Five Days, Seven Cars and Some of the Best Driving Roads in Europe: Our New Roads Adventure in the Vosges Mountains

Written by Steve James-Royle

From sunrise drives above the clouds to discovering what might just be our favourite road in Europe, five days in the Vosges Mountains reminded us why we started New Roads in the first place.

There is a moment on every great road trip when everything comes together. The road opens up, the car settles into its rhythm and the world beyond the windscreen becomes the only thing that matters. The planning, the early starts, the miles spent on motorways and the demands of everyday life all disappear. For those few moments, there is nowhere else you’d rather be.

We experienced more than a few of those moments during five days in the Vosges Mountains in eastern France.

Eleven people. Seven cars. Hundreds of miles of extraordinary roads. A collection of old friends and new faces, brought together by a shared passion for driving.

And one ambition: to capture what makes a truly great road trip, while putting New Roads through its paces in the very environment it was created for.

What followed was an adventure involving some of the best driving roads we’ve ever experienced, spectacular autumn weather, unforgettable sunsets and a few moments that probably won’t make the final edit.

Because, as we quickly discovered, a content road trip is very different from a normal one.

The Cars, the Crew and the Challenge

Let’s start with the cars.

Our convoy consisted of two McLarens, a 675LT and a 600LT, two Porsche 991.2 GT3 RSs, a Maserati GranCabrio and a first edition Lotus Emira. Supporting the entire operation was an Audi RS6, affectionately fulfilling its duties as the support car.

An eclectic collection of machinery, each with its own character, soundtrack and approach to devouring a mountain road.

But the cars were only part of the story.

Unlike a conventional European driving holiday, where the itinerary largely revolves around the pleasure of the journey, our trip had another purpose. We wanted to create the photography, films and stories that would bring the New Roads experience to life.

That meant finding the right locations, chasing the right light and occasionally driving the same stretch of mountain road several times until the camera crew had captured exactly what they wanted.

There would be sunrise starts, scheduled filming locations, interviews, convoy logistics and a considerable amount of stopping and starting.

Fortunately, we had an exceptional media team.

Erin was running the entire show, keeping eleven people, seven cars and an ambitious filming schedule moving in roughly the same direction. Steve from @the.2nd.phase was responsible for photography, Dany from @volcharafilms was behind the video cameras and Alex was our point driver, piloting the support car and helping everything run smoothly.

As it turned out, their patience, organisation and ability to herd a group of enthusiastic drivers would prove just as important as their creative talents.

The destination was the Vosges Mountains, a region of France that deserves considerably more attention from anyone who loves a great driving road. Arguably the quickest location to get to from Calais for some of the best mountain roads you’ll ever drive.

And we were about to find out why.

Day One: From Folkestone to the Mountains, via a Little Motorsport History

At 7.30am, eleven of us gathered at LeShuttle in Folkestone.

Some were old friends, others were meeting for the first time. There was the usual early morning excitement, introductions and conversations about cars, routes and what lay ahead.

The crossing into France was wonderfully straightforward. Before long, we were heading south towards the Champagne region, with our first destination being somewhere rather special.

The historic Reims Gueux motor racing circuit.

For anyone with even a passing appreciation of motorsport history, the surviving pit buildings at Reims are a remarkable place to visit.

Once the backdrop to some of motor racing’s most celebrated moments, the old pit lane now stands beside a public road, its faded buildings and painted advertisements offering a glimpse into another era.

Pulling up outside in our collection of modern performance cars felt rather appropriate.

We spent some time exploring the pit buildings, taking photographs and chatting with locals who had stopped to admire the cars. Their enthusiasm was wonderful. People approached politely, asked questions and shared in the moment.

In a rather unexpected coincidence, we even bumped into the new owner of a good friend’s Porsche Cayman GT4, who had just returned from ten days driving around the Dolomites. It’s a small world when you spend enough time around people who love cars.

With the obligatory photographs taken, we continued across country towards the Vosges Mountains.

Along the way, we stopped for more pictures, attempted to refuel ourselves with what might genuinely have been the world’s worst French tacos and witnessed a local gathering of modified Japanese cars demonstrating their enthusiasm for donuts in a car park.

