Limited period Porsche upgrade offer!

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions - Ultimate Drives Holidays

HOW THE TOURS WORK

How do the tours work?
In general, there are two main options.  Option 1, is individual drives (driving holidays, honeymoons, supercar experiences), here, you choose the tour + car + date, when you arrive at the start of the trip you will be given a walkthrough, and the car will be handed over - you then make the tour as an individual or couple, following a pre-programmed GPS + Roadbook - we provide on-call support throughout via WhatsApp, so are with you all the way.  Option 2 (Planned Events / Groups) are group drives, in this situation multiple cars travel together, and you will have a tour guide with a lead car. 

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TOUR

We appreciate there are a lot of choices on the site, which might be a little confusing at first.  However, certain tours do suit different tastes differently, and others are better taken at different times of the year - hopefully, these tips can help you to decide

  1. Which tour is the best for me?
    The answer to this depends on a couple of things.  Firstly, you might have a country you prefer to visit, or are already there as part of a longer vacation.  Secondly. you might be interested in a certain type of drive - best drivers roads, more romantic, or maybe more family orientated.  In both cases, visit our homepage, and use the Plan Your Trip (country option) or What Puts you in the Mood options - these will then help to narrow the choices.  

  2. When is the best time of the year to travel?
    We offer tours which can be taken almost anytime during the year.  If your date of travel is quite fixed, once again, you can use the Plan Your Trip search to help narrow the choices, for example, if you wanted to travel in say April, then the options are generally limited to the South Europe breaks or drives not going up so high (in the mountains).  Some breaks also work better at certain points in the year  - for example, the Alpine Tours (Swiss Alps, Austrian Alps) can only be taken after the high mountain passes open - so early summer to early Autumn, so mid-June till mid-Oct, that's because the drives go very high, and the weather conditions can get pretty cool earlier / later.  Conversely, in July / August, it is not advisable to make drives in South Europe, like South of France and Tuscany - first the heat can be so oppressive (mid-30s) you won't want to drop the roof, and second, the roads get very busy.  For more advice, you can of course always ask us  - tell us your thoughts, and we can help to narrow things.  Finally, as a general point, for all our tours, roads will always be quieter mid-week, so we recommend to be taken in the middle of the week where possible, for example, flights in on a Tuesday, drive Wed till Friday, depart on a Saturday. 

  3. How can I find out more about a particular tour?
    On our website, each break has its section where you can see the tour overview, as well as a detailed day-by-day itinerary. You will find their information about duration, mileage, and best months to travel info. You can send us your questions via email or by filling out a short form on our website. You can also call us and we will be more than happy to give you all the information needed.

PLANNING YOUR TRIP

OK, so you have decided which trip works best for you, what next....

  1. How can I check preferred dates and car availability?
    After choosing your break, you can check availability by using the "Plan your Trip" form. Fill it out with your car and date preferences and send it to us. We will check everything and prepare an offer for you the following work day - If the preferred car is not possible, we can suggest alternative dates or cars on the preferred dates 

  2. Is the price on the website a final cost?
    In general yes, there are normally no seasonal price variations. However, there can on occasion be some hotel supplements in certain areas (e.g. South France, Italy) during the summer high season. Don’t worry, we will check it and our offer will always include a final price.
  1. What is included in the price?
    Accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis at the hotel(s) of your choice, including parking and city taxes. Car rental and fully comprehensive car insurance, covering the vehicle and third parties, a reduced loss/theft damage liability insurance. Full touring pack, which includes a roadbook, programmed GPS, and other relevant information for the destinations you will visit, together with a map of the region you will be touring, plus on-call support whilst on the road. For groups, hi-power walkie-talkies are also included, plus a Tour Guide where requested.

  2. How does the drive work?
    Individual tours: on arrival, your welcome pack, including a detailed Roadbook will be waiting in your hotel room. You will then be met at your hotel by one of our Team the following morning, who will provide you with a full briefing and walkthrough of the car and GPS.  You will then be ready to hit the road in style - select your first GPS tour press "Go" and head on your way.  

    Group events: all group events are driven in a convoy with a lead car in front and are hosted by our experienced Tour Guides. Our Guides know the best routes and will lead you safely to your destination providing all needed instructions via Hi-Power walkie-talkies allocated in each car.

  3. Where will I stay during my trip?
    All our driving tours include accommodation at hand-picked luxury 4 and 5 Star Hotels on bed and breakfast basis.  Hand-picked means we have visited all the hotels, ensure they are in a great location in terms of the scenic drive, and always take the best care of our guests. 

