THERE ARE THREE OPTIONS ON THIS TOUR

OPTION A: A SCENIC 5  DAY TOUR THROUGH FRANCE FROM CAEN TO TOULON, FRANCE WHERE WE CATCH THE OVERNIGHT FERRY TO BASTIA IN NORTH EAST CORSICA. WE THEN DRIVE TO BONIFACIO IN SOUTHERN CORSICA WHERE WE CATCH THE 45 MINUTE FERRY TO SANTA TERESA DI GALLURA IN NORTHERN SARDINIA.

OPTION B: MAKE YOUR OWN WAY TO  TOULON TO JOIN THE MAIN GROUP

OPTION C: FLY TO SARDINIA AND HIRE A CAR ( AT YOUR OWN EXPENSE ) AND JOIN THE TOUR

OPTION A ( Main tour)

DATES: 17 day/17 night tour  September 20th to October 7th

A 17 DAY TOUR WITH 12 DAYS ON SARDINIA.
STARTING IN PORTSMOUTH AND TRAVELLING FOR 4 DAYS FROM OUISTREHAM-TOULON TO CATCH THE OVERNIGHT FERRY TO BASTIA, CORSICA. IN CORSICA WE TAKE THE 45 MINUTE FERRY FROM BONIFACIO TO SANTA THERESA IN NORTH SARDINIA

COST PER PERSON: £3,850  based on 2 people, per car, sharing a room

The costs are based upon £1sterling = 1.10 euros and we reserve the right to make a surcharge or give a reduction if the conversion rates move either way.

The costs include the following:

OPTION A,  17 DAY/17 NIGHT TOUR STARTING FROM PORTSMOUTH

• Accommodation in 4 star or 3 star hotels ( 15 nights )
• 3 course dinners hotels ( 15 nights )
• Continental breakfast daily
• Rally plates
• Comprehensive road books with daily itineraries and detailed route notes
• Michelin  maps of France and Sardinia with highlighted route
• Copy of DK's Eyewitness travel guide "Sardinia"
• Services of a CCTI Tour Director throughout the tour
• Brittany Ferries Portsmouth-Ouistreham/Caen afternoon crossing
• 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 Moby Lines ferry from Olbia, Sardinia to Genoa, Italy with cabin and dinner
• DFDS Dunkirk/Calais -Dover return ferry with Premium lounge seat and priority boarding

NOT INCLUDED ARE THE FOLLOWING :

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

 

OPTION B ( join tour in Toulon )

MAKE YOUR OWN WAY TO TOULON TO JOIN THE MAIN TOUR

SEPTEMBER 24th to OCTOBER 7th      A 13 DAY TOUR WITH 12 DAYS ON SARDINIA

COST PER PERSON: £3,250   based on 2 people per car sharing a room

The costs are based upon £1sterling = 1.10 euros and we reserve the right to make a surcharge or give a reduction if the conversion rates move either way.

 

OPTION B,  13 DAY/13 NIGHT TOUR MEETING MAIN TOUR IN TOULON

• Accommodation in 4 star or 3 star hotels ( 11 nights )
• 3 course dinners hotels ( 11 nights )
• Continental breakfast daily
• Rally plates
• Comprehensive road books with daily itineraries and detailed route notes
• Michelin map of Sardinia with highlighted route
• 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

 

OPTION C ( join tour in Sardinia )

FLY TO SARDINIA AND HIRE A CAR ( at your own expense) TO JOIN THE MAIN TOUR

SEPTEMBER 25th to OCTOBER 6th      A 12 DAY TOUR

COST PER PERSON: £2,750  based on 2 people per car sharing a room

The costs are based upon £1sterling = 1.10 euros and we reserve the right to make a surcharge or give a reduction if the conversion rates move either way.

