Hi- welcome to the Wandering Bird motorhome travel and road trip blog
Here we share tips and tricks for travelling the UK and Europe by motorhome, camper, bike or car. I’m Kat and I’ll share more about me in just a bit. But first, let’s talk about YOU.
Do you want to travel more?
Are you dreaming of motorhome travel and road trips BUT:
- You don’t want to waste the little time or money you have available?
- You think you’re too old/ too young/ too unknowledgeable to have the adventure you want?
- You’re feeling daunted by everything you need to learn?
- You don’t want to break any rules or get into trouble?
- You don’t know where to start?
- You’ve just bought a motorhome or camper van and feeling a bit overwhelmed?
- Or maybe you’re planning for ‘someday’, when you can quit your job, downsize your house and head off in a motorhome/ van for unlimited freedom- but there seem to be a million questions/ problems to deal with first?
You are not alone. Since I started this blog in early 2018, I have received hundreds of emails, comments and Facebook messages asking for help. Some people want specific advice on motorhome travel, which is our favourite way to see the world.
Others want to know how to plan a road trip, whether it’s by camper, car or motorbike.
Many people want to know how to change their lifes so that they can travel more frequently or for longer periods of time and maybe even quit their job!
We’re here to help
At Wandering Bird, we believe that road trips are good for the soul and that everyone can (and should!) experience the freedom of exploring the world by road. A little planning and some good advice can make all the difference.
Motorhome travel should be fun, not daunting and we love to share tips to help other people just like you get started and make the most of their time on the road. We share tips for motorhomes, campervans and general road trips.
What people in our community are saying
“Thank you for your vlogs, blogs and YouTube channel, I have learned a lot already from you.”- Anouska
“These emails have been so helpful Kat. I could have purchased and regretted! Thank you for stopping my impulse purchase” – Matthew
“Just want to say thanks for all of your videos (and posts), we’ve watched every one and some more than once! The enthusiasm of you and your husband is so infectious.”- Ian and Lyndsey
“ Thanks for your website and all the support you give.” -Hazel
Imagine…
- Having the knowledge to road trip anywhere in Europe (or the world!) without feeling overwhelmed.
- Having the confidence that you can deal with whatever situation may arise, no matter what.
- Being able to just jump in the van and ‘go’, knowing that you’re set up with everything you need- all you have to do is pick a destination (and remember the dog!)
THIS is what I want for you. When you become a member of the Wandering Bird community, you’ll learn how to plan a road trip to anywhere and confidently deal with any situation so you can enjoy the freedom and simplicity of time on the road.
Join over 16,000 other motorhome owners and road trip lovers and receive helpful tips and tricks for where YOU are right now in your journey – completely FREE.
Who am I?
Hi! I’m Kat, aka the Wandering Bird.
In 2018, I quit my job to travel Europe in a motorhome. We have spent most of the time since exploring the UK and Europe by road and we LOVE to share our adventures and encourage people just like you to do the same.
When we bought a motorhome, we had no intention of living long-term in it. I certainly wasn’t planning on quitting my job and changing my entire life. (You can read all about HOW and WHY I quit my job to travel here)
After all- real people don’t do that… right?
Yet, 3 months after purchasing our first ever van, I found myself in the Swiss Alps, sitting on the steps of our motorhome, staring up in awe at the Milky Way.
The actual Milky Way.
I’d never seen anything so magical and I wanted to stay there another few nights to see it again. But, instead, we had to return home. To work. To “real life” with all its rushing around and barely seeing each other. And I didn’t want to go.
That night under the stars, we realised we wanted adventure and freedom now, whilst we were still young enough to enjoy it.
So we decided to change our lives. I started researching simple living, early retirement and living in a van long-term. I began to envision a life beyond what we had- one which allowed us time to enjoy the simpler things in life. Within a few months, I’d left my job, downsized our house and we hit the road.
Two years on, the novelty still hasn’t worn off. We enjoy breakfast together almost every morning (unheard of before). We have time for a dog. We go on adventures and long walks.
We spend less and breathe more.
Buying a motorhome changed our life. We honestly believe everyone can (and should!) experience the incredible freedom of life on the road- whether it’s for a long weekend or a 3-month tour of Europe. (Read more about our story here)
There’s nothing you can’t conquer with a little knowledge and confidence- and I want to help you get both.
