Thanks for the tips and advice. We had a look into but due to lateness and dis-organisation - don't feel enough time after all to be able to drive (and we have now cut down to 5 days!! so no chance of a reasonable worthwhile trip) - and would like to prepare vehicle, storage, timings, route plan, IDP and other needed bits alot better. Picked up posts re: vehicle storage in other posts - very interesting. So, ""flying"" to Barcelona this year and tickets for Billing have just arrived. Time to re-assess and re-plan and re-organise finances and savings etc. Need to get the vehicle right. Reckon the vehicle is about 25% to a 3rd of the way there at the moment thanks to everyone's help so far. So, will aim for France and Spain during summer holidays next year - will have 6 weeks to play with then as planning to be off work by then to gear up for the BIG trip from September onwards (one of us will continue to work full-time and the other casual/term-time work only from that point on to keep finances afloat till we leave April 2010). Good advice re: start and stop times with children - drove them round the Cambridgeshire country-side yesterday and the children were complaining like mad - late afternoon, tired, ill-prepared etc. Very important that the children and happy and comfortable - much benefit to be had by all. First day back to work today following 2 weeks parental leave so will be able to check out the trailer we'll be getting from a work mate in Suffolk - haven't a clue what it is - will have to wait and see - will post some pics shortly.