9^th May 2016 by ingenie

0% alcohol summer adventures

Ugh. Lame, right? WRONG-O.

Unlike mocktails at an under-18s disco, summer as a driver is blinking INCREDIBLE even with the old 'no drinking' thing.

Freeing yourself of the expense, bother and hangover will guarantee you some summer memories you'll actually remember.

We already drink less because life is more fun

The number of young adults who don't drink went up 40% between 2005 and 2013. We have at our fingertips all the entertainment in the world - relying on alcohol to have fun just isn't as big a thing as it used to be.

The number of drivers under 25 that failed breathalyser tests fell from 854 in 2013 to 833 in 2014.

That's a small decrease but it's heading in the right direction.

The best things to do as a summer driver

Be the food guy

Hey, if you can't turn up at a barbecue with a keg because you're driving home, be the person with the gourmet food stuffs.

While everyone else arrives with ANOTHER crate of Stella, you'll be armed with venison sausages, halloumi, Aberdeen Angus burgers and Jersey Royal potato salad. Eat your heart out.
Drive across the sea

Get the ferry from the mainland to one of the UK's many stunning islands. It's like going abroad for basically no money and you get to keep your own car. Awesome.

I recently drove to the Isle of Wight and was terrified of getting my car on and off a ferry. Turns out it's super easy!

Islands with car ferries:

Isle of Wight
Orkney (and you can go on to 13 other islands from here)
Jersey
Guernsey
Isle of Man
The Hebrides - 27 islands!
The Shetlands - hundreds of islands but very few reachable by car

Rent a camper

You, a few friends, a holiday on wheels...it's the dream. The wonderful thing about a vehicle you can sleep in is that you're already home - no checking in, no setting up, no run for the last train.

Renting a camper is the perfect way to enjoy a festival or surfing trip in style, and can cost you as little as £50 a day. Get a camper that sleeps 4 and you're looking at a very affordable adventure.

What you need to know about renting a camper:

Lots of places won't rent to you unless you're over 21 and have held your licence for 2 years
You can't just drive into a field and sleep there - find a proper campsite to avoid early wake-up calls from angry landowners

Sell everything you own for burger money

It's time to hit the car boot. Car boot sales are hilarious fun (in the summer, not in the muddy freezing awful yuck) and a great way to ditch all your clutter.

Take a mate, so you've got someone there for coffee and burger relays, and enjoy the barter and banter that you're guaranteed at any car boot sale.

If you don't come home with a Victorian mourning necklace made of hair and £30's worth of cut-price mince, you're doing it wrong.