One of the best things about running a campsite is hearing about the adventures our campers have. The experience might not be ours, but to listen to their tales is inspiring. We hear of places visited, dodgy border crossings, delicious new foods and the high and lows of international travel makes us feel part of their journey. The emotion that all the travellers share is one of up-beat enthusiasm for the journey that they are experiencing. They relish experiences with the people that they meet and the memories they will cherish for ever.

The team from Bailey of Bristol, a UK caravan and motor-home manufacturer are no exception. They have 70 years experience in bringing the dreams to reality. Their Bristol to Istanbul excursion covering 21 countries in 21 days re-defines what is possible with modern, stylish leisure vehicles. Their adventure rang a bell with us. Why ?

In 2004 we bought a new Bailey Pageant caravan and set off for a year long tour around Europe. On our exit route from the United Kingdom we stopped at a campsite near Dover. There we got talking with a couple on the next camping pitch. The conversation soon turned to “where are you heading next ?” and the couple were amazed at our response of “we are heading off around Europe for a year”. Their amazement wasn’t only with the fact that we were lucky enough to take year off. Moreover that we were contemplating towing a caravan around the continent of Europe ! For them the idea of towing a caravan across more than a couple of English counties seemed like an impossible endeavour.

But it was that Bailey caravan and the 12 month journey that brought us to our new life in Bulgaria. Here we settled as ex-pats and designed, built and continue to run a campsite.

The team from Bailey stayed with us for a night and the next morning we talked over English breakfast. We explored the trials and tribulations of touring long distances to adventurous destinations towing a caravan. It soon became evident that their enthusiasm for their trip came not just from the trip itself. But also from the leisure vehicles they promote.

The strengths of their brand proved to us over ten years ago what is possible and this weekend they proved again that stylish and luxurious does not mean less functional. The core strengths still exist under the glossy modern exteriors and on trend fabrics. A further ten plus years of design and innovation has led to better products that can turn dreams into reality for anyone considering embarking on an extended trip in one of their caravans.

To see more of their trip visit the Bailey Blog here.

Best wishes to the team from Bailey and we wish you an enjoyable and safe return trip to the UK.

If you enjoyed reading about Baileys visit see The Adventure Bus.