OPTION C,  12 DAY/11 NIGHT TOUR MEETING MAIN TOUR IN SARDINIA

• Accommodation in 4 star or 3 star hotels ( 11 nights )
• 3 course dinners( 11 nights )
• Continental breakfast daily
• Rally plates
• Comprehensive road books with daily itineraries and detailed route notes
• Michelin map of Sardinia with highlighted route
• Copy of DK's Sardinia Eyewitness travel guide
• Services of a CCTI Tour Director upon arriving in Sardinia

NOT INCLUDED ARE THE FOLLOWING :

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

 

 

 

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 Porsmouth to Ouistreham, our scenic route takes us south east 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 south east 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 century chateau on the banks of the river Tarn.

On our 5th day we drive south-east to Toulon to catch the overnight ferry to Bastia on Corsica's north-east coast.

In Toulon participants on Option B join the main tour.

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 minute, ferry from Corsica  to Santa Teresa di Gallura on Sardinia's north coast. We then drive to Porto Cervo on Sardinia's north-east Costa de Smerelda.

In Porto Cervo participants on Option C join the main tour.

Here we spend  two nights

We then spend the next 10 days on our tour of Sardinia which takes us clockwise around the island on stunning coastal roads with picturesque sea scapes and over mountain passes and  through villages where time appears to have stood still.

 

 

DRAFT ITINERARY

Day 1 Friday 20th September Afternoon ferry from Portsmouth-Ouistreham/Caen then overnight in Ouistreham ( 1 mile )

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

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

. 

Day 2 Saturday 21st September 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 to 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 22nd September St. Patrice to Champagnac de Belair 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. Champagnac de Belair is 5 miles from Brantome and is where Le Moulin du Roc,our hotel for the night, is based and this is a charming, 17th century converted moulin, (water mill)

Dinner tonight is in the hotel's Michelin * restaurant

Day 4 Monday 23rd September,  Champagnac de Belair to La Malene, Tarn Gorge, via the Millau Viaduct Bridge (246 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 you 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 kilometers-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 made in 1999. The primary contract was won by Compagnie Eiffage du Viaduc de Millau and 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 24th September La Malene, Tarn Gorge to Toulon ferry port ( 215 miles )

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

In Toulon participants on Option B join the main tour.

Dinner tonight is in the ferry's restaurant

Day 6 Wednesday 25th September 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 7.00am, 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 Smerelda coast where our hotel for the next two nights is located.

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

In Porto Cervo participants on Option C join the main tour.

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

 

Day 7 Thursday 26th September a day relaxing around Porto Cervo

After 6 days on the road today we unwind around the hotel and explore Porto Cervo.

 

 

Day 8  Friday 27th September 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 south west to Nuoro.Here we drive south east to Oliena where our charming hotel is based less than 5 miles west nestling in the mountains at Su Gologone.

The hotel is unique and is charming, see 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 9 Saturday 28th September  Su Gologone local excursion, Tiscali and Cala Gonone ( 40 miles )

Early morning, for the 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, 200yards 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 10 Sunday September 28th 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 shewn out of 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 11 Monday 30th September Marina di Cardedu  to Villasimius ( 110 miles )

Our route takes us inland  then west to Jerzu where tall sharp pinnacles of rock are an impressice 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 south-east peninsula where our 5* hotel is located.

Dinner tonight is in the hotel.

 Day 12 Tuesday October 1st 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 north west 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 13 Wednesday 2nd October  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 north east 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 north east of Alghero in Porto Conte, a private bay overlooking Capo Caccia, see photos below.

Dinner tonight is in the hotel.

Day 14  Thursday 3rd October Porto Conte, relaxing around the hotel

No driving today as we relax around the hotel 

Day 15    Friday 4th October 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 16 Saturday 5th October 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 north west 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 17 Sunday 6th October Su Gologone to Olbia ferry port ( 90 miles )

We leave Su Gologone and drive on a scenic mountain route north-east 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 21.30 for Genoa and arrives at 8.00am the following morning.

Monday 7th October Ferry arrives at Genoa Ferry Port

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