MILLE MIGLIA / ITALIAN LAKES TOUR

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We shall be repeating this tour in 2011,in the meantime if you would like to see photos from our 2010 Mille Miglia tour, please click on the link below which will take you direct to our photo gallery:

http://picasaweb.google.com/classiccartoursinternational/MilleMigliaItalianLakesTour2010

 

 

	9 days/9nights tour April 30th-May 9th 2010 5 days/5 nights tour May 4th-9th 2010
	COST PER PERSON 5 day tour 1,045€ (price fixed in euros) = £950 (based on £1 =1.10€) 9 day tour 1,865€ ( price fixed in euros ) = £1,695 (based on £1=1.10€)

 

DESCRIPTION a 9 day tour with 9 nights' accommodation, (or 5 day tour with 5 nights' accommodation) to watch the 2010 Mille Miglia classic rally "re-run" which starts and finishes in Brescia in northern Italy.The9 day tour incorporates a 3 day scenic route through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland before arriving in Italy where we spend six days in the Italian lakes with overnight stops on Lake Orta and Lake Como and four nights on Lake Garda ,the largest of the Italian Lakes.The 9 day tour includes visits to the Sclumph classic car collection in Mulhouse and both tours include an option to visit the Ferrari museum in Maranello,( the Galleria Ferrari) and the Lamborghini factory and museum in Sant Agata Bolognese.

Participants on the 5 day tour can join us at Orta San Giulio on Lake Orta on the morning of Day 5 or at Menaggio on Lake Como on the evening of Day 5

Our 9 day tour to watch the 2010 Mille Miglia starts with a Friday morning 8.00am Dover-Dunkerque ferry crossing arriving in Dunkerque at 11.00am.From here we drive through Belgium along the motorway for a couple of hours towards Liege where we leave the motorway behind and drive south towards Luxembourg.We are now on country roads and stop for lunch in Durbuy a charming country village based in a picturesque valley.We then continue south through scenic countryside into Luxembourg to Echternach, north of Luxembourg city where a warm welcome awaits us from the owners of our first night's 4*hotel.

On our second day we drive south to France's Alsace region.where we spend our second night in Riquewihr one of France's most beautiful villages surrounded by picturesque vineyards.Our coffee stop the next morning is another of France's most beautiful villages after which we visit the world famous Sclumphf motor collection in Mulhouse now named the French National Motor Museum.We then cross the river Rhine into Germany where we drive through the Black Forest and over mountain passes eventually crossing the border into Switzerland near Aarau.We then head south to Luzerne and continue a few miles to Sarnen at the top of a small lake, Lake Sarner, where our hotel is based.Dinner tonight is on the terrace of a nearby hotel overlooking the lake.

The following day we drive to Lake Orta in Italy just west of Lake Maggiore.Our morning route takes us south to Interlaken our coffee stop.From here we drive into the mountains to Kandersteg where we take the 15 minute motor rail service through the mountains to Goppenstein.From here we drive over the Simplon Pass where we have lunch on the summit and then drop down into Italy and to Lake Orta where our hotel is in Orta St Giulio the charming medieval town which gives its name to the lake.

The following day we drive a few miles east to nearby Stresa on Lake Maggiore our morning coffee stop.We then drive clockwise around the lake to our lunch stop Cannobio still on the west shore and then around to Luino on the eastern shoreline where we leave Lake Maggiore and head east to Lake Lugano where once again we enter Switzerland passing through Lugano.We then drive clockwise around the lake before crossing back into Italy and up into the hills after which we drop down to Menaggio on Lake Como our next overnight stop where our hotel awaits us on the western shore of this romantic lake.In the evening there is an option to visit Bellagio, often described as the "jewel in the crown of Lake Como" by pedestrian ferry from Menaggio.This evening, participants on the 5 day tour join us at our hotel.

On Wednesday morning there are two choices.For those that didn't visit Bellagio last night we catch the 15 minute car ferry to Bellagio the "jewel of Lake Como" where we stop for morning coffee.We then take the 10 minute car ferry to Varenna on the eastern shore of the lake and up the eastern shore to Colico.Those that have already visited Bellagio can drive clockwise around Lake Como toColico.After Colico we leave Lake Como and drive east across the mountains through Sondrio to Edolo.From here we drive east, amidst splendid scenery, through the Vermiglio valley to Dimar where we then turn south driving through more scenic valleys eventually arriving on Lake Idro.From here we drive east to Gargnano on the western shore of Lake Garda then down Lake Garda to our hotels for the next four nights in Desenzano at the bottom left hand corner of Lake Garda

.On Thursday morning we take the train into nearby Brescia to spend the entire day watching the build up to the start of the 2010 Mille Miglia where the first cars start to leave on the 1000 mile rally at 7.30pm.Late afternoon we return to our hotel for an early dinner after which we watch the Mille Miglia cars come through Desenzano which is the first check point on the Mille Miglia route.