Not exactly the sort of driving we encourage, but certainly an unexpected addition to the day’s entertainment.

Our final stop was a petrol station, ensuring everyone had enough fuel for the following morning’s sunrise shoot. By the time we reached our base, Hôtel et Résidence Les Vallées in La Bresse, the anticipation was building.

The hotel turned out to be an excellent choice. Lovely staff, comfortable accommodation and, crucially for a group travelling in low sports cars, secure parking behind an electronic gate with no awkward ramps to negotiate.

It’s a detail that might sound insignificant until you’ve experienced the anxiety of approaching an unfamiliar hotel entrance in a McLaren.

After dinner, we settled in for a relatively early night.

Everyone was getting along brilliantly, conversations were flowing and the excitement about the following day’s driving was impossible to miss.

The real adventure was about to begin.

Day Two: Sunrise, Mountain Passes and an Unforgettable Sunset

The alarm went off at 6am.

Not necessarily everyone’s idea of a relaxing holiday, but when you’re trying to capture a group of exceptional cars against the first light of day in the Vosges Mountains, a little lost sleep is a price worth paying.

We made our way up into the mountains as the sky began to lighten.

There’s something very special about a mountain road at that time of the morning. The landscape gradually reveals itself, the roads are quieter and the changing light transforms the scenery with every passing minute.

As the sun rose, we enjoyed our first proper taste of driving in the Vosges. It was a wonderful introduction to the region.

The roads flowed through forests, climbed towards exposed ridgelines and dropped back into valleys through beautifully connected bends. There were technical sections requiring concentration, faster sweeping corners that allowed the cars to find their rhythm and views that made it almost impossible not to stop.

After the morning shoot, we returned to the hotel for breakfast before heading back out.

The rest of the day involved a mixture of filming and exploring. While some drivers were needed for particular shots, others took the opportunity to disappear into the mountains for a few hours.

One of the joys of a road trip like this is hearing everyone’s stories when they return. A road someone has stumbled across. A fantastic sequence of bends. An unexpected viewpoint. A little café that turned out to be the perfect place to stop.

Every driver experiences the landscape differently, and by the afternoon there was already a growing collection of recommendations being shared across the group.

We also had the extraordinary good fortune of experiencing temperatures around 27 degrees Celsius for two consecutive days.

For the Vosges in early October, that felt almost too good to be true.

Filming at this time of year is always a gamble. You can plan the route, the locations and the shots, but you can never guarantee the weather.

For now, at least, we had got lucky.

The Sunset at Le Treh

Our final destination that day was Le Treh on the D27. Simon and Hilton found it early that day and word got out that it was a perfect evening location.

As we arrived, the evening light began to wash across the surrounding mountains. The sky softened, the shadows lengthened and the landscape took on that extraordinary warmth that photographers spend their lives chasing.

It was magnificent.

The cars were positioned, the cameras came out and, for a little while, everything seemed to slow down.

As the sun gradually disappeared behind the mountains, people stood around talking about their drives that day. The climbs, the descents, the switchbacks, the flowing sections and the places they’d discovered along the way. Everyone had a story.

And the smiles said more than any photograph could.

It struck me that this was exactly what we wanted New Roads to be about.

Of course, the cars matter. The quality of the roads matters. The scenery and destinations matter.

But what stays with you long after the engine has cooled is the feeling of having experienced something special, particularly when you’ve shared it with people who understand why it means so much.

That evening, standing above the Vosges watching the last of the sunlight disappear, we had it all.

Day Three: Discovering One of the Best Driving Roads in France

If day two had been about finding our feet and refining the filming process, day three was where everything really clicked.

Erin and the media team had the operation running like clockwork.

Everyone had their allocated times, knew which shots were needed and understood when they were free to explore. It was a masterclass in organisation.

For the drivers, it meant more time doing what we’d come to do.

For the media team, it meant working through their shot list without having to spend half the day tracking down whichever car had disappeared over the nearest mountain.

For Henry and I, our morning started at a beautiful lake, where we were filming another collection of shots.

One of the more unexpected highlights was the arrival of a camper van invested in Minions in the rear window. Not quite the automotive company we’d anticipated, but certainly one of the more memorable vehicles we encountered during the trip.

