I Drove Alone Across 8 Countries In Europe In A Baby Blue 27 Yr Ford Fiesta

by Patrick Penrose Published Nov 12, 2025

This love story started 4 years ago.

Well, I’ve got to admit it wasn’t love at first sight!

I don’t like to stand out, and this colour is seen miles away (quite handy to find in the parking lot though!).

But for several reasons I ended up buying it. It was meant to cost 200€, but the lady got some stuff fixed and the MOT so I was happy to pay the difference.

Best money I’ve ever spent! 4 years and nearly 50 000 km later it is still going!

I never had many possessions, but after a long time dreaming and envying all the amazing travels my friends were doing, I was able to get on the road!

At first I started exploring around where I live (Algarve, Portugal) and kept expanding as I could afford. At the present moment I’ve explored the majority of Portugal and Spain; driven to England (and Wales) and lived there for 5 months; but the most amazing one was driving back alone – sleeping in the car most times to be cost effective – from England through France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, (France), Spain and back to Portugal (last stretch from Valencia do Lagos, 12h driving)!

6000 km in two weeks!

Not without some hiccups.. Aha There was the time I got stopped by the polizei in Switzerland, the time I got the front wheels stuck in a ditch in the deserted outskirts of Bologna, ran out of money in Lloret de Mar, got myself locked out on a rainy Sunday night in the north of Spain (and had the honour of witnessing the Spanish police breaking into my car “robber style”) or when I got told off by a heavily armed soldier I was is a forbidden area!

None the less, I’ve seen some amazing landscapes and with time also developed my love for photography!

I’m curious to see how far this amazing car will still take me.

I hope this post will inspire you to follow your dreams, no matter how unlikely they may see at the moment. ;)

Much love, Cristina R.

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