Your getaway drivers Richard & Steph

Richard and Steph bring experience and confidence to every tour. From start to finish, they’ve got your getaway covered.

- How many years have you been coach driving? I began coach driving in May 1998, so 27 years ago.
- How many years have you been driving with our company? I started driving with Leger four years ago.
- How many years have you been driving together as a team? Almost six years in total. We drove together for two years together before joining Leger four years ago.
- Does your coach have a name? Our coach doesn't have an official name at this moment in time, but we would like to call ours Molly. This was the name of our Labrador who we lost in March 2025. She was nearly 15 years old.
- What inspired you to become a coach driver? I passed my RYA Day Skipper 42-week course at college three months before I started learning to drive PSV. I always fancied having a full driving licence, so I started on class two, then PSV, then HGV class one.
- When you're not on the road, how do you like to spend your time? If we have a day off on tour, my first priority is cleaning the coach so it's ready for the next day. When we're off at home, then riding my motorcycles or beach fishing is always at the top of my list. My real passion is speedway, and I still own a speedway bike. As a former amateur rider, I try to watch when I can.
- What is your favourite country, destination, or tour you've driven to? Love all tours and the variety of Leger. The list of favourites is endless: Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Greece, Transylvania, Lake Garda, Austria, Italian Riviera. Would love to try Morocco, Tunisia and the Arctic Circle, and I enjoy the Battlefield Tours as well.
- What makes it your top choice? I'm happy to have (and love having) a variety of tours to drive.
- What's your favourite memory from a past tour? Too many to mention if I'm honest. Every tour has had a special moment in my book.
- Do you have any personal touches that make your coach feel welcoming? When we arrive on every tour into Folkestone Services off our feeder, the coach gets hoovered through. Tables are wiped down, seatbelts clicked together, and air freshener sprayed before we receive our passengers. We always want to ensure the coach is welcoming.
- If you could provide a top travel tip for our passengers, what would that be? It's always handy to have photos of your passport on your mobile phone. Same with your driving licence and any medication you take.
- Is there anything else you would like to share with us about the tours you do? Every passenger gets my personal mobile number in case of emergency.

- How many years have you been coach driving? I have been driving coaches for six years now.
- How many years have you been driving with our company? This will be my fourth year with Leger.
- How many years have you been driving together as a team? Almost six years in total. We drove together for two years together before joining Leger four years ago.
- Does your coach have a name? Our coach doesn't have an official name at this moment in time, but we would like to call ours Molly. This was the name of our Labrador who we lost in March 2025. She was nearly 15 years old.
- What inspired you to become a coach driver? I fancied a change of career as I used to work as an administrator and loved the thought of working with my husband, Richard. He was already a coach driver when we met and unfortunately, he worked away more than he was home, so we never got to see much of each other. I also liked that the job involved travel, seeing new places and meeting new people. Now I have the best of both worlds.
- When you're not on the road, how do you like to spend your time? As we are not home very often, it's nice to catch up with friends and family, as well as having time away ourselves to unwind.
- What is your favourite country, destination, or tour you've driven to? We get asked this question a lot and I always find it a hard one to answer, as there are so many lovely places out there that we have visited and are all different. I would say my favourite tour/destination would be to Lake Garda, but I also love the scenery of Austria and especially enjoy driving the Grossglockner as the views are breathtaking.
- What makes it your top choice? Lake Garda is where Richard and I met and where we got married (Malcesine Castle was our venue and therefore a special place to us). We also have a lot of friends in Lake Garda, and I just find the place so beautiful. Each town on the lake is so different to the next, with an array of remarkable things to see and do. You could visit Lake Garda over and over again and do something different each time. It’s definitely my favourite lake in Italy. In Austria, there just seems to be a scenic drive at every turn as everywhere is so green and pretty as a picture, so you always need your camera at the ready. You also have the quaint sound of cowbells in the air.
- What's your favourite memory from a past tour? My favourite memory is not exactly from a past tour, but we do visit it! Like I mentioned, Richard and I got married at Malcesine Castle – so, if you travel there with us, it will be particularly special. Unfortunately, we didn't have the sunshine on our big day, in fact it was overcast for the ceremony itself. Then it rained so heavily that it bounced off the floor and everyone got soaked – which made it memorable at least!
- Do you have any personal touches that make your coach feel welcoming? Our coach is always kept clean and tidy, and we always welcome everyone with a smile. We also provide our passengers with our contact telephone number in case of an emergency, so you know you won't have to deal with any issues alone if an emergency should occur, as it can be quite daunting being in a foreign country dealing with any issues – especially if you are travelling alone.
- If you could provide a top travel tip for our passengers, what would that be? Always keep a copy of your passport/driver's licence on you by taking a photo on your phone in case you ever lose them. Keep the originals in a safe place on you, as you never know when you might need them, along with your GHIC card and insurance information, and be vigilant with your bags and wallets.
- Is there anything else you would like to share with us about the tours you do? Every country we visit is different and they all have their pros and cons depending on what you are looking for in a holiday and a destination. So I say to passengers that they should always do their research and, if you have any disabilities or ailments, find out if that tour and the places it visits are suitable for your needs.