This couple converted a school bus into a travelling hostel and we are totally on board

Meet Val and Tim, veteran backpackers who decided to open their own hostel. The catch? It’s on a converted school bus that travels around Europe. Why didn’t we think of this ourselves?

They are both fond of adventures

Val has a passion for ski and became the youngest ski camp instructor ever at the age of 15. She was employed as private instructor at Buri Sports in Grindelwald, home of the legendary Eiger. This is where she met Tim. The latter was a renowned snowboarder who worked in the French Alps for a decade before joining Buri Sports. The couple, originally from Belgium, decided to work on this totally crazy project, that is, to convert a school bus and make it a travelling hostel.

The couple took a calculated risk

Tim and Val began by assessing the feasibility of the project and the steps they should take. Then they launched a fundraising campaign to get the money to import the school bus from the United States to Europe.Despite Val’s pregnancy, the couple decided to continue their project. Once the bus arrived in Belgium, inspired by their history, many volunteers came to help with the bus. Each person brought his knowledge in his field to make the project successful: for electricity, plumbing, carpentry…

The bus can welcome six guests

This project provoked a real impetus of positive energies that allowed the couple not to give up despite the difficulties. The most difficult step was probably the administrative registration step.

Val, Tim, their little daughter Fenna and their dog live with the hosts in the school bus converted into a real wheeled home. It has been three years since the bus travels the roads in Europe with a pre-defined journey. The guests, up to six persons, can organise themselves to join the adventure along the way with a minimum stay of one night.

The bus has various amenities

The bus is fully furnished as a hostel with bunk beds, kitchen and shower. The bus is also equipped with solar panels on the roof. There is even a washing machine! The interior and exterior decorations are really cosy in order to feel at home everywhere.

In addition to the bed, the family offers meals prepared with love and offers surfboards, bicycles and even a projector for the evenings cinema.

It has an odourless compostable toilet

The unfussiness and intelligence of the design are the main characteristics of the toilet where the liquids are separated from the solids. It has required ventilation that promoted the composting process. As it is waterless and self-contained, there is no requirement for plumbing or holding tanks.