Classic car touring holidays

Every classic car owner has a road trip on their bucket list. Whether it’s an Italian Job style trip through the mountains near Turin, or a UK-based adventure along one of our scenic coastal roads, everyone has imagined their perfect classic adventure.

However, a bit like the Italian Job, pulling it off isn’t that easy. There’s often considerable planning and scheduling involved to make the trip go off without a hitch.

Expert planning might be your thing. But if not, you can call upon the expertise of a classic car touring holiday company to organise everything for you.

But what are they? In this article, we’ll find out all the details – what you can get up to, where you can go, and some examples of companies running great classic car touring holidays that you can get involved in.

We’ll also look at insurance for classic cars which will be vital if you decide to take your own vintage vehicle along.

What is a classic car touring holiday?

You will most likely be familiar with the concept of a package holiday. It’s a special deal that includes all the elements of your holiday thrown in, such as flights, travel, accommodation, food, and drink.

Package deals are also popular with people who want to go to events but don’t have time to do all the planning themselves. Perhaps you want to take your kids to watch a football game abroad, or visit a famous landmark?

Going with a tour operator takes the hassle out of your hands so you can focus on letting your hair down and enjoying the occasion. Classic car touring holidays are created in the same way, but centred around creating perfect road trips for fans of vintage vehicles, or people who like to try new things.

Just because it’s your dream adventure, it doesn’t mean it has to be complicated or out of reach. That’s why the aim of the organisers is to devise the right combinations of classic cars, scenery, and company to suit your desires.

And because the vintage vehicle world is so popular and diverse, there is a wide range of these tours available trying to win customers with their road trip creations.

Why should I consider it?

Aside from the convenience of organising a classic car touring holiday, there are plenty of reasons why you would want to book one.

Firstly, they’re arranged by professionals with extensive experience and knowledge in terms of what locations are out there, and how they would combine with the right classic cars.

This gives you an opportunity to broaden your horizons by booking a trip that includes locations you might not have thought of, or even known about.

You may also be able to take advantage of the organiser’s connections to have access to exclusive perks that wouldn’t have been possible if you’d booked the trip yourself.

Meanwhile, these trips can be the middleman between you and living out a lifelong dream. Cruising through somewhere you’ve always wanted to go, in the iconic car you’ve always wanted to own. Stay in charming hotels and soak up new cultures along the way.

It can also be a great opportunity to meet new people. Classic car touring trips will often involve groups of participants with similar interests to you, who even could become lifelong friends.

You’re sure to meet a few members of classic car clubs along the way. You might even be able to swap some stories or classic car maintenance tips!

What can I expect?

There is a wide selection of operators with specialist tours, so what to expect will depend on what you go for.

If you don’t own a classic car, or you don’t want to take yours along, you can choose a touring holiday where the classic car is part of the deal. You might fancy getting behind the wheel of a charming Trabant, for example, or whizzing along in an uber-cool Jaguar E-Type.

However, you can also get involved with one that is based around you arriving in your own classic car and driving it throughout the trip.

When it comes to locations, the world is your oyster. There are tours across the UK, from the sun-kissed fishing villages of Cornwall to the vast landscapes of the Scottish Highlands.

You can also explore countless locations abroad. Always wanted to visit Venice, or see the sights of Istanbul? You can find tours across Europe that will either provide the car or help you get your own vehicle there.

Meanwhile, if you’ve always dreamed of something further afield, such as USA’s famous Route 66, some tours will include travel to get there as well as hire of traditional American vehicles like the iconic Ford Mustang.

The package might include travel to get you to a certain starting point, for example a ferry to get your own vehicle to mainland Europe, or a flight to where the trip starts in the USA.

Here are some ideas of companies providing classic car driving tours that will take you to the UK, Europe and further afield, either in your own vehicle or one they provide.

• Classic Car Holidays
  

Keen to explore some of the most beautiful views and best roads in Eastern Europe? Classic Car Holidays promises just that.

These self-drive tours give the option of driving your own classic car or getting behind the wheel of one of the company’s classic Trabants. You can also arrange special packages if you’re in a classic car club or want to do the trip with friends.

The packages include return flights, accommodation and 24/7 support from the tour crew including technology such as phone chargers and sat navs, as well as plenty of insider knowledge of the best places to eat, visit and enjoy.

Among the scheduled tours currently available, you can visit Bulgaria taking in the bustling city of Sofia, beautiful mountain roads and the UNESCO Thracian tomb at Seuthopolis.

You can also drive from Istanbul to Venice, enjoying the Dalmation coast along the way. On this trip, you have the choice of a Trabant or using your own vintage vehicle.