Something else became apparent throughout the morning. The people of the Vosges were incredibly welcoming. At almost every stop, locals approached to admire the cars, ask questions or politely request permission to take photographs. Many were older couples who would spend ten minutes happily photographing the cars, presumably collecting pictures to show their grandchildren. There was no sense of frustration about our presence, just genuine curiosity and enthusiasm.

It’s one of the wonderful things about travelling through regions with such a rich motoring culture. A beautiful car can start a conversation even when the people involved don’t share a language.

And that shared appreciation would become a recurring theme of the trip.

The Route des Crêtes: A Road Worth Travelling For

After Henry and I had finished our filming commitments, we had the afternoon to ourselves.

Naturally, we decided to go for a drive. Our destination was the Route des Crêtes. We’d heard good things about this road, but nothing quite prepared us for what followed.

Hidden deep within the Vosges Mountains, the Route des Crêtes is one of Europe’s most underrated driving experiences. Stretching for approximately 90 kilometres between Sainte Marie aux Mines in the north and Cernay in the south, the road follows the high ridges of the mountain range, threading its way through forests, open mountain landscapes and spectacular viewpoints.

Originally constructed for military purposes during the First World War, its modern role is rather different. Today, it’s a road that rewards anyone who appreciates the simple pleasure of driving. We joined at the northern end near Sainte Marie aux Mines and began working our way south. Almost immediately, we knew we were somewhere special.

The road climbed through dense woodland before opening onto exposed sections with views across the surrounding valleys. Tight corners gave way to beautifully flowing sequences. Technical climbs were followed by sweeping bends where the road seemed to have been laid across the landscape with driving enjoyment in mind.

As we climbed higher, the scenery became increasingly dramatic.

The route takes you through some of the Vosges’ most celebrated locations, including Col de la Schlucht, Le Hohneck and Le Markstein, passing through to the Grand Ballon, the region’s highest summit at 1,424 metres.

At points, the road rises above 1,300 metres, offering extraordinary views across the Rhine Valley and, in clear conditions, towards the Swiss Alps.

But the real magic of the Route des Crêtes isn’t found in a particular corner, a famous summit or even a spectacular viewpoint. It’s the way everything comes together. The variety of the road. The elevation changes. The constantly evolving scenery. The feeling of travelling through a landscape that seems almost purpose built for the pleasure of the journey.

There are roads that impress you with their engineering. Others overwhelm you with their scenery. The Route des Crêtes manages to do both.

Henry and I came away with the same conclusion. It was, quite possibly, the best road either of us had ever driven. And when you’ve spent years seeking out remarkable driving roads, that’s quite a statement.

Perhaps part of its appeal is that it doesn’t enjoy the same international recognition as the great Alpine passes. It feels like a discovery. Somewhere you want to tell everyone about, while secretly hoping it remains just a little bit under the radar.

If you’re planning a driving holiday in France, the Route des Crêtes deserves a place very near the top of your list.

Explore our Route des Crêtes drive

A Shared Passion, Whatever You’re Driving

We eventually returned to meet the rest of the group for another sunset filming session.

By this point, the daily routine had become familiar. Cars arriving from different directions, drivers climbing out with enormous smiles and everyone immediately exchanging stories about the roads they’d discovered.

During that evening, a group of local motorcyclists arrived and treated us to a display of their riding skills before joining us to admire the cars. It was another reminder that the enjoyment of a great road isn’t confined to a particular badge, engine or number of wheels. Whether you’re driving a supercar, a hot hatch, a classic car or riding a motorcycle, there is a common understanding between people who appreciate the journey. It’s a passion that crosses generations, nationalities and budgets. And it’s something I’ve always loved about the motoring community.

Our journey back to the hotel that evening provided a rather different sort of memorable moment.

I discovered, somewhat abruptly, that the headlights on a McLaren 675LT are approximately as effective as a pair of candles when navigating an unfamiliar mountain road in complete darkness. One corner appeared rather more suddenly than expected, and I came uncomfortably close to discovering what lay beyond the edge of the road. A useful reminder that even familiar cars deserve respect, particularly in unfamiliar conditions.

