# Bedford Bambi - To France & Spain ...or not??



## 113402 (Jun 16, 2008)

Hi All

Just wanted to pick your brains as my hubbie and I have just bought our first ever camper van .....a Bedford Bambi (1986 model) and basically as total newbies I wanted to know whether or not you would think that this little van would be up to the task of taking us around northern spain and france or if it would be better to stay a little closer to home (like scotland or cornwall)? We would also have a toddler in tow.......any advice would be gratefully received!!!


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

How handy are you with on the road repairs ? Have you got a good roadside assistance insurance ?

I'd go for it. We've travelled Europe with 2 small boys, a not very reliable car and both a tent and a caravan and enjoyed it hugely. We've also lived and travelled in eastern and southern Africa with the same 2 boys and a very old, very unreliable VW conversion.

We've broken down everywhere possible but have a million happy memories and you can't buy those ! 

Enjoy yourselves and go. I'm sure the Bambi will go on forever.

G


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## suedew (May 10, 2005)

Thought Bambi only had 2 seatbelts. Hope you don't propose to travel with anyone unbelted.
Otherwise go for it, sue


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Bambi*

Why not?

We have Been to St. Tropez in much smaller and slower modes of transport.

Trev.


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## eddied (May 9, 2005)

*Old Bambi*

 Buon giorno, I say go for it.
47 years ago Donna C and I toured Europe with a Ford Prefect 5cwt. van, mattress in the back, tent, primus stove, and 11 months old first born in a Silver Cross pram lifted of its wheels.
Oh, and we didn't have any seat belts (or motorways, or ROR ferries)
As Grizzly says, you can't buy happy memories.
saluti,
eddied


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## SpeedyDux (Jul 13, 2007)

"We would also have a toddler in tow" - Like one of those bike trailers, I suppose? Heh!

Seriously, I don't see any reason why you should not tour in a Bambi. Size isn't everything! You might consider joining the bambi owner's club - for tips and help:

http://www.bambiownersclub.com/

SD


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## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

go for it. and if you've got breakdown cover, then dont worry, if you dont get to Spain, so what?


Have the vehicle go through a good proper service, replace anything thats a bit tired, like plugs and leads and stuff, ( if its petrol), get some decent tyres on it if the ones on now are old or nearly worn, then theres only 2 things to really need,


Mobie phone and breakdown number, and a gas kettle with adequate tea,and coffee.

You may want to take something to keep the toddler going too.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Try and time your travelling for when the toddler is asleep and don't plan to do long trips each day. There is so much to see in France that you might not even get as far as Spain. 

The great beauty of a motorhome is that you can change plans and go with the weather or the brochures you pick up from the tourist information offices on the way or just meander as the mood takes you.

Make sure you set off each day with sufficient water and food so that if you do have to stop somewhere unexpectedly you can make the most of it and don't have to worry !

Keep a diary so that in future years you can all look back on the holiday.

G


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## Groper (May 17, 2007)

When we had a Bambi we travelled to France,Switzerland,Denmark,Ireland and covered most of the U.K.Only problem can be availability of spares now but Tim Thornbury is the man to contact re mechanical aspects. 
As long as you have breakdown cover - go for it.


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

Like all previous posts, I say go for it and have fun . . 
. . . One tip, if you've not done it yet, pack the van and sleep in it for one night on your drive - that way you will soon find out what needs altering to suit, maybe the bed needs extra supports in the middle etc; plus you'll find out what you can shove under the bed once its made up and what to keep handy for evening / night time use [not much fun at 0330hrs wanting something that packed away and can't be got at without disturbing everyone !


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## Suenliam (Mar 22, 2006)

Depending on where you are travelling from it may be less miles to get to France then Scotland or Cornwall. As others have said, as long as you have breakdown insurance - go for it. With such insurance you may as well breakdown in France as in UK!!!

Sue


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## 113402 (Jun 16, 2008)

*Spain here we come!!*

Dear All

Thanks for your tips and your encouragement - we are going to take bambi (& Toddler!!) to Spain and France!!! We just need to book the ferry now and we will be on our way at the end of July!! Yipee!!

If anyone knows of any good ferry deals out there from the UK to Spain....??? we would love to hear from you!!

Thanks Again!


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Ferry deals are a bit of a lottery depending on when you book. We always use the internet and seem to get reasonable prices that way. At least you can compare prices and see what you are getting.

The direct route to Spain from UK is quite a lot more expensive than driving from Calais or Dunkirk.

SeaFrance do a discount for MHF members. Go to the Members Discounts page on the Main page of MHF. Find the SeaFrance discount code and then enter it when you are in process of booking or checking prices.

Lots of us use Norfolkline from Dover to Dunkirk and they often offer a good deal.

Last time we used P&O because they gave the best deal at the time.

If you have any Tesco vouhcers you can exchange them for vouchers for money off Eurotunnel - see Tesco page.

Your time of travel makes a big difference to price. If you are prepared to travel at unsocial hours -late to through the night and very early morning for example- you will get it a lot cheaper.

You'll need to know the vital statistics of your van- height and length- before you start looking.

Good luck ! I'm nearly always left to wonder if I could have done better.

G


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

You could of course make the ferry trip a big part of the holiday and go Plymouth - Santander - it's a great sailing but NOT cheap, but then it lessens the number of miles you drive and means you arrive in the sun relaxed.

We did that 3 years ago and it was great, were going last year Portsmouth - Bilbao but the Spanish Government pulled the ferry, we went Dover - Calais and then drove - great journey but break it frequently - there are some excellent sites in France, but Paris is best avoided!

We have taken toddlers before and spend a lot of time planning in advance with things to do/amuse etc., such items as personal stereos with story tapes work well, as does travel bingo - looking for specific things like roadsign, deer etc., numerous books to look at, sticklebricks to play with etc all are feasable and don't take up too much space.

Driving when toddler asleep is easy IF they are properly secured in child seat, but remember if you drive and you are tired who will be looking after toddler next day while you want to sleep? 

Plan roughly what you would like to do, look at alternatives, check your breakdown insurance and your vehicle - we have been to France 50 - 60 times and only once needed assistance so I hope you waste your money on breakdown insurance!

Go for it, it'll be great fun and as has already been said, it builds memories.

Enjoy!


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