Westfields Do Europe!

[oioi]

As some of you may be aware I am in the early stages of organising a club trip to Europe next year.  But before I go to far I would like some feedback about my thoughts and also about what people are likely to want from the event.

Could you please answer all the questions!

1./ - Are you likely to come?  What is your attendance dependant upon - cost? date? time of year? format of event? location?

2./ - Are you likely to come by yourself or bring a partner?  Does this affect what you want from the event?

3./ - Location?  My personal preference is for Northern Spain.  I think the roads, country side, climate and culture are ideally suited to this sort of event.  Would this venue stop you coming?

4./ - Format - My intention would be to book all the ferries, hotels etc.  The cost would include breakfast and dinner, support vehicle, admin costs, roadbook etc.  The basic idea I have is to catch an early ferry on a Saturday, drive a long boring motorway journey to the Saturday evening hotel.  There would then follow a series of days with suggested routes touring a particular area and finishing at a different hotel every night.  The distances would be limited to a maximum of 250miles to enjoy the roads and scenery.  There would be one rest day in an area of particular interest – this could be a city like Bilbao of Barcelona or perhaps in the mountains.  Again either on Saturday or Sunday a longer boring day to an evening ferry.

5./ - During School hols?  Outside school hols?  Before and after are obviously cheaper.  During will allow those with children to put them in camp or with grandparents etc for the week.  

6./ - Support Vehicle?  My personal opinion is that it is asking a lot to do something like 40,000 westfield miles without a couple of little hiccups (say 20 cars each doing 2000miles).  A support vehicle with as a minimum a decent mechanic, common spares and full tool kit on board would be included in the cost.  However if there are only 5 cars this becomes an expensive luxury.

7./ Accommodation? – Are people happy to slum it or do they want something that little bit better?

8./ - Track days?  Would people like a track day (or more?) included?

9./ - Cost? would be dependant on use of support vehicle, discount negotiated at hotels and ferrys, trackdays and time of year.  Having said that my initial estimates are something like between £800 - £1000 pounds for a couple, half board with a support vehicle.

Please let me know your thoughts, but please answer question 1 honestly as I will change the tour to accommodate those who are likely to come.

Thanks

Mike

[neilwillis]

Just be careful you're noit taking on too much.   Getting an event like this organised, and including all the costs will be a nightmare.

I'd suggest it would be easier to get details of hotels, ferries etc, and make them available for people to book their own - at least the first year.   You could find yourself very severely out of pocket otherwise if people drop out, and leave you holding the baby.

[Blatman]

Public Liability Insurance, and some sort of ABTA clause in case of a booking screw up or ferry or other 3rd party transportation foul up would be a good thing to have...

Puts prices up though...

[oioi]

Hi Neil,

Yep it is a lot of work, but for some pervese reason I kinda like doing this sort of thing.

As for money, I would make sure that I was not out of pocket.  I would ask non-refundable deposits fairly early on.  These would be used to pay inital deposits to hotels and book ferries.  I would then collect all the money prior to the event and ensure I was at no point paying out my own money.  That would be indeed be foolish.

Mike

[PeterOz]

1/ Yes I'd be up for it - cost would be a major consideration however.

2/ I'd bring a friend, don't tell the wif......

3/ Locations sounds OK - but how would we get there? Ferry to Santander takes a time (24 hours) and costs a bit (from what I remember). Driving from Channel ports would be fun but again would take some time. When I drove from St Malo to La Rochelle a couple of years ago it took the best part of the day (after an overnight ferry), and that's only half way to Spain. Maybe somewhere closer would be better, at least for the first one?

4/ Suggested format seems right.

5/ School hoidays? What are they? With grown-up kids that's not a problem for me.

6/ Support vehicle I think is essential

7/ Too old to slum it! I'd want a half-way decent hotel each night

8/ Track day? Not for me, I think the road trip is enough, but if some people want it, then maybe others can do something else? Visit to a vineyard or something....

9/ Costs - not unreasonable, so you could say I was a definite possible.....

[chrisbin]

Mike

This might be of interest to you.

I guess you could always give the organiser a call and see if he's got any hints and tips for you.

HTH

[bofus]

Ketley....

I did a 4 day  round robin to La Rochelle this september, the 7 that went discussed doing similar next year but sticking an extra 5 days in to do Northern Spain.

