Nestled in a fantastic private rural spot in glorious Sussex countryside, and with the South Downs on its doorstep, Skoolie Stays offers a unique glamping experience in a converted American school bus.
With easy access to beautiful villages, gorgeously cosy and historic pubs and all that the South Downs National Park has to offer, Skoolie Stays is the perfect balance of quirky escapism, off-grid living and classic Sussex experience.
The Vacationist is an eco-cabin, designed and built on an old agricultural trailer. It is carbon-neutral, giving you the opportunity to experience some of the amazing eco initiatives and products that are available to those keen to reduce their carbon footprint.
Sleeps 4 - Open year round
Skoolie stays in the press
Look out for us in National Trust’s latest release. Skoolie Stays is featured as one of 40 top stays in the UK.
Read more about Skoolie Stays in the press, on tv and in books in our recent article.
We work hard to keep the Skoolie Stays bus glamping experience exciting, enchanting, and fresh for all our guests of all ages.
This is just a selection but you can look at them in more depth in our Guest Reviews article or see them directly on our Facebook page or our Google listing and tune in to our social media to follow along!
Helen Holmes2023-06-06Marvellous: beautiful location and super comfy beds too. So spacious compared to a campervan or similar. We had an idyllic break in the sunshine!
cheese2023-05-29To celebrate my friends 50th birthday we booked Skoolies Stay and had a fantastic week. The bus is cosy with wonderful decoration and very thoughtful touches of hot water bottles, hair turban and my fav Oreo cookies. We were lucky and enjoyed sunshine on our trip so used the fire pit and decking areas for breakfast to listen to bird song and plan our day trips. Ruth and Guy were on hand if we needed them but the Skoolie Stay is so well organised that you won’t need them.
Diana Norden2023-05-03Brilliant place for a family Glamping experience. Very warm and comfortable beds, kids loved the bunk beds, and the bed guard for the top bunk was handy when our youngest wanted to have a turn up top. Well equipped and clean kitchen and bathroom and plenty of warm water for washing up and showering ( sometimes weak pressure in the shower, but it’s glamping , in the middle of a field , so to be expected) lovely view from the bathroom as well. Boys loved the binoculars and the guitar and board games on the bus, and we enjoyed using the comfy camp chairs on the deck to sit in the sun and watch the kids run around in the huge meadow. The swings under the tree were also a bit hit with the boys. We used Pullbrough Paddles nearby to hire a canoe on the River Arun, so would recommend that for anyone interested. Highly recommended Skoolie Stays!
BBC BBC2023-04-27Amazing and unique little place! Loved waking to the sound of the dawn chorus, while cosy in the bus. Comfy and charming.
Tash Ralphs2023-04-14We’ve just had a wonderful couple of days at Skoolie Stays and what a treat it was. Everything about the bus is just perfect, from the comfy beds and hot shower to the whistling kettle, the worktop and bus seats to sit on to eat. All the little details and touches were so well thought out, things like the little curtain to go up around the bunk beds (so we could hide from our kids as they fell asleep!) the shelves above the bed and the bits of wood to pop your hot pans on as well as the swings tied to the trees. You can tell that so much thought, love and care has been put into it. We absolutely loved it, the highlight being waking up to sunshine and the kids running about on the grass in their PJs with no one else around - having our own private field was just magic. Thank you Guy and Ruth, you’ve chosen such a wonderful location and we loved reading all about your road trip and all the work you put your Skoolie. You’re an inspiration! We’ll definitely be back :) xxx
Chantal Worsdell2023-04-02Fantastic, quirky couple of nights away. The bus was spotlessly clean, beautifully designed and super cosy. We loved every minute and would definitely return and recommend. White Lion Inn 10/10 too! You WILL need wellies! Well done Skoolie Stays team!
Jo-Ann Stafford2023-03-21Enjoyable stay which was very relaxing and comfortable; loved the log burner and fire pit. Great to have info on where to visit locally. Would highly recommend. Thanks Guy and Ruth, you've done a great job converting the bus, lots of quirky features, homely feel and idyllic location x
Mark Beaumont2023-01-17What a fabulous restful and fun place for the family or a couple to take a break from it all. The creature comforts and quality of everything in the bus is just fantastic. The owners really have gone the extra mile. And the location is great for walks in the woods and even a 30 min evening walk to a bistro pub should you not want to cook. Log burner evenings , sunny breakfast on the old school brekkie table and a swing on the rope swing in the meadow is all that’s needed. It is lovely and I’d while heartedly recommend it. Especially loved reading the books Guy and Ruth wrote about their own trip around the US and Canada for a year in a bus just like it before they converted this one for us to stay in. Myself, my wife and kids loved it. Will do it again for sure. Thanks Skoolie stays. :)
Rob Tauscher2023-01-09Stayed on the funky bus for 3 days last week. Was magic. Super comfy, amazing location. Felt like I properly escaped. Host was very helpful too.
Skoolie Stays is a solar powered luxury glamping bolthole. It has been lovingly converted and features original hand-made furniture and creative metal finishes alongside repurposed pieces of the original bus.
Nestled below the South Downs in a private meadow surrounded by ancient woodland, our idyllic location offers guests a chance to escape from it all. Close by are charming villages, country-pubs, the South Downs Way and Arundel Castle.
Hike or bike the hills and cliffs; enjoy the ambience, food and drink of the local villages; immerse yourself in seaside fun or get your heritage fix at Amberley’s open-air industrial heritage museum and Arundel’s Norman castle.
“Skoolie Stays was born out of a love of American school bus conversions. We spent an incredible year travelling 14,000 miles across 20 different states in our first school bus and when we returned to Sussex we knew we had to bring one back to show the folks back home! We can’t wait to show you the finished SKOOLIE STAYS bus. Expect comfort, surprises, tons of character, and the best location for your own Skoolie Stay!”
– SLEEPS 4 – SUSSEX LOCATION – OPEN YEAR-ROUND –
