LE MANS CLASSIC RACES / LOIRE VALLEY TOUR

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THIS TOUR WILL BE REPEATED IN JULY 2012 AND FULL DETAILS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THIS SITE IN OCTOBER

Description

Luxury Tour 5-day tour to watch the nostalgic and world famous  Le Mans Classic races, combined with a day tour of the beautful Loire Valley. Overnight ferry to St. Malo and then our route takes us via the medieval town of Vitre and the Le Mans auto museum to our sumptuous 4-star chateau hotel in the Loire Valley.On Friday we enjoy a leisurely tour of the Loire valley and on Saturday and Sunday drive up to Le Mans to watch the racing.On Monday we drive up to Caen for our afternoon ferry.

Budget tour 5-day tour to watch the nostalgic and world famous  Le Mans Classic races, combined with a day tour of the beautful Loire Valley. Daytime ferry from Dover to Dunkerque on Thursday and then our route takes us via the Le Mans auto museum where we meet up with the luxury tour and then on to our 3* hotel in the Loire Valley.Return to Dunkerque on Monday for late afternoon ferry to Dover.

LE MANS CLASSIC OFFICIAL WEBSITE - CLICK HERE

ITINERARY, LUXURY TOUR

Wednesday, 7th July.Overnight ferry from Portsmouth to St.Malo at 8.30pm.

Day 1 - Thursday

Arrive in St Malo at 8.15 am on overnight ferry from Portsmouth. Our route takes the pretty coastal road around Pointe du Grouin to Cancale Port Mer, an idyllic, secluded bay just north of Cancale where we enjoy breakfast. Our scenic route continues eastwards along the bay of Mont St Michel to Pontorson where we turn south and head down to Vitre a charming medieval town and our lunch stop.In the afternoon we head east to Le Mans for coffee and a visit to the famous Auto Museum. Having familiarised ourselves with the parking and spectating arrangements for the weekend races we leave Le Mans and head south to our sumptuous 4 star chateau hotel Chateau de Rochecotte in St.Patrice just 5 miles west of Langeais,( click on the photo link below).Dinner tonight in the hotel.

Chateau-de-Rochecotte Hotel: click to visit their site

Day 2 - Friday

We drive a few miles west along the banks of the Loire to one of France's prettiest villages, Candes St Martin, our coffee stop, with a chance to walk along its narrow streets and visit a wonderful view point over the Loire Valley before heading to Chinon, our lunch stop, where we can visit the charming streets of the medieval old town. After lunch we head to nearby Fontevraud where we visit the largest and most remarkably intact medieval abbey in France. After Fontevraud we pass the picturesque, fairy tale Chateau of Usse overlooking water meadows and the river Indre. Its romantic white turrets, pointed towers and chimneys were the inspiration for Charles Perrault's Sleeping Beauty, (see photo of red MGB below). We then continue along the banks of the Loire towards Langeais where we then visit the beautiful gardens at the privately owned Chateau Chatonniere near Azay le Rideau, (see photo below).Alternatively, there is an option to visit a nearby museum where there is an amazing eclectic collection of machinery, tools and vehicles. We then cross the river Loire at Langeais stopping for a home-made ice cream at a tea room facing the chateau before returning back to our hotel, Chateau-de-Rochecotte in St.Patrice,( see photo above). Dinner tonight in the hotel.
Option. Alternatively participants can make their own way to Le Mans to watch the start of the practising, and return to our hotel in the evening.

Chateau Usse with its romantic turrets	Chateau Chatonniere gardens

Day 3 - Saturday

We leave the hotel at approximately 9.00am and drive up to Le Mans to spend the day watching the start of the classic races which start at 3.00pm and last for 24 hours. Return to Chateau Rochecotte for dinner or stay on at Le Mans and return to hotel in your own time.. If the ladies prefer they can spend the day at Rochecotte enjoying the outdoor heated swimming pool and gardens.

Day 4 - Sunday

We travel up to Le Mans again to watch Sunday's racing with the exciting finale in the afternoon before returning to Chateau-de-Rochecotte where we enjoy a celebratory dinner.

Day 5 - Monday

We say 'au revoir' to the Loire Valley and head back to Caen for the afternoon ferry via scenic minor roads to La Chartre sur-le-Loir where we stop off at the Hotel de France the headquarters of the Aston Martin, Le Mans racing team in the 1950s and 60s. Over coffee you can browse through the nostalgic pictures of Le Mans legends that line the walls of this famous hotel. After coffee we head north to Alencon and on to Sees, our lunch stop, where you can visit the twin spired cathedral. After lunch we continue north to Caen to the port of Ouistreaham for our 16.30 ferry to Portsmouth, (arrives Portsmouth 21.15).

ITINERARY, BUDGET TOUR

Day 1 - Thursday

Early morning ferry 8.00am from Dover to Dunkerque.Make your own way on the autoroute south west to the Le Mans Circuit and our afternoon coffee stop where you join the Luxury tour and visit the famous Auto Museum. Having familiarised yourselves with the parking and spectating arrangements for the weekend races we leave Le Mans and head south to our hotel in the centre of Langeais, 5 miles east of the luxury tour hotel.

Day 2 - Friday

We drive a few miles west along the banks of the Loire to one of France's prettiest villages, Candes St Martin, our coffee stop, with a chance to walk along its narrow streets and visit a wonderful viewpoint over the Loire Valley before heading to Chinon our lunch stop, where we can visit the charming streets of the medieval old town. After lunch we head to nearby Fontevraud where we can visit the largest and most remarkably intact medieval abbey in France. After Fontevraud we take minor roads we drive past the picturesque, fairy tale Chateau of Usse overlooking water meadows and the river Indre. Its romantic white turrets, pointed towers and chimneys were the inspiration for Charles Perrault's Sleeping Beauty. We then continue along the banks of the Loire towards Langeais where we then visit the beautiful gardens at the privately owned Chateau Chatonniere near Azay le Rideau.Alternatively, there is an option to visit a nearby museum where there is an amazing eclectic collection of machinery, tools and vehicles.We then cross the river Loire at Langeais and return back to our hotel.
Option. Alternatively participants can make their own way to Le Mans to watch the start of the practising, and return to our hotel in the evening.

Day 3 - Saturday

We make an early start, approximately 9.00am and drive up to Le Mans on a great driving cross country road,( approximately an hour's drive), to spend the day watching the start of the 24 hours race.Return to the hotel in your own time.

Day 4 - Sunday

We travel up to Le Mans again to watch Sunday's racing with the exciting finale in the afternoon before returning to our hotel..

Day 5 - Monday

We say 'au revoir' to the Loire Valley and head back to Dunkerque for the afternoon ferry.

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