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User avatar
By Jermal
#2837444
Cat wrote:
Jermal wrote:I should imagine the price of doing something like this has tripled since it was last done in 2009. I hope you guys can get this sorted though. the previous ones have always looked immense.
Last HET was 2007.

Totally loved it!
I dunno that I can do one this year though, much as I want to. :???:

The cost back in 2007 with ferry, hotels and meals was a total bargain thinking back. It would be a lot more pennies now!
Bloody hell, was it that long ago. I can remember reading up on a daily basis on the progress. Fantastic reading and pictures to get me through a painful working day back here in ol' blighty.
User avatar
By algreene
#2837559
2007 HET was awesome!!

3500 miles, accommodation, ferry, petrol and food was about 800 quid each for me and my brother..

As Jermal said, that would easy be double now probably. We had some very good hotels aswell!

I would love to go again, but its highly unlikely this year. :bigcry: :bigcry:
User avatar
By Sedge
#2858335
Does anyone have an idea on final dates?
If it is to be the Royal Wedding/Easter/May Day then we will need to book holiday soon so others don't take it :lol: :lol:
If it is later than those then it should be ok.... sounds like half the country wants those weeks off :bad-words:
Sedge
User avatar
By Superbully
#2858343
Mark83 wrote:
algreene wrote:Your travel times are baaaaaad for people up north. Depart = drive all night. Return = drive all night..
Rob Orbison coped...
OMG - I just saw this mother of all bad jokes :roll: :sad:
User avatar
By Superbully
#2858346
Sedge wrote:Does anyone have an idea on final dates?
If it is to be the Royal Wedding/Easter/May Day then we will need to book holiday soon so others don't take it :lol: :lol:
If it is later than those then it should be ok.... sounds like half the country wants those weeks off :bad-words:
Sedge
Don't think that even the route has been concreted yet, let alone the time?

What was the general consensus on wanted time/route? Earlier in the year than peak summer months? and slightly shorter route? Or the full on one wanted?
User avatar
By Cat
#2860835
Strangely I happened upon the hotel invoice with a list of the hotels we stayed in from 2007.

7 nights, dinner, B&B and the cost was £311, although I was meant to be sharing but ended up in a room myself. Mainly good hotels too.

I doubt you'd get near those prices now, even if there is a recession.
User avatar
By SparklyGem
#2861572
I should be ok for booking time off work as long as its not school holidays, but will need to get any dates in soon so nobody else books them off, and with how my boss is at the moment she will probably want to know the travel times to make sure I'm not having more time off than is needed :roll:
User avatar
By mike
#2875477
Not sure about camping for over a week and the fuel expanse for the mileage covered would be astronomical.

Instead of a round trip how about having a drive over to Spa and then onto the Nurburgring and having a couple of days at each?

We could then stop over in one of the local hotels/campsites.
User avatar
By Superbully
#2875617
mikeg wrote:Not sure about camping for over a week and the fuel expanse for the mileage covered would be astronomical.

Instead of a round trip how about having a drive over to Spa and then onto the Nurburgring and having a couple of days at each?

We could then stop over in one of the local hotels/campsites.
Then it's just a Spa or a ring trip.

HETs are something that bit extra. Yes there is more driving and the fuel costs involved but it's worth it. You get to see allot of nice places and roads.
Yes, it is more expensive end of the day but only those that want to go and know they can afford it will apply.
User avatar
By Sedge
#2875630
I would agree with 'Bully there, at the moment I don't track my car, but would have a mini-HET trip while others went on track for a few days and then join up for the trip to the next place... sounds complicated :lol:
Sedge
User avatar
By Turbo5
#2876204
HET's are a fantastic experience, I have attended all 3 of them and organised the last two.(with help from Ross on the route) My favourite was the middle one. The 3rd one had too many people and a few people with different expectations on how the trip should be run.. Hence my reluctance to organise another, (Though I am very tempted)

Majority of people were happy but some people expected the sites of the Alps and Monanco, Stelvio pass etc and didn't want to drive longer than a few hours. Its a driving holiday not a get up at 10am stop for a few hours for lunch and another hour at every petrol station comparing air filters and getting the claybar out, then complain when you don't get to your next hotel until 9pm. Though some of the days were long 8hr plus driving I never reached my hotel later than 5pm (I do get up soon)

The problem is with organising a tour like this is trying to cram too much into a week and putting something in for everybody, tracks, city's, Monaco, Stelvio pass, etc. everybody wants different things, we all come from difficult backgrounds, cultures ages groups etc. the youngest was about 17-18 and the oldest in their 60's we had married couples, groups of mates, single lads and laddies and people who didn't know anybody from the forum. so as you can imagine it was a mixed bunch, which to be fair didn't cause that many problems as long as people respected each others space and that it was their holiday also.