• Classic Grand Touring (GT)
  
  

Classic GT offers an impressive variety of driving tours in both the UK and Europe, whether you fancy a breathtaking drive across the Scottish North Coast or the unique experience of ice driving in Sweden.

They also arrange regular trips around iconic events such as Le Mans 24 and the Circuit des Remparts in Angouleme.

One trip gives you the opportunity to drive on the famous Spa-Francorchamps F1 circuit in Belgium, as well as the iconic Nürburgring in Germany, all in the company of British motor racing legend Derek Bell MBE. All the tours offered will require your own classic car.

The company takes advantage of a team of full-time professionals with strong backgrounds in motorsports and travel.

It says this allows it to offer exclusive access to private car collections, museums, circuits and more in between the scenic drives, high-end restaurants, and luxury hotel stays.

As well as regular individual and group tours, Classic GT works closely with many UK classic car clubs to create bespoke theme trips.

If you’re a classic car club member, you may also be able to get a discount on your classic motor insurance.

• Classic Travelling

You can enjoy classic car trips across the UK, Europe and beyond with a package from Classic Travelling.

If you’re keen to make new friends, it offers specialised group trips across the likes of Cornwall, Italy, and the Swiss Alps, or to special events such as The Monaco Historique Grand Prix Weekend.

The packages promise to include luxurious hotels, rally plates, high-end meals, and special features such as boat trips, whiskey distillery tours and more.

The group size is kept small enough to give each guest plenty of attention and make sure the team can arrange boutique accommodation and secure access to more special features along the way.

Meanwhile, you can also book an independent tour that suits your own needs. Explore packages for individual driving tours across the UK and Europe including Ireland, Mallorca, and the Isle of Wight.

• Complete North America

If you’ve dreamed of getting your kicks on Route 66, you’re not alone. It’s a common bucket list item even for people in Britain, keen to experience the nostalgic trip through much of 20th century American history.

One company that offers packages to experience it is Complete North America.

Packages include flights, accommodation and hire of iconic American classic cars, such as a convertible Ford Mustang, a Harley Davidson motorcycle or RV motorhome. Meanwhile, you can tailor trips to include features like sporting events, hiking, and city tours.

Start your journey in Chicago and over 15 or 21 days, make your way across the almost-3,000-mile route to Los Angeles on the East Coast, taking in the countless sights and sounds along the way on the world’s most famous road trip.

With Complete North America, you can tailor the stops to have a ‘music twist’, incorporating the likes of Beale Street in Memphis, Oklahoma where Woody Guthrie grew up, and Los Angeles, city of the stars.

Things to look out for when booking

You might be slightly anxious about booking a package tour. After all, nobody wants to hand over thousands of pounds for the trip of a lifetime that turns out to be a disappointment, or worse – a scam.

There are some things you can do to avoid getting caught out by thieves. Which? says to be wary of incredibly cheap deals online. Have you found a deal that’s considerably lower in price than all the others you were looking at? Chances are, it’s too good to be true.

Check online reviews from impartial sites like Trustpilot, Feefo or TripAdvisor. It’s a good sign if the company has plenty of reviews that are not all similar in rating and style, and that stretch back over a longer period.

Also, if a travel company’s experiences are not up to scratch, it’s likely it will be reflected in the reviews.

Meanwhile, look around the company’s website for signs of authenticity. Low quality images and bad spelling are tell-tale signs of a fake company that has just been set up to get your money, rather than give you a premium classic car holiday experience.

Another bad sign is if a company asks you to make an online payment by bank transfer. Scammers do this because you have little chance of getting your money back if you willingly transfer money to someone. However, if you use your credit or debit card to buy something that turns out to be a scam, you have more protection.

A reputable website will have a little padlock at the start of the web address at the top, as well as clear contact details such as phone number, email address and postal address – not just an anonymous form to fill out.

Reputable tours will be protected by associations like the Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL), the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), and the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust (ABTOT). Look around the website for their logos, which act as marks of accreditation.

If you see the ATOL logo but are still suspicious, you can check up on the company’s ATOL status via the association’s website. Also, if a company’s website says it has been accredited by ABTA, you can check them up on it here.

Classic car insurance that suits your needs

If you’re going anywhere in your classic car, it’s important to make sure you have the right protection in place, from the right people.

At Lancaster Insurance, we have been in the business for over 35 years, in that time developing experience and expertise that allows us to provide a classic car insurance quote for virtually any classic vehicle around.

We provide bespoke classic car insurance solutions to suit your individual needs, with benefits including club member discounts and EU cover up to 90 days.

Speak to us today for a classic car insurance quote.

Policy benefits, features and discounts offered may very between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. Information contained within this article is accurate at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.