THE ULTIMATE EUROPEAN ROADTRIP
ABOUT THE CHALLENGE
Dash to Dubrovnik is the ultimate European road trip for students and 20-30 year olds.
2000 miles. 12 countries. 8 days. And one £500 car.
Convoy and party through Europe's coolest destinations, with a group of mates in a £500 car. A true Top Gear-inspired adventure, whilst raising money for great charities across the UK. A trip that looks just as good on your Instagram as it does your CV.
Bright and early, you will meet your convoy at Dover Ferry Services, where our dedicated Dash Reps will be waiting to meet you. This meet points gives everyone a chance to laugh at each other's car choices, and to plaster each others rides with stickers for the epic journey ahead.
From there, we all get on the ferry together, over to Calais. It's then a short, and straight forward drive through France and into Belgium, giving everyone a chance to get used to driving on the right-hand side.
Arriving in Brussels, one of Europe's most buzzing cities, we grab a bite to eat, and then head to Delirium Bar for a night of live music, team challenges and dancing. Delirium Bar holds the World Record for the most number of beers on tap, so is a must vist. Our amazing hostel is right in the city centre, so is amazing for exploring the backstreets.
After grabbing a free breakfast at the hostel, we depart from Brussels, through Germany's beautiful countryside and gorgeous Black Forest.
This a day where groups can choose to go and explore alone, visiting idyllic German towns, Luxembourg City, or join the Dash Convoy for the scenic route to the world-famous race track the Nürburgring. If you are feeling adventurous you can take your car for a lap around the 13-mile race track - just make sure you have the right insurance first!
From here we push onwards into Stuttgart, where we go out for a large meal as a group, munching on Bratwurst and sipping on Steins. Accommodation is another sociable and friendly high-quality hostel.
As we push further south, we begin to gain altitude, and the roads get more and more twisty, and the view points more and more breath-taking.
After an early rise, we travel in convoy to Neuschwanstein, the castle that Walt Disney used as inspiration for Cinderella's Castle. Here we take a walking tour around the amazing hillside castle and grab some lunch.
From here its a short drive into Austria and to a hidden alpine lake, where we grab pedalos, and go for an icy swim - how long can you stay in for!?
After relaxing at the tranquil lake, we convoy onwards to the sunken village view point, before pushing into Malles, high in the Italian Alp foothills for a group organised dinner and glass or Italian wine to end the day.
After an early start, and hearty breakfast - we take on the most challenging, but most scenic road on the entire trip. Featured on Top Gear many times, the Stelvio Pass is over 9000ft above sea level, one of the highest in the Alps. Featuring 48 hair-pin turns and some unbeatable viewpoints, this is a road not to be missed.
We push up and over the Stelvio Pass, and descend into the beautiful sunshine of northern Italy, and the rolling foothills with countless vineyards. Tonight, we stay right on the water's edge of Lake Garda, which gives everyone time to go swimming, play games and relax. Late night parties fuelled on Italy's best pizza and pasta often follow...
As we head south-east, we stop for an early lunch in the world-famous city of Venice, wandering the backstreets and crossing canals.
Following this we are back in convoy, and driving through the unbeatably beautiful countryside of Slovenia and the seaside town of Portoroz.
Tonight we head out to sample some of the wild nightlife that Slovenia has to offer.
Today we journey in convoy down the most picturesque part of our adventure - the Croatian Coast roads. As we head further south, the weather gets warmer, and the sing-along tunes on the radio get louder!
Another epic day, driving village to village on the winding coastal path of the Adriatic. We take an early morning detour to Krka Waterfalls park, and have a secret swimming spot near some amazing waterfalls.
As we approach Dubrovnik, a huge sense of achievement washes over the group, and the final Dash to Dubrovnik portion of the trip begins.
After arriving and grabbing some dinner, we meet for an awards night, with Dubrovnik's city walls as the backdrop. Here, we reflect on the huge journeys we have been through together (and of course the mistakes and funny stories!)
We then head to Revelin nightclub, an awesome live music venue, with world famous DJs, where we boogie until the early hours of the morning. Top points go to those who make it to the sunrise, and the ritual dip in the sea!
This is a day that is completely free to use as you please. Whether its just napping at the beach to cure the hangover, exploring Dubrovnik's city walls, cliff jumping into the ocean or Kayaking round the old town - the day is yours for taking!
We book an extra night of accommodation here to ensure everyone maximises the activities that Dubrovnik has to offer.
From there, it's a very sad farewell as teams depart, driving either directly home to the UK or making a longer road trip of it (we know which one we would choose!). If you need to rush home, you can always sell your car in Dubrovnik and fly home!
For your full itinerary, FAQ's, what's included / not included and sign up please select 'INFO' on your preferred option below.
For your full itinerary, FAQ's, what's included / not included and sign up please select 'INFO' on your preferred option below.
Get to know your fellow adventurers before taking on a challenge together. Use the chat to organise team socials, training, fundraising and everything in between! Or maybe you just need some extra motivation, this is the place!
