Highly Sensitive Person & Vanlife – Tips for Highly Sensitive Travelers

Highly sensitive person & vanlife - that's a combo that asks for awareness and balance, but offers many amazing full-body experiences.

Highly sensitive travelers, those on the autism spectrum, naturally safety-seeking people, and anyone who easily picks up on energies, moods, and atmospheres might wonder if van life is really for them.

Frequent changes of environment, constant movement, meeting new people, unfamiliar smells and tastes, or the disruption of familiar routines can be deeply exhausting—even if travel offers plenty of joy and wonder in return.

If you’re like me—someone who is both highly sensitive and thrill-seeking—you know you’re not alone.

In this post, I share my personal experience as a sensitive vanlifer, along with the strategies I use to balance rest and adventure while traveling in a campervan with my family of four.

hen Your Nervous System Takes in Too Much at Once

My husband Jarno and I have always traveled together a lot—across Finland, abroad, to nearby forests, islands, and Lapland. When you live with a true wanderer, it’s impossible to avoid travel completely, even if you don’t join every trip.

Our very first trip together was to Scotland, of course in a rental car. Jarno drove, I navigated. Navigating left-hand traffic tested the foundations of our brand-new relationship—a mix of shared excitement, courage, and a little bit of reckless trust, not to mention practicing patience on the side.

The trip was amazing. Scotland was breathtaking. But even during that first journey, I noticed a difference: Jarno’s happiness cup filled easily, he could sleep anywhere and wake up refreshed, while I lay awake in new places, had nightmares, got stomach aches, and felt like a deer in headlights. Like my whole body was saying: too much, too fast.

Balancing sensory input and output is key to a good-feeling adventure.

HSP Vanlife Experiences - Travel Isn’t “Just a Mindset” When You’re Highly Sensitive

It took years to truly understand what was going on. I used to think it was about attitude—that Jarno just “handled” travel better.

Positive thinking can take you far, but it can’t override how your nervous system is wired. Once I realized the difference came down to how our systems process input, I stopped faking positivity and started working with the root cause: giving my own “operating system” what it needs so I can genuinely enjoy vanlife.

If Jarno takes in the world with a spoon, I get it poured over me with a firehose.

While Jarno can focus on a view or savor a meal with background noises blending together, I see the view and feel the wind shift, notice the sunlight’s glare in my eyes, hear every bird call, footsteps, and rustle, and sense the emotions of the people around me. It’s like having multiple radio stations playing at once—with no “tune out” button.

HSP Travel Tips for Vanlife Family Travel

Jarno’s cup fills gracefully, mine overflows quickly—and it doesn’t stop until I deliberately “empty it.” But before I can do that, there are usually kids to feed, routes to navigate, practical things to arrange, or overnight spots to find.

As a parent, your role also includes holding space for your children’s emotions—watching their cups overflow too.

That’s why I can’t plan trips solely around my own needs. Traveling with family often means I need to postpone having my needs met. But I can listen to my body and speak up early: “I need a drink/quiet time/a snack—can we stop at the next rest area for 15 minutes?”

When you act before your frustration boils over, everything flows better. And yes—the kids often benefit from these pauses too.

 
On the road, regular recovery is essential for a HSP. A soft, dry, warm and fresh-feeling bed is my first nro 1 necessity.

Nervous System Care While Traveling means Living Vanlife at Different Speeds

Jarno processes experiences much faster than I do. While he’s already planning the next adventure, I’m still digesting the last one. When people with different “travel speeds” share a small space, you sometimes have to live at different rhythms—Jarno might go for a morning wander while I sleep in.

Through trial and error, I’ve learned that prevention is my best tool for keeping my energy in balance. That means physical comfort, small routines, anticipating potential stressors, and leaving space for downtime.

On one hand not planning ahead and going with the flow-attitude is the best you can get from a trip. On the other hand, when you're sure your basic needs are met, it's way easier to ease into adventure and let life surprise you.

Below, there is my list of the most important things to keep adventure and recovery in balance.

How to Manage Sensory Overload While Traveling - My Sensitive Traveler Tips

I no longer compromise on these:

1. Regular, nourishing meals – Balanced blood sugar is everything. Plan meals ahead, shop regularly, and avoid “hangry” travel moments.

2. A cozy, warm, dry bed – Merino wool bedding is my secret weapon. Even if sleep doesn’t come, it’s heaven to just rest there. And I can be sure I won't get cold.

3. A safe sleeping spot – Not always a campsite; often I sleep better “wild camping” if the spot feels secure. More nature, less people. Perfect!

4. Breaks from sensory overload – Even beautiful experiences can be overwhelming. Balance city trips with nature time or quiet moments in the van.

5. Enough water – Fill tanks and bottles whenever possible. Running out in the middle of nowhere is no fun.

6. Minimize unnecessary hassle – Every small annoyance can really add up. Simple solutions like bottle holders make a surprising difference. They keep my water bottle easily within reach AND my knitting yarns untangled.

7. Small daily rituals – Morning coffee (decaf) outside, evening walks, reading before bed—tiny anchors in the day help ground me. Oftentimes Jarno takes care of the kids at bedtime, so I can go and lay down in advance.

8. Time alone – Still a work in progress, because I'd rather not miss a moment with my family, but even short solo moments help me reset and connect with myself only.
   
   

Different inner schedules and personal needs are easier to combine on the road, once you understand how your nervous systems work.

Stress-Free Vanlife for HSPs: Listen to Your Own Rhythm, Even on the Road

The best thing a sensitive traveler can do is pause throughout the day and ask: “What do I need right now?”

It’s not wrong to crave warmth, softness, predictability, and safety—these aren’t luxuries; they’re the foundation for truly enjoying your journey.

Some vehicles run on diesel, some on electricity. If your “system” runs best on peace, comfort, and calm, why fill it with adrenaline and expect it to work perfectly?

And here’s the beautiful thing about sensitivity: the magic of travel isn’t limited to the big sights or adventures—it’s also in the feeling of safety in your camper, the taste of your favorite coffee, the softness of your bed, the glow of your lighting, the perfect mug, and a deck of cards you love.

As a sensitive van lifer, you can absolutely get all the joy from your travels—once you give yourself permission to need what you need. Stress-free van life is possible. And you do deserve it <3

— Hanna