We returned to the hotel in one piece, enjoyed dinner and rounded off the evening with a few games of pool before heading to bed.

Another extraordinary day in the mountains.

Day Four: Putting New Roads to the Ultimate Test

By the fourth morning, the weather had started to change. Clouds were rolling across the Vosges, although thankfully the rain was holding off.

The morning’s schedule involved interviews. My least favourite part of the entire trip. I can happily spend hours discussing cars and driving with friends, but put a camera in front of me and suddenly stringing together a coherent sentence becomes an entirely different challenge. I’m reasonably confident that the eventual bloopers reel will be far more entertaining than anything I managed to say intentionally.

Nevertheless, we got through it.

With our filming commitments complete, Henry and I decided it was time to try something we’d been looking forward to. We were going to put New Roads to the test. And not with a route we’d already researched, driven or carefully refined. We wanted to give the platform a genuine challenge.

Could New Roads Find Us an Incredible Drive in Just Five Minutes?

We had stopped at a café @decolatte.concept – literally in the middle of nowhere – for a quick bite to eat and had a few hours before we needed to arrive at the evening’s filming location. Rather than spending time studying maps, comparing routes and trying to work out which roads were worth driving, we decided to hand the challenge to New Roads.

The brief was simple. Create a technical driving route lasting approximately two and a half to three hours, starting from our current location and finishing at the sunset filming spot.

That was it.

Henry spent around five minutes entering a handful of prompts. Then we set off. No detailed research. No prior knowledge of the selected roads. No carefully prepared route notes. We were going to trust what we’d built and see where it took us.

What followed was one of the standout experiences of the entire five days.

The route took us through a wonderful variety of mountain roads, incorporating what I believe were three separate ascents. There were challenging climbs, fantastic sequences of corners and stretches of road that we’d never have thought to explore ourselves. The kind of driving that demands your attention and rewards you for giving it.

One section was perhaps a little more technical than we’d ideally have chosen for the McLarens, which gave us some useful feedback for the platform. But that was part of the exercise.

We weren’t simply trying to prove that New Roads worked. We wanted to understand how it performed in the real world, with real cars and real drivers. And we were having an enormous amount of fun finding out.

By the time we reached the sunset location, both of us were wearing the biggest smiles imaginable.

Why That Drive Meant So Much

For Henry and I, the experience meant more than simply discovering another collection of brilliant roads. It was a moment of genuine pride. New Roads was born from a frustration that I’m sure many driving enthusiasts will recognise.

Planning a truly memorable road trip takes time. Finding the right roads, working out the best route, considering the car you’re driving and making sure the journey is enjoyable rather than simply efficient can require hours of research.

Traditional navigation systems are designed to get you somewhere. We wanted to create something that understands why you want to drive in the first place.

Something that can take your preferences, your car and your available time and turn them into a journey worth remembering.

Standing beside the McLarens after a brilliant afternoon of driving, having spent just five minutes planning it, was one of those moments when the reason behind all the hard work suddenly became very clear.

We hadn’t just built something to help people plan road trips. We’d built something that could help them discover experiences they might otherwise never have found.

And we’d just experienced that for ourselves. It had never felt more relevant.

Discover the New Roads route we drove through the Vosges

The One Shot That Got Away

Unfortunately, our extraordinary run of weather couldn’t last forever.

As the afternoon progressed, the clouds grew heavier and the first signs of rain began to appear. We still managed to have some fun filming a sequence that became known as Simon’s ‘reverse joust’, although explaining that one properly might require the accompanying video. But the weather eventually forced us to abandon one of the shots we’d been most excited about.

The plan was to capture the two McLaren LTs and the two Porsche GT3 RSs climbing through the mountains on the Route des Crêtes, with the sound of four extraordinary engines reverberating around the valley before the cars appeared around a beautiful hairpin bend.

It would have been magnificent. Sadly, the rain had other ideas.

It’s always disappointing to miss an opportunity like that, particularly after so much planning. But that’s the reality of working in the mountains. Sometimes you simply have to accept the conditions and move on. Besides, it gave us a very good excuse to come back.

That evening, we returned to the hotel for a final dinner together.

