Operator View:
Travel Weekly asked four specialists what their favourite European motoring destination would be.
Umbria
Rod Moseley, managing director
French Life Holidays
“The Umbria region of Italy would be my first choice, particularly around Lake Trasimeno which has some wonderful countryside and some fantastic hill villages.
“In one town we wandered across a crossbow competition taking place in the middle of the square with locals firing bolts from 150 yards. It was a great atmosphere, a million miles from the frenetic pace of city life. But Umbria has that tranquil atmosphere at dozens of its villages.
“The countryside is lovely for meandering from village to village. You get to see the real Italy, away from the main tourist hubs. It’s lovely watching families – sometimes with three or four generations – having a coffee in one of the villages.
“It’s an excellent region for wines as well, particularly around Montepulciano. Siena is a also good base from which to tour the region.”
Alsace
“I attended the ABTOF Conference last year and managed to get out and about in Alsace, which is close to the German border. To be honest, I knew very little about the region and was pleasantly surprised.
“It is a very quaint region and a marvellous country to tour. I stayed in the town of Colmar, which was peaceful, friendly and had fabulous food.
“But don’t be put off by the peaceful tag. There is nightlife to be found if that’s what you are looking for.
“Elsewhere in France I would go to Lyon, which is a lovely place to visit. It is a city of wonderful contrasts. I could wander for hours along the cobbled streets in the old part of town. The one slight drawback is that it’s so easy to get lost – which is exactly what I did.”
Jackie Willcocks, general manager
Bridge Travel self-drive holidays
Ireland
Jane Williams,
Cresta Holidays marketing manager
“It’s a difficult choice but I would go for the west of Ireland for its fabulous scenery and extraordinarily considerate drivers – I love the way they pull over to let you overtake. Allow yourself plenty of time to explore as every journey takes twice as long as you would expect it to because you have to keep stopping to admire the views – not to mention the fact that there doesn’t seem to be any A roads in Ireland, just winding lanes.
“We went to a lovely town called Ballyvaghan in County Clare. It’s close to Burren which has a fantastic pre-glacial landscape. The rocks have been scrapped bare by the glacier yet nearby there are fabulous wild flowers.
“It’s also on the doorstep of Galway Bay where there are stunning cliffs. I have a vivid memory of Ballyvaghan as we went to a very quaint pub called Monks – and had oysters for the first time.”
Rhineland
John Harding, sales director, Travelscene
“The majestic and historical castles on the towering banks of the River Rhine make the Rhineland in Germany one of the most picturesque regions to tour in Europe.
“In the late 19th century, the Rhineland was the first region to attract mass tourism and the hotels in the area still retain all their old character and charm.
“There’s also plenty of attractions. In Rudesheim for example there is a wonderful musical museum which contains the biggest steam and wind organ collection in the world. The curator dresses in the traditional dress and when you enter there is a tremendous cacophony of sound.
“The food in the Rhineland is also excellent – if you are a meat-eater that is. It is what I describe as robust food, loads of pork, steaks and sausages.”