 Click here for details of UK & Ireland tours on a new website www.cctmk.co.uk
PLEASE NOTE the above website has no business or legal connections to Classic Car Tours International |
FOR DETAILS OF OUR FRENCH AND EUROPEAN TOURS CONTINUE BELOW....
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THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO CAME TO SEE US AT AUTOSPORT INTERNATIONAL, THE RACING CAR SHOW AT THE NEC, BIRMINGHAM 14-17th JANUARY 2010. |
INTRODUCTION
In 2001 we launched Classic Car Tours International with our first European car tour for classic cars and modern sports cars in the Pyrenees visiting both Spain and France. We also organised a motoring holiday to watch the classic car races at the Angouleme Circuit des Remparts in South West France. Nine years later and we are now one of the market leaders !
MODERN SPORTS CARS WELCOME !
We have no rigid policy regarding eligibility or age of cars on our car tours. Modern sports cars of any age are equally welcome as older classic cars . We are a friendly organisation whose ethos is based upon enjoying your driving whatever your vehicle and this is a common theme amongst all our clients.
In 2008 and 2009 the average of repeat business from previous clients was over 40% and since our first escorted car tour 9 years ago we have delighted hundreds of owners of classic cars and modern sports cars, many of whom have also become regulars as well as friends.
OUR ULTIMATE GOAL is to provide customers with a fun-packed driving holiday, driving your own car on great open driving roads, amidst stunning scenery in the company of like-minded, friendly people and staying throughout in stylish hotels with great food !
2010 EUROPEAN CAR TOURS
In 2010 we will be offering 12 European motoring holidays including: seven classic car tours in France including the beautiful island of Corsica, two car tours to Italy including our third car tour to Italy to watch the Mille Miglia 2010 event and our second car tour to the Italian Grand Prix.This tour incorporates a drive over the Stelvio Pass combined with a visit to 5 of the Italian lakes including a night on Lake Orta and 5 nights on Lake Como with an option to watch the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on the final weekend.
In addition, we have a motoring holiday right across the Pyrenees from the Atlantic coast in north west Spain to the Mediterranean coast in north ease Spain with a stunning mountain route incorporating great driving roads and sensational scenery.For the 5th year running we will be running our car tour of the Alps which visits 7 countries; France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Monaco and climbs over 24 mountain passes, many over 2,000 metres high, including the Col de la Bonette, Europe's highest road at 2,802 metres !
New tours in 2010 include a 10 day car tour to Switzerland incorporating two climbs over the Stelvio Pass and a route which encompasses over 20 major mountain passes.
Our motoring holidays in France include our spring time car tour of the beautiful island of Corsica,our Autumn driving holiday to Provence visiting en-route 20 of the prettiest villages in France combined with a car tour through some of France's most spectacular gorges including the Gorges des Tarn where we visit the beautiful Millau suspension bridge and the Gorges des Verdon, France's "Grand Canyon" and the largest gorge in Europe.
Based upon the success of our 2009 event we will be running again our car tour to the beautiful Dordogne region in south west France where we visit a dozen of France's most beautiful villages,( les plus beaux villages).We will also be repeating our leisurely tour of France's Loire Valley, a designated UNESCO world heritage site, where we visit historical chateaux, churches and monasteries, beautiful gardens,fascinating museums and wine caves staying throughout in a sumptuous 4* chateau hotel.
In addition we also have two car tours planned to Le Mans, firstly to watch the Le Mans 24 hours race and then to watch the Le Mans Classic 2010 races.Our accommodation on each tour is a sumptuous 4* chateau hotel in the Loire Valley.
Old favourites include a car tour holiday to watch the classic car races at the Angouleme Circuit des Remparts 2010 event which celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2009. This will be our 9th car tour to Angouleme to watch the atmospheric "Circuit des Remparts" and it just gets better and better, ( see photos taken at our Angouleme circuit des remparts car tour below towards the bottom of this page).
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LE MANS CLASSIC 2010 AND LE MANS 24 HOURS
We look forward to the 2010 Le Mans Classic races, (the Le Mans Classic races are held every two years), which is always a favourite as well as the Le Mans 24 hours race. Both tours incorporate a day's tour of the beautiful Loire valley staying throughout in a stunning 4* chateau hotel.
