Frequently Asked Questions
What is a banger rally?
Basically it is all about a group of like minded people getting together, driving some old or battered cars to places they wouldn't normally visit and generally having fun.
When does the rally actually set off?
The start date for the Venice 2012 Rally is 1st September 2012.
The start date for the Prague 2012 Rally is 1st September 2012.
These are the days that we all meet in St Omer. The meeting will be in the late afternoon / early evening and all teams will be advised of the venue nearer the time. The actual driving commences the following morning.
How much will the rally cost?
Entrance Fee - The cost to enter either of the rallies is £199 for a team of two. If you wish to add persons to help reduce the costs, we ask for another £50 per person. (Don't forget we've got a special offer on for all girl teams).
Accommodation - The accommodation (see more info below) we arrange is an excellent standard and will work out at around £37 - £42 per person per night (7 nights in total on the Prague rally). If you want to book cheaper hotels yourself or even camp then that's fine, you'll be told where the rest of us are staying, but you may miss out on the banter had between teams who are staying in accommodation organised by us. After all you’re coming for a laugh so it is worth pushing the boat out if you can.
The Car - The cost of the car must be £333 or less (unless you take a classic car over 20 years old). What you spend after you've purchased the car is up to you, be it pimping it out with an awesome design or putting a new engine in! But again if cost is an issue, you can get a few cans of paint and do a spray job yourselves.
Other costs are:
Ferry crossings - pretty cheap if booked well in advance (less than £70 for car and 2 return). Alternatively book the channel tunnel for faster transport.
European breakdown cover - (optional).
Petrol costs - allow 1600 miles to Prague and another 700 if returning by car. This is the mileage you will cover in Europe (diesel prices similar to UK, petrol slightly higher).
Spends - money for food & drinks.
Tolls - there are a few tolls but nothing excessive, you will be looking at around £25 in total for tolls, however you can get away without going on the tolls, the routes just take longer!
Vignettes - To drive on the motorways in Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia and Czech Republic you need a Vignette. They are not expensive and the motorways can be avoided in some countries.
Flights - If flying back.
The Venice Rally will work out a little cheaper as it is 5 nights in total. You need to allow around 1000 miles to Venice and another 870 if returning by car.
What do we do about accommodation?
You have 2 options:
Option 1 - The Motoscape Package (let us book your accommodation):
As with previous rallies, the accommodation can be arranged by us for the duration of the rally and is of an excellent standard. Plus we get discounts from the hotels for bulk bookings, which we then pass on to you. If you take this option you will be asked to pay a deposit of £100 with the remaining cost of the hotels to be paid a couple of months prior to the start of the rally. The accommodation is used as the 'base' and meeting place for the next days events. These arrangements allow us to keep teams together and makes for a much better rally, especially if cars need TLC. People can pool their resources - bits of rope, tie wraps, gaffa tap etc.
Option 2 - The Economy Package (book your own accommodation):
You might want to camp, book cheap hotels & hostels, or any other sleeping arrangements you can think of! If money is tight then methods such as camping will make it cheaper for you and more appropriate for your budget.
If you want to book your own accommodation, just let us know on the registration form.
What do I need to compete?
Obviously you’ll need insurance, all those who are driving will need a driving license (note the minimum age for driving in Europe is 18) and a MOT certificate. There are other things that are compulsory when driving in Europe so check out the following site for up to date information.
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/countrybycountry.html
You will also need to bring your passport and travel insurance for travelling through Europe.
What’s the best way to arrange insurance?
You should be able to take out a standard car insurance policy with added European cover. Remember, this is a motoring tour, it is not a race / speed rally, so do not mention anything to do with speed, rally and races as insurance companies do not cover this.
Some people swap the insurance over from their own cars (not recommended if it means leaving an expensive car without theft cover); others take out a separate policy on a pay monthly basis and then cancel it when they get back home (check the terms and conditions that the policy can be cancelled within a set period). This way it will cost you one month’s insurance.
Alternatively you could contact a specialist insurance broker for more advice on different policies available.
What makes your rallies different from the others?
