The motorcycle had a name, Zair, and the journey had three travellers: Romanian photographer Mihai Barbu, his partner Oana and their son Vladimir. In summer 2015, they set off for an extended trip with a sidecar carrying part of their travelling home.
Their photographs show big landscapes and small family moments: a ferry, a campsite, a swim and the pleasure of stopping somewhere new. Vladimir was four during that journey; the story does not describe his age today.
Follow the trip as a personal account
In Barbu's original photo story, the family described roughly four months and 28,000 kilometres of travel. The collection ranges from northern Europe to the Mediterranean and includes Morocco.
That last detail matters: Morocco is in Africa, so the itinerary was not confined entirely to Europe even though the original headline used that shorthand.
The first-person words and photographs belong to Barbu. The appeal of the account is its particular family perspective, not a formula every parent should reproduce.
Let the child have a different highlight
Adults may remember an extraordinary road or a famous viewpoint. A child may remember the ferry cabin, a playground or the animal seen beside the campsite.
Build space for both. Let a young traveller choose between two manageable activities and give them a simple role, such as finding a picnic spot or drawing something from the day.
The result does not have to look educational to be worthwhile. Curiosity often begins with a question that was not on the itinerary.
Design days around stops as well as distance
For your own family road trip, plan the time away from the vehicle before deciding how far to drive. Meals, play, rest and an unhurried arrival all need room.
Choose transport and child restraints that are suitable for your child and comply with the requirements of each place you travel. The sidecar in another family's photographs is not an equipment recommendation for every age, route or weather condition.
Our guide inspired by Travel Mad Mum's first family journey explores the same principle at a younger age: the child's needs shape the trip, rather than being fitted around an adult schedule afterwards.
Keep the memories manageable
A short daily ritual can preserve a long journey. Ask each person for one favourite moment, save a ticket or make a quick drawing. You do not need to publish every photograph to make the experience count.
Leave some images imperfect. A muddy campsite, a tired afternoon or a silly meal can become part of the family story without being turned into a lesson about bravery.
Barbu's collection is memorable because the landscapes remain connected to the people moving through them. Your own version might last four days instead of four months, but there is still room for the same combination of discovery, routine and time together.
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