Moving Forwards. A sitrep, and our plans for 2024

Here at Pub2Pub, 2023 has been quite a year. Our biggest year ever, in fact. Compared to 2022 we've gone from running three trips a year, to four, and have seen a 60% increase in bookings when compared with 2022 - the year in which we effectively had to relaunch the business from scratch, after Covid shut us down for almost three years.

The level of repeat custom we've seen has amazed us, with a fair few people having came along on three of our trips in the past 18 months, and some particularly keen folk joining on four of the seven runs we've held in that time. To give just one example of this repeat custom, our first post Covid tour saw fourteen TVRs heading to France on the Chateau TVR trip. Eleven of the fourteen cars on this run have since joined subsequent trips; which when combined with the return rate we're seeing from our other drives, is surely a sign that we're doing something right.

But these trips aren't just about numbers. We've seen countless friendships forged while on the road, plenty of unforgettable memories made and a wealth of Europe's best roads and most interesting destinations experienced. And now, when we look at what Pub2Pub has become, we see it as much an extended and rapidly growing circle of friends, as a tour operator. In short, in the past eighteen months Pub2Pub Adventures has gone from being a dormant company which hadn't run a trip in years, to something which really feels like it has some momentum behind it.

So, we really feel the need to say thank you so much to everyone who has been part of the story over the last few years. None of this could have happened without you putting your trust in Pub2Pub to deliver when it comes to driving adventures, something we really appreciate. And thanks to those who have helped us along the way, too - be it by spreading the word to likeminded friends, sharing our stories through social media, displaying Pub2Pub stickers on your pride and joy or even browbeating strangers at car shows to come on our trips. Thanks folks!

But the thing about success is, ideally it needs to be followed up by more success. And that's exactly what we're aiming to do in 2024, by keeping on growing the momentum, and aiming to make it our biggest year yet - and we'd love it if you could be part of it. Below, you'll find a run-through of the five driving tours which form our initial plans for the year - we'll be providing full details of each trip in the coming weeks, but if anything below takes your fancy at this early stage, feel free to get in touch for more information, or to provisionally reserve a place:

Trip One - The French Revolution. April 27th to May 06th.

We first ran the French Rev in 2023, and it went down a storm, with its combination of the best driving roads France has to offer and an extended stay down on the Riviera, which offered a chance to visit Monaco, drive the Col du Turini, or simply chill on the beach. We're not changing the route at all for this year, because let's face it, the likes of the Route Napoléon, Verdon Gorge, Mont Ventoux, Gorge du Tarn and Massif Central are hard to improve on. In fact, the only change we're making for '24 is to add one extra day in the schedule, so you get two full days and three nights on the Riviera, and we'll be adding some amazing new suggestions as to what to do with that time into the itinerary. So, if you fancy getting the 2024 road trip season underway in style, feel free to join us on a spring lap of France...

Trip Two - Mountains and Machines. June 05th to 17th

New for 2024, we'll be presenting our most ambitious trip yet - trip which combines the glorious driving roads of the Pyrenees with the high octane drama of the Le Mans 24 Hour race. Starting with a ferry from the UK to Santander, the tour will first head for the French side of the Pyrenees, where we'll be driving the famous 'Route des Cols', which takes in the best roads and high passes this often overlooked range of mountains has to offer. Then, it's up through France to that crucible of speed - Le Mans, where we'll be arriving in time to spend the weekend watching the race, before heading back to the UK. This trip is still a work in progress, but rest assured we intend to offer both camping and hotel options for our time at Le Mans, as well as all the attention to detail you'll have came to expect from our itineraries.

Trip Three - The Beer Italia. June 29th to July 07th.

Back for its third year in 2024, the Beer Italia is a real favourite of ours, here at Pub2Pub HQ. Because lets face it, heading over the Alps to Italy, to visit the supercar central that is the Modena area, is never likely to disappoint, is it? The 2024 running of this trip is likely to see some fine-tuning and polishing when compared to previous runs, but only a little, as if we're honest, there isn't actually that much room for improving the route. There is one thing to note about next year's run, however - it's already pretty much fully booked. So, if you haven't yet been in touch about a place, we may not be able to fit you in. However, if there's enough interest, we may consider running the event twice next year, so feel free to get in touch anyway, and watch this space.

Trip Four - The Eagle Rally. September 14th to 22nd.

It's the trip where it all began, and it'll be back for the fifth time in 2024. If you've been following us for a while, you'll already know about our trip across Germany to the Eagle's Nest and back, so I'm not going to give it too much of an introduction here, other than to say that as ways to spend a week in September go, it's most unlikely to be beaten. If you'd like to get in there early and reserve a place on next year's trip to Bavaria, get in touch.

Trip Five - Chateau Pub2Pub. September 28th to October 04th.

For our last trip of the year, what could be better than a run down through France, to spend a few days staying in a chateau? Not much that we can think of, that's for sure.

We'll be making the plan for next year's chateau trip over the coming weeks, so you can expect to have the full details soon. However, the general plan is to make this a truly memorable end to the road tripping season; an end of summer party at an amazing venue, which will be open to the entire Pub2Pub family. So, if you'd like to be part of it, watch this space...

And there ends our initial plans for 2024 - we hope there's something on the list which appeals to you. Over the coming weeks, we'll be updating the Pub2Pub website with the full details of these trips, including pricing. However, if you'd like to get in there early and provisionally put your name down for a no-obligation place on one - or many - of these trips, feel free to drop a message to ben@pub2pubadventures.com , and we'll take things from there...