The sky is studded with stars and, sitting on large rocks just a few metres from the camper, we enjoy the silence.

Camille, José and I gaze at the water stretching out before us in the moonlight. Several thousand kilometres of driving across Europe have brought us here, to Istria, a triangular peninsula in the northern Adriatic Sea, shared by Croatia, Slovenia and Italy.

It’s February, and over the next few days we’ll be touring this region, a less popular tourist destination at this time of year, taking in deserted beaches and towns untouched by the hustle and bustle of summer.

Built on the eastern coast of Istria, Rijeka is an important Croatian town on Kvarner Bay, and my travelling companions and I are keen to visit its various, strikingly elegant neighbourhoods.

From the wide pedestrian street of Korzo, lined with shops and cafe terraces, we reach the Baroque Cathedral of St Vitus, a white rotunda with an astonishingly massive silhouette. Other sites of interest include the Rječina River, which flows into a pretty marina, and the finely restored old stones of Trsat Castle, which bear witness to a local history dating back to antiquity. What’s more, a number of crystal-clear pebble beaches stretch for miles around the city, making Rijeka an ideal holiday destination for vitamin D-starved tourists.

If we had come in search of sunshine though, we were in the wrong place. The rain stays with us all week, and the three of us, in my little T4, try to organise the drying of our clothes as best we can – without much success. The weather plays a crucial role on a camper van road trip, and can make comfort levels highly variable.

Nevertheless, bad weather is an integral part of the adventure, so the only option is to make the best of it. On many occasions on this drive, with this weather, we’re the only ones enjoying an unobstructed view of the open sea.

Istria’s spit of land lies at the foot of the Dinaric Alps, and the interior of the peninsula is mountainous. We cross this rugged landscape in one go, following the E751 for 100 kilometres or so, to reach the western coast and Poreč, a superb fortified coastal town that we explore on foot.

It’s easy to fall under the spell of this place and its remarkable buildings, including the Euphrasian Basilica, a particularly well-preserved Byzantine jewel adorned with mosaics. The heart of this small town sits on a peninsula, decorated with houses and palaces with Romanesque, Venetian, Baroque and Gothic facades.

We visit the marina too, another pleasant part of Poreč to stroll around, before we continue north.

Along the Gulf of Trieste, a strip of Slovenian land stretches between Croatia and Italy. We cross the border without difficulty and drive on to Piran, one of the region’s most beautiful destinations, surrounded by ramparts.

We park on the outskirts of town so we can get around more freely on foot. Life here revolves around Tartini Square, which is lined with narrow, pastel-coloured houses. A few steps beyond and our wanderings bring us to the marina, which offers a fine view of the city and St George’s Cathedral – its bell tower was inspired by that of St Mark’s Basilica in Venice.

Koper is our second Slovenian coastal town, reached after driving 18 kilometres along a small secondary road. Tito Square is Koper’s nerve centre, home to historic buildings including the Praetorian Palace, an imposing castle combining Renaissance and Venetian Gothic styles, now home to the town hall and tourist office.

The narrow streets of the old town are well worth a visit. In this picturesque, colourful maze, strolling is the best way to spend your time. Finally, we emerge between the boats of the large marina – still trying to ignore the pouring rain.

It’s the end of winter and bitterly cold so we don’t regret having brought a whole stock of blankets, which we wrap up in as soon as night falls. Add to this a few ski hats, thick woollen scarves and warm fleece jackets, and you get a good idea of how we looked, coping the best we could with the weather.

Fortunately for locals, we tend to stay away from urban centres,
sparing the residents a parade of our eccentric clothing.

Beautiful Trieste, across the border in Italy, is a fitting place to end the journey. Photo: Pexels.com

We extend our adventure to Italy, a country we know well and with which we’ve always had a special affinity. Just 22 kilometres across the border from Koper, Trieste opens its doors to us and we’ll be ending this trip in style.

We take in the refined architecture of the capital of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, whose perfect harmony strikes us as we go from square to palace. Among the many architectural highlights is gigantic Piazza Unità d’Italia, whose sumptuous buildings, surrounding the Fountain of the Four Continents, are a real eye-catcher.

From this central square, we can see the Adriatic into which Trieste’s Canal Grande flows a few streets away. This waterway is home to small boats moored beneath more majestic facades and, despite the never-ending downpours, our trio is definitely won over.

This is an extract from Lonely Planet’s Epic Van Trips of Europe. $55 RRP. Contact shop.lonelyplanet.com