Driving Adventures
Discussion
Hi all,
I was thinking of planning a trip with these guys http://www.driving-adventures.co.uk/ and was wondering if anyone has had an experience with them?
Or if anyone has used a similar tour company before and what they thought.
Cheers.
I was thinking of planning a trip with these guys http://www.driving-adventures.co.uk/ and was wondering if anyone has had an experience with them?
Or if anyone has used a similar tour company before and what they thought.
Cheers.
Hi Jason, welcome to Pistonheads, as far as 'tours' are concerned I can only recommend one and that is The Cannonball Run Europe. Run by a woman 
Jan's attention to detail and experience in high class events really shows. I am going to be going on my 5th run next year. Check out their website and be bowled over by the incredible value for money, genuine F1 track day, 5* and 5* deluxe hotels in unbelievable destinations & on amazing roads.
Jan's attention to detail and experience in high class events really shows. I am going to be going on my 5th run next year. Check out their website and be bowled over by the incredible value for money, genuine F1 track day, 5* and 5* deluxe hotels in unbelievable destinations & on amazing roads.First decision: What type of driving holiday?
Are you looking for a driving holiday which involves errr DRIVING? Then go on a driving holiday where the guides take you to those famous and little known roads, it can be tiring but most enjoyable, even if you are powered by BURN and E-Numbers.
Alternatively if you are looking for a let's drive a couple of hours stop for 2-3 hrs for lunch then drive another couple of hours then book a family holiday and take it easy with a cadbury's caramel, go at your own pace review a few roads and stay in Mister Beds accommodation...
I did two trips with these chaps this year www.petrolheadnirvana.com and have already pre-booked my next PN Adventure ... a Fly Drive in the USA
and if I can scrape the funds barrel / rob a bank / etc then will be heading to Norway
I maybe biased but what can I say FAN-BLOOMIN-TASTIC even if my car a VW Golf decided it wanted to stay in France on the last day of the trip. Top Hotels, Top People and Robin's Secret Roads (the Again! Again! Again! philosophy which might be copyright of the mad german woman driver) all add up to a thoroughly enjoyable if a little tiring driving holiday. There's plenty of videos of the Alpine Tour and Millau on YouTube.
I'm even happier now as I believe they are PH's official tour provider.
Not the cheapest but I do consider them to be reasonable value for money...when you consider the hotels, meals, exchange rates etc
Would recommend getting a french autoroute tag though and do not trust ONTIME Automotive (arrange through the RAC and nothing to do with PN) to relay your car home without damage... Still it is back and ready for more worldwide fun.
Are you looking for a driving holiday which involves errr DRIVING? Then go on a driving holiday where the guides take you to those famous and little known roads, it can be tiring but most enjoyable, even if you are powered by BURN and E-Numbers.
Alternatively if you are looking for a let's drive a couple of hours stop for 2-3 hrs for lunch then drive another couple of hours then book a family holiday and take it easy with a cadbury's caramel, go at your own pace review a few roads and stay in Mister Beds accommodation...
I did two trips with these chaps this year www.petrolheadnirvana.com and have already pre-booked my next PN Adventure ... a Fly Drive in the USA
and if I can scrape the funds barrel / rob a bank / etc then will be heading to NorwayI maybe biased but what can I say FAN-BLOOMIN-TASTIC even if my car a VW Golf decided it wanted to stay in France on the last day of the trip. Top Hotels, Top People and Robin's Secret Roads (the Again! Again! Again! philosophy which might be copyright of the mad german woman driver) all add up to a thoroughly enjoyable if a little tiring driving holiday. There's plenty of videos of the Alpine Tour and Millau on YouTube.
I'm even happier now as I believe they are PH's official tour provider.
Not the cheapest but I do consider them to be reasonable value for money...when you consider the hotels, meals, exchange rates etc
Would recommend getting a french autoroute tag though and do not trust ONTIME Automotive (arrange through the RAC and nothing to do with PN) to relay your car home without damage... Still it is back and ready for more worldwide fun.
Many thanks for the replies,
Yes I am looking into a trip that offers more focus on the roads and the driving rather than just posh hotels and the usual places.
Anyone know of any other companies in the Northwest?
I think the gumball tour is quiet expensive but probably worth it if you have the cash!
Cheers.
Yes I am looking into a trip that offers more focus on the roads and the driving rather than just posh hotels and the usual places.
Anyone know of any other companies in the Northwest?
I think the gumball tour is quiet expensive but probably worth it if you have the cash!
Cheers.
