Rally tours

[squirt]

We are rally fans from New Zealand and are looking at doing a rally tour for the Acropolis. Has anyone been on one or can recommend a tour. We will either go straight to Athens or pick one up in London. It would be great to get some feedback before making our decision. :cool:

[Viktory]

http://www.rallytravels.com/

Haven't been on a trip with them before but I've heard lots of positive things about them.

[5Times]

We always use Rally Travel from the UK and have been on the Acropolis Tour twice with them previously and thoroughly enjoyed it. http://www.rallytravel.com/

Rally Travel are a UK based company who often work together with Rally Travels who are based in Sweden.

Went last year and saw:-
Thu - Shakedown & Olympic Stadium Super Special
Fri - 2 stages (Thiva 1 & Skourta 2) and a visit to the Service Park
Sat - 2 stages (Mandra 1 & Psatha 2) with a lunch stop by the beach at Psatha
Sun - 3 stages (Avlonas 1&2) & the Olympic Stadium Super Special
and as we had arrived on the Tuesday prior to the event Rally Travel had arranged a day trip to the island of Aegina which was included in the tour cost.

[Audimadgeoff]

The SJR supporters club are organising a tour of the Acropolis, you are more than welcome to join us as we follow young Stuart Jones around. PM me for more details.

Would be fun to meet up when we come to New Zealand later in the year! ;)

[castor]

If you need a local Travel Agency we have a specialised one in Greece

RON Travel
tel +30210 6429242, +30210 6470510
fax: +30210 6426618
e-mail: [email:3lnbc9f0]ron@techlink.gr[/email:3lnbc9f0]

It is owned and run by ex driver Manolis Halivelakis (http://www.rallybase.nl/index.php?type=profile&driverid=3459)

[squirt]

Thank's for the info will look into it.

[squirt]

Yes we have looked at their website and are tempted to pick up the tour in London. Sounds and looks heaps of fun.

[Camelopard]

Went to Rally Of Germany in 2005 with Per Carlsson's http://www.rallytravels.com/

Very happy with what we saw and what it cost and where we stayed. Will use them again next time we go to Europe to see a rally, maybe Sweden/Norway 2008.

[squirt]

Thank's rallytours and rally travel seem to be the ones to go with. We have decided to go straight to Athens as we have to cut short our trip but as long as we see the Rally that will be the main thing.

[hype]

Hello,

We are visiting the acropolis rally this year.
Does anyone have any experience to share with me?
We rented a jeep, i think thats the best way to get to the stages.

Does anyone know good places on the stages? Jumps? River passes?
Any other useful information?

Regards,
hYpe

[pettersolberg29]

If you go with Rallytravel they sort it out, but if you go by yourself, then it can be hard to find the best places in Greece. A Jeep is a good idea!

I remember at Mandra last year there was a nice place near the start with a long sweeping corner then a small jump, but I'm afraid that is as much as I remember - I'm rubbish with place names!

But to be honest almost anywhere is great as Acropolis is such a great rally. Have fun!

[wrc_flipper]

We are rally fans from New Zealand and are looking at doing a rally tour for the Acropolis. Has anyone been on one or can recommend a tour. We will either go straight to Athens or pick one up in London. It would be great to get some feedback before making our decision. :cool:

Rally Travel (http://www.rallytravel.com) are very good - I went with them for the last three years and they superb. Looking forward to Italy next month!
I did Acropolis in 2006 and that were very good. http://www.rallytravel.com/download.php?file=brochure_18.pdf&idno=18

Flip

[jbanbury]

Agree with all the comment regarding Rally Travel .. Next months Sardinia and Acropolis will be the 14th & 15th time I have been with them.

[Tomi]

Agree with all the comment regarding Rally Travel .. Next months Sardinia and Acropolis will be the 14th & 15th time I have been with them.

Hi, are you coming to Finland this year again?

[J4MIE]

Don't think I'd ever go to an event with a tour, I like to organise my own stuff and not worry about having to be back at a bus to get out of a stage. Doing it that way is half the fun I think :)

[pettersolberg29]

I agree J4MIE but the tours are very good - honestly.

It's good first time to find good places and hotels - then do it on your own next time! That's what I'm doing with Norway!

[Jordib]

Totally agree with you J4mie. For me it's very interesting to find and prepare the trip, stages, etc... and be free to do what I want.
But I also think that there are places where can be difficult to find the best place when you go for the first time, and maybe Greece is one of them.
I can't imagine myself going to a rally with a tour...

[jbanbury]

Hi, are you coming to Finland this year again?

Hi Tomi, not this year ... plans are Sardinia, Greece, Germany, Spain and GB. Also have Norway booked for next year.

