Behind the wheel with Alan Davies

What’s been your best road trip?
My wife Katie and I went to Australia in 2006, hired a bog-standard Ford Falcon and drove from Melbourne to Sydney along the Great Ocean Road. The views were spectacular, but the main reason I remember it is because, one night, Katie put bubble bath in the motel Jacuzzi and literally filled the bathroom with foam. I was taking armfuls of this stuff out on to the terrace, releasing it into the wild. It was like something out of a 1970s British comedy. 

Where’s on your bucket list?
The Himalayas. A few years back, I got invited on a charity trek to perform a comedy show at Everest Base Camp, which is about 18,000ft above sea. I decided to do a bit of training and walked from central London to Kite Hill in Hampstead, which is about 400ft above sea level. It took me a couple of hours, and I was completely knackered. My chances of making it to Base Camp were slim and... I bottled it. 
 
What’s your ultimate travel song? 
After the film came out in 1996, I had the Trainspotting soundtrack on cassette, and it was on the car stereo constantly. Amazing line-up: Pulp, Leftfield, Blur, Iggy Pop. But the track I had to look out for was ‘Born Slippy’ by Underworld. That ‘lager-lager-lager’ bit. I’d look at the speedometer and suddenly notice I was doing 120mph!

What is your most dramatic road trip story? 
I used to go to Canada to do the fringe festivals and one year I decided to drive from Banff to Edmonton... in the winter. At the car rental place, they put the fear of god into me: snow coverage is total, five feet deep, you must have food, water, snow chains, spare fuel, extra clothing. This was in the days before mobile phones. The stupid thing is that nothing at all happened, but I spent the whole journey convinced the car would break down and I was going to die. 
 
What are your three packing essentials?
The thing about touring as a solo comedian is that it gets quite lonely. Doesn’t matter if I put all my favourite films and music on the iPad, favourite sweets and books in the suitcase... I still miss Katie and the kids. If I could, I’d take them everywhere with me. Life always feels better with your family. 

Do you have any clever travel hacks? 
These days, I’m a sucker for a decent hotel. Even if you’re only there for one night, the hotel becomes part of your holiday, so why not enjoy it. Favourite hotel? The Museum Art Hotel in Wellington, New Zealand [now called the QT Wellington]. It’s like sleeping in an art gallery with mountain views from your bedroom. 
 
What’s your dream car? 
Someone once bought a day at Nigel Mansell’s Racing School for my birthday. Basically, they stick you in a Formula Ford single-seater and you drive around Brands Hatch. It was just the most incredible feeling, going so fast and feeling so safe. Imagine being able to go on tour like that, in a racing car with all the public roads closed off while you drive between gigs.
 
Do you think you’re a good traveller?
The idea of travel changes so much when you have kids. In my younger days, I went all over the place... three months around Europe, Manhattan for my honeymoon with Katie. I still love seeing the world but, to paraphrase Frank Sinatra, it’s always nice to get home. 

What’s been your craziest travel experience?
I used to ride a motorbike and I’d always fancied the Isle of Man TT road race. In between the races, you’re allowed to ride your own bike around the circuit and up over the mountains. Of course, on the day I got up there the fog was so thick that you couldn’t see more than 20 yards in front of you. Even at 40, it was terrifying – no crash barriers to stop you going over the edge of Snaefell – but the professional riders are touching 200mph. I’m sad to say that I’ve stopped riding bikes altogether. I’m just too scared of coming off. 
 
If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be?
New York. London has been my home for most of my life and I’m a city boy at heart. I like the busyness of New York, I like watching people, I like being able to walk around and be amazed by the architecture. Could I live in the countryside? Nah, it’s too bloody quiet!
 
Alan Davies’ Think Ahead tour runs from 19 September to 21 November. Book tickets here