Any thoughts on driving holidays?

I'd suggest you at least do some shorter trips at first. Plenty of the UK to see!
As a non driver, believe me, it is not boring "staring out of a car window" in fact, you get the best part of the deal as you can see the passing scenery , places of interest that you might go past - all without the stress of having to make sure you are on the right road, avoid traffic etc that is all involved in driving any distance.
Not much luggage space? no problem! Most people take too much anyway. All you need is a couple of changes of clothing that you can roll up in your bag/ case plus extra changes of undies and toiletries, not forgetting a good sunscreen and sunglasses. Doesn't matter if you have to wear an outfit more than once - no one will be seeing you for more than that anyway and you can buy clothing that can be washed in the sink if needed and will dry overnight.
It's also surprising what you can squeeze into nooks and crannies around a car if needed!
Oh, just make sure that the distance you plan to travel each day is sensible - no point in going for 100+ miles and not enjoying the trip because you are both too exhausted - it's not a race and you can always re visit the bits you don't reach!

I can assure you it’s fantastic fun. We have driven the ‘Stelvio Pass’ in the Italian Alps in an aged MGF - oh such happy times. So much to see, different places to explore. We have also driven twice to Sweden to see our son - again the most wonderful trips. Go for it while you can, just sit back & enjoy!

DH used to love driving so we had many touring hols here and abroad but I'm one of those people who fall asleep on car journeys so I didn't even get to appreciate the scenery. Hated all the staying in different places, prefer to stay in just a couple of places and see more of them.

Why did DH say that 'he might as well have not bought the car'? Is it due to Covid and you can't go anywhere anyway, or was it something you said?
Perhaps he's had this dream for many years (imagine the glamorous likes of Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck) and was hoping that retirement would be a good time which seems perfectly reasonable.
However, the reality of sitting in the passenger seat of a car for hours on end can be uncomfortable and tiring. At least you can sit back and hopefully enjoy the view. And if it rains - oh dear, not pleasant.
Whatever happens, I hope you enjoy your holiday.

Before Covid, we used to drive in Europe every year. We used to go Jun/July before schools came out. We would decide where to go and I would book a B & B for 5 nights.
We have driven in Austria, Germany and France last holiday was in the South of France.
We stayed in a lovely small small holding and we also had evening meal as well. From there we went all around the region every day.
We normally would stop half way and get a B & B for the night we found that Campanile were clean and inexpensive and you can eat and drink there as well.
It seems easier to find places to stay in Europe and you can spend days driving from place to place and there are a lot of reasonably priced places to stay.
Hoping to do it again this year, if we can.
Go and explore, Austria is also very beautiful.

My DH loves his sports cars. i wasn't keen on the thought of a driving tour but we discovered European Driving Tours. They will either put together a bespoke tour for you and book everything and provide a preprogrammed sat nav or you can join one of their escorted tours (max 14 cars). We've done 4 escorted tours and they are just brilliant. Mark and Ali are superb and you certainly won't be bored. Yes, there are a couple of long motorway days but the detail, the points of interest, the historic towns etc are well worth the travelling. You will get to places you hadn't thought of. You can socialise with your fellow travellers or do your own thing. I never thought that my DH would be an organised tour sort of man but he was very impressed. We're booked on the 3 weel Croatia tour in September but I can't see it happening - sadly.
Give them a ring. Very friendly people. Nothing is too much trouble.
I too am fair. Factor 50, big linen scarf and long loose shirt for travelling!
www.europeandrivingtours.co.uk/

If you can afford it ( and maybe he should treat you?) Tilley and Rohan have great clothes and underwear for travelling light. I especially recommend the insect repellant scarf from Rohan - it looks glamorous, is light enough for a warm day, but adds some warmth in the evening

We had a great time driving through France - didn’t book anything in advance and if we liked a place we stayed longer. Loire, Lot and Tarn valleys on way down and after Med headed back via Le Puy, Vichy, Paris. Go for it - you’re a long time in that box as my friend says!

A motoring holiday in a sports car is definitely a man thing isn’t it? !
You’ve made it clear that it’s not your dream so you are the one who needs to think carefully about what it would entail and whether your instinct tells you that you would enjoy it.

For a start, do you actually like long car journeys? That is the first and probably most important question.
They can be extremely tiring even if you are not driving.

I would also worry about the practicalities of a prolonged holiday in a small car.

When we go to Devon or Cornwall for a couple of weeks in our fairly large car it’s surprising how full the car is, so you would have to be ruthless about only taking the absolute essentials.

Anyway it could be a fabulous adventure and as you have a year or two to plan, you have got plenty of time to decide whether to go for it or not !

Once it’s safe to travel I’d encourage you to go. We’ve done similar trips around France and Italy and had an amazing time. The French roads are so empty, driving is a pleasure. Go for it, you’re only young once!

I just think we all regret more about what we didn’t do than what we did. Life’s for living! Enjoy the adventure and remember the journey can be as interesting as the destination.
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Oh you’ll have to let us all know next year how it went! Open up a thread so you can come back and tell us about it and we can ask you questions!

Following a nasty car crash nearly three years ago, we finally bought a huge bright red volvo to replace the old faithful volvo estate which undoubtedly saved our lives and which had been totally smashed in the process. DH is getting very twitchy and restless that we have an 18 month old car on the drive going nowhere. He has decided that he fancies doing the driving route through the Outer Hebrides next year, probably in June or July. Or driving through Northern Europe to Holland and Denmark to visit friends.. I am looking forward to these trips, but only because we are in a large comfortable car. What is the longest length of time you have sat in the car? Could your hips, knees, back, cope with long hours with not much space to move? I find that even in a big car after sitting for more than a few hours, I get out feeling like someone much older and infirm than I actually am. If that isn't a problem for you, I would say buy the hat or a scarf (Audrey Hepburn style), slap on the factor 50 and go for it.