[Daniel]

Don't think I'd ever go to an event with a tour, I like to organise my own stuff and not worry about having to be back at a bus to get out of a stage. Doing it that way is half the fun I think :)

I agree. A lot more freedom. Unless that is of course J4mie is in charge and he forces you to go on a death march through the forests of Finland :bigcry: :p

[Brother John]

I agree. A lot more freedom. Unless that is of course J4mie is in charge and he forces you to go on a death march through the forests of Finland :bigcry: :p

In Sweden this year it was not J4MIE but Pino. :dozey:

[5Times]

There seems to be some confusion here about the types of tours on offer by the Rally Tour companies (particularly Rally Travel).

There are 2 types of tour on offer from Rally Travel.

The Escorted Tour where as some have mentioned you have to adhere to a strict itenerary set out by the tour company.

However, there is also the Self-Drive tour option designed for those who want to do their own thing.

Having sorted out all my own arrangements (Monte-Carlo), and been on a Self-Drive tour (Catalunya) with Rally Travel, I have to admit that the Self-Drive Rally Travel option was a lot easier, and not any more expensive.

There are also a number of advantages with the Self-Drive tour option that you simply wouldn't get if you sorted out you own things.

Based from my experiences in Catalunya 2007 I found the following:-

Apart from Rally Travel handling the Hire-Car and Hotel bookings and advising on flights these are:-

1 - The Rally Travel information pack provided in advance of our departure contained detailed directions to from our hotel to every single one of the specatator access points on the rally route. As the info pack was only produced in the month prior to the rally is also contained details of any roadworks or any potential traffic blackspots noted from previous years.

2 - Each of the spectator points had a viewing description. Which said what type of view was on offer (e.g. fast straight, hairpin etc.), what the view was like (e.g. restricted, open etc.), plus any other information (e.g. if there was a bridge that needed to be crossed to access the viewpoint and departure wouldn't be allowed until stage had been fully run).

3 - A map book (of an OS Equivalent standard) with far more detailed maps than those published in the official program.

4 - Photographs of all the spectator areas so you could see for yourself exactly what was in store when you reached the stage.

5 - A pre-event specatator briefing to go through all the above and answer any questions.

6 - On event staff with previous experience of the event that were available all weekend to answer any further questions. We had pre-planned our route before our departure, but it was really good to get a second opinion on it.

7 - A fantastic pre-event Welcome Show & Charity Auction exlusive to Rally Travel guests where all the top (Ford, Subaru etc.) drivers were interviewed on stage in front of the audience.

8 - The opportunity to visit the Ford or Subaru teams hospitality areas during the event.

9 - A 10% merchandise discount card.

10 - A free complimentary copy of the programme.

But as for where we went and spectated each day, well that was left entirely up to ourselves. We chose our own itinerary and went where we wanted to, when we wanted to.

I short I found all of the above to be plus points and more than benficial in organising our trip.

[Daniel]

In Sweden this year it was not J4MIE but Pino. :dozey:

Well Pino did teach J4mie how to make pizza's so perhaps J4mie taught Pino how to take people on death marches.

[Tomi]

Well Pino did teach J4mie how to make pizza's so perhaps J4mie taught Pino how to take people on death marches.

wonder how J4mies's Haggish pizza tastes like ;)

[J4MIE]

I agree. A lot more freedom. Unless that is of course J4mie is in charge and he forces you to go on a death march through the forests of Finland

Yes but the fact is we got to a jump with hardly anybody around, could stand where we wanted and we also got lucky and managed to find Finland's friendly marshal after we had avoided normal ones :up:


However, there is also the Self-Drive tour option designed for those who want to do their own thing.

Having sorted out all my own arrangements (Monte-Carlo), and been on a Self-Drive tour (Catalunya) with Rally Travel, I have to admit that the Self-Drive Rally Travel option was a lot easier, and not any more expensive.

But as for where we went and spectated each day, well that was left entirely up to ourselves. We chose our own itinerary and went where we wanted to, when we wanted to.

I short I found all of the above to be plus points and more than benficial in organising our trip.

Sure, there are bound to be people that like that kind of thing and glad you have had good experiences. I just think that for me it's not what I would want to do, as I say part of what I enjoy is finding your own place to stay, places to eat, finding your own places to spectate from and finding your own way into the stages and dealing with any problems/cancellations etc as they come. Again there have been times when we've ended up at not so good places, but when you get to a great place it is a lot more satisfying :)


Well Pino did teach J4mie how to make pizza's so perhaps J4mie taught Pino how to take people on death marches.