The first step in your fundraising journey! Top Tip: Group fundraisers are great fun so use the WhatsApp group to organise!
Endeavours Adventures is an official fundraising partner of givestar, who provide next-generation fundraising.
No matter what you are building – carefully craft every moment of your story online. Brands built with love are the ones that stand out.
Join your team for events organized with your challenge leader, quiz nights, group runs, or pub crawls...who knows! Enjoy friendly competition and team bonding in the run-up to your challenge.
8 weeks before start date for international challenges and 6 weeks prior for UK challenges.
Get to know all the important details and what you need for your trip before you go. (One day events like the skydive, where an extensive brief is not required, are excluded.)
Around 4 weeks before your start date, we will send a final itinerary and checklist
Time to get out there and have the time of your life.
OUR MISSION 🦙
No matter what you are building – carefully craft every moment of your story online. Brands built with love are the ones that stand out.
How Do They Work? 💪
🌍 Sooo, you've read about our mission⬅️and our work with charities, but what does this mean, and how does it work?
🦙 When you sign up for one of our adventures, there are two considerations:
💪🏽 Choose from up to 4 registration / fundraising options. You can also opt for a pay-in-full option (no fundraising required).
🌟 Your registration fee helps us confirm numbers and book deposits. A portion of your fundraising target (between 40-50%) is then paid by your charity to cover the final costs of your trip once reached*.
*This is fixed, with your charity keeping 100% of fundraising over the target, with no additional fees, costs or payments made by them to us at any other time!
Our Promise ⛰️
In joining us, you're not only taking on an incredible bucket-list adventure (of course!), but becoming part of a global network of changemakers, travel lovers, and individuals who aspire for more from life, the #llamapack 🦙
We host regular events, training days, workshops and socials for all to attend, and hear countless times how previous teammates are now catching up once again or taking on more adventures together!
More than this, we're not just here to treat you as a number... when you join the pack, we are then striving to keep you in it for life. So work our socks off to give you the BEST experience possible.
A FORCE FOR GOOD 🌍
Each step, every action, and all the efforts our community (people just like you) put into these challenges contribute to changing lives and supporting communities in need.
£750,000 has already been raised for our partner charities and together, we are making the world a better place, one challenge at a time.
Role
Choose your category below to discover FAQ's related to that topic. Should you not be able to find an answer to your question please get in touch with our team.
CHALLENGE SPECIFIC
HEALTH AND SAFETY
PREPARATION FOR CHALLENGE
FUNDRAISING AND CHARITY
You will be looked after by Endeavours Adventure's Dash Rep.
You will be in a group of 2-5 in a car. Average trip sizes vary, but will be between 30 - 45 participants depending on the number of sign ups.
You will be staying in handpicked accommodation selected for its cleanliness, location and quality. Most nights are in hostels with gender-separated shared rooms, where we endeavour to co-locate you with your team. Some nights are apartments and even hotels.
The route crosses many different countries and a variety of conditions. Although safety briefings will be delivered daily, with loads of info in the Dash guide, weather can be unpredictable, and roads can be low quality. Therefore it is important that you take care and ensure you are safe when driving. All roads on the trip are optional, and alternative, less strenuous routes can be driven.
A typical day on Dash is full of adventure, socialising and amazing scenery. You will be waking up early most days, and drive anywhere between 3 and 6 hours each day, with regular breaks. Each car must have at least two drivers to share the burden.
As the trip spans over 12 countries and 8 days, the weather and climate on the trip can change dramatically. Weather at altitude can be unpredictable with heavy rainfall and low temperatures. As the trip is run in late-June/early-July the weather is for the most part very good, with bright sunshine and hot temperatures. Please remember to stay hydrated and use sunscreen.
Food is important to us. Good and nourishing food makes a good trip even better. Most breakfasts whilst on the trip are included in the tour price, unless stated otherwise. There are always lots of optons for allergies and dietary requirements.
There will be mostly good phone signal across Europe, but can often lack in mountainous regions. Please make sure you have European roaming enabled, as we used group chats to monitor the trip and track live locations.
Official drone laws are becoming very strict, and so you must read these carefully.
If you decide to take a drone with you on the challenge, it is at your own risk.
Most cars on the trip are small hatchbacks, so we do not recommend more than 4 people to a car. If there are more than 4, we recommend splitting across two cars. You can always switch drivers and passengers.
Although the purchase of a safe and reliable car is the sole responsibility of the participant, Dash to Dubrovnik will provide a car buying guide.
Due to safety requirements and in order to share driving, we specify that all cars must have at least 2 drivers who hold a valid licence and insurance to drive in Europe.
Although the Dash to Dubrovnik is organised as a group event, and we recommend finding a group of friends wanting to do the trip with you - you can still sign up on your own. Please reach out if this is the case, and we can look to team you up with similar participants.
