Rally Driving days - recommendations?

[horacezontal]

Dear petrolheads. I know this isn't track day related strictly but.... I want to buy a days rally driving lessons for someone's birthday (they haven't done it before) but I'm not sure where to book up. There are loads of places to book such things but, my experience of many of them is that your "day" consists of 4-5 hours of hanging around or sitting in a classroom with half an hour of driving. I want to find a good one. I live in Cambridge but am prepared to travel. Any recommendations?

[getcarter]

www.rallydrive.co.uk/

Did a day here - great fun - highly recommended

...short vid (1.9 mb) of me driving on the course here - give you an idea of what one gets up to >> www.stevecarter.com/mud.WMV

Steve

[horacezontal]

thanks very much getcarter. Liked the video! :-))

[PetrolTed]

Steve, I did one there about 10 years ago. HUUUUUUGE FUN!

[sjg]

www.driveandsurvive.com/ - they're at Enstone Airfield in Oxfordshire so not far. Got a "rally intro" day last christmas and had a great time there. Only half-day in my case but plenty of time in the car - it was 3 or 4 people per car/instructor so you'd drive, recover, have a quick drink/chat with others then you'd be getting ready to go out again.

Pretty good varied-surface "stage" in a loop so no boring going back to the start. The cars are AE86 Corollas, not as fancy as some rally schools but RWD, revvy and very slideable. It was one of the few "driving experiences" I've done where the instructors just wanted you to go faster and more sideways without nannying or imposing stupid rev/speed limits to preserve the car. Finishes with some timed assessment laps then a passenger ride - my instructor was very handy behind the wheel!

I was knackered after the half-day, but would like to go back at some point to do a full day - huge fun.

[zumbruk]

I've done one at Silverstone - there are two there, one inside the circuit and one outside - I did the outside one. Whatever you do, make sure they use RWD cars. They're *much* easier to get sideways, which is actually required on loose surfaces, not just for entertainment!