The Big Trips
To tell the story of Pub2Pub, you need to go back way further than 2017-18, when the Pub2Pub Expedition took place. Twelve years, in fact, as while that 27,000 mile trip across the planet has leant its name to our ongoing adventures, we'd been hitting roads less travelled in unlikely vehicles for many years before then. Here's a run-through of the various automotive adventures we've undertaken over the years, which have led up to where we are now, from the first tentative beginnings to the present day - enjoy.
Summer 2006 - The Mongol Rally
Where it all began - 10,000 miles across Europe and Asia, from the UK to Mongolia, in a pair of classic Minis.
Our first-ever adventurous road trip, this drive took in many of the best holiday spots - place like Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Siberia, and started the ball rolling on a long series of big trips in unlikely vehicles which is still going today.
Winter 2006 - To Hell and Back
Following the Mongol Rally, we found ourselves in possession of a Fiat 126 in need of a road trip. The solution to this dilemma was obvious - given we'd decided it was the car from Hell, we figured we'd drive it to Hell. In midwinter.
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Hell is a small village near Trondheim, Norway.
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The subsequent adventure was certainly memorable...
Spring 2007 - El Naranjo de Bulnes
Following the Mongol Rally, we found ourselves in possession of a Fiat 126 in need of a road trip. The solution to this dilemma was obvious - given we'd decided it was the car from Hell, we figured we'd drive it to Hell. In midwinter.
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Hell is a small village near Trondheim, Norway.
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The subsequent adventure was certainly memorable...
Autumn 2008 - The AfricanPorsche Expedition
Our first truly big trip - a drive from the UK to Cape Town, via the likes of Syria, Egypt, the Sudan and Ethiopia.
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Naturally, given what had gone before, the only rational choice of vehicle for such an undertaking was an old Porsche 944. With 206,000 miles on the clock on the day of departure. What could possibly go wrong?
Winter 2012 - A Lap of the Baltic
In Winter, off the coasts of Estonia, Finland and Sweden, they build ice roads to access islands offshore. Naturally, on hearing this, the opportunity to drive across the frozen Baltic Sea was too much to resist, and so we bought an old Jaguar and headed off on a 5,000 mile lap of the Baltic to drive them.
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We almost sank, of course, but that just adds to the adventure, really.
Summer 2012 - MoroccoV8
It's possible to drive to the Sahara and back in two weeks off work. Sure, a few ferries are needed, but it's pretty straightforward.
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So, to make things interesting, we decided to make the 2,700 mile round trip from the UK in a faltering 1976 Rover P6 V8. Because if you're looking for an adventure, you may as well go all in...
Summer 2013 - The Vietnam Special
We're not going to claim it's an original idea, buying motorbikes in Hanoi and riding them 1,200 miles across Vietnam, to Saigon. In fact, we may even have seen some folk on the TV do it once.
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But a good idea is a good idea, and the result of following in celebrity footsteps was a pretty memorable trip, that's for sure.
Summer 2016 - The Slovenian Job
So, you have a week's holiday. Surely the logical thing to do is to buy an old Renault 4 sight unseen in Slovenia, fly out there, pick it up and drive it back?
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Obviously, it was only when we'd driven it the 2,000 miles back to the UK that we discovered that the chassis was made from expanding foam, fibreglass and positive thoughts. You live and learn.
Autumn 2016 - LeJog / NC500
All these big, globetrotting road trips abroad, and yet we'd never even driven Scotland's NC500?
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That just wouldn't stand. Cue a souped-up classic Fiat Panda, a starting point at the UK mainland's southernmost pub, and a memorable week getting to grips with one of the planet's best drives...