Relax, unwind and party! There's heaps to do in Dubrovnik and the surrounding area. Take a tour of the Game of Thrones set in the Old Town, hire Kayaks or sample the great seafood and bars.
We will be just as sad as you when the trip ends! But the fun doesn't stop there! There are 3 options for after your adventure across Europe.
Drive home
Most of our participants do this! We find that during the week teams have formed really strong friendships and often drive back home through Europe together, visiting more cities.
Best of all, you keep your car and are free to sell this on your return to the UK. Often our Dash Reps will be also doing this route and can provide some great tips for alternative routes home.
Sell your car and fly home
Teams also choose to fly home for ease and sell/scrap their cars in Croatia. We have contacts in Dubrovnik that can help you with this.
Dash deeper into Europe…
Keen adventurer? Some of our participants have used the Dash to Dubrovnik as a springboard to the rest of the Balkans and beyond! The adventure ends when you say it does!
Although lots of our media and promo says £500 we have relaxed this rule in recent years. The priority is that you drive a car which is safe and reliable.
At Endeavours Adventures we place safety at the heart of what we do. Whilst an element of risk always exists within each challenge, we have worked with our partners in country and implemented our own procedures to minimise risk whilst still ensuring you have an incredible challenge experience!
All our challenges are risked assessed, and we have a full crisis management plan. There will be trained Dash Reps on your trip to support you. Each morning and/or evening a safety briefing will be given, with reference to the safety information in the Dash guide. There will also be a pre-trip safety briefing given to all participants. Daily breathalyser tests will be conducted for drivers.
It is unlikely you will require vaccinations for travel across Europe, but please monitor official government guidance. COVID passes can still be requested by border control.
We strongly recommend that you bring certain medication as a precaution for your road trip. This includes: painkillers, re-hydration sachets, and diarrhoea medication.
Return flights are not included in the registration fee, and must be arranged by participants themselves if they chose to fly home. Most students chose to drive the car home, and sell it in the UK to recuperate some of the costs spent.
A kit list will be provided in the months approaching the trip.
Across the route the most common plug is the European Type C plug. However some countries use a variety of other plugs.
The currency in Europe is the Euro. This has recently been adopted by Croatia who used to, and in some cases still do use the Croatian Kuna. We would recommend not carrying too much cash with you, but instead look into getting a zero-fees bank card suitable for travel (Monzo, Starling etc.)
For the EU, a visa is not required for UK citizens
You do not need a visa for short trips to the EU or countries in the Schengen area if both of the following apply:
However, if you are an international citizen, it is your responsibility to arrange your own visa to cover the duration of your challenge. You can contact the team at Endeavours Adventures should you need support in this process.
For our Dash to Dubrovnik challenge, it is your responsibility to arrange your own insurance and breakdown cover for the whole duration of your challenge. Loads more information will be provided on this. As a minimum you will be required to prove proof of tax and valid insurance (allowing driving in all destination countries) on the vehicle you plan to drive across Europe. We also specify that all groups must organise breakdown cover, with a courtesy car (valid for all countries travelled to) for the trip.
In signing up to DASH, you are either fundraising for Alzheimer's Research UK (ARUK) or Amnesty International. Below are the universities we are partnering with this year and the charity they are fundraising for:
The 2023/24 standard fundraising target is £750.
With a variety of options available, you can choose to pay our standard registration and fundraising target, or alter the total amount paid at sign up in order to receive a proportionate change of the total amount you will have to fundraise. No matter the registration fee chosen, each can be split across different payment plans.
Yes! In signing up and paying the registration fee for this challenge, you are given the option to either be SELF-FUNDED or choose from one of 3 FUNDRAISE options for a chosen charity. If a FUNDRSAISE option is selected, after completing your registration payment (s) you must also reach your fundraising target to guarantee your place on the challenge. But fear not! We have an expert team of fundraising guides and support available to help you alongside the incredible support you shall receive directly from the charity.
Yes, you are able to change your fundraising option for your challenge, provided that it is before your final fundraising deadline. However, you must talk to your charity representative or a member of the Endeavours Adventures team first before this can be confirmed.
A change in your fundraising option will incur a £25 administration fee.
Endeavours Adventures have a lot to offer you in terms of fundraising support! Once you sign up to your challenge, you will receive a welcome email which will include the different ways the team will support you.
This support will include a monthly fundraising newsletter, monthly fundraising support sessions, an online fundraising resources pack, and regular communication with the Endeavours Adventures’ team.
Charity challenges are usually split 50:50, where 50% of your fundraising goes straight to the charity, and the remaining 50% goes towards the costs of running the challenge.
At Endeavours Adventures, we want to go above and beyond and ensure that we are giving as much to the charity as possible. 55% of your fundraising goes straight to the charity, and the remaining 45% goes towards the costs of running the challenge.
On top of this, 100% of the money that you raise above your fundraising target goes directly to the charity to support the incredible work they do.
Your fundraising deadline will usually be between 6-8 weeks before your challenge start date.
