DRIVING experience days are the perfect gift for the car lover or thrill seeker in your life - or even as a treat for yourself.
They're not as expensive as you might think, either - many companies are now offering discounts on exciting track days and one-off experiences.
If you’re looking for a great gift idea, or you want to get behind the wheel yourself, check out the best driving experience days you can buy in 2022 below.
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Are driving experience days safe?
Absolutely - your safety is the utmost priority when it comes to driving experience days.
If necessary, you will be kitted out with safety gear, and strapped in tight - all drivers are qualified race instructors too, and most driving experience days will give you a thorough safety briefing and chance to ask any questions before you begin.
How long do driving experience days last?
Driving experience days can last anything from 15 minutes up to four hours - but don't worry, no matter how brief it seems it will be an unforgettable experience.
The length of each driving experience will be detailed in full on its associated website.
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1. Virgin Experience Days
If you’re buying for a younger audience, for £109 you can snap up a 60 minute off-roading experience - guarantee to make you hold your breath and get your heart racing.
Designed for ages 10 and above, this experience lets the junior driver and thrill-seeker traverse a number of crazy off-road terrains and obstacles - and is an incredibly useful learning experience.
- 60 minute Junior 4x4 Experience, £109 - buy here
For something a little bit different, and a lot more rugged, there’s the chance to buy a phenomenal tank driving experience for £160.
Drivers get the chance to bomb around an off-road course in 17 tonnes of armoured vehicle on a former WWII bombing range - where war heroes themselves once walked.
On your first lap, your instructor will demonstrate how to get going in the behemoth - then it's up to you to get your tank around the course.
Trust us, this isn't a drive you'll forget easy.
For kids and adults alike, get the once-in-a-lifetime experience to drive the Batmobile - a Lincoln Futura.
The Lincoln Futura shot to fame when it became the original Batmobile in the first TV show and film.
Now’s your chance to actually get behind the wheel of one of these fantastic cars yourself, loved by superheroes and car-lovers alike.
With three miles to fly around a track of your choice in 14 locations across the country - grab your cape and get ready to save the world!
- Superhero Driving Blast, £20 - buy here
2. Buyagift
For £99 you can buckle up in Buyagift’s Triple Supercar Driving Blast with free high speed passenger ride.
That gets you a three mile drive in three supercars on the day with the choice between a Ferrari, Aston Martin, Porsche, Chevrolet and more.
Also included in the affordable price of £99, reduced from £177, is a high speed passenger lap with a qualified race instructor to get the adrenaline flowing.
The experience is available at 69 spots across the nation, so there's bound to be a rip-roaring race day near you.
- Triple Supercar Driving Blast, £99 - buy here
If you really fancy a splurge, you can choose the Four Supercar Thrill, instead - the package gives drivers six miles in four chosen supercars from a Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche, Nissan GTR and more.
As well as having locations across the country to choose from, drivers can also race around Dunsfold airfield, AKA: the 'Home of Top Gear'.
There's a full safety briefing and introduction by race qualified instructors before any experience day, too.
If go-karting is more your thing, for an affordable £49 - reduced from £99 - you could buy an Indoor Karting Race to remember.
That gets you 50 laps at over 30 locations across the UK including London, Manchester, Liverpool and Cardiff.
It would definitely make a memorable day out for the family, or for a couple looking to spice things up a bit.
- Karting experience for two, £75 - buy here
Well, this is a little something different to talk about in the office kitchen. How about making like a Transformer and driving Optimus Prime for the day?
For £49 you could drive an American-style Optimus Prime truck for 20 minutes - it doesn't sound like long but trust us, it's all you need to feel the giant thrill from this four-wheeled beast.
It's available at 12 locations across the country, including York, Sunderland, Manchester and Cornwall.
Autobots, transform and roll out!
- Optimus Prime American Truck Driving Experience, £49 - buy here
3. IntoTheBlue
If you're looking for a truly memorable, off-road experience that is truly monstrous - look no further.
Drive a full-sized, 12ft tall American Monster Truck over in Sussex - where the wheels are a whopping 6ft tall.
Buckle up and prepare to drive over two cars in Grizzly, your Monster Truck for the day - just get ready for the power and noise of the roaring engine.