The atmosphere was fantastic, with everyone relaxing, talking about the trip and enjoying a few more games of pool. I even managed to let Erin down spectacularly by potting the white ball at the same time as the black on the final shot of our game.

Not my finest sporting moment.

But it was a wonderful final evening.

Day Five: The Long Road Home

We woke to the sound of heavy rain. Our remarkable spell of warm autumn weather was officially over.

The Vosges had transformed overnight, with thick fog hanging over the mountains and wet roads stretching away into the distance. The first 45 minutes of our journey were necessarily slow and cautious. After four days of spectacular driving, it was a reminder that conditions can change quickly in the mountains, especially in October.

Once we’d descended from the higher roads and joined the main routes towards Calais, the journey settled into a more relaxed rhythm. We had around six and a half hours of driving ahead of us. By this stage, the convoy had become a little travelling community.

There was plenty of food, Russian house music blasting from the support car and an increasingly ridiculous collection of games played over the walkie talkies. One particular favourite was snooker car spotting, which probably makes more sense when you’ve been sitting in a car for several hours.

Despite the long journey, spirits remained high. And even the return crossing had one last surprise waiting for us. We met two people travelling with a heavily camouflaged Bentley electric development car who were kind enough to talk us around it. Seeing a prototype vehicle up close and hearing about it from the people involved was a fascinating way to round off the adventure.

Eventually, everyone made it safely back home.

Five days after gathering in Folkestone, our Vosges content trip had come to an end.

The cars were dirty, everyone was tired and our cameras were full.

But we’d come home with considerably more than photographs and film footage.

What Five Days in the Vosges Taught Us

Every proper road trip teaches you something.

Sometimes it’s about the roads. Sometimes it’s about the car. Quite often, it’s about the people you’re travelling with.

This one taught us a little about all three.

From a practical perspective, we came away with some very clear lessons.

Firstly, toll tags are brilliant. A small detail, perhaps, but when you’re trying to move a convoy of seven cars across France, anything that makes life easier is worth its weight in gold.

Secondly, no matter how carefully you think you’ve planned your filming locations, plan them again.

Trying to coordinate seven cars, multiple filming schedules and eleven people with different interpretations of the phrase ‘be there at nine’ is not always straightforward. Herding cats would probably have been easier.

We also discovered the enormous value of having a single hotel as a base. For a trip like this, staying in La Bresse rather than moving hotels every day was absolutely the right decision. There was no constant packing, checking out or moving luggage. Everyone knew where they needed to return each evening and it gave us a central place to relax, share stories and spend time together.

It made the trip feel much more sociable.

And we learned a few things about each other along the way.

Hilton needs to eat almost as often as I do. Nick has more stories than Waterstones has books. Lewis struggles to get a word in edgeways and Alex might just be the coolest, most patient person you could hope to have supporting a trip like this.

Henry and I discovered that we’re both control freaks and occasionally need to get out of the way when someone else has already put together an excellent plan.

Dany is the quiet one, although his work speaks volumes. Steve is an absolute legend and a hugely experienced master of his craft. Simon would happily spend every waking moment driving if given the opportunity. Henry, meanwhile, isn’t much use until he’s had his morning coffee.

And Erin?

Erin is a workaholic. Thank goodness for that. Without her organisation and the patience of the entire media team, none of this would have come together in the way it did. So we thank you.

More Than Just Great Driving Roads

Before this trip, we knew the Vosges had the potential to be an extraordinary driving destination.

The geography alone makes it appealing. Mountain passes, dense forests, exposed ridgelines, beautiful lakes and a network of roads that seem to offer something different around every bend. But after five days exploring the region, I came away feeling that it deserves a place alongside Europe’s most celebrated road trip destinations.

For drivers planning a European road trip from the UK, the Vosges offers a compelling combination of accessibility, scenery and driving enjoyment. The Route des Crêtes alone is worth the journey.

Yet some of our favourite moments came from roads we hadn’t heard of before arriving, including several that New Roads helped us discover. And that, in many ways, is what makes the region so special.

You don’t need to follow a famous road from beginning to end to have an incredible experience. Sometimes the best moments happen when you turn onto something unexpected.