  4. What kind of luggage can I travel with?
    This largely depends on the car of course  - take a Lamborghini and it can be extremely light, even a couple of hand luggage cases.....take an M4, and you can pack the kitchen sink.  Regardless, it is important to note that most of our tours start and end at the same hotel, which means you can store your excess luggage at the hotel, and then on return, it will be waiting for you.  In general though, if you are taking a supercar, we recommend taking max. 2 hand luggage / soft cases for the drive, for other types of cars, pack as you prefer. For guided tours, we provide more luggage space in the lead/ tail car of course.
  1. Is there a minimum age to drive?
    Yes, but it depends on the type and model of the car. In general: 25 years to drive sports cars such as the Porsche Boxster S, and 28 years for Supercars. If you are younger, special arrangements can be discussed. All drivers need valid driver's licenses held for at least two years and must be written in Latin Script

  2. Can I travel with a companion?  
    Our packages are priced per person and are based on the assumption of 2 persons traveling together, sharing the car + hotel room. If you prefer separate rooms, this can always be calculated at the best price. 
  1. Is there any discount for single travelers?
    It will be the same hotel and car arrangements, but for single travelers, we can offer 10% discount to take account of the lower consumption of breakfasts. So, assume price is 3000EUR per person, if travelling alone would be 6000 EUR less 10%, so 5400EUR

BOOKING YOUR TRIP

Everything is agreed with our team, trip car, budget, what now?

  1. How can I complete the booking process?
    After you have submitted a "Plan your Trip" inquiry, we will then send your offer, and after any questions are answered, we will send through a Confirmation Email, together with the invoice, outline itinerary, and payment information.  At this stage, everything will be put on hold for up to 5 working days. 
  1. How do I pay for my trip?
    When booking your drive, a non-refundable 30% deposit will be payable to secure the booking. Payment can be made by credit card, via a secure payment website (where you enter your card details directly), or by bank transfers. The final balance will be due 8 weeks before the date of the trip, and at this time second confirmation email/payment link will be sent to you.
  1. What do I do if I have to cancel my trip?
    Please refer to our cancellation policy for full details - in general, if the trip is canceled then the 40% deposit is lost HOWEVER, we always try to find a way to minimize impact, therefore, if you can find alternative dates that work, we try to roll as much of any deposit paid into a future trip (subject to any cancellation costs on our side).  The main point is that we do understand that such unforeseen circumstances can occur, and will work with you to try to minimise the cost where possible.
  1. What is included in the car insurance / what happens if there is damage?
    In general, our cars are supplied with fully comprehensive insurance, which covers damage or theft to the vehicle or any third-party vehicle. All cars will require a car deposit/franchise deductible. This means, in case of a small damage, this will be deducted from the deposit up to a maximum of the deposit amount itself.  The amount of excess will vary by car. You will see the exact deposit amount in the booking confirmation. A pre-authorization for the deductible will be made on your credit 48 hours before your arrival. The pre-authorization will be released when the car is returned without any damage.  

    The amount of excess will vary by car. You will see the exact deposit amount in the booking confirmation. A pre-authorization for the deductible will be made on your credit 48 hours before your arrival. The pre-authorization will be released when the car is returned without any damage. We will check the car's condition together both when the car is delivered and returned, mark everything in the rental agreement, and take photos if necessary. If the car has suffered any damage during the rental period you will be responsible for covering repair costs up to the maximum amount of the deductible. For any insurance questions please contact us.

    An example - of what this means in practice is the following.  If you rented the BMW M4, the deposit amount is 2500 EUR - this amount will be "reserved" on your credit card (not charged) 48 hours before the start of the tour.  If there car is returned, and you made a small damage to one wheel, then we assess the damage (see later), get an estimate (say 300 EUR), we first share the estimate, then charge that amount, releasing the balance of the deposit. On the other hand, if there was a big accident, say 8000 EUR repair cost, you would pay the first 2500EUR, then the balance would be paid by the insurance company

    IMPORTANT: we have been in this business for more than 10 years, and only survive with a good reputation by being honest and upfront - we know in this business our reputation stands and falls by our honesty in this regard, so really are always reasonable and fair.  

ON ARRIVAL

So, everything is booked, what happens next?

  1. Pre Arrival
    There is certain important information we will require from you in advance to set up the car rental agreements, in short passports, driver's license and proof of address, plus a credit card for the car security deposit - this will all be collected and processed in advance, so there is a minimal paperwork during the car handover

  2. On Arrival
    Fly/travel into your start city, take your transfer to your hotel.  On arrival at the hotel, as mentioned earlier, your welcome pack and roadbook will be waiting in your room. You will then be met at your hotel by one of our Team the following morning, who will provide you with a full briefing and walkthrough of the car and GPS.  You will then be ready to hit the road in style - select your first GPS tour press "Go" and head on your way.