Why I’d rather drive than fly: Lee Sibley's guide to summer holidays

It’s the height of the summer season, and many of us are headed for a much-needed getaway – if it hasn’t happened already.

Sure, air travel may sometimes be quicker (and very often necessary if heading for horizons far away), but for a petrolhead, travel by plane is a distant second to jumping into a sports car. 

A road trip is perhaps the ultimate sports car experience: a real sense of adventure, where the destination, time of arrival, and route to get there is all governed by you. You’ll discover new sights, food, and experiences along the way, while bonding with your sports car in a way that 10,000 miles of commuting will never give you. Why on earth would you swap all of that for a busy airport terminal and a cramped and smelly flight?!

Think about it, how many flights have you been on, and how many do you remember? If any, I bet it’ll be because of negatives such as undue delays, lost luggage or a nervy episode of cheek-clenching turbulence.

A road trip is the exact opposite: rather then being unmemorable, I guarantee it’ll be unforgettable. The chance to indulge in those aforementioned new places, food and people along the way will enrich your experiences and appreciation of the world, while driving great roads which you’d otherwise not encounter. Even better, these roads and mountain passes are the exact environment for which your sports car was made, serving up a utopia of pure automotive hedonism that you’ll want to experience again and again. 

With a flight, the purpose is to merely reach your destination. By taking the road and indulging in a road trip, the destination is merely the halfway point of a life experience shared between man and machine. The adventure begins with the first roll of your tyres, and finishes when those wheels roll back onto your own driveway. You can carve out your own adventure in between: want to visit an attraction such as the Porsche Museum en route? Or the Nürburgring? All you need to do is point your steering wheel in their direction, with these memorable stops helping to sew together the ultimate experience of adventure and independence.

Remember, flying over means missing out – while driving through allows you to fully indulge in new experiences via the conduit of your sports car.

A road trip also serves up the perfect opportunity to fully bond with your car. Those long hours at the wheel and variances in road types, from urban roads to mountain passes to autobahns, serve up a heady mix of scenarios which allow you to explore the different faces of your sports car to its full potential. Indeed, you’ll likely learn more about your steed on these trips than in 50,000 miles of commuting.

Unsure whether your car is a keeper or not? Take it on a road trip, and by the time you get back home, you will have your answer.

Don’t limit your car to one road trip, either. Each trip brings about new experiences, banking new memories along the way, and will only increase the bond you have with your pride and joy.

My personal experience bears testament to this: I’ve taken my Porsche 996.1 Carrera to northern Europe and the verge of the Arctic Circle, all around the UK and Ireland, and back ‘home’ to the Porsche Museum… and I still can’t get enough of the car! Each new trip fortifies my passion for my 911, but again, the day that doesn’t happen, I know it’ll be time to sell.

Looking to buy a Porsche? Check out our buyer's guides here. 

So, ditch the airport, grab the car keys, and head out onto that playground of over one million miles of roads stretching all over Europe.

The question isn’t ‘where are you headed?’, but rather ‘where are you headed first’?

Ready to go now? Read Lee's top 5 things to pack for your next road trip here. 

Lee Sibley

9Werks.co.uk