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NOW CLOSED. Competition: tell us about your best road trip to win £100 John Lewis vouchers

(142 Posts)

GNHQ have commented on this thread. Read here.

KatGransnet (GNHQ) Mon 13-Jun-16 08:01:20

The folks behind Go Ultra Low, a campaign to encourage people in the Uk to switch to electric cars, are on the lookout for passionate female car fans over the age of 60, for their #GranPrix competition.

It's not just young men who really enjoy getting behind the wheel, and Go Ultra Low know there are plenty of women over 60 who love their cars just as much as anyone else. You could win a fantastic track day and performance driving lessons in an electric car! To enter, visit this post on Go Ultra Low's Facebook page or email [email protected] with a maximum of 50 words about your love of cars and why you should win.

Go Ultra Low will then pick a shortlist of entrants to go through to the next round and be in with the chance of winning the prize! The competition closes at 11:59pm on 31 July and the winner of the prize must be happy to be filmed on the track day. Terms and conditions for the #Granprix competition can be found here.

Go Ultra Low are also offering £100 John Lewis voucher. Just tell us about the best road trip you've ever taken on the thread below.

Good luck!

sue01 Thu 30-Jun-16 10:46:27

Three generations. Two cars. Driving in convoy from Calais to Caen. Plan was to visit the Cite d'Europe to collect copious quantities of wine for our family hols.

But the car park barrier was 2 metres high... and with cases on top... our car was much taller than that.

Ripped the car roof right off didn't it ?? Nobody hurt... and we have never, ever laughed so much in our lives.

janeyf Thu 30-Jun-16 10:31:57

It was many years ago but I remember a wonderful drive from France to the Swiss Alps, stopping at Lucerne. Unbelievable scenery, forever painted on my mind

Florence78 Wed 29-Jun-16 13:08:26

My memorable road trip happened 44 years ago as an enthusiastic 20 year old on my way to 1st attempt driving test in Ruislip. I had taken all of my driving lessons there and by now was familiar with the road system there. However my route to the test centre was new to me and coupled with nervous anticipation, following road directions and listening to last minute hints and tips from my driving instructor next to me , my brain went into processing overdrive. My instructor was by now looking down at his clipboard whilst I was following the route. Suddenly I heard a shout from him, “What the bloody hell are you doing?” I froze as I realised I had taken the wrong side of a Men at Work filter lane and was making my way doggedly and I have to say carefully amongst the bemused workers. He grabbed the wheel and steered us out through a gap in the cones onto the right carriageway. The incident seemed to dispel all my nervousness as I went on to pass my test an hour later. So grateful to my Instructor.... There was no stopping me now!! - I week later I'd bought my 1st car with my savings of £200 - an ancient Beetle.....

miep Tue 28-Jun-16 13:31:32

I think the best road trip I have ever had the fortune to take was with my father, when I was about 12. We had just left Lagos (Nigeria) after my mother had died, and as my new boarding school would not accept me for 2 months, we took off round Europe. This was in 1972-ish and my father asked me where I would like to go en route to Istanbul, where his next contract lay. Given the map, it became my job to work out a route that took us via Sweden, where we had very dear friends. We stayed in Stockholm for about a week, recharging our batteries, then off we set for Istanbul...
In Germany we were arrested as we had eaten in the hotel restaurant, thinking that they would merely add the cost to the bill; they demanded immediate payment in Deutsche Marks,, about the only currency we didn't have, having crossed the border after all the banks shut! We offered Sterling, Franks, Guiders, Dollars; no good, off to the copshop went my father. Luckily the sargeant there was able to change some money and he was released. We continued through Switzerland, which was breathtakingly beautiful, Yugoslavia (as it then was) and wound up in Bulgaria. At the time, this was NOT a place to hang about, so we were speeding along the awful roads as best we could, when a Volkswagen Beetle overtook us...we were in a Porsche!!Of course, it was the police, demanding a fine for speeding and we didn't have any local currency - seems to be becoming a theme here - bu the cop just opened his wallet, which was about three inches thick with every currency you could imagine! We paid the fine in something or another and continued to Turkey, where in Edirne we stayed at a real Kervansary (a place for camel trains and other travelers to stop and about 700 years old. It was magnificent. Then on to Istanbul, my favourite place of all time. Back in the early 70's it was a ramshackle place with old American cars serving as communal taxis, but totally breathtaking. A journey I shall never forget, not least because I was trusted at age 12 to tell my father which road to take and where to stop at night. I also had to act as translator!

Nananolife Mon 27-Jun-16 17:58:15

Our first convertible. What a babe magnet, except he was with me - his wife.

All MGB's flash each other - how cool.

The day was lovely and warm(ish) so off came the hood, took ages as it was a manual exercise. I donned my scarf Audrey Hepburn style. Oh the glamour of it all. An MGB flashed us I was so excited I whipped off and waved my lovely chiffon scarf, the wind caught it and whoosh it was gone.

