Adventurers are ditching hotels for their cars, with the new trend seeing their trusty motor trump the motel. Sophie Royston, like so many avid globe trotters, has embraced using her car as a mobile camper.

The content creator claims the “freedom”, “incredible views” and ease of transforming your everyday ride into a place to stay beats the process of booking a hotel. The adventurous traveller, who has thousands of Instagram followers, stumbled across the trend with the initial idea to save money – but admitted she now does it to access stunning locations off the beaten track.

“I love the freedom of it. If I find somewhere beautiful, I can just stay there,” said Sophie. “Waking up and opening the back of the car to an incredible view is the best part.

“It was initially about saving money and using what I’d saved on a hotel to enjoy experiences. But this soon turned into the benefit of flexibility and spontaneity, as well as the spirit of adventure and essentialism.

“More people are realising you don’t need a campervan to enjoy an amazing road trip.”

Sophie has enjoyed car camping near a Scottish Loch to the snowy caps of the Alps, using her car as a home away from home. The 31-year-old insists she gets a better night’s sleep in her car than she ever did when stopping in hotels.

She claims this is down to a new Sleep Pack that easily fits into her Dacia Bigster, which is available with a number of Dacia’s cars.

“It makes me feel more free to sleep in my Dacia rather than stay in a hotel,” she added.“I have stayed in hotels where you can see a beach in the distance, but with camping in my car, I can actually be on that beach. Quite the difference and quite the experience.”

As someone who loves hiking, Sophie admits using her car as a hotel makes everything a lot easier. She is able to get to her destination to relax and rest on the site before the next day. Now, she’s not the only one.

With more people following in Sophie’s tracks, she says:“It’s amazing to see more people embrace outdoor travel.

“There are so many solutions available to make this easier and more accessible like the Sleep Pack and the set up in the Dacia Bigster. I think this is why it’s growing in popularity.”

To maximise the experience she suggests taking a book, or even making yourself a hot chocolate before winding down for the evening.

She adds: “Find the perfect park spot, get the Sleep Pack set up, cook some tasty food and then get cosy for the evening.

“I always make sure I get into some warm, comfy clothing, especially when car camping in winter, have a nice hot chocolate and then climb into the cosy set up and wind down for the evening.”