Your getaway drivers Paul & Lisa

Paul and Lisa know all the best routes and all the best stories – they’re the ideal pair to turn every getaway into a smooth operation. Nothing gets past these two!

- How many years have you been coach driving?
  Paul: I’ve been driving since 1988.
  Lisa: I started driving in 2015.
- How many years have you been driving with our company?
  Paul: I worked with Leger from 1997 to 2003. And then again from 2008.
  Lisa: I have been working for Leger since 2016.
- How many years have you been driving together as a team? We started working together in 2017.
- Does your coach have a name? Yes, our coach is called Gemma as we have our own Facebook page called ‘European Gems with Paul and Lisa’.
- What inspired you to become a coach driver?
  Paul: My dad used to drive coaches, so I was inspired and involved with them from quite a young age.
- When you're not on the road, how do you like to spend your time? We have recently bought a new house, so we are currently putting together plans for kitchen, bathroom and garden renovations. Day to day, when we’re not touring, we love to spend time with our loved ones as we tend to miss out on a lot of family events.
- What is your favourite country, destination, or tour you've driven to?
  Paul: Over the years, I've grown to love Italy. It’s been my favourite destination for a long time, in particular the cities of Tuscany and Umbria have become my firm favourites. However, over the last couple of years, we have done more tours into Spain and have found some stunning places there. Our current favourite tours are ‘Landscapes of Andalucía’ and ‘The Paradors & Pousadas of Castile, Madrid, Salamanca & Portugal’.
- What makes it your top choice? Andalucía has some stunning landscapes and Seville is one of the most amazing cities we have ever visited.
- What's your favourite memory from a past tour? We have far too many, but one that sticks in my mind is about a lady who was in Venice with us on her 80th birthday. Her one wish was to go on a gondola. The day we visited Venice, the rain was torrential, but she insisted on going on a gondola. When she got back, she was soaked through, but had the biggest smile on her face that we'd ever seen.
- Do you have any personal touches that make your coach feel welcoming? We produce our own ‘welcome onboard’ booklets that contain lots of information about some of our favourite tours and places to visit. It also has information about us as the drivers. We carry cushions, neck pillows and blankets and we are always giving little extras like Limoncello shots when in Italy.
- If you could provide a top travel tip for our passengers, what would that be? When you’re out and about, always look up. That's where the most fascinating architecture is.