Open topped cars are Windy and cold and I looked like Worzell Gummage (granny's will remember him). So up went the hood after much moaning. A sports car is just something you have to do when your young. Never again.

quizqueen Sun 26-Jun-16 19:12:48

When we lived in America, I ( taking my two kids with me)went on a search for Patrick Swayze's ranch ( Rancho Bizzaro) as I had a crush on him at the time. This involved driving from Phoenix in Arizona to LA where I met up with the secretary of his fan club who then came with us to show me where his ranch was. We could peep in the back entrance, which was on a housing estate, but he wasn't there. We later stayed in a very seedy area on the way back in a motel with bullet holes in the door!!! I was lucky enough to meet him several times though during my stay and have some good photos of the occasions. He was always polite and caring towards his fans. Sadly missed.

hutchy73 Sat 25-Jun-16 22:45:53

my childhood trips to Devon - post car seat rules- we'd set off at 5 - my sister asleep across the back seat and me asleep in the hatchback of the escort estate surrounded by luggage and groceries

keikotaylor Sat 25-Jun-16 17:38:37

My best road trip was South Dakota/Colorado/Wyoming in USA. Even though it took quite a long time to get anywhere, surrounding areas were breath taking especially in Autumn. We visited Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone Park, Grand Teton, Royal Gorge. Denver and spotted the Devils Tower on the way to Yellowstone Park. We saw a lot of wild animals and people were friendly. It was my best ever USA trip.

hiddenmichelle Sat 25-Jun-16 13:57:24

drive from las vegas to south rim grand canyon - loved it - american rock on the radio, lots of stops in cute towns and 10 of my closest family in a minibus! Fun times and a fab reward at the end of it with the most spectacular sight i have ever seen!

mooota1514 Sat 25-Jun-16 13:49:59

In Portugal - we drove for 2 hours each way to see the beautiful cliffs in the Algarve, music blasting, snacks galore and the windows rolled down (the weather was beautiful). The roads were quiet and we sailed through our journey! The landscape on the way was also beautiful.

wulfy1010 Sat 25-Jun-16 13:16:52

For my 40th birthday I hired a car and drove around New England staying in small hotels off the tourist trail. Absolutely loved it.

arranmum Fri 24-Jun-16 23:01:20

When my son and his girlfriend emigrated to Canada ( she's Canadian) and had their first baby, after I'd saved up the fare , it took a year!, I went out to visit. They Live in Alberta, so I flew into Edmonton and they drove to collect me. We drove up through the Rockies and I was , of course , completely gobsmacked! I'm from Scotland and we have mountains but I couldn't get over the sheer size of these. It took us 2 days to get home, taking the tourist route, Imust have looked like a wee kid, staring at everything! Including, of course, my lovely new Grandson. Everything was just so different from home, We saw moose, bears, wolves ( from a long distance! )We even saw the Northern Lights. I couldn't take enough pics , to bore folk with when I got home, as you do! Not forgetting the video camera. I've been back since but nothing will ever compare to that first time. PS the journey back was much less interesting, I got a prop plane from the very small local aiport to Edmonton! What a come down. What memories smile

Kangakate Fri 24-Jun-16 20:48:32

My best road trip was driving along the Cornwall coast with my husband in an old VW bus. We would stop along the way and buy fresh food from the farms we passed then stopped at a campsite for the night to cook. Loved stopping by the coast and visiting the Beach as well.

Barb5 Fri 24-Jun-16 19:31:54

Not the best, but certainly the most memorable, was a trip to Wales with my boyfriend. We planned to sleep in the back of my old estate car (money was tight!), but we broke down and ended up on the back of a tow truck on day one :-D

grandMattie Fri 24-Jun-16 17:27:27

My most memorable, best/worst road trip was when we were in Argentina. We wanted to go round the "Siete Lagos" [seven lakes] route from San Carlos de Bariloche in the Patagonian Andes.
My son was driving and by chance, we went clockwise - it was against the sun. you will see why it was a good thing!
The road was appalling,very narrow,sometimes non-existent o on the sides of precipitous mountains, unable to see round corners should a bus or lorry come along - believe me, the road was barely wide enough for a small car, being driven on the right too!
It was fabulous, but i spent a great deal of the journey in tears, peering through my fingers, glued to my seat in terror, with my son driving extremely well, but distressed by my fear, reassuring me constantly, "Don't worry Mum. It will be alright!" IT was...
We then met again in South Island, New Zealand, and were sent on the Crown Road from Wanaka to Queenstown. Much the same thing, we even met a school bus on the way and had to reverse to let it past. My cousin was almost speechless with admiration, not realising the the B&B owners in Wanaka had sent those "idiot Brits" on the route...
I don't do any mountain roads like that now if i can possibly avoid them.