On Friday there are two options;

Option A .In the morning we drive approximately 100 miles on the motorway to Modena and nearby Sant Agata Bolognese to visit the Lamborghini museum and factory.We then travel 20 miles to nearby Maranello where we have lunch and visit the Ferrari shops and Ferrari Museum, ( the Galleria Ferrari), which is just around the corner from the Ferrari factory.In the afternoon we drive back to Lake Garda where we can relax by the hotel swimming pool.

Option B A more relaxed day where we visit the nearby gardens of Parco Giardino Sigurta followed by a visit to the medieval town of Sirmione described as" the jewel" of Lake Garda.

On Saturday we enjoy a leisurely clockwise drive around Lake Garda, the largest of the Italian lakes, visiting in the morning the botanical gardens and splendid villa at Il Vittoriale on the south west lake shore west of Lake Garda.We then drive up the western shoreline to Gargagno after which we turn left onto a narrow winding road which leads to Tignale and then across the plateau and down the valley to Tremosine where we drive back to the main road again.Along this 20 mile deviation there are incomparable views of the lake. We then pass through Limone sul Garda and stop for lunch in Riva del Garda at the north of the lake before continuing clockwise around the lake and down the eastern shore before arriving in Malcesine which after Sirmione is probably Lake Garda's nicest village.We then continue to Sirmione our afternoon coffee stop where we visit this stunning medieval village which is accessed by walking over the moat of a medieval castle.We then drive back less than 10 miles to Desenzano late afternoon.After an early evening dinner we drive south to Cremona where there is a Mille Miglia checkpoint .We then return to Brescia to catch a final glimpse of the 2010 Mille Miglia cars crossing the finishing line at the end of the nostalgic and atmospheric rally before returning to our hotel for the last night of our tour.

Sunday morning we say our farewells as this is the end of the tour.

ITALIAN LAKES VISITED ON THIS TOUR INCLUDE: Lake Orta, Lake Maggiore, Lake Lugano, Lake Piano, Lake Como, Lake Idro and Lake Garda

TO SEE OVER 1,000 PHOTOS TAKEN DURING OUR 2008 and 2009 MILLE MIGLIA TOURS see our web photo album by clicking on the line/link below or click on the words "photo gallery " on the menu bar at the top of this page:

http://picasaweb.google.com/classiccartoursinternational/MILLEMIGLIAITALIANLAKESTOUR2008

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/classiccartoursinternational/MILLEMIGLIAITALIANLAKESTOUR2009II#

For more information about the 2010 Mille Miglia Rally click on the lines below starting "The origins etc" or "Draft Programme" or "Mille Miglia Info"

• The origins, history etc of the Mille Miglia
• Draft Programme for the Public: Mille Miglia 2010
• and much more on our Mille Miglia Info page

ITINERARY 9 DAY TOUR, (participants on the 5 day tour can join us on Lake Orta on Tuesday in the morning of Day 5 or at Menaggio, Lake Como in the evening of Day 5 )

Day 1 - Friday. April 30th, Dunkerque- Echternach Luxembourg, (285 miles including 160 on motorway)

Our tour starts with a 8.00am ferry crossing from Dover to Dunkerque arriving at 11.00am French time.Our route takes us on the motorway for 2+ hours south via Lille,Tournai, Mons and Namur towards Liege.After Namur we leave the motorway and drive on country roads into the charming countryside south east towards Luxembourg where our lunchstop is Durbuy,a pretty village nestling in a river valley.In the afternoon we continue south on minor roads to Echternach where a warm welcome awaits us from the owners of our four star hotel, less than a 200 metres from the German border in the countryside just north of Echternach.

Day 2 - Saturday, May 1st Echternach- Riquiwhr, Alsace, ( 195 miles including first 50 on motorways)

Our morning route initially takes us south on the motorway for an hour skirting around Luxembourg city and continuing south to Metz where we leave the motorway and drive on a fast scenic road south east to Sarebourg and up our first mountain where we enjoy lunch at a mountain side restaurant just on the other side of the summit. In the afternoon we continue on scenic country roads eventually arriving in France's Alsace region where our next hotel is based in one of France's most beautiful villages, Riquewihr, famous for its wine and its charming olde- worlde houses.Our dinner tonight is in a restaurant in this picturesque village surrounded by vineyards.

