TRAVELLING FULL-TIME MEANS ADVENTURE, CONNECTION, AND SOMETIMES — BEING COMPLETELY OFF-GRID WHEN YOU DON’T WANT TO BE. AFTER ONE PARTICULARLY STRESSFUL NIGHT DRIVING FROM SPAIN INTO ANDORRA WITH ZERO PHONE SIGNAL AND NO INTERNET, WE DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO INVEST IN STARLINK. AND HONESTLY? IT’S BEEN A GAME-CHANGER FOR OUR FAMILY.
We were driving from Spain into Andorra — beautiful scenery, mountains everywhere… and suddenly no phone signal. Nothing. Our UK Go Roam plan usually sees us through most of Europe, as long as we’re not too heavy-handed with data. But this time? Total digital blackout.
Our mission was simple: find a launderette we’d pinned on Google Maps. But without internet, we couldn’t update the route. So, we did what worldschoolers do best — we improvised! We wandered through town searching for a free connection and eventually found ourselves outside a Tourist Information Centre. Their Wi-Fi saved the day, and we finally reached the washing machines.
It was late by the time the laundry finished, and with a 30-minute drive still ahead, Tyler and I decided to stop at Burger King for dinner. We needed to message Laura — who was in London for a business weekend — to let her know we had no internet and couldn’t be contacted.
But later that night, messages started coming through:
We could receive messages but couldn’t send any back. I tried topping up my phone, but without the usual Apple Pay autofill, I couldn’t complete the payment. At least Laura could see the attempt and knew we were alive — just disconnected.
The next morning, before leaving Andorra, we drove back to Burger King (still closed — but their internet was wonderfully open!). After some fiddling, we finally managed to speak to Laura and set the navigation for France.
It was clear: we never wanted to be in that situation again.
Once we were safely reconnected, we made the decision: let’s buy a Starlink. We chose the Mini because it runs beautifully from our camper battery and is perfect for our off-grid lifestyle.
Laura managed to track one down in London after her event and brought it with her to Venice, where we reunited as a family. A few days later, in Croatia, we set it up properly for the first time.
While using a café’s Wi-Fi, we noticed something interesting: if we set up the account using our UK address, it would cost £50/month — but if we set our service location to Croatia, it was only 40 euros. Plus, an introductory offer of 28 euros for the first six months. Boom. Croatia it is.
That evening, eager as kids at Christmas, we tried it out for the first time. We placed the Starlink Mini outside the camper, waited five minutes, and then…
230 Mbps.
On the side of a coastal road. In a desolate village. Next to an abandoned hotel.
We’ve even hit 280 Mbps at times, but honestly, anything above 100 Mbps feels like magic when you’re off-grid.
One night in Bosnia, the rain was coming down hard — the kind of rain that makes you rethink every decision that involves stepping outside. Instead of putting the Starlink out in the storm, we tried a little experiment: we placed it inside the van on the dashboard, leaning against the windscreen.
The result?
128 Mbps from inside the van.
We were officially impressed.
No — our mobile hotspots still do most of the heavy lifting. But when we cross borders, hit mountains, or find ourselves in some quiet village where even the goats have better signal than we do… Starlink steps in like a superhero.
It gives us peace of mind, keeps our businesses running, and lets us stay connected even in the wildest corners of Europe. For worldschooling, working remotely, and staying safe on the road, it’s become one of our most valuable travel tools.
Worldschooling and campervan life are filled with adventure — but staying connected matters. Starlink has become our safety net, our business lifeline, and our peace-of-mind companion when crossing borders or disappearing into mountains.
If you’re living the vanlife, travelling full-time, or just wanting more freedom without losing connection, the Starlink Mini might be the upgrade you didn’t know you needed.
Teamwork makes the dream work — and sometimes the dream needs good Wi-Fi.
English Author, Entrepreneur, Minimalist, and Digital Nomad.
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