A quiet mountain road. A hidden viewpoint. A café tucked away in a village. A sequence of corners that leaves you grinning for the next twenty miles.

It’s those discoveries that turn a good drive into a great one.

The Roads Brought Us Here. The People Made It Special.

Looking back, there are so many moments that stand out.

The anticipation of meeting everyone at Folkestone. Seeing our cars parked outside the historic Reims pit buildings.

The first sunrise over the Vosges.

Discovering the Route des Crêtes and realising, corner after corner, just how exceptional it was.

Standing together at Le Treh as the sun disappeared behind the mountains.

The unexpected conversations with locals, the motorcyclists who stopped to say hello and the laughter around the dinner table every evening.

And, of course, that afternoon when Henry and I put New Roads to the test and ended up experiencing one of the best drives of the trip.

But if I had to choose one thing that made the experience truly memorable, it wouldn’t be a road or a car.

It would be the people.

Eleven individuals, some of whom barely knew each other before setting off, spending five days doing something they genuinely love. By the end, friendships had been made, stories had been shared and plans for future adventures were already being discussed.

It’s easy to get caught up in the machinery when talking about driving holidays. And with a collection of cars like ours, that’s entirely understandable.

But the cars are the starting point. The roads are the invitation. What makes the journey unforgettable is everything that happens along the way.

That’s the spirit we want to capture with New Roads.

We believe great driving experiences should be easier to discover and simpler to enjoy. That finding remarkable roads shouldn’t require weeks of planning or an encyclopaedic knowledge of European mountain passes.

That the journey should always be about more than reaching the destination. And that everyone who loves driving deserves the opportunity to experience moments like these, whatever they choose to drive.

Five days in the Vosges reminded us why we started this journey. It also reminded us that we’ve only just begun.

To everyone who joined us, brought their cars, shared their enthusiasm and gave up their time to make this trip possible, thank you.

And to Erin, Steve, Dany and Alex, thank you for turning an ambitious idea into an experience we’ll remember for years.

We came to the Vosges to create content. We left with new friends, unforgettable memories and a renewed sense of excitement about what we’re building.

There are still so many roads out there waiting to be discovered.

And we’re already looking forward to the next one.

Built by drivers, for drivers.

What the Crew Had to Say

We asked some of the people who joined us to share their experiences. Here are their words.

Alex 

“What an amazing road trip the Voges in France, made some great new friends and using New roads we discovered some of the best driving roads I have ever experienced. 10 out of 10 and can’t wait for the next one.”

Simon

“What a wonderful few days in Vosges with New Roads. It was a step into the unknown, but from the moment I met the group at Folkestone I knew I was in for a good trip, particularly with the eclectic mix of cars. The routes that New Roads selected were great and we had a lot of fun filming content for the team too. Road trips are always fun; the cars are great but it’s the people you meet that make a tour for me. Loved every minute of the journey and looking forward to the next one. Thank you New Roads. Was a blast!”

Hilton

“The last time I did a driving tour I was using an AA map of Europe! With a big birthday due next year and my recent purchase of my Maserati Gran Cabrio, it is the perfect time to plan my next tour. I can’t be grateful enough to have been Introduced to New Roads through one of their partners, Tee & Torque. This month I was fortunate enough to get a chance to sample the New Roads team meticulous approach to producing content for their app first hand with a 5 day trip the Vosges region of France. Wow. The roads, the views, the pit stops, the hotel and the other drivers we met were all great, however, I can’t praise New Roads for the wonderful weather but I do wonder if they had a hand with that too! I loved every bit and can’t wait to use them to plan my tour next year… ‘Built by drivers for drivers’ couldn’t be more appropriate…”

Nick

“Having a base in La Bresse at the Hôtel et Résidence Les Vallées turned out to be perfect for easily reaching and driving the excellent roads of the Vosges region. There were so many postcard views along the twisty turny roads it was hard not to stop at every corner just to take a photo. That we had such perfect warm and sunny weather for our drives in the first week of October just added to the whole trip. Not forgetting the friendly company and driving with them in their superb cars there’s no doubt that we all made an impression on the car loving French enthusiasts at every stop.”

