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| The most commonly asked questions answered |
| Q How much driving do we do per day. We went on another tour that started at 7 am every morning and we were in the vehicle until 6 at night and as you can imagine, it didn’t seem like much of a holiday. A I don’t know why but it always seems that the people I get on my tours like drinking beers late into the evening and enjoying large breakfasts the next day. If you want to start at 7am every day you’ll have a bit of trouble getting me up!! Seriously though, if you want to start at 10 or 11, or have a morning off, it’s really up to you, it’s your holiday. There is one long day that we do, just because there is nowhere to stay in the area that we pass through, but it is also the best day as well!! |
| Q How do we get to Croatia? Do we meet you at Dover or are we supposed to make our own way across Europe? A I will always be out there a few days before the rest of you as I always like to check the condition of a few trails we’ll be doing. Travelling through Europe is absolutely no different to doing a long motorway stint in the UK, excep t for finding a hotel, but even that is pretty easy if you allow yourself a window of a couple of hours to come across a sign on the motorway. Also I can put you in touch with the other people going on the same tour, but because of the data protection act I need your permission to give your email address to a third party. |
| Q I read a write up of one of your tours in Land Rover Enthusiast and there’s mention of driving through a minefield and I can see you parked next to skull and crossbones signs in one of your galleries. Is this really safe practice, is Croatia, or this part of it really safe? A That track where the pictures were taken is compacted gravel and dirt and is wide enough for two cars so there’s absolutely no chance of slipping off it and the whole road has been checked at least 3 meters from either side. Everyone is told to pee on the road if they have to, not to throw anything and to keep a close eye on the kids. There are minefields all over the country, but all of them are very visibly marked, and you’ll see all the bullet holes still in the plaster of many of the houses. It’s a necessary insight into the country, but everywhere we drive is perfectly safe. |
| Q Can you give us a list of spares that you recommend we take? What are 4x4 parts like to get hold of abroad? AA few people have broken break lines, so I now carry the pipes and flaring
tools to make a repair. A couple of starter motors have given up in the cold or mud and a few Land Rover belts have snapped. But
you never know what can fail. So, never leave home if something is already leaking or rattling too much and have a look at
Mill Services as they have an excellent offer on spare rentals. If there is someone else on
the tour in the same vehicle as you, maybe you can share the cost. |
| Q What vehicle would you recommend for Croatia? I have a modified 90, a 110 and a new Range Rover. AYou’ll be more than likely to get a few scratches in your polish, so I would rule
out the Range Rover straight away as a dent in an old Landie makes character but is a costly repair in a new vehicle. If you can fit everything
in your 90 and you want to do some harder off-roading bring that, but if you are bringing all of your camping equipment then I would say
that the 110 might be the best bet with the extra space and you won’t be doing anything extreme enough the extra length will make a difference.
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| Q You recommend that all
vehicles taking part on one of your tours needs to be fitted with under-body
protection, but for what parts is it needed and to what degree?
A Anybody driving off-road on unchecked trails should seriously consider protecting the most vunerable parts of the underneath of their vehicles, as low positioned steering arms and axle casings were never intended be used as ploughs. Unlike on an off-road course where the location of every boulder is known, when you drive on virgin tracks, the first thing you’ll know about a rock or tree stump hidden in the grass is when you hit it square on with your drivetrain. It's not for me to say what is needed for each vehicle as it is entirely up to the
individual owner to decide what degree of preparation they want, and being so
equipped is not a perquisite to join our tours, it’s just a recommendation for
a sensible precaution.
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| Q The tours themselves cost X
amount, but what about the extras, especially visas and fuel? How much extra
will a trip end up costing? And what quality of fuel, both petrol and diesel
are we likely to find in Eastern Europe and how readily available will it be?
A Extra costs will include an international drivers licence at £4 and additional insurance in countries such as Lithuania, Latvia and Russia. Costs vary from time to time for different and unpredictable reasons, but are about £10 for 7 to 10 days in Latvia and Lithuania, around £20 for Russia and Tunisia (or so I’m told). European recovery service (optional of course) starts from around £90. EU citizens don't need visas for anywhere we go in Eastern Europe, just a valid passport, (other nationalities much check with their Home Office), but details are on the individual tour pages. Now, fuel. The cost of course, will vary tremendously with the vehicle, the engine, how it's loaded, the style of driving, even the type of tyres you use will have a bearing on fuel consumption, and in our old 110, even the wind direction!! Check your atlas to see how many miles you're likely to cover, make a note of any mountain ranges in the way, cities you'll drive through and then divide that by how much your vehicle does to the gallon. A thought to make you a little happier though, is that fuel isn't taxed nearly as much on the continent as it is on this little island, down to 3/4 to 2/3 in W. Europe, 1/2 in E. Europe and an insignificant fraction in Russia- about 8 1/2p a litre!! As for availability and quality.. it's easy to find a little old lady sitting by the roadside selling jam jars full of a mixture of well used cooking oil, lighter fluid and vodka to run your TD5 on! Only joking. Even out of the way Russian filling stations these days compare to multinational ones in this country (especially if you moved the decimal point on the price list to the left). Our problem though is that whatever country you're in filling stations are notoriously difficult to come across in the middle of the woods, which is why you must bring at least two 20 litre Jerry cans with you as part of your equipment. For ferries the price will be different for different sized vehicles and definitely extra for roof racks and trailers and what class of accommodation you want on board. A lot of different companies have different price scales and promotions on at different times, so check the internet for the special deals and to look at our price table page, click here. |
| Q RE: Driving to and IN Russia, it all sounds a bit too easy. Don't you need customs documents and a carne de passage, and have to leave rediculously large somes at the border that you are supposed to collect when you leave again? A Times are a lot different now and with the advent of the EU expanding eastwards there is now no need for the expensive importation fees you mention. The only thing you need to do these days is fill in a free 'tempory importation form' at the border (which you must keep very safe!) and away you go. You do need to have your vehicle registration documents with you as well, and a letter from the vehicle owner, if it is not yours, giving you concent to drive if it is not your vehicle, as your driving licence and green card. Most insurance policies in this country won't cover you for Russia, so you will need to buy additional cover at the border, but you should buy it from a company at the exit border of the country you are leaving and not from a Russian company. It costs about £15 for 15 days. |
| Q Could you please advise what routes we will take to the Poland tour and if we will meet somewhere to form a convoy or should we make our own way there? A As with all our tours and humanitarian aid trips, some people will want to drive in convoy others will do all they can to avoid it, it depends on personal preference. I absolutely hate convoy driving as you have to wait for everyone else and you can’t really stop whenever you want, but some people love the security of driving with others. If you wish to drive in convoy let us know at the time of booking and we will put you in touch with others who also want to. There are no set routes that you have to stick to in Europe. It is understood that anyone taking part in a Polish, Baltic or Russian tour knows where these countries are and can read a map to get them there. The drive-your-own yours start on a Tuesday so that you have plenty of time to get to the starting point and back from the end point in a two week window.
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| Q RE: Russian adventure tour and warnings about bears and other sharp toothed beasts. I like the idea of camping on the shore on an untouched lake, but not if I am going to become boar dinner. Seriously, are wild animals a big risk? A Having your customers eaten by bears is an eventuality most companies would try to avoid. It’s not good for repeat business and you don’t get favourable reviews written by journalists who are writing with maimed limbs. Bears live in the Karelian woods and they will be attracted by the smell of cooking food and tent canvass is not very good protection against bear claws, which is why we advise that people sleep in their vehicles. The chance of encountering a bear are very slim, but the consequences if we do may be very bad.
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