Day 3 - Sunday,May 2nd, Riquewihr- Sarnen, Lake Sarner, Switzerland,(190 miles)

Leaving Riquewihr we drive 10 miles south to Eiguisheim, another of France's most beautiful villages, where we stroll around the picturesque streets.We then drive 20 miles south to visit the world famous Sclumpf collection/motor museum at Mulhouse, the French National Automobile Museum, which houses a fantastic collection of classic cars including the world's largest collection of Bugattis. We then cross the river Rhine into Germany stopping for lunch at a mountain auberge just over the summit of our first mountain of the day.After lunch we drive through the Black Forest eventually crossing the border into Switzerland.We then head south to Luzerne where our hotel is based a few miles further south at Sarnen on the charming Lake Sarner.Dinner tonight is at a nearby hotel where we will be dining on the terrace overlooking Lake Sarner.

Day 4 - Monday, May 3rd, Sarnen, Lake Sarner-Orta San Giulio,Lake Orta, Italy, (150 miles)

Leaving Sarnern, we head south along the west bank of Lake Sarner and then our route takes us across the Bruinig mountain pass south west towards Interlaken where we drive around the north shore of the lake stopping in Interlaken for a coffee.As the Grimsel and Susten passes will almost certainly be closed we then continue west along the southern shore of Lake Thun before leaving the lake and climbing into the mountains to Kandersteg.From here we drive our cars onto the 15 minute motor rail service to Goppenstein through a mountain tunnel.We the drive south east over the Simplon Pass where we enjoy lunch on the summit and then descend the pass on the south side to Domodossola in Italy where we follow the road towards Lake Maggiore.At Gravellona we turn south to Omegna at the northern tip of Lake Orta.We then drive down the eastern shore of Lake Orta, the first of our Italian lakes, to Orta San Giulio where our hotel, a converted monastery is actually based on the lakeside.The medieval town of Orta St Giulio is absolutely captivating with its cobbled streets and historic buildings with frescoes and its charming square on the lakeside overlooks a mysterious island where an order of nuns sworn to silence still live in a medieval convent.There is an opportunity to visit the island via a five minute boatride.

Day 5 - Tuesday,May 4th, Orta San Giulio - Menaggio,Lake Como, Italy,(130 miles), The 5 day tour joins the main tour today

We leave the captivating Lake Orta then drive 20 miles east to Lake Maggiore where our morning coffee stop is the stylish Stresa overlooking the Borromeen islands.We then continue north and drive clockwise around the lake up the western lake shore road to Cannobio our charming lunch stop before crossing into Switzerland through Brissago and Ascona to Locarno at the top of Lake Maggiore.Continuing around the lake we head down the eastern shore back into Italy to Luino on the north eastern shoreline.From here we leave Lake Maggiore and drive east to Ponte Tresa where we drive around the southern shore of Lake Lugano on a charming, picturesque minor road to Morcote our afternoon coffee stop just 4 miles south of Lugano town..We then drive through Lugano clockwise up the western shore of Lake Lugano leaving Switzerland.At the top of Lake Lugano at Porlezza we leave the lake and drive east over the mountains passing the tiny Lake Piano to Lake Como and our hotel at Menaggio on the west lake shore only 100 yards from the village square.This evening there will be a drinks reception prior to dinner in the hotel's restaurant and an option to visit Bellagio as a foot passenger on the 15 minute ferry.In the evening those participants on the 5 day tour who did not join us on Lake Orta this morning will be joining the main tour.

Day 6- Wednesday,May 5th,Lake Como-Lake Garda, Italy, (245 miles)

Upon leaving Menaggio those participants who did not visit Bellagio last night catch the nearby car ferry to Bellagio our coffee stop this morning.Bellagio is described as the "jewel" in Lake Como's crown by many and the poet Shelley as "the prettiest town on the Italian lakes if not the world".Here we can enjoy a morning coffee and a walk around this charming town.We then catch the 15 minute car ferry to Varenna on the eastern shoreline of Lake Como and then drive north through Bellano to Colico.Those having already visited Bellagio can drive clockwise around Lake Como to Colico our coffee stop.We then leave Lake Como and head east into the hills to Sondrio and Edolo where we can enjoy lunch.We then continue north east along a very scenic and relatively quiet road to Ponte di Legno and continue through the Vermiglio valley to Dimaro.Here we turn south through breathtaking scenery to Tione di Trento where we continue south west to Lake Idro.At Lavenone at the south of the lake we turn left passing through the small town of Idro and drive east passing Lake Valvestino continuing east across the mountains to Lake Garda, set in an idyllic landscape of mountains and rugged hillsides. Lake Garda, the largest and easternmost of the Italian Lakes borders the regions of Trenito in the north, Lombardy to the west and south and the Venito to the south and east. Arriving on the western shore in Gargnano we drive down the lake to Desenzano del Garda at the bottom right hand corner of Lake Garda.We are using two 4* hotels as our base for the next four nights; one is a hotel with lake frontage on the outskirts of Desenzano near Rivotella and overlooking the peninsula of Sirmione and the other is a hotel in Desenzano overlooking the lake.