As some of you have mentioned the costs that we paid in 2006.2007, 2008 were reasonable and its always makes prices cheaper if you share the driving and hotel rooms. I think with fuel (about 2000 miles) and 8 nights accomodation, ferries, the odd toll I think in today's terms you would be looking at £600 for fuel £100 ferries or tunnel. and £50 per night x 8= £400 minimum accomodation and £50 tolls plus food at £25 per day x 8= £200 making a grand total of approximately £1350 per car then add spending money on top Beer Wine, False tan , European breakdown insurance cover. Car insurance to cover Europe you are nearly reaching £1800 for a weeks holiday if you are driving and having a room to yourself. obviously the fuel and hotel costs and tolls and ferries are halved if you share. You can have a good exotic all inclusive holiday basically anywhere for that kind of money.

if driving 8hrs a day, with only one or two days off inbetween. being sat in a car with your mate, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend or your special friend (we are very politically correct here) just remember friendships can be strained being so close to people, I think most people had the odd tiff with their mates or partners. If you are still interested and this is your type of thing then this may be for you, however if you want to drive a few hours a day and party everynight and get wrecked and want to live off McD's then and turn up without a sat nav or map and whinge constantly, drive like a loon through vilages and abuse traffic laws, then a group organised Eurotour might not be your thing. We usually stay in remote areas overnight as the hotels are cheaper than the cities, and security for the cars are better, plus after a full day driving I don't think you would have the energy to party. (though we had a good few beers at the bar each night)
The most positive things I have to say about the Eurotours, are these holidays stand out far beyond your package tour, you see sites that no holiday would bring, you gain a spirit of adventure, its like a type of a challenge, you drive roads that you only dream about on top gear and you will remember this holiday for the rest of your life.
The down side of organising a tour is you get 40 people sign up and when it comes to paying up 30% drop out and the discounts that you negotiated with the hotels and ferry companies start reducing. You are constantly chasing payments from people. everytime I have done I have ended up out of pocket to some extent because someone has let me down or paid by paypal and not forwarded the charges etc. Plus being the organisor you worry like a mother hen and I couldn't settle until everybody was safely back at the hotel every night.
User avatar
By Superbully
#2876261
Turbo5 wrote:Hence my reluctance to organise another, (Though I am very tempted)
The tour that I went on that you organised was absolutely perfect. I didn't have a complaint about any of the balances... mileage, time on road, hotel quality, none of it. I would without hesitation go on any tour organised by Dave...
User avatar
By mike
#2876270
Superbully wrote:
Turbo5 wrote:Hence my reluctance to organise another, (Though I am very tempted)
The tour that I went on that you organised was absolutely perfect. I didn't have a complaint about any of the balances... mileage, time on road, hotel quality, none of it. I would without hesitation go on any tour organised by Dave...
Me too, even though we were the last to arrive at a couple of the hotels I wouldn't hesitate to join another.

Fantastic time was had by all
User avatar
By Cat
#2876361
I was last to arrive at some of the hotels too but I don't recall comparing air filters and claybarring at garages. :lol:

I'm not a morning person though so setting off at 7.30am was never going to happen.

I totally loved the HET that Dave organised though, even if I found some of the driving hours a bit hardcore. It was an awesome experience! I can even look back fondly to losing my group near Nice and getting totally lost all on my lonesome. :P
User avatar
By karl
#2876476
I want to go, may have room for a passenger too :smile:
User avatar
By salem
#2877752
Cat wrote:I was last to arrive at some of the hotels too but I don't recall comparing air filters and claybarring at garages. :lol:

I'm not a morning person though so setting off at 7.30am was never going to happen.

I totally loved the HET that Dave organised though, even if I found some of the driving hours a bit hardcore. It was an awesome experience! I can even look back fondly to losing my group near Nice and getting totally lost all on my lonesome. :P
Ditto

After a couple of days I found it much easier to get up (like Dave) early in the morning to gain on quieter roads. I think on the longest day I left at 630 am an hour after Dave and got the hotel at around 4ish we only stopped to take photos and go to the loo oh and to fuel up. I certainly didn't clean my car in fact not once clean it at all I just did my normal check oil tyres etc before leaving everyday that was it.

I enjoyed it so much so I'm going again this year with a few friends. However I'm organising it myself to suit the few of us that are going and I'm keeping the driving hours down a little so drivers can stop off enjoy the views and even do the passes again if they want plus we are camping and a lot of camp sites shut the gates at 10pm. We've also managed to link it up with our spa and ring trip so we all meet up on the last couple of day which is a bonus.

Most of you know I organise lots of driving events been doing so for sometime its not easy especially when you have loads of people to keep happy and so many expecting different thing. I had never driven aboard before and not had my Honda long and it was totally standard unlike a few others so it did feel like I'd jumped in the deep end a little. Mind looking back I think I was one of the few people that did the full route and have some amazing photos from the trip.

I'd do another trip with you Dave no problem as I would know what to expect now and I would miss breakfast and leave early like you did and get a good 4 hours early morning driving for a head start makes a big difference to your day.

Hope you all have a great time I'm sure you will who know might even see you there depending on your dates and route.
User avatar
By karl
#2877756
Superbully wrote:Didn't think so..
think before being so rude next time
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