A FAMILY ROAD TRIP TO SPAIN WITH THE MERCEDES-BENZ MARCO POLO

As a child I would daydream about life on the road, adventures on Route 66 and other TV induced rose tinted fantasies. In reality I think I can recall a weekend trip to the Lake District and an epic journey to the South of France, three generations squished into a car with luggage bursting at the seams as we tried to navigate the Ordnance Survey map...oh the nostalgia.


When I became a mama it was very clear that I would install this sense of adventure into my kiddo, willing him to see the world. So when we were offered the chance to embark on a family road trip through Spain with the Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo there was huge yes from us! We planned a simple route which would satisfy our wish list and flew to Madrid eager to start our journey.

We spent our first day exploring the city, a world of colour, packed with cool cafes, side street bars and bustling squares. We stopped for Churros *you know when in Spain* and went over our route again, Madrid to Valencia then along the coast to Barcelona. Loving my pink and blush tones I was excited the city obliged us with its eye candy architecture and cultural pit stops.

Being a big fan of the Mercedes-Benz brand myself, I was squealing with excitement at the thought of testing the new Marco Polo. At first I was so surprised how compact it looked from the outside and how sleek the camper van was. As the door slid open I was wowed at the design creating a hotel on wheels vibe.

There was so much space, easily fitting everything away neatly, and with the addition of under seat storage, cupboards, drawers and even a mini wardrobe it felt as if Mercedes had really thought of everything to create luxury on the road.

The transition from the sprawling city to the burnt orange countryside and dusty tracks fulfilled those childhood route 66 dreams, and we couldn't have felt more safe especially with the excellent navigation system and various cruise controls. After attempting my pigeon Spanish at the service station to stock  the fridge *yep think fully fitted mini kitchen in a van swoon* with treats, we wound our way to the coast.

Oh the palm trees! Valencia was everything I imaged a Spanish city to be, we'd pre-booked a bay at the Coll Vert Campsite allowing us to park up for the night and transform it from van to home in a few minutes, with the back seats sliding into a bed and the pop up roof creating a bed for the boy.

Valencia welcomed us with fresh tapas and strong coffee, the old city alive and music filling the streets from local buskers. We decided to stay an extra two nights so we could head out and explore the surrounding countryside and orange groves before checking into our next stay along the coast.

Travelling by road can be liberating, the freedom to explore as you please with no restrictions is definitely a huge plus, and the compact size of the van allows you to comfortably park in the city, making a trip to Barcelona a breeze.

Roadside cooking, impromptu picnics, armchair style seats and oodles of style, the Marco Polo gives you everything you need for last minute adventures, and if you ask F what his favourite part of the trip was, he still talks about the transforming roof!

If you want to see more, then check out the short film we made of our adventure with the Marco Polo! Where would your favourite place to explore be?

*We were asked to test the Marco Polo with Mercedes-Benz. All words and opinions are 100% our own. We'd like ot thank the bradns who continue to support Wild & Grizzly.

** Blue Leopard Jacket c/o Mini Rodini