I think TVR Monster are running a trip which might suit you
Have a look at WWW.TVRMonster.co.uk - I don't think you have to have a TVR
Have a look at WWW.TVRMonster.co.uk - I don't think you have to have a TVR
Maybe I should add that since i've been on the tours with PN i've made many new like minded friends including the people who run PN. This you may think makes my opinion biased but to be honest paying more than travel shed money for hotels and meals to friends, I actually expect higher standards. I do plan to go on someone elses tour so I can give a slightly more impartial review so will be looking at DA as well. Finally if anybody needs a slightly mad 70 year old co driver for a tour my mother would love to tag along and cause similar trouble to that when we travelled round the world last year lol hehe
Hi,
I have personally had 2 holidays with Driving Adventures and I'm positive that we'll do more in the future - as other guys have said, Darren and Graham are both really nice blokes who do their best to ensure that you, the customer, have a great holiday. On our last trip with them to the Swiss Alps everyone was a repeat customer which I think says a lot about them. If it's plenty of fast driving you're after then their trip down through France is excellent, with lots of stunning roads to enjoy.
While this may sound like a commercial, I'm not affiliated to them in any way, but am merely a very happy customer!
All the best, John
I have personally had 2 holidays with Driving Adventures and I'm positive that we'll do more in the future - as other guys have said, Darren and Graham are both really nice blokes who do their best to ensure that you, the customer, have a great holiday. On our last trip with them to the Swiss Alps everyone was a repeat customer which I think says a lot about them. If it's plenty of fast driving you're after then their trip down through France is excellent, with lots of stunning roads to enjoy.
While this may sound like a commercial, I'm not affiliated to them in any way, but am merely a very happy customer!
All the best, John
I'm also a repeat customer having done a number of tours with Driving Adventures and as people above have already said, their tours really are excellent.
I think there is a reason that the likes of Total 911 Magazine and respected sports car dealers such as Racing Green use their services, their attention to detail with the Sat Navs, Radios, detailed route packs among other things, just make it such a great break and I know if the Mrs didn't get what she also wanted from the trips, she'd be quick to suggest we do something else, but she always looks forward to them as much as I do, so it's a win win for me!
The two main guys behind the tours seem to have it all covered. Graham has worked in travel for well over 20 years dealing with all the pop stars and what Darren doesn't know about roads isn't worth knowing.
I'm hoping to do another in the Spring next year and if business picks up, I really want to do California with them as friends who went last year said it was the best driving holiday they have ever had.
If your not sure, I'd give Driving Adventures a call, perhaps the best way to tell if it's right for you?
I think there is a reason that the likes of Total 911 Magazine and respected sports car dealers such as Racing Green use their services, their attention to detail with the Sat Navs, Radios, detailed route packs among other things, just make it such a great break and I know if the Mrs didn't get what she also wanted from the trips, she'd be quick to suggest we do something else, but she always looks forward to them as much as I do, so it's a win win for me!
The two main guys behind the tours seem to have it all covered. Graham has worked in travel for well over 20 years dealing with all the pop stars and what Darren doesn't know about roads isn't worth knowing.
I'm hoping to do another in the Spring next year and if business picks up, I really want to do California with them as friends who went last year said it was the best driving holiday they have ever had.
If your not sure, I'd give Driving Adventures a call, perhaps the best way to tell if it's right for you?
I’ve been on 5 Driving Adventure tours- everything from Scotland, South of France, Switzerland, Italy, Black Forest etc. They are a truly professional company that marries organisation and fun to make each tour fanastic.
I’ve also been on PetrolHead Nirvana Tour to Italy last year with BigBurd. To be honest you cannot compare the two tour companies. Each is aimed at different markets.
Petrolhead Nirvana is run by a the very friendly Bachi who targets the hardcore Tunnel runners who don’t wish to stop for lunch and just want to drive. You receive a very nice map pack, some sat nav files and sorry to say lower grade radios. When I say drive, they really do drive with very long hours and very long distances. You won’t hit a hotel before 8pm at night and you’ll most likely will have been driving since 9.30 am! This isn’t a bad thing, but you MUST be the correct type of customer to fully enjoy their tours. BigBurd is a typical customer who’s gone on the holiday by himself, loves taking video of every second of the tour, just loves to drive fast long hours and then spend a few hours in the bar on the laptop reviewing the days driving. To be fair BigBurd is a really great guy as I’ve made him sound a bit geeky –sorry.
Now, many of my friends take their partner with them on the tours and so you now see the problem with the Petrolhead Nirvana tours.
Darren from Driving Adventures targets those you wish to combine driving and a holiday. Each driver is supplied with a pre programmed Sta Nav with the entire route on, this avoids the problems of different Sat Navs finding different routes, a full map pack and a high power licensed commercial radios. Back up is provided by Graham, who sits in the back of the lead car with laptop sat navs etc and gets you back on tour if you become lost.
The Driving adventure tour is really well organized and you do not appreciate how much this affects the enjoyment of the holiday until you try another tour company. Cars depart with full charged radios, sat navs etc on time each morning. I would describe the roads as being better with Driving Adventures - I think this is due to the long distances Petrolhead Nirvana covers so they have to miss out some very good routes. Darren seems to spend more time on fantastic country roads.
Lunch is around 12 – 1 each day and we general stop at some scenic restaurant for 1 to 2 hours. This allows you some time for to explore the town or village. The afternoon is a repeat of the morning on country roads usually finishing around 4.30 to 5pm at the hotel.
