Guide · Getting around

How to taste without driving: drivers, tours and trains

A "small" tasting is rarely small. Four or five measures of whisky, or a few glasses of wine over lunch, can easily put you over the limit, especially in Scotland and much of Europe, where the limits are low. The rule on this site is simple: nobody drives after tasting.

The village of Pinhão on the Douro river, with terraced hills rising behind
Pinhão on the Douro, Portugal · sanjorgepinho · CC BY-SA 4.0

Why the rule matters

Legal drink-drive limits vary. Scotland's limit is lower than in England and Wales (see GOV.UK), and many European countries have similarly low limits, with stricter ones for new drivers. Beyond the law, rural wine and whisky roads are narrow, winding and shared with tractors, cyclists and walkers. The only safe amount before driving is none.

Your options

  • A private driver-guide. This is the most flexible and relaxing option. Your guide plans the route around your bookings and waits while you taste. In Scotland, our group's chauffeur service, Scottish Highland Travel, does exactly this. Chinese-speaking travellers can use HighlandTrip.
  • Small-group tours. These are good value, and sociable. Check the group size and how many stops there are, because fewer is better.
  • Trains. Champagne, Burgundy, the Douro, the Mosel, Rioja's Haro and Scotland's Highland Main Line all have useful rail links. Combine them with short taxi rides.
  • Bikes and walking. Lovely for the morning, before you taste. Do not ride after tasting. Cycling after drinking is dangerous, and in some countries it is also an offence.

If someone in your group has to drive

  • That person does not drink at all that day. Not "just a sip".
  • Ask distilleries for a driver's dram: many will bottle the tasting measures to take away.
  • In wine regions, use the spittoon. It is completely normal, and producers expect it.

Let someone else do the driving

Distillery roads are narrow, the drams are generous and Scotland's drink-drive limit is lower than in the rest of the UK. A private driver-guide plans the route around your bookings, waits while you taste and gets you home.

Arrange a private driver-guide 中文咨询：苏格兰威士忌包车司导

English enquiries go to Scottish Highland Travel, Chinese-language enquiries to HighlandTrip. Both are private chauffeur services run by the same group as this guide.

Quick answers

What is the drink-drive limit in Scotland?
It is lower than in England and Wales. See GOV.UK for the exact figures. The safest approach is not to drink at all if you are driving.
Is it rude to spit at a wine tasting?
No. Spittoons are provided for exactly that reason, and professionals spit all the time.

Official sources to check before booking

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