No I learned it from Pino as well, and even getting cramp halfway up an alp with him "just want to see the next corner" didn't put me off (much).


wonder how J4mies's Haggish pizza tastes like ;)

You're welcome to come and have a taste anytime :D

[jonas_mcrae]

There seems to be some confusion here about the types of tours on offer by the Rally Tour companies (particularly Rally Travel).

There are 2 types of tour on offer from Rally Travel.

The Escorted Tour where as some have mentioned you have to adhere to a strict itenerary set out by the tour company.

However, there is also the Self-Drive tour option designed for those who want to do their own thing.

Having sorted out all my own arrangements (Monte-Carlo), and been on a Self-Drive tour (Catalunya) with Rally Travel, I have to admit that the Self-Drive Rally Travel option was a lot easier, and not any more expensive.

There are also a number of advantages with the Self-Drive tour option that you simply wouldn't get if you sorted out you own things.

Based from my experiences in Catalunya 2007 I found the following:-

Apart from Rally Travel handling the Hire-Car and Hotel bookings and advising on flights these are:-

1 - The Rally Travel information pack provided in advance of our departure contained detailed directions to from our hotel to every single one of the specatator access points on the rally route. As the info pack was only produced in the month prior to the rally is also contained details of any roadworks or any potential traffic blackspots noted from previous years.

2 - Each of the spectator points had a viewing description. Which said what type of view was on offer (e.g. fast straight, hairpin etc.), what the view was like (e.g. restricted, open etc.), plus any other information (e.g. if there was a bridge that needed to be crossed to access the viewpoint and departure wouldn't be allowed until stage had been fully run).

3 - A map book (of an OS Equivalent standard) with far more detailed maps than those published in the official program.

4 - Photographs of all the spectator areas so you could see for yourself exactly what was in store when you reached the stage.

5 - A pre-event specatator briefing to go through all the above and answer any questions.

6 - On event staff with previous experience of the event that were available all weekend to answer any further questions. We had pre-planned our route before our departure, but it was really good to get a second opinion on it.

7 - A fantastic pre-event Welcome Show & Charity Auction exlusive to Rally Travel guests where all the top (Ford, Subaru etc.) drivers were interviewed on stage in front of the audience.

8 - The opportunity to visit the Ford or Subaru teams hospitality areas during the event.

9 - A 10% merchandise discount card.

10 - A free complimentary copy of the programme.

But as for where we went and spectated each day, well that was left entirely up to ourselves. We chose our own itinerary and went where we wanted to, when we wanted to.

I short I found all of the above to be plus points and more than benficial in organising our trip.

I did exactly the same trip last year!
And yes it was really good, had never been in a rally outside America so I though it was going to be difficult to find places and get there, but with the rally travel guide it was really easy, of course we got lost or missed a turn a couple of times but overall it was really good. Even we had the chance to drive back with the car to barcelona and spend some time there, would recomend them to everyone who likes rallying.
Im planning to go with them to some rally this year but im not sure yet which, GB sounds ok but i think its too expensive for whats on offer (in relation to the same kind of thing I did in Spain..)

[Daniel]

Don't go to Rally GB. I'd much rather see a continental round than GB if you're travelling from overseas.

[Sami]

Interesting rally travellers here. For all of us it seems the fascination is somehow different.

Rally spectating differs a lot of cirquit racing, and in my opinion the biggest difference from spectators point of view is the route. The route is 350kms, not 5 kms repeated 70 times.

That is the fascination.

That is why I won't be on a bus trip, never.

I won't go to a spectating spot according to a travel guide.

I want to drive the stages through and choose the best places to watch. And the best places are the trickiest ones, there you can spot the real talents from ordinary drivers. I drive the stages and look for the surprising factors, wierd lines over crests, confusing tree lines, tightening corners..

I visit about 30 rallies a year (since a long long time ago). I wittness 30-40 rolls every year. And really calculate them as a meter to my success in choosing the best places.

Still I enjoy most seeing the great saves, not destroying cars. One of the greatest saves I have seen was one Sebastien Loeb in San Remo 1999 in a Saxo. 99,9 of 100 would have ended up on the bottom of the ravine there, but mr Loeb from nowhere amazingly flicked the car sideways on dry tarmac, and accelerated it away from trouble even though on tyre was already hanging over the cliff... It was easy to predict some future for him.

[Tomi]

I want to drive the stages through and choose the best places to watch. And the best places are the trickiest ones, there you can spot the real talents from ordinary drivers.

Does this mean that you are not so interested in pathetic waterspashes? ;)

[Sami]

Exactly,

I meant that I want to spot talent, but didn't mean swimming skills.

[Daniel]

Exactly,

I meant that I want to spot talent, but didn't mean swimming skills.
Good for photos if that's your sort of thing (I gather it isn't) and not much else :)