HERE'S WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAID ABOUT OUR 2019 SARDINIA TOUR

“A quick note to say many thanks for a great tour of Sardinia.

As usual, we really enjoyed your well organised trip with its fine hotels and food

and those roads ...!! All the best and thanks again”

Anthony and Ros: Houghton, Cambridgeshire: Porsche Boxster: Repeat clients: 3^rd tour

“I can’t thank you enough for all your kindness, has to be the best driving tour yet!!!

Loved the tail chases……………. So thanks again for everything Brian”

Maurice and Annette: Limpsgate, Surrey: Jaguar XK150: Repeat clients 3^rd tour

“We enjoyed the trip, particularly the company.Good bunch of people”

Peter and Carol: Poole, Dorset: BMW Z4: Repeat clients 3^rd tour

“The long drive down was made worthwhile by the epic driving in Sardinia. The route you chose (outside the villages) contained some fantastic scenery and superbly engineered and well-maintained roads. Critically the traffic in late September / early October was very light. With the great weather, the time of year was perfect.” The choice of hotels was great

Your maps and planning, as before, were excellent and clearly involved a huge amount of preparation. We were very grateful for this level of organisation. Very easy to let things slip, I’m sure, but it all worked beautifully. Thank you for organising the top cabins on the ferries; the relative peace and quiet from Toulon, and to Genoa, were very welcome. We had a great time and fully intend to join you again sometime somewhere in the future”

David and Rebecca: London: BMW 335i: Repeat clients 2nd tour

DATES: TBC   

 

COST PER PERSON: TBC€  based on 2 people, per car, sharing a room

The costs are based on euros due to the uncertainty of predicting £sterling to euros conversion rates

The costs include the following:

 

• Accommodation in  5 star and 4-star hotels
• 3-course dinners hotels
• Continental breakfast daily
• Rally plates
• Comprehensive road books with daily itineraries and detailed route notes
• Michelin  maps of France with highlighted route
• Services of a CCTI Tour Director throughout the tour
• Brittany Ferries Portsmouth-Ouistreham/Caen afternoon crossing
• DFDS Calais -Dover return ferry with Premium lounge seats and priority boarding
• Copy of DK's Sardinia Eyewitness travel guide
• Services of a CCTI Tour Director upon arriving in Toulon
• Overnight outward Corsica-Sardinia ferry ( with cabin and dinner ) from Toulon, France to Bastia Corsica
• Daytime ferry from Bonifacio in Corsica to Sant Teresa di Gallura in Sardinia
• Overnight return ferry from Olbia, Sardinia to Genoa with cabin and dinner

NOT INCLUDED ARE THE FOLLOWING :

• Lunches, snacks, coffees, etc.
• Drinks with dinner
• Entry to places of interest
• Autoroute tolls

 

TOUR SUMMARY

To arrive on Sardinia we spend 5 days driving from Caen in northern France to Toulon, to catch the overnight ferry to Corsica.

Our route goes through some of France's most stunning areas with overnight stops in Ouistreham, the Loire Valley, the Dordogne and the Tarn Gorge.

Following an afternoon ferry crossing from Portsmouth to Ouistreham, our scenic route takes us southeast to our second hotel, a 4* sumptuous chateau hotel in the Loire Valley where we spend a night in this beautiful region which is a UNESCO world heritage site.

We then leave the Loire Valley and drive south to the Dordogne, our next overnight stop, in a 17th-century converted moulin. We then continue southeast to Millau where we drive over the stunningly beautiful Millau bridge, the world's highest and most beautiful suspension bridge spanning the Millau gorge. We then drive into the scenic Gorges des Tarn where our hotel is a 16th-century chateau on the banks of the river Tarn.

On our 5th day, we drive southeast to Toulon to catch the overnight ferry to Bastia on Corsica's northeast coast.

The next morning we arrive on the overnight ferry in Bastia, Corsica then drive 100 miles south to Bonifacio to catch the mid-day, 45 minutes ferry from Corsica to Santa Teresa di Gallura on Sardinia's north coast. We then drive to Porto Cervo on Sardinia's northeast Costa de Smeralda. Here we spend our first night on Sardinia.

We then spend the next 8 days on our tour of Sardinia which takes us clockwise around the island on stunning coastal roads with picturesque seascapes and over mountain passes and through villages where time appears to have stood still.

