couldn’t just do it in my car?
That’s when my grandfather stepped up.
He excels at do-it-yourself projects – he works as a mechanic.
I inquired if he could assist me, and he took off with it.
He pulled out all the stops and created an incredible bed.
He felt immense pride about it.
He genuinely loved creating it — he put his heart into it.
Keith constructed a bed using three pieces of wood – and even designed it with a removable lower board that can be turned into a table at the rear of the vehicle.
In July 2024, the group of friends embarked on their journey aboard Madeleine’s 2009 silver Corsa, which she had owned for half a decade.
Madeleine handled the driving and cooking, while Ashla took care of the setup and cleaning up.
They utilized a Home Bargains gas stove to prepare the majority of their meals in order to conserve money—though they occasionally treated themselves with an Aperol spritz or a pizza.
The friends would locate secure spots to stop for the night before resuming their journeys.
Madeleine mentioned, “In Slovenia, we attempted to locate a parking spot through an application.”
We didn’t discover any options near Lake Bled.
We called a campground, and it cost €40 per night – simply for parking the car.
Rather than that, they discovered a quiet countryside spot to stop their vehicle.
She remarked, “You might find yourself awake somewhere listening to the birds.”
They possessed a foldable pink bucket for washing purposes but primarily depended on public restrooms – which they typically hurried to as soon as possible.
Madeleine stated, “Public restrooms are incredible in Europe.”
The only downside mentioned by Madeleine was the heat and the mosquitoes.
Madeleine mentioned that Slovenia exceeded her expectations, and she enjoyed both the drive-through mountainous regions and starting her day with views of the mountains.
Currently, she plans to tackle the North Coast 500 in Scotland with herCorsa.
If she goes on a day trip in the UK, she’ll end up sleeping in her car rather than pay for a hotel.
She stated: “It helped save money and has this certain atmosphere.”
Individuals believe you require a large van, yet you can manage with whatever resources you have.
It was the most incredible journey.
Madeleine’s itinerary for her road trip –
France
Belgium
Luxembourg
Germany
Switzerland
Italy
Slovenia
Returning to Italy, France, and Switzerland
Liechtenstein
Concluded at the Tomorrowland festival in Belgium
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