ALPS SUMMER TOUR

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Description

9-day tour starting with an early Saturday morning ferry from Dover to Dunkerque and travelling through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy back in to France and ending in Monaco.En-route we drive through the spectacular Alps crossing all the famous passes and experiencing some of Europe's most stunning scenery and its best driving roads before arriving a week later on the Mediterranean coast at Menton from where we drive along the scenic coastline through Monaco to Villefranche-sur-Mer where our hotel for the final two nights is based.

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Itinerary

Our tour starts in Dunkerque following a morning Ferry crossing from Dover. In fact our route through France,Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Monaco follows, very loosely, the route of a Marathon rally. This does mean that while there are no competitive elements to the event, there are some long driving days to cover this distance in one week. The first few days include some motorway and main road sections to make covering the distance a little easier, but once into Switzerland we have a couple of more restful days on Lake Sarner just south of Lake Lucerne and in Montreux on Lac Leman,(Lake Geneva)

The final day is a real 'sting in the tail' with nearly 200 miles of fabulous mountain scenery, with no less than five spectacular 'Cols' to traverse, culminating in one of the most famous, the Col de Turini. It is then downhill all the way, literally! The final run down to the Mediterranean coast at Menton is almost continually downhill for 15 miles after which we drive through Monaco to Villefranche sur Mer where our hotel for the last two nights of the tour is located.On Monday we visit Monaco and drive around the GP circuit before visiting Eze village and the Eprussi Rothschild villa and gardens on Cap Ferrat.

Day 1 - Saturday, July 24th Dover-Dunkerque-Echternach, Luxembourg

Early morning ferry from Dover to Dunkerque.In order to cross industrial Belgium and reach charming countryside in sleepy Luxembourg upon leaving the ferry we take the motorway south via Lille, Mons, Charleroi and Namur. Just south of Namur we leave the motorway and head south-east crossing the border into Luxembourg countryside where we stop for a late lunch in a charming village.From here we drive to Clervaux and then south to our hotel for the night just outside Echternach 20 miles north of Luxembourg City.
Total mileage: 260miles (mainly motorway)

Day 2 - Sunday, Echternach-Riquewihr, Alsace

Another early start to cover the first 50 miles on the motorway to skirt around Luxembourg city to Metz.
Then we take a long fast road across country to Hertung
Then south west on through the Vosges Mountains into the Alsace region to our hotel in Riquewihr a charming wine village in Alsace and one of France's most beautiful villages.This evening we dine in a Michelin * restaurant.
Total mileage 190 (First 50 on m-way)

Day 3 - Monday, Riquewihr -Wilen, Lake Sarner, Switzerland

We start with a visit to a neighbouring village and also one of France's most beautiful villages.We then continue south to Mulhouse and the stunning French Automobile Museum incorporating the world famous Schlumpf car collection. For more information on the Schlumpf collection visit http://www.collection-schlumpf.com
The afternoon run takes us across the river Rhine into Germany where we enjoy lunch in a tradtional mountain hotel after which we drive through some beautiful scenery in the Black Forest and via Badsackingen into Switzerland at Aarau.From here we drive alongside two small Swiss lakes to Lake Lucerne where we drive through Lucerne itself and head a few miles further south to Lake Sarner where our charming hotel for the next two nights is actually on the lake.
Total mileage 190 (First 50 on motrway)

 

 

Day 4-Tuesday, Tour of Lake Lucerne

After 3 days of relatively demanding driving we have a relaxing day driving around the shoreline of nearby Lake Lucerne

 

 

 

 

 

Day 5 - Wednesday, Wilen -Montreux, Lake Geneva, Switzerland

We drive south across the Brunigpass to Interlaken which is our morning coffee stop.We then continue along the northern shore of Lake Thuner to Thun which gives the lake its name.From here we head south west to Gstaad, the start of the real mountains and our lunch stop.After lunch we tackle the first of our serious pases, the Col du Pillon and Glacier 3000, (where you can take a cable car to the top of the mountain). There is then a steady descent to the shores of beautiful Lac Leman, (Lake Geneva), and our hotel for the next two nights on the lakeside in Montreux.
Total mileage: 110 miles.