Don’t mistake the Driving Adventures tour as a leisurely tour. The fastest driving I’ve seen has been on the DA tours. I’d say them DA tour has more of a friendly feel to it. You get to know everyone and the Sat Nav / Radio add to the group feeling.
In summary if your single, want fast long hours on the road and very late arrivals at the hotels and your evening meal at between 10 and midnight then it’s Petrolhead Nirvana for you. The biggest asset Petrolhead Nirvana has is its founder Bachi who does work very hard on the tour.
If you want a great driving holiday with fast roads, great people, lunch to chat over the morning’s driving, organised petrol / regroup stops and reasonable arrival times at hotels, great meals and late chats with friend at the bar coupled to a well organized travel company then Driving Adventures is for you and your partner will love it too (always a bonus when you tell her your doing it again next year). The people I’ve met on the DA tours have been great and you’ll end up meeting up after the tour’s finished. Most Driving Adventure Tours have a Christmas meet up for the weekend.
I’ve also been on PetrolHead Nirvana Tour to Italy last year with BigBurd. To be honest you cannot compare the two tour companies. Each is aimed at different markets.
Petrolhead Nirvana is run by a the very friendly Bachi who targets the hardcore Tunnel runners who don’t wish to stop for lunch and just want to drive. You receive a very nice map pack, some sat nav files and sorry to say lower grade radios. When I say drive, they really do drive with very long hours and very long distances. You won’t hit a hotel before 8pm at night and you’ll most likely will have been driving since 9.30 am! This isn’t a bad thing, but you MUST be the correct type of customer to fully enjoy their tours. BigBurd is a typical customer who’s gone on the holiday by himself, loves taking video of every second of the tour, just loves to drive fast long hours and then spend a few hours in the bar on the laptop reviewing the days driving. To be fair BigBurd is a really great guy as I’ve made him sound a bit geeky –sorry.
Now, many of my friends take their partner with them on the tours and so you now see the problem with the Petrolhead Nirvana tours.
Darren from Driving Adventures targets those you wish to combine driving and a holiday. Each driver is supplied with a pre programmed Sta Nav with the entire route on, this avoids the problems of different Sat Navs finding different routes, a full map pack and a high power licensed commercial radios. Back up is provided by Graham, who sits in the back of the lead car with laptop sat navs etc and gets you back on tour if you become lost.
The Driving adventure tour is really well organized and you do not appreciate how much this affects the enjoyment of the holiday until you try another tour company. Cars depart with full charged radios, sat navs etc on time each morning. I would describe the roads as being better with Driving Adventures - I think this is due to the long distances Petrolhead Nirvana covers so they have to miss out some very good routes. Darren seems to spend more time on fantastic country roads.
Lunch is around 12 – 1 each day and we general stop at some scenic restaurant for 1 to 2 hours. This allows you some time for to explore the town or village. The afternoon is a repeat of the morning on country roads usually finishing around 4.30 to 5pm at the hotel.
Don’t mistake the Driving Adventures tour as a leisurely tour. The fastest driving I’ve seen has been on the DA tours. I’d say them DA tour has more of a friendly feel to it. You get to know everyone and the Sat Nav / Radio add to the group feeling.
In summary if your single, want fast long hours on the road and very late arrivals at the hotels and your evening meal at between 10 and midnight then it’s Petrolhead Nirvana for you. The biggest asset Petrolhead Nirvana has is its founder Bachi who does work very hard on the tour.
If you want a great driving holiday with fast roads, great people, lunch to chat over the morning’s driving, organised petrol / regroup stops and reasonable arrival times at hotels, great meals and late chats with friend at the bar coupled to a well organized travel company then Driving Adventures is for you and your partner will love it too (always a bonus when you tell her your doing it again next year). The people I’ve met on the DA tours have been great and you’ll end up meeting up after the tour’s finished. Most Driving Adventure Tours have a Christmas meet up for the weekend.
Just to agree with John, we have done many tours with DA including the california tour which was fantastic. During the tours we have met many new friends who we regularly see and keep in touch with. DA use a variety of hotels ranging from luxury to comfortable to quirky (anyone who stayed at the themed hotel in Switzerland will vouch for this!). Visiting several different countries each tour gives you a choice of some brilliant roads and vary varied and often stunning scenery. Will be booking a tour with these guy again in 2010.
If you want some awesome roads for a weekend , then we will be arranging a weekend run North Scotland. Probably be around May time, but not decided yet. Last run i organised with a few other guys attracted quite a few nice cars and the roads were brill.
Check out the scottish forum early next year - just another option for you.
Check out the scottish forum early next year - just another option for you.
I haven´t tried DA tours but I think it is most important to pick the tour operator and the tour to fit your style and to fit what you want from the week. -cheap or luxury. I´we been grand touring for years and now I plan trips and drive the lead car for these guys www.ultimate-gt.com
If you are planning your 1st trip do it with a guide so you can concentrate on the driving.
If you are planning your 1st trip do it with a guide so you can concentrate on the driving.
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