Opt 1 do Devon and then Ferry to Santander and then drive home via Northern Spain and Western France and then onto the Caen ferry

Opt 2 do the same but in reverse

Opt 3 Drive the whole lot ( using Portsmouth - Caen ferries)

The roadbook to/from La Rochelle exists btw

BTW I you hadn't guessed I would like late September and I am not doing USA 2005!!

[Buzz Billsberry]

Definately no go for me and this is the bit I oh so lurrrrrrrrrve rubbing in...I  Will be taking my car on the C2C, Le-Mans and this is the one that should p*** you all off... me and my westy are going to the USA for 4 weeks Yee hawwww!!

Buzz  in smug contentness mode!!  

Plus I hear there may be an official WSCC tour into europe in 2006.I might be wrong....Oh by the way Did I say I was going to the USA for 4 weeks with my westfield.... £1.02 a gallon as well!!

Buzz                        

[oioi]

Definately no go for me and this is the bit I oh so lurrrrrrrrrve rubbing in...I  Will be taking my car on the C2C, Le-Mans and this is the one that should p*** you all off... me and my westy are going to the USA for 4 weeks Yee hawwww!!

Buzz  in smug contentness mode!!  

Plus I hear there may be an official WSCC tour into europe in 2006.I might be wrong....Oh by the way Did I say I was going to the USA for 4 weeks with my westfield.... £1.02 a gallon as well!!

Buzz                        

sorry buzz, perhaps i should have made it clear, this is an official (whatever that means) westfield club event as sanctioned by the club chairman no less

hence the fact i was canvassing for opinion before launching the event in the club mag

Mike

ps - mumbles into pint cussing your name re america

[chazpowerslide]

I've done this kind of thing before (all be it on motorbikes) and I think you'll find that the costs will spiral upwards.

The Santander ferry is a good option gets you straight there in about 23 hours.

Have you looked at Andorra/Barcelona area, the roads here are some of the best in the world IMHO, I know the area well (Mrs Slide comes from the Costa Dorada).

A cheap option is Formula 1 hotels (about £20 per night for B+B) or Ibis (both common in spain now) but these often restrict you to the towns and cities.

Chaz.

[oioi]

Hi Chaz,

i looked into the ferry option as a way of getting there quickly and easily but the prices I was being quoted seemed a bit nuts and would add a huge amount on the costs.  Spoke to brittany ferries and said "i want to book 20 cars what sort of deal will you do?" and they said "sorry we dont do group discounts"

"what never?"  "nop never"

I was planning to include the andorra and Barcelona area and local knowledge would be much appreciated      

as for Ibiss/Formula 1 - if more people answered q7 above then I would know what to book!

Mike

[Blacknblue]

1/ Possible - dependant upon time of year - I'm also doing the USA tour next year

2/ With partner - although that would depend on where - she doesn't do boats very well and wouldn't be keen on a long ferry crossing

3/ See above re long ferry crossing

4/ Seems OK

5/ During is better for us - Grandparents live miles away. Sept - Oct is no go due to USA2005

6/ Support vehicle would be good, or at least ensure everybody has European recovery

7/ Need good hotels please

8/ Not worried about a track day

9/ Cost is fine, so I guess I'm a possible definate maybe sort of!!!

Oh and did I mention I'm also doing USA2005         So Sept - Oct is out for me.

[DavidH]

Hi i would be very interested, no children to worry about, also gone past the slumming it stage. I have been on several trips with the MG club which were great fun. It might be worth looking at their website, they do a trip to Spain,(MG Owners Club).

[hogman]

I would be interested in doing this - looked into the Gumball Rally but they want £10k!!!

In answer to your questions...

1. Purely cost

2. Dont know

3. Anywhere

4. All in sounds good

5. Anytime

6. Defo!

7. Average (Travel-lodge standards)

8. Yes if costs not too high

9. Keep as cheap as poss!

Hope this helps, there are several ifs and buts for 2005 but 2006 looks a defo!

Keep us posted!

Cheers

kevin

[carbeh]

GUMBALL £10k!

ah but the glitz, and sluts (eg TPT).

America! huh, 55mph, huh.

1. cost

2. wifey

3+4. Surely Alps and no motorway at all (BUSA)

5. Summer outside school hols (for cost)

6. Defo too!

7. Slum it (shower a must though after a hard days drive with aeroscreen)

8. yup nurbergring or simialr super track if rest considering

9. would pay those costs yes