 

Day 6 Thursday, Montreux-Cogne, Italy

 

The run south takes us via the fascinating museum in Martigny, over the Grand St Bernard Pass and our first big climb, the Col de St Bernard into Italy. We then drive through the town of Aosta and then climb through a long narrow gorge to spend the night at a charming hotel in the mountain skiing and walking resort of Cogne in the national park Grand Paraidiso
Total mileage: 105 miles.

 

Day 7- Friday, Cogne-Col de Lauteret, France

Back on the road again and some of the most spectacular driving so far as we return down the valley cross into France via the Petit St Bernard Pass. We then pass Val d'Isere on our way into the old Alpine Rally territory, over the Col de l'Isaran, the Col du Mont Cenis and the Col de Columbiere to the Hotel des Glaciers at the summit of the Col De Lauteret.
Total mileage: 180 miles.

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Villefranche Bay in Provence

 

 

Day 8 Saturday, Col be Lauteret-Villefranche sur Mer, France

The most exciting day's drive of the week as we traverse more of the Alpine Rally tests before we reach Monte Carlo Rally territory. From Briancon we take in the Col d'Izoard, the Col de Vars, and the highest road in Europe, the Col de Bonnette as we head to the famous Col du Turini Monte Carlo Rally Stage. From the mountains we make the long descent to the Mediterranean and the promenade at Menton. We then drive through nearby Monaco to Villefranche just 10 miles to the west to our hotel for the final evening of the tour overlooking Villefranche harbour.
Total mileage: 195 miles .

Day 9- Monday, Excursion to Monaco,Eze Village and Cap Ferrat( tour finishes in the afternoon)

The last day of the tour . In the morning we visit nearby Monaco with a chance to drive around the world famous circuit followed by a pedestrian tour of the Principality and an opportunity to enjoy a drink in Casino Square and watch some of the world's richest people go about their business.In the afternoon we visit nearby Eze village; a cluster of ancient buildings and flower-decked car-free streets perched on a cliffside 427m above sea-level with its Jardin Exotique offering views as far as Corsica.We then visit the Villa Kerylos at Beaulieu which resembles an ancient Greek villa with authentic techniques and precious materials used to create lavish mosaics, frescoes and inlaid furniture together with numerous Greek ornaments.

We then drive to nearby Cap Ferrat to visit the beautiful Ephrussi de Rothschild museum, arguably the most perfect "dream villa" on the Riviera, Villa Ile-de-France with its stucco walls coloured rose pink. The gardens are truly beautiful and overlook bays to the east and the west, one of the few properties on Cap Ferrat to do so. Late afternoon we say our goodbyes.
Total mileage: 30 miles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE MOUNTAIN PASSES

Just a little extra information for those with a head for heights! In ascending order, literally. Remember, Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell, the three highest mountains in Scotland, Wales and England respectively are just over 3,000ft.

The Col de Columbiere/Col d'Arvis, near Briancon, is a mere 5,022ft Above Sea Level. It does give some excellent views of Mont Blanc though.

Col du Pillon, near Gstaad, 5071 ft. But there is a cable car to the top of the adjacent mountain, if you wish to go higher.

Col du Lauteret, we spend the night here! Near Briancon, 6,750ft.

Col de Grand St Bernard, on the border between Switzerland and Italy, 6,773ft.

Col de Vars, last day's route, 6,924ft.

Col d'Izoard, early morning wake up, last day 7,744ft.

Col d'Isaran, a taste of things to come on penultimate day, snow all year at the summit --- 9,082ft

Col de la Bonnette, the daddy of them all! 9,387ft. Claimed to be the highest road in Europe.

The final mountain of the week, the famous Col de Turini is a mere 4,812ft, but it is downhill all the way from here to the Mediterranean!

For those who don't like heights, just remember it is not "vertigo" to the bottom!

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