In this section
we have addressed many of the questions that are posed to us by
prospective clients. If we have not answered any particular query
that you have, please feel free to contact
us.
GENERAL
Who
are Dettaglio?
Dettaglio was set up in 2002
to offer a range of travel
services to people who own sports and performance cars. Prior to
setting up Dettaglio, we spent the best part of 5 years researching
places to visit and suitable hotel accommodation for people travelling
in Europe by car.
Dettaglio has several members of staff who have real world
experience of driving in Europe. To date our guides have driven
well in excess of 100,000 miles over the finest roads in Western
Europe and with our continual presence on Europe's roads, few people
are better placed to advise you about exploring Europe by road off
the beaten track.
Our knowledge and experience
translates into a substantial and unique database of where to go
driving and when, depending upon your budget, tastes and car. We
pride ourselves on our attention to detail in preparing every trip
we undertake. For example, we always spend a substantial amount
of time inspecting the access to any car parking and ensuring that
the security arrangements for your car are the best reasonably available
(for instance we know you can get a Ferrari Enzo into the garage
serving the Majestic Barriere in Cannes, but not a Ferrari F40).
All of our guides are knowledgeable,
friendly and approachable. Where they accompany a trip, they are
there to look after you and ensure that you have an enjoyable and
stress free holiday. Whether you need help with your bags, ordering
a meal, sourcing super unleaded fuel (no mean feat in Italy !) or
seeking medical advice, our guides will help to the best of their
ability.
Our holidays embody certain
fundamental criteria:
-
You are on holiday.
There is no endurance or competitive element involved.
-
We provide detailed
directions as we have driven the roads we suggest.
-
We arrange all of your
accommodation.
-
We supply cross-Channel
ferry crossings (where applicable).
- We can source restaurants, theatre tickets and sporting activities.
Our aim is to think of everything,
so you don't have to. All you need to do is turn up, drive and enjoy.
What
experience do you have?
We have driven well in excess
of 100,000 miles over the finest roads in Western Europe and with
our continual presence on Europe's roads, few people are better
placed to advise about exploring Europe by road off the beaten track.
In the last 12 months we have sent over 1,000 clients on holiday. Whether you wish to travel by yourself, join
one of our organised tours, travel with a group of friends, club
members or clients, we would be delighted to help you in any way
we can.
Why
haven't I heard of Dettaglio before?
We do not actively advertise
in mainstream publications. This allows us to adequately resource
our growing client base while continuing to offer a personal, professional
and high quality service to each and every client.
What
does Dettaglio mean?
Roughly translated, the word
dettaglio means "the attention is in the detail" or (as we like
to think) "attention to detail".
How
do you protect my money?
Any person or company that
offers for sale (other than occasionally) package holidays must
comply with Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations
1992 (the Regulations) which are based on European law. The Regulations
set out travel organisers' responsibilities to their customers and
remedies available to them should a breach of the Regulations occur.
The Regulations provide consumers
with statutory legal rights against tour operators by making clear
to tour operators that they have legal responsibilities to their
customers. The Regulations also enable dissatisfied holidaymakers
to pursue their case with a single supplier, the travel organiser,
instead of with individual suppliers such as airlines or hoteliers.
Dettaglio is a member of
the Travel Trust Association (with membership number U1335). Through
our membership of this association, we comply with the Regulations.
Please see here for more
information about:
Are
your trips "endurance" events?
No. Our trips are about enjoying
the pleasure of driving, on fine roads and amongst stunning scenery
in the context of a holiday. Endurance events have their own particular
appeal, but they all embrace a philosophy alien to each trip that
we prepare.
With very few exceptions,
we plan our trips so that you spend no more than 6 hours driving
on any particular day. Exceptions to this rule do occur, but generally
for a good reason - for example to get our clients into the best
driving zones as quickly as reasonably possible.
Does
everyone drive in convoy?
Where we take groups away,
there is no requirement for you to drive in convoy with other guests.
In reality this is almost impossible to achieve for any more than
a handful of cars due to fuel stops, traffic and convenience breaks.
Instead, we provide you with detailed directions that allow you
to travel at your own pace. Our guides are also on hand to assist
in case you get lost.
CLIENTS
Can
anyone come on one of your tours?
Yes. Each trip is costed
according to the accommodation and services offered. If you cannot
find a trip that suits your budget or requirements, please contact
us as we would be delighted to help.
Although each trip is designed
for car owners, we have clients who have found it more convenient
to hire a car, rather than bring their own car.
The only exception is that each car
on one of our tours must be a sports or performance car of some
description. In this respect, common sense prevails.
Do
women come on your trips?
Absolutely. 40% of our
clients are women and that figure is increasing. We strive very
hard to create the right social mix of people so that women can
enjoy any one of our trips whether travelling alone, with friends
or their partner.
Do
I need to bring my own car on one of your trips?
No. Whilst the vast majority
of our clients bring their own cars, we can source performance and
sports car hire for each of our trips whether you are joining us
from the UK or abroad.
I
don't own a sports car. Can I still come on one of your trips?
No, unless you are prepared
to hire a sports or performance car.
We
are a company. Can you help arrange client entertaining?
Yes. Please see our section
on Corporate Experiences for more details.
I
am a racing driver. Can you help arrange accommodation for me?
Yes. Please contact us for
details of the services we offer to racing drivers and racing teams.
My
wife and I want to go away by ourselves. Can you help?
Yes. Please see the section
on Bespoke Tours which details the services we can provide.
I
don't get much holiday. Do you have any trips lasting only a few
days?
Yes. Many of our clients
are very busy people with substantial work and family commitments.
As a consequence, we have arranged a number of short breaks to ensure
that you can get away and enjoy some of the excellent driving Europe
has to offer. Please see Short Breaks for some of the trips we can offer.
Can
I bring my children on a trip?
We would advise against it.
Whilst there is nothing to prevent you bringing your children, our
trips necessarily involve substantial amounts of driving and this
is not an ideal environment for young children who will get easily
bored. If you have any queries or concerns, please contact us to
discuss your circumstances.
TOUR
PREPARATION
How
thoroughly do you research your trips?
We have a continual presence
on Europe 's roads and we spend many hours researching:
When
do you run trips during the year?
We run trips all year round.
However, some trips are only available during late spring, summer
and autumn due to the likelihood of inclement weather in the Alps
and Pyrenees, as well as some of the other mountain ranges we visit.
Have
you visited each hotel used on any particular trip?
We have a portfolio of well
over 500 properties that we use. Whilst we try and visit as many
properties as we can, it would be impossible for us to visit each
property individually in any given year. However, where we do not
have personal knowledge of any particular hotel, we have access
to a range of suppliers and contacts who do have the relevant knowledge
so that we ensure that each hotel meets your needs and expectations.
Why
do you not publish details of the hotels for each trip?
To protect our knowledge
database. We have invested many thousands of pounds and hundreds
of man hours sourcing the right accommodation. However, although
we do not advertise hotels on our website, we will happily provide
details to any person enquiring about a particular trip.
Please also bear in mind
that our reputation relies on all of our hotels providing clean
and comfortable accommodation, with secure parking and excellent
service. As a consequence we have a vested interest in ensuring
that the hotels on any particular trip reflect the cost and quality
of any particular package.
Which
types of hotels do you source?
Our speciality is 4* and
5* hotel accommodation, primarily in rural locations. However, we
also have a database of suitable 2* and 3* accommodation who can
frequently compete with some of the better known hotels.
If
you have a question which has not been answered by this section,
please don't hesitate to contact us.
|