Motoscape has been going since 2006 and we believe very much in attention to detail. Some of the other rallies out there give you very little information and just expect you to know everything there is to know about driving in Europe. It's not much fun getting stopped by the feds on a motorway in Austria to be told that you need a permit and because you haven't got one, "that will be 300 Euro danke schön". We aim to provide you with all the information you require to make your trip as easy as possible.
We have a great deal of experience and believe that our routes can't be bettered. We keep the driving down to around 5 - 6 hours per day (some days even less) which means that you are not getting to your next destination when it's time for bed. This way you get chance to see some of the great places we take you to and of course to meet up with your fellow Motoscapians for a few beers. There are some rallies out there that will have you driving 500 miles along the motorways in one day.
Why is the value £333?
On previous rallies the value has been £250, but with the price of scrap soaring we have increased it this year. Why have we set the limit at £333, it just sounded catchier than £350!
What if my car cost £334?
The spirit of this event is all about getting together with like minded people and having a laugh. There is always a degree of flexibility in the value of the car. Are we going to ask you to prove how much you bought the car for? No we are not. However, if your car looks as though it cost a lot more than £333 then it is your peers that will judge you.
How can I buy a car for so little money?
You’d be surprised what you can get for your money. Ebay would have to be one port of call. You could look on the Autotrader website or even venture down to your local car auction. You could also visit your local dealers to see what they have taken in part exchange or ask friends and work colleagues if they have any suitable donor vehicles laying idle. One tip though, buy a car which has enough MOT to take you beyond the finish date.
On our 2010 & 2011 rallies, a few teams had managed to get their cars donated for FREE! They simply explained at local car dealers that they were doing the rally for charity, used some gift of the gab and they were sorted! If you don't get one for free, you'll probably still get some discount.
What if my car isn’t quite 20 years old?
Again there is a degree of flexibility so email us and let us know what car you are hoping to bring.
What happens if I break down, do the organisers provide backup?
Out of all the cars that enter, only a small number will break down. The organisers can't promise to provide backup but have in the past assisted stranded teams and taken them on to their next destination where they have then linked up with fellow Motoscapians for the remainder of the trip. The organisers of some of the other rallies out there have a 'tough luck' attitude and 'it's your problem not ours'.
You will be given the organisers contact numbers who will wherever possible try and assist you so that you can continue on your trip. What we do recommend however is that you take out European breakdown cover and make sure that it covers all the countries you will be travelling through.
Can I use a Sat Nav?
We actually recommend that you do bring one as the last thing you want after a day’s driving is spending another hour trying to find the hotel. It just means so much less stress. Note: if you are going to Prague you will need Eastern European as well as Western European maps on it.
Do I need to know anything about cars?
Like we've said above, there is a great deal of camaraderie on these trips and it is very rare for teams not to make it to the final destination one way or another.
What happens at the end of the rally, do I scrap the car and drive back or do I fly?
It's up to you. Some people drive back, some people go on elsewhere and some fly back. If you are flying back, it's a nice idea to give the car to a deserving waiter / waitress. It would certainly make their day!
What is the best option?
Well if you want to drive back, the most direct route to Calais from Prague, is just short of 700 miles and from Venice around 870 miles. This should take about 10 hours and 12.5 hours respectively if you drive continuously. We do however not recommend this - although many teams have done it in less than this.
If you want to fly back, there are a number of budget airlines that fly to the UK. The following list may not be exhaustive but there is plenty of choice.
PRAGUE TO UK:
Easyjet to Bristol, Doncaster, London Gatwick and London Stansted.
Jet2 to Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, Manchester and Newcastle.
Bmibaby to Birmingham, Manchester and East Midlands.
German Wings via Cologne/Bonn to London Stanstead
Click4sky to London Heathrow and Manchester.
Wizzair to London Luton.