MILLE MIGLIA 2010 and ITALIAN LAKES TOUR
2010 will be our third driving holiday to Italy to watch the atmospheric Mille Miglia 2010 historic classic car rally re-run combined with a motoring holiday in the Italian lakes, (see photos of our Mille Miglia tour below and visit our photo gallery via the link at the top of this page on the menu bar. Here you will find over 3,000 photos of our previous two tours to watch the Mille Miglia). "Arriverderci" the 2010 Mille Miglia, we just can't wait !
In 2010 we will be organizing our second tour to watch the 2010 Italian Grand Prix visiting four of the major Italian Lakes, and incorporating an option to see the Italian Grand prix at Monza.This tour includes one night on the beautiful, but little known, Lake Orta,5 nights on Lake Como and a night in Bormio at the foot of the Stelvio pass where we drive over the notorious Stelvio Pass twice over two days, in both directions north to south and south to north !!
Finally, our favourite, which we will be visiting, for the 9th year, the Angouleme Circuit des Remparts 2010 classic car races combined with a car tour of the beautiful Dordogne region in South West France.
Our European car tours are noted for their stylish hotel accommodation and the hotels we use are usually luxury 4 and 3 star privately- owned character hotels.
These are handpicked for their stunning locations,charm and ambiance,friendly service and gourmet restaurants.Many are located overlooking a river or lake or a panoramic view and almost all are privately owned.
VISIT OUR PHOTO GALLERY for photos of previous tours as well as photos from our planning/reconnaisance visits for our new tours, (click on menu bar link to our "Photo Gallery" at the top of this page).
These currently include the latest photos from our previous Mille Miglia and Italian Lakes car tours,our 2009 Dordogne Spring tour, and our previous Le Mans 24 hours tour as well as our previous Le Mans Classic and of course the wonderful Angouleme Circuit des Remparts classic cars races (see photos above)
HOW ARE THE TOURS ORGANISED ?
Drive your own classic or modern sports car
Participants drive their own classic car or modern sports car at their own pace, either alone or in small groups.
Comprehensive road books with daily itineraries, detailed route notes and maps
Each day there is a recommended itinerary with proposed timings and mileages and recommended stops to break up the driving.The routes are designed to incorporate the best open driving roads in Europe where you can rediscover the joy of driving your car amidst stunning scenery. We provide a comprehensive "road book" with detailed route notes incorporating a list of the villages and towns we pass through and also provide highlighted maps to make it as easy as possible to navigate your way each day.
Places of interest to visit each day
Included in the daily itineraries are recommended morning and afternoon coffee stops and lunch stops as well as places to visit during the day including stunning villages, fascinating museums, beautiful gardens, historic villas,chateaux, churches and monasteries, wine caves etc.
Stylish hotels in stunning locations with great food
Each of the hotels is hand-picked and vetted by us for their location, ambiance and charm, comfort and, of course, their food ! Many of the hotels are on a river or lake or have stunning views and, as most are family owned, they provide a genuine, friendly service.In many cases we have used the hotels every year since we started in 2001 so a warm welcome always awaits us !
Participants always have the freedom and flexibility to "do their own thing" each day as long as they arrive at the hotel in the evening where we dine together.A Tour Director always accompanies each tour, so they are always there to sort out any problem and to make everyone feel at home.
Prepare to enjoy yourselves in friendly company and have some fun !
Our tours are noted for their friendliness and everyone, from beginners to regular clients, are always made most welcome.As you can see from our client comments there is a lot of laughter on our car tours so come along prepared to enjoy yourselves and have some fun!
Classic Car Tours International was formed in 2001 by Brian Thorley a Francophile with a passion for classic cars and modern sportscars.A management consultant for over 30 years, his love of France,sports cars and classic cars goes back even longer; his first sports car, for instance, was a Swallow Doretti when he was still an undergraduate at Manchester University.Brian's other passion is France where he lives most of the year in the Dordogne region in South West France. He formed Classic Car Tours International in 2001 while living in Cumbria's Lake District and regularly participated in classic car tours and rallies in the UK, as well as France.His intimate knowledge of France and his interest in French lifestyle has resulted in Classic Car Tours International incorporating stunning scenic routes through some of the prettiest villages in France as well as visits to many places of interest both on and off the beaten track including historic chateaux, villas, churches and fascinating museums catering for every taste, beautiful gardens ,art galleries, historic monuments, wine caves and other unusual visitor attractions. Brian also has a nose for discovering charming hotels and restaurants to enhance your driving holiday.
As Tour Director, Brian accompanies all tours to guarantee the smooth running of the event and to ensure that new clients are made to feel at home and introduced to regular customers.