- Big Grizzly Monster Truck Drive, £159 - buy here
For drivers looking to develop their skid-control skills in slippery conditions, IntoTheBlue also has a number of skid pan training days, including their highest-rated, five-star day in Essex.
For £109 learn front, rear and all-wheel skids in loops, circles and all different sorts of angles.
And if you fancy your hand at stunt driving, there’s a number of experience days that let you do just that under the careful eye of an instructor - including this Extreme Stunt Driving Course in Essex and Hereford.
Do loads of 'don't try this at home' driving stunts that are straight from blockbuster movies - including smoking doughnuts and driving the car on two wheels. You'll even get a certificate!
4. Lastminute.com
For those wanting to feel like a sleek, sexy and turbo-charged James Bond for the day, Lastminute.com’s electrifying five star-rated driving experience is the Aston Martin thrill.
For £115, in 17 locations across the country, you get to blast around a track in one of the most iconic motoring vehicles in the world.
ATV fans are catered for on Lastminute.com with a unique, and bone-rattling quad-biking experience for two.
Costing £115 and available at six locations across the UK, you get to bomb around an outdoor track complete with obstacles, moguls and plenty of mud...
Don't worry about falling off, an experienced instructor will help teach you how to keep your balance, speed and tackle the controls before you begin.
Expect to jump, soar and speed through the wild terrain. All we can say is dress wisely and hold on tight!
- Quad-biking experience for two, £115 - buy here
Now you can finally ride around in your very own JCB dumper truck! Feel the power and rumble of your engine beneath your seat as you clutch onto your hardhat, round a wild terrain.
It's a race experience like no other as you compete with your partner, and other competitors, for the title of champion and your very own certificate. So be sure you're listening when your instructor tells you what lever and pedal does what.
Available at three locations across the UK.
- Dumper Truck Racing for two, £95 - buy here
5. TrackDays
TrackDays has a supercar experience that's received rave reviews and gives drivers a chance to drive five top-quality supercars around a winding, looping track for three miles each.
Buyers get to choose between Ferraris, Aston Martins, Lamborghinis, Porches and more.
You'll be accompanied by an expert driver too, to help soothe your nerves and teach you star-quality skills to match the star-quality cars.
- Five Supercar Blast, £159 from TrackDays - buy here
Go West and buckle up cowboy in an American Classic Muscle Car driving day experience.
Choose from star-spangled classics like Mustangs, Dodge Charger's and Chevrolet Camaro's to have three miles of quality time with.
Sat next to an expert instructor, you'll learn the ropes of driving these beauties - then prepare yourself for an exhilarating passenger-seat ride as the expert takes over.
- American Muscle Blast with High Speed Passenger Ride, £45 - buy here
Fancy a day at the movies instead? Choose from five iconic movie cars for an unforgettable day out,
You will have the luxury of choosing from The Ford 'Bullitt' Mustang made famous by Steve McQueen, or Tony Stark's (Ironman) Audi R8.
Or choose the iconic Aston Martin V8 Vantage made famous by James Bond, 'Eleanor' The Shelby GT500 Mustang from Gone in 60 Seconds - and the Toyota Supra, or Nissan Skyline made famous through the Fast and Furious franchise.
Popcorn at the ready!
Do you need a driving licence for a driving experience?
Unless it's a Junior Drive Experience day, you'll need a full and clean driving licence.
Bring your licence with you on the day, if you forget it you might not be able to take part!
Don't worry, though, if you're buying a gift for a learner driver you can purchase a gift voucher to be redeemed when they pass.
How old do you have to be to drive a supercar in the UK?
If you're after a supercar driving experience, you're free to hop in a Ferrari or Lamborghini from the age of 17 as long as you have your licence.
There is no legal difference when it comes to supercars, as long as you have your licence you're good to go.
Which is the best track day experience?
A day on the racing tracks is the perfect gift for speed demons - or tentative Formula 1 fans who are tagging along for the ride.
With race tracks up and down the nation now open in line with COVID-19 regulations and social distancing measures, there's a whole list of track day driving experiences to pick from.
We've selected the best driving experience days below for you to peruse and purchase.
More from Sun Selects gifting
Enjoyed our round-up of the best driving experience days? We've also rounded up the best all-round Ferrari driving experience days you can buy.
If you want to take things up a notch, why not try out an F1 experience day?
Or if you want to go off-road, we've also rounded up the best rally experience days you can buy.
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