WHAT football fan doesn't dream of watching the World Cup live? However, with this years' tournament taking place in Qatar, for many it seems an unachievable dream. But what if you made your journey to the tournament as epic as the game itself, by driving with your mates - all the way to Qatar?

While this might sound like hard work, used car buying service ChooseMyCar.com has taken some of the effort off your shoulders, by working out the best route for the most adventurous of road trips. And if you're after the trip of a lifetime, this might be it!

Both the routes there and back are mapped out, taking in different Cities each time, so you'll return quite the seasoned traveller. The journey costs are based on a group of 4 hiring a camper van for the trek, and the costs are surprisingly affordable for what would undoubtedly be a journey you will never forget.

Hiring the campervan could be seen as the tricky bit, but because it's out of peak holiday season in the UK, you can grab a bargain. Ensure you hire the right camper, with unlimited miles for the hire and no stipulations with regards to taking abroad.

The routes take you through 12 incredible countries, and Cities such as:- Brussels, Nuremberg, Sofia and Istanbul. All this for a cost of just £1434.50 per person. This includes fuel, hire of the camper van, ferry crossings where needed, tolls, and even all necessary VISAs.

Tickets for the event are now sold out, as are most of the hotels and accommodation options. But football-loving fans could be in the host Cities, soaking up the atmosphere in the fan villages!

Founder of ChooseMyCar.com, Nick Zapolski, said he'd like to do the journey himself. "I can't imagine a better way to go and watch the tournament than with a bunch of good mates, travelling across the globe, turning it into an, even more, epic experience. And with air travel being the nightmare it is currently both in terms of logistics and costs, why not plan a driving adventure?"

To see a more detailed breakdown of the routes that ChooseMyCar.com has planned, plus a cost and time breakdown, visit:- ChooseMyCar.com.
 

SOUTHPORT'S anchor families' attraction has spent record levels of investment on marketing aimed at bringing visitors to the Town this summer.  Universal Rides CEO Norman Wallis, who owns Southport Pleasureland, is backing the unprecedented marketing spend with forward investment across a range of diverse new attractions which will together help the re-imagined park smash its net carbon zero ambitions; and uplift visitor numbers. The park is spending across digital, outdoor and broadcast channels with 1 aim; to increase footfall for the Town, something, he says, that will benefit the Town's economy. Work on delivering sustainability gains is moving forward with changes such as use of recycled paper toilet rolls and increasing use of recycled and sustainable food and drink packaging. These changes run alongside ongoing use of sustainably-sourced building materials and the intention to bring larger-scale eco impact changes online, from green energy supply.

In a series of top level meetings with international experts in the run up to the park opening daily for the summer season Mr Wallis has showcased his plans with international partners and is now in the final stages of engaging world-class ride design and build expertise. It's a recipe he says, he knows, works. He said:- "When Southport Pleasureland was home to the mega coaster:- 'The Traumatizer' the park was the 2nd most visited amusement venue in the country, finishing above Alton Towers (Pleasureland 2.6m visitors, Alton Towers 2.45m *English Tourism Council Survey). The Traumatizer dominated. It was the ultimate accelerator for visitors and revenue; a phenomenon that benefited the Town."

Mr Wallis' plans will deliver big visitor numbers as his new generation rides and immersive experiences come online; consequently, he has urged all the Town and the borough's commercial and municipal stakeholders to ensure marketing efforts are cohesive and precision targeted so everyone can be. He went on to remind stakeholders of Sefton Borough Council's Climate Change Emergency Plan which recognised the need for urgent action and states:- "Sefton Council will focus its efforts on energy use reduction as well as exploring the potential for green infrastructure and offsetting. We will approach this as an opportunity, not a challenge and ensure our whole community reaps the benefits of climate action. This work will be aligned to the delivery of the Sefton 2030 Vision and the Council's Core Purpose with the aim of making Sefton a better place to live and work."

The Council has made CO2 promises for a:- 'liveable borough,' said Mr Wallis, and went on to comment that he looked forward to all attractions and planned attractions - as well as the wider business community - partnering the Council's environmental impacts due diligence and, ultimately, delivering the promise.  He added:- "We have to achieve balance as we develop. It's more difficult to achieve net carbon zero for an established business, the easy wins are to ensure that businesses and attractions that are introduced to the tourism offering here have the desired credentials, and will be created in a sustainable way. Ours is a families' business. We want people to come, enjoy themselves and be safe while they do so. We also want to make sure our business will play its part in keeping them, and their children, safe for years to come as we move to grow sustainably and protect the climate they'll inherit. Sefton made the promise, which calls for wider action beyond the boundaries of its own organisation and engaging with the community and partners for vital action. We should all do everything we can to deliver to that vision a greener, cleaner visitor experience. We are having an extreme weather event right now. The Council's foreword on its plan referenced that humanity has 11 years, from 2018, to turn the climate change tide. So, while we want visitors, we want how they get here, and what they come to enjoy, to fulfil the Council's:- 'Liveable Sefton' goal."