Extended family travels through Europe in mobile homes for two years
Created: 07/01/2023, 09:00
By: Alexandra Anderka
On a European tour with two mobile homes: The Knoke family from Inning – these are (back, from left): Markus, Anna, Paula, Jeannette and Tobias with the twins Maximilian and Raphael (in front) and the dog Mila.
© private
A family of seven from Inning sells all their belongings and embarks on an adventure trip across Europe in two RVs.
The return is still uncertain.
Inning – Parents of five children between the ages of three and 18 sell their house, buy two mobile homes and go on a two-year trip to Europe as a family with a dog.
Jeannette and Tobias Knoke from Inning dared to take this bold step last summer.
The air traffic controller, who has been employed at Munich Airport for 20 years, has been toying with the idea of taking a sabbatical for a long time.
"But my employer never gave me permission to do that," regrets the 42-year-old.
About three years ago, after son Markus (18) and two daughters Anna (15) and Paula (13), the twins Raphael and Maximilian were born.
And it was precisely the two latecomers who made this adventure possible, because for each child, the father is legally entitled to two years of parental leave per child from the 3rd birthday of the two.
The Corona period finally gave the decisive factor to say: "Let's try it."
In addition, during the pandemic, the children noticed that the Bavarian school system was giving them constant pressure to perform and that they liked the online lessons much better.
“Our children did not miss school.
It was much easier for them to study from home and organize their time freely,” said father Tobias.
All three children attended the Taufkirchen Realschule at the time.
The offspring, at least the daughters, were immediately enthusiastic about the parents' idea.
Only the then 17-year-old Markus, who had just completed his high school diploma, was skeptical: "At first I wasn't really enthusiastic about it because I had to temporarily give up my workshop, which means a lot more.
That's why I said at first: without me," he recalls.
Son initially skeptical, daughters enthusiastic
Over time, however, he understood what opportunities such a trip offered him and that these experiences could also help him in life.
"In the end I couldn't wait to leave," he says with a laugh.
The two daughters were hooked from the start.
"The thought of not having to go to school every day and being constantly traveling was very tempting for our two daughters," says Jeannette.
The 47-year-old is a teacher, but has primarily looked after the family of seven for the past few years.
Anna and Paula confirm their mother's statement, neither of them could have believed it at first.
"I was so happy that I counted the individual months, then weeks and finally days," reports Paula.
Jeannette cooks for the extended family in the smallest of spaces in the mobile home.
© private
"We were lucky that our children didn't have that many friends, each only had one best friend." And the children are still in contact with them via social media.
13-year-old Paula even says: "I'm in more contact with my friends than before, because I have a lot more time than at home." She also met young people on the trip, with whom she now writes.
The family has been preparing for their big adventure for about half a year.
"We got information on the Internet, watched YouTube videos on the subject of emigration with families and read books about it," says Jeannette.
The family already had camping experience, because after a number of camping holidays, the Knokes had been traveling with the caravan since 2014.
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My space
From 180 to 30 square meters
The 180 square meter house with a garden in Inning was sold quickly, now they live in around 30 square meters.
"We wanted to be free and not have to worry about repairs that might have been necessary when renting out," says the 42-year-old, explaining the decision to give up his own property.
Then it was time to clear things out, and for Jeannette that began the feeling of freedom that she will talk about again and again in the course of the conversation.
"Parcels were sent out almost every day with things that we had sold, there was something liberating about that." They only rented 13 square meters of space in Erding.
"Markus' workshop takes up most of the work," says his father.
No souvenirs are bought when travelling.
Jeannette and Tobias like this minimalist way of life.
"We have all the images and experiences in our heads," explains the teacher.
Shortly before leaving, in August 2022, the Knokes deregistered from Inning, and with that the two daughters also ended their compulsory schooling.
Tobias admits that the grandparents didn't like the fact that they took the children out of school, but he and his wife are convinced: "There are so many opportunities for our children to catch up on degrees." But they don't ask their daughters that they learn along the journey according to the Bavarian curriculum.
"We leave it to them," says Jeannette.
They didn't want to exert any pressure, it had to come from the children themselves.
Anna has already started an online Spanish course.
The parents also agree that they would gain irretrievable experiences for life on the trip.
And 18-year-old Markus confirms:
Maximilian (left) and Paula have a view of nature from their beds.
© private
The Knokes started via Austria, initially heading east to Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland.
After a detour to Dresden, where they visited the family, they went to Erding, where Markus picked up his driver's license, and then on to Italy.
"We just love the sun," enthuses Jeannette.
They are currently spending the winter at a pleasant 20 degrees in Andalusia.
That was the best decision of our life.
Jeanette Knoke
The mobile homes, which are driven by both parents, are equipped with small photovoltaic systems and dry composting toilets that do not require any chemicals and are odourless.
The compost only needs to be emptied every two to three weeks.
Most of the time, the family would just stop where they liked with their RVs.
The parents with the knee-high mongrel dog and the twins in one vehicle and the three older children in the other.
Often they would stay overnight near farms or wineries.
"We also like to shop in the farm shops," says Tobias.
They usually stay in one place for two to four days.
The family only uses country roads, no freeways.
"We're in no hurry - so we can see more of the area," says Tobias happily.
So far they've done well with it.
Nevertheless, the mobile homes are equipped with alarm systems, and an app would notify you in the event of a break-in attempt.
“But we haven't experienced anything negative yet.
We have an agreement that if someone doesn't feel comfortable, we'll look for another place," reports Jeannette.
Markus fills up the water tank.
© private
Parents would enjoy the feeling of freedom most of all, just being able to live their day-to-day life.
They also refer to their great adventure as a "test" because they don't know where it will take them and how long they will be on the road.
"The maximum is four years," says Tobias.
It is also still completely open where they would then settle down again.
If the 42-year-old would like to return to his job as an air traffic controller, he would have to start again as a trainee, since he currently cannot and does not want to do the mandatory annual hours required to obtain the status of air traffic controller.
"But that's not a question for me right now." The most important thing for him is the time spent together as a family, which both parents appreciate very much, "because at some point the children will fledge and go their own way," says the father.
And what do the children say?
The big three agree that they have great experiences, see a lot of the world and get to know other cultures.
But Paula is missing her spacious room, where she "can talk to friends in peace." All three long for a dishwasher.
"The constant rinsing by hand is annoying," says Markus.
Nevertheless, the advantages would outweigh the disadvantages, and the parents even said in unison: "It was the best decision of our lives.
We still enjoy every day.”
If you want to follow the adventures of the Knokes, you can follow markus.knoke on Instagram.