Day 7- Thursday,May 6th, Lake Garda-Brescia-Lake Garda, Italy, ( no driving today)

Today is the start of the 2010 Mille Miglia so we travel in the morning to nearby Brescia taking the 9.30am train from Desenzano, a journey of 15 minutes. The atmosphere is amazing and we spend the day absorbing the ambiance in this historic city with its rich artistic heritage including Roman temples and triumphalist architecture. In the afternoon we can visit the Mille Miglia Museum which is based in the Sant' Eufemia monastery in Brescia. In the early evening we return to our hotel.Dinner tonight is a stylish restaurant in Desenzano and the 2010 Mille Miglia cars come through Desenzano where there is the first evening checkpoint so we can watch the 375 Mille Miglia cars drive past from 8.30pm to 11.00pm preceded by 100 modern Ferraris, a sight for sore eyes indeed !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 8- Friday, May 7th, A visit to the Ferrari and Lamborghini museums in Maranello and Sant' Agata Bolognese, ( 235 miles) OR visit local gardens and Sirmione,(40 miles)

 

Today, there are two options; visiting the Ferrari and Lamborghini museums in Maranello and Sant' Agata, ( a round trip of 235 miles),or staying on Lake Garda and visiting the beautiful Parco Giardino Sigurta gardens and Sirmione,arguably the most beautiful village on Lake Garda.

Option A. visit to the Ferrari and Lamborghini museums in Maranello and Sant' Agata (235 miles mainly motorway)

We take the motorway and drive a hundred miles south east down to Modena where we drive 10 miles east to Sant' Agata Bolognese near Bologna to visit the Lamborghini museum with an opportunity here to visit the factory too.We then drive 20 miles to Maranello our lunch stop just south of Modena and visit the Ferrari Museum,(Galleria Ferrari) which is just around the corner from the Ferrari factory.There is also time to visit the various Ferrari shops as well as taking a peak through the fence at the Ferrari test track the famous "Pista di Fiorano".In the afternoon we return back to Desenzano and our hotels.

 

Option B. visit the Parco Giardino Sigurta gardens and Sirmione (40 miles)

In the morning we drive along the southern shore of Lake Garda to Peschiera where we visit the nearby gardens at Parco Giardino Sigurta, considered by many as once one of the five most extraordinary gardens in the world where visitors can enjoy enchanting views, stunning colours and picturesque corners. A temple to ecology, this spectacular oasis of green at the edge of the glacial hills just eight kilometres south of Peschiera del Garda, Sigurta is a fitting complement to the beauty of Lake Garda.

In the afternoon we return back to Lake Garda and visit Sirmione, a charming and atmospheric medieval town on a peninsula at the south of the lake less than 10 miles east from Desenzano and often described as "the jewel in Lake Garda's crown. The town can only be accessed on foot by crossing the moat of a 16th-century castle at the town's entrance.Sirmione was developed in Roman times for strategic reasons and to exploit the offshore thermal spring which, to this day, feeds a spa that treats muscular ailments and sinus problems.The remains of the Roman baths can also be visited here.After our visit we then return to our hotel.

Day 9- Saturday, May 8th,Tour of Lake Garda and in the evening Cremona-Brescia to watch the end of the Mille Miglia ( 85 miles)

In the morning , we enjoy a clockwise drive around Lake Garda enjoying the contrasts between the low-lying countryside around the southern stretches to the increasingly dramatic scenery further north ending in impressive rocky cliffs, sometimes swathed in pines which hug the shoreline of the northern tip. Our morning coffee stop is at Gardone Riviera just north of Salo where we visit the fascinating Il Vittoriale villa and beautiful botanical gardens.Our route then takes us clockwise up the western shore of Lake Garda .We then drive up the western shoreline to Gargagno after which we turn left onto a narrow winding road which leads to Tignale and then across the plateau and down the valley to Tremosine where we drive back to the main road again.Along this 20 mile deviation there are incomparable views of the lake.Continuing north along the western lake shore we stopto admire Limone Sul Garda before arriving at Riva del Garda our lunchstop at the top of the lake and Lake Garda's most famous holiday resort.In the afternoon we drive down the east shoreline of Lake Garda to our coffee stop Malcesine which after Sirmione is arguably the prettiest village on the lake.After this we continue back around the lake to Sirmione on the southern shore our afternoon coffee stop before arriving back at our hotel.After an early evening dinner we drive to Cremona to watch the return of the 2010 Mille Miglia rally with the option of following the cars into Brescia to see the cars cross the finishing line in the evening.We then return to our hotels for the final night of the tour.

 

 

Day 10, Sunday, May 9th

Participants are free to make their own way home at their own pace, although we will be happy to suggest routes depending on how much time they have for the return trip.

[+] Lake Como

[+] Lake Como

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