Driving holidays are all the rage these days. But wouldn’t you like to be spared the bother of hiring a car and finding hotel rooms along the way? One way of making your holiday on the road easier is to opt for a self-drive package from one of the tour companies. This way you can holiday in any part of the world — think anywhere from Malaysia, Spain, Ireland and even Australia, way Down Under.

Most tour operators offer tailor-made packages which come with a car that you can drive around. On landing at the airport you can pick your self-drive car and head towards the destinations charted out for you – let’s say it’s a self-drive holiday with the pain taken out. You can stop anywhere you like and move at your own pace but you don’t have to hunt for hotels every night. Some packages even throw in a sightseeing tour of the city (for example, one package to Ireland will take you around Dublin before you get behind the wheel).

Before you set out on the road remember to check the rules about driving licences and whether you need to get an international driving licence before heading off on a holiday.

Ireland

Thanks to its small size your can cover Ireland’s most popular destinations in just a week with a good car at your disposal. Your visit to Ireland is incomplete if you don’t start with its capital Dublin and go club hopping. Apart from St Patrick’s Cathedral a big attraction here is the Old Jameson Distillery from where you can taste some fine whisky. Driving ahead the next picture perfect destination you’ll spot is Galway, well known for its granite mountains populated by sheep and hundreds of lakes popular with anglers. Maybe after trying your luck in angling you can drive down to Killarney, which is a hub of activities with a number of hotels, restaurants, pubs, discos on one hand and its sparkling lakes and the MacGillicuddy Reeks — Ireland’s largest mountain range on the other. Ahead of Killarney — located in Southwest Ireland, Limerick is where the Shannon, Ireland’s longest river meets the Atlantic Ocean.

Hot ticket!

Cox and Kings’ seven-night and eight-day package (for four) costs Rs 43,406 per person, driving you through Dublin, Galway, Killarney and Limerick. The tour price excludes airfare to Dublin but includes accommodation and breakfast in three-star hotels in the four places included in the package. It also includes the cost of an Automatic Nissan Micra car which you will drive. There is no limit on the mileage and the car comes with a full tank (you must return it with a full tank when you hand the car back to the company). The car has a handy Heritage Island Tour Guidebook in its glove compartment and comes with third party insurance, collision damage waiver insurance, theft protection insurance, 24-hour breakdown service and VAT. The package is valid from October 1st, 2008 to March 31st, 2009.

Melbourne, Australia

The land of kangaroos and beaches is also known for its Great Ocean Road which is a 273km stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victoria cities of Torquay and Warrnambool. One of the highly recommended drives is the Melbourne-Lorne-Warrnambool-Phillip Island route. It’s very picturesque as through most of the distance, the road embraces the coastline.

Hot ticket!

A five-night and six-day driving trip from Melbourne to Lorne’s Great Ocean Road and back to Melbourne on your way to Phillip Island will cost Rs 29,990 per person. This includes 3-star accommodation in the three hotels where you will break your journey in Melbourne, Lorne and Phillip Island. This package also throws in breakfast (including taxes), a Melbourne tour, unlimited usage of a self-driven car and standard motor vehicle insurance. The cars provided are a Toyota Corolla or a Hyundai Accent. The package is valid till March 30th, 2009.

Malaysia

There’s more to Malaysia than shopping and its casinos. A driving holiday is a great way to see this country up, close and personal. A popular driving route is from Kuala Lumpur to Penang (enjoy its lovely beaches) and the Cameron Highlands (and its much talked about butterfly and strawberry farms). This leads to Ipoh, Malaysia’s peaceful hill city that’s located north of Kuala Lumpur.

Hot ticket!

A six-night and seven-day package (for four) in 4-star accommodation is priced upwards of Rs 39,999 per person. The package offers a two nights stay each in Kuala Lumpur and Penang with one night each in the Cameron Highlands and Ipoh. Exclusive of airfare this package also includes breakfast. While the car is provided to you at the airport, the package cost does not cover the cost of the car. You will have to shell out an extra Rs 2,300 per day for the car. A luxury car like the Honda Accord or the Toyota Corolla will cost anywhere between Rs 11,615 to Rs 13,938 per day. This is a year round package.

Spain

Spain is emerging as a hot driving holiday destination. Your best bet is the eight-city driving holiday — from north to south Spain — through Chinchon, Carmona, Merida, Caceres, Salamanca, Zamora, Leóand Madrid. It’s a real thrill to drive through rugged mountains and valleys.

Hot ticket!

A 13-night and 14-day Silver Route package will cost you Rs 1.19 lakh per person on twin sharing basis. A child will be an additional Rs 83,569. This will include accommodation (and breakfasts) at 3-star hotels in all cities except Madrid where you’ll stay at the 4-star Hotel ME by Melia. You’ll hit the road after landing in Madrid and you’ll begin the trip by driving to Chinchon, 45km to the south of Madrid. You’ll spend two nights here and then drive to Carmona for another two nights. This city is a few kilometres from Sevilla, the cultural and artistic capital of southern Spain. The next destination is Merida where you do a night stay. Your next halt is Caceres, a world heritage city, where you’ll stop for a night. From here you head for Salamanca to spend two nights. Don’t miss the city’s old museums and cathedrals. You drive to Zamora next, which is an equally charming town. After two nights here your next destination is Leon where you spend two nights. Madrid is your last overnight destination. You’ll be driving a Renault Mégane (or a similar car) during the journey. The package cost excludes airfare, visa fees, ticket and taxes, medical and travel insurance as well as transfers. The package is valid till October 31.