A Quick History of Go Motorhoming Europe — From Our Side of the Windscreen
Twenty three years ago, in 2003, we set off on what we thought would be a one‑off adventure: an 11‑month, 27,560‑mile circumnavigation of Europe in a motorhome. No grand plan, no book idea just curiosity, a sense of freedom, and a willingness to see what was really possible on the road.
What we discovered changed everything.
Back then, British motorhomers were travelling Europe with a strange mix of enthusiasm and fear, endless questions about rules, safety, stopovers, borders, and “what ifs.” But out on the road, we found a completely different reality: a continent full of freedom, practicality, and a thriving culture of motorhome travel that simply wasn’t being talked about at home.
We filled notebooks. We tested everything. We made mistakes so readers wouldn’t have to. And when we came back, Go Motorhoming Europe was born.
The First Edition Shifted Expectations
When the first edition landed, it surprised people. It wasn’t a glossy brochure or a romanticised travel diary — it was a practical, evidence‑based guide built from lived experience. UK motorhome media called it “groundbreaking,” “jam‑packed with information,” and “essential pleasurable reading.” Readers told us it gave them the confidence to cross their first border.
That was the moment we realised this wasn’t just a book. It was a tool for freedom.
Two Decades of Updating, Testing, and Travelling
Every edition since has been rebuilt from the ground up. Europe changes, regulations, aires, technology, expectations and the book has changed with it. We’ve revisited countries, re‑tested routes, rewritten chapters, and kept the same promise we made in 2006:
Only write what we’ve done ourselves. Only recommend what we’ve tested. Only publish what we know works.
It’s not the easiest way to write a guidebook, but it’s the only way we trust.
The 2026 Edition: A 20‑Year Milestone
This year marks the 20th anniversary of both the book and Vicarious Books Media. Two decades of helping people take their first European trip, or their fiftieth, with more confidence and less stress. Two decades of emails, stories, campsite chats, and readers who’ve become part of the journey.
The 2026 edition is a celebration of that a refreshed, expanded, and sharpened guide shaped by everything we’ve learned since that first long road in 2003.
🌍 Why We’re Sharing This Here
Buy Me a Coffee has become the place where we share the “behind the scenes” of the work — the stories, the discoveries, the challenges, and the bits that don’t fit neatly into a guidebook. If you’ve ever used Go Motorhoming Europe, or if it’s helped you take a trip you weren’t sure you could take, your support genuinely keeps this project alive.
Thanks for being part of the journey past, present, or future.