We have had several 'tours' in Europe and to be honest they do get very tiring even when I insisted on staying at least 2 or 3 nights at each stopover. Living out of suitcases even in nice hotels in beautiful places is still a drag. I hate the motorways especially the speeds on Germany roads so I insist (again!) on only using them when we really have to. We still drive and the scenery is beautiful and sat navs has taken a lot of the stress of reading maps, but with plenty of planning and no trips longer than 10 - 14 days is fine to see one area or country.

Sounds like hell to me! But then we are all different, thank goodness
Good ideas mentioned like try an English trips first, Scotland and maybe even Ireland to check out ferry travel and undiscovered territory.
Sorry but France and the French were never my favourite place for a holiday. I did drive to Portugal once but it was a real chore and I longed to settle somewhere and not be exhausted from travelling all day every day
I turn down 'driving holidays' now. Don't even like getting a hire car when away. Not relaxing, stressful driving on the right even as a passenger so I am a bag of nerves before, during and after the whole trip
BUT having said that, for you, why not? Go and have some fun in his toy car, it may be the only way you both find out if he loves the idea or hates it. That way it won't be 'your fault' that you never did go and hopefully it will be a lovely surprise

Urmstongran

I just think we all regret more about what we didn’t do than what we did. Life’s for living! Enjoy the adventure and remember the journey can be as interesting as the destination.
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Oh you’ll have to let us all know next year how it went! Open up a thread so you can come back and tell us about it and we can ask you questions!

? thanks. I will. It’s been a really interesting thread with mixed reviews but great ideas. ?

We have done two of these driving holidays. The first one we flew to Madrid, drove to Portugal then turned north and drove in a scenic route back to Madrid. Took 3 weeks stopping in some wonderful spanish towns, away from the touriist full of history. The secod time we drove completely around Corsica. Again staying in B & B. Fantastic. We wouild love to do more of these. Be your own master and follow the sun or your nose.

It sounds fabulous to me! Two years ago my sister, her ex husband and I went to Australia and hired a car and drove up the coast from Perth to Broome. It was a lot of driving but if the weather is good and you can stop here and there I don't see the problem. Don't put a damper on his dream trip.

I enjoy planning our road trips. We travel from Yorkshire, stopping somewhere for a nice lunch en route, then overnight in Southampton, catching a ferry to France or Spain the next day. We tend to only book our first stop and then follow interesting routes staying as little or as long as we feel in each place. If it becomes too hot, cold or wet we head to an area where the weather suits us better. Have a look at the AA Best road trip books. They take you through diverse, wonderful areas with ideas of where to stop etc. Maybe compromise on a shorter trip the first time. Do you like wine? Have a look at Saumur, Loire region, for wine tasting and then head to La Rochelle or Royan.

DH & I have been married for over 35 years, with rarely a cross word in all that time. But we nearly had a divorce when (30 years ago!) we took our car across to France for a holiday.... Never. never, again, will we drive anywhere, in the "wrong-side" sort of car. I start to break out in a cold sweat, just remembering it!

We are in our mid seventies and this is still our favourite sort of holiday. We make a rule to stay three nights in each location, so we have chance to explore. We like holidays where we get to chat to the locals, not other tourists. We have had several holidays driving in USA, Greece, Croatia, Sicily and Sardinia. We used to just book our own trips., but now, because of our ages we tend to use companies like Inn Travel or Trailfinders to do the booking, we both dread the thought that once we hit our eighties, this sort of a holiday may not be open to us as car hire becomes more difficult after a certain age. Cant bear the thought of staying in one place for a fortnight !!!!

In 1960 we drove around Holland. At each town we went to the tourist office and chose mainly family B and Bs to stay each night and got info on places of interest. We learned a lot about the culture of that country and everyone was very helpful and friendly.

My partner had an MG and we drove from the West Country up to the Lake District stopping with friends in Birmingham and Manchester over a week. Then we booked a gite in France and drove down taking a day and stopping off en route. He thoroughly enjoyed driving and I thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and chatting on the way. We also enjoyed the food and wine! We saw some beautiful places and I’d love to do it again. Sadly he passed away but a wonderful memory .....

I have toured around the U.K. for many years, mostly with a caravan hitched up on the back, and loved it! DH used to drive a lot for work purposes, so when he had time off, it was normally me who did the Driving. I was also the most experienced at towing, as l had been doing it for over 10 years when l first met him. We often lived quite a nomadic lifestyle, when we had had enough for the day, we would just find a lay-by or small farm site to settle down for the night, it really was our little home from home.

I'd go for it. We drove to Europe from NE Scotland many times. With a car, you get to visit places that you normally might not see. We both drove, which helped. The older we get, the smaller our window for ' going places ' becomes. I wish we had done more while DH was able.

A few years ago my husband and I drove across australia from coast to coast which is nearly 6000 miles there and back, which took us almost a month of travelling.I am not a really enthusiastic car trip person but it was one of his dreams. I coped by, taking my kindle to read, having alot of music to play and writing a travel diary. He helped by finding places that he knew would interest me for us to visit. Its just a matter of compromise and finding pleasure in the quaint little things you come across on the way.
Make sure you plan ahead, occupy yourself, suggest places you might stop. Start with a “you know what, this might just be fun” attitude