PRAGUE TO IRELAND:
Ryanair to Dublin
Click4sky to Dublin
Aer Lingus to Dublin and Cork
Venice (Marco Polo)
Ryanair to Bristol, Dublin, East Midlands, Leeds Bradford and London (Stanstead)
Jet 2 to Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford and Manchester
Norwegian.com to London (Gatwick)
Easyjet to London (Gatwick)
BMIbaby to East Midlands
Aer Lingus to Dublin
German Wings to Dublin, East Midlands and Edinburgh
Venice (Treviso) 28 miles away
Ryanair to East Midlands, Leeds Bradford and London (Stanstead)
German Wings to Dublin and Edinburgh
Verona 100 miles away
Thomson Airways to Bristol, London (Gatwick) and Manchester
Easyjet to London (Gatwick)
Flythomascook to London (Gatwick) and Manchester
Ryanair to London (Stanstead)
BMIbaby to East Midlands
Flybe to Southampton
Do you have any contacts for scrapping the car?
We aim to provide you with a list of brokers for scrapping your car. In the past, some of the teams have given their cars away to locals or staff at the hotel or even sold them to a local garage. We do not however negotiate this for you and it would be entirely your responsibility.
I've heard some rallies just contain driving on motorway and toll roads, is Motoscape the same?
Definitely not, you could actually do this rally without going on the motorways and avoid tolls completely! There is however a balance needed between the time you save and the extra cost. Tolls are recommended on parts of the journey but they are kept to a minimum. This rally is specifically designed for you to get a feel for the countries you are travelling through during which time you will experience the most spectacular scenery in Europe.
How much driving is there each day?
We travel through stunning scenery and stay in some fantastic places. We have therefore worked out a route so that the maximum driving in any one day is about 5 - 6 hours. This therefore gives you plenty of time to get there, relax and explore. It's not a school trip, it's an adventure you can certainly personalise it to suit yourselves.
I'm not from the UK, can I still come on the rally?
Absolutely, we welcome entrants from all over Europe. As we are from the UK though this is an English speaking rally.
Do I have to raise money for charity?
No, that is entirely up to you. It is not a requirement, some teams just take part for the shear "hell of it" but some are more charitable.
I've heard that most people decorate their cars and some even wear fancy dress. Is this true?
Yes this is quite true. It all adds to the fun to see a convoy of cartoon themed bangers cruising down the Autobahn! Some teams choose a particular theme; others just cover their car in stickers and add their team name. There will be a cash prize for the best decorated car so get your thinking "cap" on as it could get you some bonus points.
What sort of people take part?
All sorts, male, female, young or old, it doesn’t matter. We get friends coming together, partners, fathers coming along with their sons and even families. So yes, it is suitable for everyone and no single group or person has any advantage to winning the daily or overall prizes.
Some people take part to raise money for charities, others come to see Europe like they've never seen it before, some to get away from the wife and kids and many people just for the sheer enjoyment and the chance meet a great bunch of people along the way.
Do I get a team number?
No, your team will be referred to by name. We don’t give you a number as this tends to imply that it's a race, which it is not, it's a rally!
Will I have to sign a disclaimer?
Yes, all team members will have to sign a disclaimer. This is standard practice in banger rallies.
What can you tell me about the prizes?
If you want to win first prize then you have to accumulate sufficient points on the daily challenges and finish at the top of the leader board. As well as second and third place prizes, we also have daily prizes of £75 per day for each route. This way if after the first couple of days you are out of the running for a top 3 place you can still win a prize. This way we keep everyone interested in the challenges.
First Place = £800 :: Second Place = £300 :: Third Place = £100
Daily Challenge Prizes = £75 per day per rally :: Best decorated car = £100
What do the challenges involve?
Now that would be telling, you'll just have to wait until the rally begins. Every team starts on an equal footing, even teams from previous years have no advantage, because we change the challenges each year.
Can I be disqualified?
While we are all up for a laugh, this is the serious bit. Treat others and their property like you would expect people yourself and your property.
This basically means, have a great time, do not damage hotel property, other people’s property and deface other competitor’s cars. Whilst doing your own spray to someone’s car might seem like to fun to you, a lot of participants will be driving back and some will be donating their cars to charity.
The organisers reserves the right to disqualify a participant or a member or members of a participating team at any time without notice during a rally, for behaviour that causes or is likely to cause danger, upset or distress to any third party or damage to property.
If the above does not answer your questions, you can e-mail us at contact@motoscape-rally.co.uk.