When we first started our motorhome adventures, I couldn’t believe how difficult it was to find good information about things like wild camping or equipment needed to travel in Europe.
I remember how daunting it was, heading off on an adventure for the first time, wondering if we had everything we needed. My goal is to make it easy for people to learn how to road trip, whether it’s by motorhome, campervan or car- and hopefully inspire you to visit somewhere new.
We have travelled many, many miles now and have learnt lots of tips for motorhome living, but we still make mistakes- like that time we ended up in France on a bank holiday in Winter with no gas! Doh. We share both the good and bad so you can benefit from our experiences.
Full disclosure- we don’t spend hours setting up cute Instagram photos or photoshopping them to make it look sunny… sorry. You get the raw, unfiltered truth here. If you’re really lucky, I might brush my hair.
Or not…
Not sure where to start?
Here’s how to get some answers fast:
New to Motorhoming or Campervanning?
Motorhoming is a funny hobby. You spend all that money… and then have to figure it all out for yourself! I fully remember how confusing and overwhelming some things felt, so we’ve created some beginner guides to help you every step of the way, from bringing your new van home, kitting it out, taking your first trip, maintaining it and beyond.
Buying a Motorhome or Camper
Buying your first van can be daunting. You’re about to spend a lot of money and you’re not even sure if you’re going to use it enough to justify the expense.
We’ve created these guides to help you choose the right sort of vehicle for YOU, plus checklists to help you when you’re talking to the seller AND when you collect it.
Reviews for our Motorhome Buying Guides:
Wild Camping with a motorhome or campervan
Free/ off-grid camping is one of our absolutely favourite things to do in our motorhome. We LOVE being able to stay away from busy, noisy campsites (and yes, save some money too.)
But I know the first few times are completely daunting. These guides are designed to help you get started and answer all your questions…
Reviews for our Wild Camping Guides
Europe Travel with a Motorhome or campervan
For anyone wanting to visit Europe with their van
Heading to Europe with a motorhome or camper (or even a car) can be totally intimidating. There are so many rules, paperwork and other regulations- not to mention having to deal with aires, foreign languages and different cultures. Our guides were created to help you every step of the way, from planning to being out on the road!
Reviews for our Europe Guides:
Road Trip Journal Logbook
After years of searching for the perfect road trip logbook, we finally decided to create our own!
Crammed full of checklists, tips and plenty of logbook pages, this full-colour A5 journal is just what you need to record your adventures, and remember them for years to come!
We also love sharing our story and knowledge in other ways. I’ve spoken on stage at the NEC Camping, Caravan and Motorhome show twice (see my chat here)
I’ve worked with several brands, including Bailey Motorhomes (who let me take a BRAND NEW van and head off to go wild camping with it…!)
If you’d like to benefit from our years of experience with motorhome travel, long-term van living and planning road trips, join our email list here and get a FREE road trip planner.
Most popular posts on Wandering Bird
I know navigating a site this big is tough, so here are a few of our most popular posts to get you started:
Motorhome Travel
- NEW to Motorhomes? Start here
- How to Tour Europe in a Motorhome
- Learn to wild camp with a motorhome or camper van
- Essential Motorhome Travel accessories
Browse all our posts about Motorhome & Camper van travel
Road Trip Tips
- Plan a road trip route
- Road Trip itinerary ideas
- Essential road trip accessories
- Perfect road trip playlist
ALL our road trip tips can be found HERE
Destinations
- Scotland in 10 days- perfect road trip itinerary
- The BEST road trips in Wales
- Best of Cornwall in 10 days
- Complete Guide to Norway in a Motorhome
- The most INCREDIBLE places we’ve been (so far!)
See ALL our destination ideas and tips HERE
Videos
Nothing brings a place to life like a video, so we try to make videos on Youtube to show people what a place is really like.
We’re not professionals, by any means, but we hope you find them enjoyable and useful.
So welcome, once again. There’s a whole heap of information on this site already, and it will continue to grow.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me at hello@wandering-bird, or, for a quicker reply, join our Facebook group or reach out to me on Instagram.
Safe travels!
Kat x