 

 

DRAFT ITINERARY

Day 1 Friday 

Afternoon ferry from Portsmouth-Ouistreham/Caen then overnight in Ouistreham ( 1 mile )

Our ferry departs Portsmouth at 14.45 and arrives in Ouistreham/Caen at 21.30.

From here it is less than a mile to our 4* hotel overlooking the beach.

. 

Day 2 Saturday 

 Ouistreham to St Patrice, Loire Valley ( 200 miles)

After breakfast, we drive to Pegasus Bridge and the cafe which was the first place to be liberated in 1944 towards the end of the 2nd world war, see photos below:

 

 

We then head south for 60 miles to Sees our morning coffee stop where we can visit the twin-spired cathedral.

We then continue south to Arnage, near Le Mans where we enjoy lunch at the Harlequin restaurant.

After lunch we visit the famous 24 HOURS Le Mans Museum next to the main entrance of the Le Mans 24 hours circuit, Musée des 24 Heures, see photos below.

 

We then leave Le Mans and head south on scenic backroads and a great driving road to our sumptuous 4* chateau hotel, Chateau de Rochecotte (click here to visit their website), in St. Patrice in the Loire valley, (see photos below).

Dinner tonight is in the hotel.

Click on the link below to youtube to see a video of a Morgan arriving at Chateau Rochecotte:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC_Ewi28fRc&list=UU4kYRRX5BQ2LJnnICOydThA&index=6&feature=plcp

Click here to see a video of the interior of Chateau Rochecotte

Day 3 Sunday 

St. Patrice to Bourdeilles, near Brantome, Dordogne ( 185 miles)

After leaving our chateau hotel we continue south, through Descartres, to La Roche Posay our coffee stop. We then continue south to Angles-sur-l'Anglin, one of France's "plus beaux villages" and our lunch stop at an auberge nestling under the ruins of an ancient chateau, see photos below.

After lunch, we drive south to Chauvigny through the picturesque Vienne valley on minor roads into the Charente department through Confolens to Chabanais where, just south, we stop to visit the amazing Chassenon Roman Baths. Located at Longeas, a small hamlet just south of Chassenon, these are amongst the best-preserved buildings of their type in the territory of ancient Gaul and possibly in the whole of what was once the Roman Empire. The site also includes three temples, a theatre and an aqueduct, all once part of the ancient Roman city of Cassinomagus. We then continue south into the Dordogne to the charming town of Brantôme, described as "the Venice of the Perigord" due to the river Dronne completely encircling the town effectively making Brantome an island! Brantome also boasts the oldest bell tower in France attached to the ancient abbey. Bourdeilles is 5 miles from Brantome and is where our hotel for the night, is based and this is a charming, 17th-century converted moulin, (watermill)

Dinner tonight is in a local restaurant

Day 4 Monday 

Bourdeilles to La Malene, Tarn Gorge, via the Millau Viaduct Bridge (240 miles)

We take the autoroute to Brives and then head east to Rodez and then on to the Millau gorge where we have the opportunity to view, arguably, the world's most beautiful modern suspension bridge, the Millau Viaduct, (see photo below). We drive over the bridge and then under it when we really appreciate its beauty and scale.

The Millau Viaduct bridge is a cable-stayed road bridge that spans the valley of the River Tarn near Millau in the Aveyron. Designed by architect Sir Norman Foster, in collaboration with
French bridge engineer Michel Virlogeux, it is the highest vehicular bridge in the world, with one pier's summit at 343 metres (1,125 ft) - slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower and only
38 m (125 ft) shorter than the Empire State Building. The Millau Viaduct bridge was conceived as a means to alleviate traffic congestion, as every year kilometres-long traffic jams would form as tourists made their way south during summer, descending the valley into the town of Millau which became a notorious bottleneck on the A75 autoroute.
Construction in this area is difficult as the region is known for high winds and the valley is very deep, resulting in an extended period of research and planning, investigating various potential routes, and taking 10 years before construction began. A competition was established to elicit the best solution and in July 1996 the design of a cable-stayed bridge by Foster & Partners was awarded. After a few modifications, the final design was approved in 1998 and an international call for tenders was made in 1999. The primary contract was won by Compagnie Eiffage du Viaduc de Millau and construction began in October 2001, finishing in December 2004.

