How To Build A Campervan Part 4: Wiring Solar Panels And Batteries

What is the future of travel? Answering that is Skift’s editorial mission, and the release of our annual Megatrends is core to that mission.

Although it has been years since I’ve traveled in mesmerizing Tokyo, my memories are as vivid as though they had been sparked yesterday—pleasures aswirl in unique flavors and noises, creativity and ingenuity. So when luxury publisher Assouline released the new book Tokyo Chic, I dove into its 312 lush-paper-stock pages, with more than 200 photographs and illustrations, which are bound in an outsize (10-by-13-inches, 6.4-pound) format—a hefty hardcover wrapped in silk. The brainchild of Andrea Fazzari, whose deft imagery and words are love letters to the inimitable capital, Tokyo Chic showcases a massively enthralling—yet strikingly intimate—city. Currently based in Tokyo, Fazzari is a James Beard Award-winning photographer, author and restaurant maven with notable backgrounds in fashion and film. Born in New York City, she has lived in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain and Thailand—and speaks four languages. What a sophisticated guide to have at your armchair traveler’s fingertips! Indeed, this coffee table tome would make a treasured holiday gift for those who have already vacationed in Japan or simply dream of doing so.

One summer, many years ago when I was 17, I met a Dutch girl in a pub who was backpacking around Ireland. She said she was staying in hostels and was off to Doolin in County Clare the next day. Somehow, I hadn’t realised it was that easy to strike out and see the world. The next morning I took the bus to Doolin and began a lifelong love of independent travel and the open road. I never saw the Dutch girl again despite a full search of every pub in the village.

For the past few months I’ve been converting a 2014 Ford Transit Connect into a campervan. I installed solar panels, batteries, built a bed, and more. Now it was time for a test run. I had intended to take more time with the build, but I had an important work-related trip coming up that required the van to be in at least livable condition.

The ancient Kingdom of Fife is steeped in rich history and dramatic scenery. The region is located on a sprawling peninsula on Scotland’s east coast, appreciated for its cinematic scale, ambience, and pure sense of drama. The name ‘Kingdom of Fife’ derives from its historical significance as one of the major Pictish kingdoms, once known as Fib. This four-day itinerary guides visitors through the region’s charming fishing villages, to iconic landmarks and across wild coastal paths. It's a place where visitors can escape, relax and unwind. Explore the historic home of Scotland’s ancient monarchs and tuck into world-class local produce — all within an easy drive from Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city.

Blue Lagoon Iceland will reopen its geothermal spa and some restaurants to guests on December 17, it said in an statement Friday.

Illinois is brimming with festive activities and unique experiences, promising to be the go-to destination for an unforgettable winter experience. Lean into the holiday season in December, partake in outdoor winter activities and meet the Bald Eagles of Illinois in January, and indulge in Chicago’s theatre scene and automotive heritage in February.

In some parts of Europe, high prices and Christmas markets go hand in hand. But in others, this year’s soaring costs have come as a shock.

Technically, you don’t need to build a bed in a campervan conversion. You don’t even need a bed, really. You could get a collapsible cot, an inflatable mattress, or if you’re made from hardier stuff than I, you could just sleep on the floor of the van. I wanted something a little more comfortable. After all, I was building this van as a tent replacement. If I wanted to sleep on the hard ground using an air mattress, I could have done that in my Miata (and I have).

The White House is announcing billions of dollars in new funding for train projects from coast to coast.

As I totter across a little footbridge in the gloaming, the water below takes on a treacly sheen, slithering out to sea in the fading light. Ahead, over marshy tussocks, the outline of a ruined barracks looms out of the mist and some lights flicker on in the little red-roofed cottage beyond it. A bank of rain is chasing me over the bog. It catches me just as I reach the village’s (closed) inn so I turn and sprint back to my holiday cottage, Taigh Whin, as the deluge draws a soggy curtain over the landscape. I’ve come to Glenelg, in Scotland’s north-west Highlands, to connect with nature and it’s seeping straight in.

Hidden away in the snowy north of Finland is Santa’s Official Post Office. The sorting center, located in Rovaniemi, is expected to receive over 30,000 letters daily from children and adults around the world this year. In a bid to attract novice elves, Santa Claus’ Cabin has been listed on Airbnb for guests—free of charge—to roll up their sleeves, lend a hand with the backlog of letters and experience the joy of the holiday season from the Arctic Circle.