Your (Un)expected Campervan Journeys

“One of our customers share their story about their trip in a Bilbo's Celex to Georgia,. Look out for the next instalment. ”

Planning our trip
We are both retired and are lucky enough to have been on lots of long trips over the last 12 years in our trusty Bilbo’s Celex and the previous van. As we’d been to most East and West European countries and some beyond, we were keen to go even further and visit Georgia.
We were planning to go in 2020 but then the pandemic came… It didn’t stop us travelling but we changed plans and went to France, Italy and Greece in 2020 and France, Spain and Portugal in 2021. Despite restrictions and quarantine/testing on return they were great trips, with the advantage of few crowds at major tourist spots but we still had a yearning to go back to Eastern Europe and beyond.
So, we decided to try Georgia again in summer 2022. It’s a really long way so we thought we’d need twelve weeks in all. Russia then invaded Ukraine so it looked like it might still not be possible. After a few months it seemed the war was unlikely to expand beyond Ukraine so we decided we were going to go for it, while keeping an eye on the news and Foreign Office travel advice updates as we went.
We made sure we had travel insurance that covered all the countries for the whole time period, checked we didn’t need visas or international driving licences, got guidebooks and found out where we would have to get vehicle insurance at the borders (Georgia, Armenia, Turkey this time) and which countries our breakdown cover applied to. We also checked with shipping companies crossing the Black Sea from Bulgaria that they would be able to take a camper van. Details and timetables were very vague so we decided to just be flexible and hope it would get clearer when we got to Bulgaria.
As normal, we didn’t book anything apart from the Newhaven-Dieppe ferry and didn’t have a fixed route. On such a long trip it would be impossible to book things much in advance, we like to be quite spontaneous and it’s great to know you’re never stuck, you’ve always got your cosy Bilbo’s home, even if it is in a motorway service station or a car park. We tend to plan a few days ahead as we go but rarely book.
And we always take staples like marmite, peanut butter and a little English beer.

“A budding artist here Mr B Junior made a replica of the family camper, complete with side elevating roof, cassette awning and full interior!”

“Here is a picture of my lovely Celex high top at Pendower beach, Roseland peninsular, Cornwall today 23rd Nov 2022. Don't think I would gave attempted Cornwall in November in the pop top I had before (not a Bilbo's) but the dog and I have been very cosy thank you”

Taking in the scenes in our Celex High top

“Vanoise Alps in France and Colonsay in the Hebrides We love the van. I collected it in the minutes as you were closing for the first lock down! ”

“Beautiful setting for our new adventures ”

Taken by Mr & Mrs G - Loch Naver, Altnaharra

“You can stop wherever you like in a Volkswagen camper and take in your wonderful surroundings.”

Elesha took this beautiful photo on the A303 travelling back from a show in Somerset. 

“Loved having the two doors open in our Space conversion, and used the table outside to cook on. Xx”

Here's a photo from Les and Lorraine when they spent three weeks in January 2018 travelling through Austria. This one is early in the morning at the SeeCamp in Zell am See, just before they went skiing for the day. What a beautiful sky.

Another photo of Les and Lorraine's Bilbo's Celex camped at the Reisemobil Stellplatz campsite in Graz. Despite waking up to a dusting of snow they tell us that they were both warm and comfortable and the on board heating worked a treat.

A very happy customer who purchased a pre-owned Nexa from us. Here he is enjoying magnificent views on the A82 in the Scottish highlands.

Beautiful views here from a customer in their LWB high top Lezan.

“The last stop in Ostend before the crossing home, notice how quite the campsite is!”

This was the end of a winter's trip that lasted 3 weeks where they drove to Austria and back in their new Bilbo's Celex.

“The vehicle reached Christchurch, New Zealand in late December 2016 and after various inspections for certification, we collected it mid January 2017. We drove it to Richmond, Nelson, then lived in the Celex for around six weeks!”

A quick long weekend break down in Dorset near Weymouth. Looks like they have made themselves really comfortable.

“We borrowed a friend's camper before deciding that Bilbo's was the one to buy. Here we are spending a couple of days down near the Eden Project.”

Every year we hold number of 'Open days' where you can see all of our New and Used stock and take advantage of some fantastic offers.

You can also take a look at our campervan holiday set-up, enjoy a drink and a barbecue and speak to one of our advisors who will be able to answer any questions you may have.

You can also book a test drive and visit our factory where you can see first hand how our campers are built. So look out for dates of our next open days which will be posted in the news & event section.

One of our customers sent this lovely picture of their pitch set-up on holiday in Italy near the city of Siena.

Just shows you where you can go in an Bilbo's.

Here is a lovely photographs of our award winning Celex taken by our photographer whilst travelling around Devon & Kent.

The first pic was taken early in the morning with Folkstone harbour in the background. The second wonderful photograph is of a Bilbo's Long Wheel Base Celex taken on the slipway in Brixham in Devon. 

“'Hi everyone at Bilbo's, just to say that we are loving our new Celex and that we have added a Kyam drive away tent to help when the weather's bad. Its' easy to erect and dismantle, fits to the awning rail and gives us addition space when we need it. This is the first time we used it when we stayed at the Ravenglass Camping and Caravanning Club site in the Lake District, sadly the weather turned but we were 'snug as a bug ' in our new set up'.”

“I cannot speak highly enough of Bilbo's service and support. We were missing a part from our 1998 Celeste conversion and one of your support team hunted out a spare for us in your store, despite it being a long discontinued part. Not only that, but he despatched it that day and we received it within 24 hours. Amazing old-fashioned service. Many thanks.”

“Just a quick email to say how happy we are we the VW T5 Autosleeper, not only is it a lovely lovely vehicle in excellent condition the time and money you spent on getting it prepared for us is a credit to you. Also the time you spent with me when I picked it up going through everything was a lovely touch, I knew a lot of it but that also is a credit to you and your team. I will not hesitate to recommend you to anyone I know who is looking to buy a campervan new or used.”

“Just wanted to say that we had a brilliant time in Austria travelling down in our new Celex, despite it being very cold, we were really warm as the on-board heater worked a treat. I will recommend anyone thinking of buying a campervan to go and visit Bilbo's, you are really nice people and did not pressurise me to buy in anyway whatsoever. You have a fantastic range of campervans on site which vary design and price and we chose a new automatic Celex as it was perfect for our needs. I would recommend Bilbo's to anyone.”