we replaced our drive with pavers last year. First year it was in. The side parking pad and the sidewalk was put in the year before that and everything has held up well.

Hire an excavating company, cheap to do, tell them what you want and they'll get it prepped right. What we did was take it down 10 inches, then 4" of class 5 gravel, compact, then 1" of paver sand, mixed with a bit of dry concrete. Compact really well. The the pavers go in to level, vibrate compact well to get them settled into the sand, then brush in the interlocking sand, you'll do that 2 or 3 times during the summer. At the end of the 1st season, garden spray 2 min, 3 better goats of concrete paver sealer and that seals in the sand and the pavers.

But really, in 1 or 2 days max the excavator can get this dug out for you and lay the particular material to spec, and you will have a well done base, then you get to lay the bricks which is kind of fun. See my gallery for the finished product. The herringbone run pattern is what you want for a drive, not the running brick pattern. the herringbone keeps them all together and not shift.

Terribele winter here in MN, and for two years now on the pad, one on the drive, no heaving, not settling. I'm very happy.

Toatal cost was 8500 for all, when a new ashphalt was gonna be at least 11. Pavers were the way to go here in MN as I can pop bricks out if I need to rather than rebuild the entire drive.