I have been rather quiet on the blogging front lately, and this post might explain why.
I have written posts about insurance, which is a perennial problem for long-term travellers due to the restrictions many suppliers place on the amount of time you can stay out of the UK and the difficulty of getting insurance when you’re already abroad.
It’s a subject Mark and I have researched extensively. We followed all our own advice, so when we took out an expensive policy with True Traveller Insurance, underwritten by AXA, we didn’t think we’d be caught out in this way.
Travel Insurance – are you sure that you’re covered? Image by rawpixel.com
For those considering buying or converting a van, visiting shows or meet-ups is a brilliant way to get ideas, see what options are available, meet suppliers and manufacturers, and chat with experts and other like-minded people.
If you already own a van, it’s just a fun thing to do!
In the UK, there is a full calendar of vanlife shows and get togethers. Most are annual festivals that take place over weekends, although day tickets are often available.
There are two types of events:
Campervan Festivals are more social, music, and fun, although there is obviously an overlap, with many such festivals now featuring self-build displays and talks.
Trade Shows & Self Build Get Togethers, which are more product and information oriented. The largest shows featuring all the mainstream manufacturers are the two at the NEC (National Exhibition Centre) in Birmingham in February and October.
I have tried to make this the most comprehensive guide to vanlife events, but if I have missed any major annual events, please let me know and I shall add them.
Britain has hundreds of brilliant and bonkers Other Festivals, which are ideal to visit in your van, so as a bonus I have also included some links for you to search directories of music festivals, air shows, floating markets, independent and green festivals to help you find the festival for you, although do see my Note on Dog Friendliness.
The Fab Four were featured as the Christmas Superstar Pets in online magazine, Sixtyplus Surfers!
The link changes each month, so it no onger works, but here are the details of their travelling lifestyle, how they inspire me, and what they are doing on Romania’s highest road….
Hi Sixtyplus Surfers
Here is my picture of The Fab Four Travelling Cavapoos (Cavalier/Poodle cross) at around 2,145 metres (7,037 ft), taken today near the top of the Transalpina, the highest mountain pass in Romania.
From left to right, The Pawsome Foursome are Kai, Ruby, Rosie and Lani.
My husband Mark and I retired in 2016, accidentally bought a caravan, then, over a bottle of celebratory champagne, decided to rent out the house and tour Europe full time with our fur family. We intended to travel for 3 years, but we love it so much, we’re not stopping any time soon!
Since 2016, The Fab Four have visited nearly 20 countries: England (home), France, Italy, Germany, Austria, The Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Poland, and Wales.
In 2020, we decided we wanted to drive to Mongolia. We doubted our caravan would make it across the Gobi Desert, so we bought The Beast, a 6×4 wheel-drive ex army truck. Unfortunately, then came COVID and Putin’s ‘special operation’ in Ukraine. Since Mongolia would require us to drive through Russia, this rather thwarted our original plans.
Thankfully, there are plenty of other places to see. We finished the conversion in July 2021, and The Beast has been our home ever since. In 2022, we visited the Balkans.
We’re currently in Romania, on our way to Bulgaria and Turkey, before we head back to the UK via Serbia.
The Fab Four are the stars of my doggie travel blog, WorldWideWalkies. I set up the blog not only because people were curious about our travels, but also because they are interested in how we do it. How we fund it and the practicalities of travelling with four dogs. I’ve also received a lot of compliments about how The Fab Four pose so beautifully for photos!
My blog now has followers around the world, but best of all, readers have said that it has inspired them or given them confidence to do something similar, and realise their dreams.
One day, one of my blog followers said, “You should write a book! Even your blog about toilets was a joy to read!”
It took some time to convince me, but since that day, I have published six books in my Adventure Caravanning With Dogs series. They have all been bestsellers on Amazon, received 5* reviews, and my third book, Dogs ‘n’ Dracula: A Road Trip Through Romania won the Chill With A Book Premier Readers’ award and was shortlisted for The Romania Insider Award for Best Promotion of Romania Abroad.
My forthcoming books will follow our adventures in The Beast.
I have always loved writing, but without The Fab Four, I doubt I would ever have realised my dream to publish a book.
I love them dearly for their fun, friendly, and loving personalities. Before we travelled full time, Kai and Rosie were therapy dogs who visited a care home regularly. They still send the ladies postcards, to keep them updated on their travels.
I would not be without them just for who they are, but I am eternally grateful to them for the inspiration they give me every day.
World Wide Walkies 