From Millau, we drive into the stunning Gorges des Tarn where our hotel a 16th-century chateau is located between La Malene and Ste Enimie on the banks of the River Tarn in the gorge itself

Dinner tonight is in the hotel's restaurant

Day 5 Tuesday

Tarn Gorge to Toulon ferry port ( 215 miles )

Overnight Ferry from Toulon to Bastia, Corsica

We drive through the Tarn Gorge to Florac and take a great scenic driving road through the mountains to Anduze where we take N106 to Nimes and then the motorway via Aix en Provence to Casis where we leave the motorway and drive west to La Seyne Sur Mer, our afternoon coffee stop, before continuing to nearby Toulon where we catch the 20.00 hours overnight ferry to Bastia, Corsica

 

Dinner tonight is in the ferry's restaurant

ON SARDINIA

Day 6 Wednesday

Bastia to Bonifacio, Corsica ( 100 miles )

Then take the Bonifacio ferry to Santa Teresa di Gallura, Sardinia ( 45 minutes )

Then drive Santa Teresa di Gallura to Porto Cervo, Sardinia ( 35 miles )

Overnight ferry from Toulon arrives in Bastia at 7:00 am, see photo below.

We then drive 100 miles south from Bastia to Bonifacio on Corsica's south coast where we catch the mid-day 45-minute ferry to Santa Teresa Gallura on Sardinia's north coast, see map below.

 

From here it is only 35 miles to Porto Cervo on Sardinia's north-east Costa Smeralda coast where our hotel for our first night on Sardinia is located.

Once we have checked in it we can spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing around the stylish Porto Cervo.

 

Dinner tonight is in the hotel's restaurant in Porto Cervo

 

Day 7 Thursday 

 Porto Cervo to Su Gologone ( 160 miles )

Leaving Porto Cervo we drive south to Olbia where we take the S127 west to Tempio Pausania. Here we turn south over the Passo del Limbara then past Lake Coghinas to Oschiri. We then turn east and drive to Budduso via Lake Lerno. At Budduso we turn south to Bitti and then take a scenic mountain route southwest to Nuoro. Here we drive southeast to Oliena where our charming hotel for the next two nights is based less than 5 miles west nestling in the mountains at Su Gologone.

The hotel is unique and charming, see the photos below.

Dinner tonight is in the hotel and is a traditional Sardinian meal with suckling pig and lamb cooked on an open fire.

 

Day 8 Friday 

Su Gologone local excursion, Tiscali and Cala Gonone ( 40 miles )

Early morning, for walking enthusiasts, there is an opportunity to visit Tiscali, a unique Nuraghic settlement hidden in the depths of an enormous chasm in Monte Tiscali.

Tiscali was inhabited prior to the Roman invasion and is still one of the most exciting nuraghic finds in Sardinia, in particular, because of its unique position.

To reach Tiscali we take a 5-mile drive down an unmade road, 200 yards from the hotel, into the Lanaittu Valley to the starting point of the walk where we join a guide. It's then a 1hr 30-minute walk through dramatic mountain scenery to reach the top of the mountain and the chasm that houses Tiscali.

 

For the other less adventurous we enjoy a local excursion and our morning coffee stop is Nuraghe Muristeno:

Then we drive to nearby Dorgali where we drop down to the coast to Cala Gonone, our lunch stop, see photos below:

 

After lunch there is an opportunity to swim in the sea in one of Sardinia's most beautiful bays at Cala Luna, near the Grotta del Blue Marino, see photos below:

We then return to our hotel at Su Gologone to relax by the pool.

 

Dinner tonight is in the hotel.

Day 9 Saturday

Su Gologone to Marina di Cardedu ( 60 miles )

We leave Su Gologone and drive to Dorgali where we take the S125, the Orientale Sarda road down to the coast at Baunei.

This is a scenic mountain road hewn out of the rock by Piedmontese coal merchants during the mid-1800s and the road takes us over the Genna Silana Pass at 1,017 metres and past Urzulei down to Baunei.

We then continue along the S125 to Santa Maria Navarrese a seaside resort and our lunch stop overlooking the beautiful beach protected by a Spanish watchtower.|

After lunch, we continue south via Tortoli to Bari Sardo where we head east on a minor road to Marina di Cardedu. This is where our hotel is located on the coast with its own beach.

