The Great Detour: 1 Volvo, 11 countries, 4 stages, 8 travellers

This is the Volvo XC70 AWD that belonged to my friend Fleur, who died at the end of last year.

Not long before that, we drove it to England together, to visit his beloved Radio Caroline. On the way home, I promised him that his Volvo still had one great adventure ahead of it. No museum. No motionless memorial. One last chance to do what it was built for: cover thousands of kilometres across Europe. And then we will give it away.

So on Sunday 11 October 2026, we set off.

Not by the fastest route. Quite the opposite.

For four weeks, we will travel along the back roads of Central and Eastern Europe. Through the Western Carpathians, the Beskids, Maramureș, Moldova, the Danube Delta, the Black Sea coast and Istanbul, before eventually reaching the Romanian countryside. No rush. No bucket lists. Each morning, we simply look for the most beautiful road and see where it takes us.

After more than a month, the journey will end somewhere in a remote part of Romania. There, the Volvo will begin a second life. Not as a hobby car or collector’s item, but as a workhorse for a rural doctor or small medical practice where a reliable four-wheel-drive vehicle can make a genuine difference every day.

Four stages

The Great Detour consists of four separate stages, each lasting a week or slightly longer.

You can join for one stage or combine several. No more than two participants travel with me on each stage. That makes this the kind of journey I like to undertake myself: small-scale, flexible and with plenty of freedom to change our plans whenever something more interesting presents itself.

Anyone who knows me knows that this is how I have organised journeys for decades. Not by planning every last detail, but by creating room for spontaneous encounters, unexpected detours and those wonderful strokes of luck that cannot be scheduled. It also means there is always someone beside you who is accustomed to making decisions when circumstances change. That is precisely what creates a sense of calm.

About the route map

The map at the top of this page is a story in itself. It was created by ChatGPT. In fact, this was the very first version the AI produced. I liked it so much that, despite its considerable creative freedom, I decided to keep it.

Look closely and you will see that the map cheerfully sends us straight through Ukraine before taking us directly across the Black Sea to Istanbul. Needless to say, that is not what we will be doing. ChatGPT also appears to regard the geography of Europe as rather fluid. But does it really matter?

In a way, it fits The Great Detour perfectly. This journey is not about following a route planned months in advance down to the last kilometre. The broad outline is fixed. We will discover the most beautiful roads as we travel. Sometimes because someone gives us a tip. Sometimes because a mountain pass unexpectedly turns out to be open. And sometimes simply because turning left feels more interesting than turning right that day.

The map is therefore mainly an illustration of the idea. Reality will undoubtedly be even better.

Ok, and what’s the price?

Each stage costs €2,950 per person.

That includes seven days on the road, six hotel nights, all meals, fuel, tolls, parking and all costs relating to the Volvo. When travelling with someone with whom you share a hotel room, the price is €2,450 per person.

Before departure, the Volvo will undergo an extensive technical inspection and preventive maintenance. We will also have sufficient funds available during the journey to deal properly with breakdowns or other unexpected situations, without having to count every cent. A 21-year-old Volvo with more than 550,000 kilometres on the clock may still have a few surprises in store. Should anything happen, we want to have it repaired properly and without delay.

That is part of the promise I once made to Fleur: that his Volvo would have one last great adventure and would then remain useful to someone else for many years to come.

Any money left over at the end of the journey will go entirely to the person or organisation receiving the Volvo.

Download the brochure

I have written a nine-page brochure containing all the details, including a description of each stage. You can download it here.

Could this be for you?

Does this feel like it might be your kind of adventure?

Send me a message at thijs@thijsheslenfeld.com or call me on +31 6 51198485.

Then let’s have a coffee soon - either digital or IRL.

Thanks!

In Memoriam — Fleur Nooteboom

This film follows the final journey Fleur made, just a few weeks before his death.

Fleur was an intensive care specialist, deeply valued by both colleagues and patients. He was known for his extraordinary commitment, his willingness to share his knowledge and his distinctive ponytail, which made him an unmistakable presence in the medical world.

Alongside his work, he had a second home: the clipper Stad Amsterdam, on which he sailed for many years as the ship’s doctor. His other great love was Radio Caroline, the legendary offshore radio station that could be heard in his home day and night.

When Fleur became seriously ill, he had one final wish: to visit the Ross Revenge, Radio Caroline’s ship off the east coast of England, one last time. We made that journey together, in his old Volvo.

Filmed on my iPhone, this is a simple account of a farewell. To a ship. To a lifelong passion. And ultimately, to a dear friend.

Fair winds, my dear friend.

Thijs Heslenfeld — 19 December 2025