Danik (Volchara Films)

Steve (The 2nd Phase)

Erin

Weeks, if not months, of planning went into our New Roads trip to the Vosges Mountains. From filming locations to the smallest details, I wanted everything to be perfect. Not just for the content we were creating, but for Steve, Henry and Sian too.

Most days were spent coordinating cars, drivers, locations and chasing the perfect light, followed by late evenings planning the next day. There wasn’t much sleep involved, but watching everything come together made every moment worthwhile. While the drivers enjoyed some of Europe’s most incredible roads, I spent much of the week tucked away in the mountains, surrounded by beautiful autumn colours, listening to engines echo through the valleys before watching the cars soar past.

We chased sunlight through the trees, discovered waterfalls and found breathtaking viewpoints around almost every corner. My phone’s compass became an unlikely filming essential, although I also managed to lose it in piles of leaves more than once! Some of my favourite memories were the quieter moments. Standing in the forest waiting for the next shot, collecting pine cones or simply taking in the scenery.

Then there were the journeys between locations. The media team’s playlists became a permanent soundtrack, with plenty of questionable karaoke from yours truly. I’m not convinced Alex, Steve and Danik appreciated my renditions of Sultans of Swing, but at least nobody fell asleep!

The important business of chocolate. I can’t talk about this trip without mentioning the chocolatier next to our hotel in La Bresse. Every morning we’d leave before it opened. A personal tragedy, really. Finally, on our last day, the doors were open. €100 later, I’d bought chocolate medals for the drivers, an enormous jar of homemade chocolate spread and enjoyed possibly the best hot chocolate of my life. Worth every cent.

As if the week hadn’t already been special enough, there was one final moment I’ll never forget. I got to drive my dream car through the viewpoint of Ballon d’Alsace. After spending so much time organising everything and watching everyone else enjoy these extraordinary roads, suddenly I was behind the wheel myself. Even writing that makes me smile.

What made the experience truly special was the people. Eleven of us, seven cars and a shared love of driving. Of course, there were stressful moments, changing plans and unpredictable weather, but I wouldn’t change a thing. Seeing Steve, Sian and Henry’s vision for New Roads come to life, watching our incredible media team work their magic and sharing the whole experience with such wonderful people made me feel incredibly lucky. I’ve come home with thousands of photos, far too much chocolate, a collection of pine cones and memories that will stay with me forever. But more than anything, I’ve come home proud. Proud of the team, what we achieved and, if I’m allowed to say it, a little proud of myself too. Sometimes you spend so long planning something that you forget to appreciate how special it is when you’re actually living it. The Vosges reminded me of exactly that.

A trip of a lifetime, with the best people, doing something I absolutely love. And if this is what life with New Roads looks like, I can’t wait to see where we go next.

Henry

We’ve all had those moments, haven’t we? Where the reality doesn’t quite live up to expectations.

And despite being super excited, I’ll be the first to admit that in the build up, I had some doubts about how the trip would turn out. This, after all, was New Roads’ first proper European road trip. But as Steve has written above, this wasn’t your typical road trip and was going to be a content focussed one, where we were asking everyone who joined to be involved in a lot of photography and filming. To complicate matters, not only were we heading to a region of France we were unfamiliar with but had also invited a bunch of people we hardly knew (and in my case, half of whom I had never even met before). So, in my mind, I kept wondering, “What could possibly go wrong?”

But the reality was that I needn’t have worried. The cars that joined us were brilliant – some of the best drivers’ cars ever produced. The scenery was simply stunning – enough to make Steve and I literally pull over on more than one occasion to take it all in. And the roads were breathtaking – among the very best I have ever driven. But one thing stood out more than anything, and that was the people. Going for a brilliant drive is always rewarding, doing so with a bunch of spectacular cars is even better, but then being able to enjoy the company of brilliant people after a memorable day of driving and sharing stories – that’s what made our trip really special.

As I mentioned earlier, I had never met half of the group before but after just a short trip, I’d gladly call them all my friends and be happy to share the road with them anytime. And it’s undoubtedly because of this group that our first New Roads European trip was so successful and exceeded my expectations in every single way. So thank you Steve, Erin, Steve, Alex, Dany, Sam, Simon, Hilts, Nick and Lewis.

Bring on the next one!