FloNightingale Fri 24-Jun-16 16:51:32

In 1965 ten years before we joined the EU my Mum Dad and my now husband of 47 years Tony were touring Europe. We met a German couple in an hotel in Sportorno Italy that was full of Italian families other than us and the Germans. A very tenuous friendship was struck up with the German couple bearing in mind the era. This developed to a real friendship. We visited San Remo together and on to Monaco where my Dad a soldier in WWll had a wobble and wanted to push Ado yes Ado who was a bomber pilot over the cliff at the church where Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly were married. We toured the South of France and Southern Italy together and the unlikely friendship developed. On a beautiful day at the beach Ado who was quite large got into breathing difficulties swimming out to the sun bathing raft. Dad sat and watched from the beach. We all looked at him. All the horrors of the past were swept aside and Dad dived into the water swam to Ado and dragged the much heavier man onto the raft. They stayed there for a long while talking. A very long friendship was forged to their deaths. After the episode on the beach we visited many more places together during the three week holiday. On the return from one visit to Nice all of us in Ado s Opal car we were flagged down on our return by the Italian motorbike police. He had crossed a white line on a hill on the coastal road. We were all arrested and escorted to the nearest town. We were taken to a dingy police station Dad and Ado were placed in a cell. We Ado s wife Helen Mum Jean me and Tony sat outside the cell. Ado must pay 5000 lira He said No. We were there for five hours and Ado would not move. Dad had a tattoo on his left arm a cross with Mam written across it. The Italian chief of police was very taken with it and the fact we were travelling with a German couple confused him. He didn't t understand it wasn't a tattoo from a WWll camp. Ado and Dad played on this. He, Ado promised to pay the fine when leaving Italy. Pre Common Market. They let us go with hand shakes and back slapping and a promise that Ado would pay on the way home to Germany. We left the Police Station and travelled back along the Mediterranean road to Sportorno and carried on with our road trip of Europe with the unlikely alliance of a British Tommy and a German Bomber pilot. We had many many European Road trips before and since then but the Road Trip of 1965 was one of the funniest happiest and eventful Road Trips and Ado never did pay the 5000 lira at the border.

henbane Fri 24-Jun-16 13:54:57

My best ever road trip was a few months after my marriage broke up, when I was feeling very depressed and my self esteem was at rock-bottom. I went to Australia to stay with my sister and her partner in Sydney and we rode right round New South Wales on motorbikes, spending Christmas in a chalet park in Broken Hill. I still have pictures of me with a beer, in a pool, on Christmas morning when the temperature was 40 C...
Riding a bike again was very empowering and I felt much better afterwards!

Auntieflo Fri 24-Jun-16 11:09:50

I wrote earlier,very briefly about my road trip, also very brief, but when DH bought a sportsy car, I drove it to pick him up one afternoon. At the junction, pause, look, foot on accelerator, and WOW, off I went, whoosh. He would have been proud of me. I was a bit taken aback, but enjoyed the moment.

Sourcerer48 Fri 24-Jun-16 10:23:01

One of my most memorable road trips (and I have been lucky enough to have had many!), was driving from Marrakech to Essaouira on the coast of Morocco.
In this small corner of South west Morocco grows the worlds only argan forests. Argania Spinosa, the tree that produces precious Argan Oil.
These trees take 50 years to mature and the oil is extracted from the kernals. No wonder they call it liqued gold on a tree! Goats love the taste of the fruit and are encouraged by the herders to climb up into the branches to eat. An amazing sight indeed.
Luckily they leave the nuts behind and it is these which are collected and crushed to make the Argan Oil.
Watching the centuries old process of extracting the oil by hand to make up the range of cosmetic and other products we today, take for granted, made this a memorable and worthwhile road trip.

greenfinger5 Fri 24-Jun-16 09:56:02

Our best road trip was last November when we started in Orlando FL, then drove up through Georgia, South Carloina, North Carolina into Tennessee where we went to the Smokey Mountains, Pigeon forge (Dollywood) and Nashville & Memphis (Gracelands), We then 'popped in Arkansas & Mississippi, then drove through back through Alabama to Florida.. The end.. or was it? we then drove to Miami where we got on a cruise ship to Nassau (Bahamas) Coco Cay (Bahamas) and Key West, then drove back to Orlando.. Best holiday ever!

marpau Thu 23-Jun-16 12:12:35

My best road trip ever was when I was about 10 and we spent two weeks travelling around the highlands of Scotland in a dormobile. I can't remember any bad weather or ever being bored.

audidude27 Thu 23-Jun-16 11:19:57

A few years ago my wife and I flew to Las Vegas for 2 weeks.
Weather was great so we made extensive use of our hire car to visit the Hoover Dam and virtually every casino hotel on and off the Strip, including Fremont Street, to sample their all-you-can-eat buffet buffets as well as several shows. Driving up and down the Strip at night to see all the glittering lights and the Bellagio fountains was magical and I doubt I will ever experience anything better.

Tkw2014 Wed 22-Jun-16 22:33:54

We left home once in Norfolk not knowing where to go, tent in car! We kept driving and driving and ended up in York! Had a great few days in that area, hubby wasnt impressed though as there was a sudden thunder storm and we had pitched under a tree...I made him move the tent in the dark at 10.30pm!

sweir1 Wed 22-Jun-16 20:56:26

our first trip to lands end was epic!

gran1 Wed 22-Jun-16 12:24:11

Driving all the way from Shrewsbury to Orkney in the mid 1950's
Dad had a Ford Consul and driving over Shap seemed a massive undertaking but he did it. He wanted to take his family to see where he was born.