Dinner tonight is in the hotel.

Day 10 Sunday 

 Marina di Cardedu  to Villasimius ( 110 miles )

Our route takes us inland then west to Jerzu where tall sharp pinnacles of rock are an impressive sight as they emerge from the maquis on the approach to Jerzu. The town is mainly noted for its Cannonau red wine, one of the most famous in Sardinia.

From here we take the scenic mountain road south to Perdasdefogu.

We then continue on a minor road through the mountains to Muravera where a few miles south we take another scenic mountain route across the Gola dy Rio Cannas to Capitana on the southern coast. We then drive east along the scenic coast road to Villasimius on the southeast peninsula where our 5* hotel is located.

Dinner tonight is in the hotel.

 Day 11 Monday 

Villasimius to Buggeru ( 130 miles )

Our morning route takes us west along the scenic coastline to Cagliari our morning coffee stop. We then continue west along the coast to Chia where we visit the sheltered bay flanked on one side by the 17th-century Torre di Chia and on the other by red cliffs. At the foot of the tower, you can visit the remains of Phoenician Bithia an ancient city covered by the sea for centuries and not yet completely excavated.

 

 

Continuing northwest we skirt around Sant 'Antioco and then head north to Portoscuso our afternoon coffee stop.

Continuing north we drive up to Fontanamare we hug the scenic coastline to Masua, along the Costa di Masua. At Nebida we can see the abandoned mines of the industrial archaeological area

We then continue to Buggerru, a former mining town in an area rich in mineral deposits. Although the mines have now closed the town has been reclaimed as a harbour for pleasure boats and our hotel is located overlooking the Marina.

 

Dinner tonight is in the hotel.

Day 12 Tuesday 

 Buggeru to Porto Conte, Alghero ( 145 miles )

Our route takes us north east to Guspini and then to Oristano where we drive along the peninsula to Capo San Marco.

We then drive northeast up to Riola Sardo  and take a scenic road to Santa Caterina de Pittinuri on the coast

Our scenic route takes us initially away from the coast to Cuglieri then back to the coast at Bosa.

The final route to Alghero is a spectacular coastal road.

Our hotel, for the next three nights, is 30 minutes northeast of Alghero in Porto Conte, a private bay overlooking Capo Caccia, see photos below.

Dinner tonight is in the hotel.

Day 13  Wednesday 

Porto Conte, relaxing around the hotel

No driving today as we relax around the hotel 

Day 14  Thursday  Porto Conte,  local excursion ( 30 miles )

In the morning we visit Cap Caccia with an option to take a boat ride to nearby Neptune's cave.

 

We then drive to Alghero, our lunch stop, where we explore this atmospheric town, see photos below:

We then return to our hotel to relax by the pool.

Dinner tonight is in the hotel.

 

Day 15 Friday 

Porto Conte to Su Gologone ( 140 miles )

We leave Porto Conte and drive through Alghero and then inland into the mountains on the S292 stopping en route to our morning coffee stop, Monteleone Rocca Doria, perched on a cliff overlooking a lake, see photos below.

In the village is the church of Santo Stefano dating back to the 12th century, see photos below

After coffee, we continue south-east on the S292 stopping to visit the San Nicola di Trullau church, see photos below.

We then continue east to Semestene.

From here we turn south to Abbasanta where we cross Lake Omodeo to our lunch stop a pizzeria overlooking the lake.

After lunch, we drive on minor roads east to Austis then continue northwest to Nuoro.

From here it's 15 miles to our hotel Su Gologone where we stayed on our 1st night, see photos below.

 

Dinner tonight is in the hotel.

Day 16 Saturday 

Su Gologone to Olbia ferry port ( 90 miles )

We leave Su Gologone and drive on a scenic mountain route northeast to Orosei our morning coffee stop.

We then continue up the coast to Siniscola our lunch stop.

We then drive up to San Teodoro our afternoon coffee stop.

Early evening we arrive at Olbia ferry port

Our ferry leaves at 21.30 for Genoa and arrives at 8.00 am the following morning.

Sunday  Ferry arrives at Genoa Ferry Port

The ferry arrives at 8.00 am and participants make their way home.