S Club Euro Tour 2014

[AutoAndy]

v8s4me said:

About 650 miles, so 10 to 12 hours

...is that the GTS answer Joe... surely closer to 6 1/2 hours or 6 at a push...

[TurboTony]

Andy. One day you will appreciate this.... You have to take your time to absorb the countryside. Plus a few comfort breaks!

Mind you I usually take a day or two extra for the return trip. It does allow for the adrenaline to subside. I do have the luxury of not having to go back to work as soon as I am able and understand that other may have to get back to the grindstone immediately. After Spa we did a tour of the WW1 battlefields, last year we stopped off at Montreuil sur Mer to take in Le Touquet. This year I am tempted to spend a night or so in Bruges. It is close enough to Calais to make it a short drive to the ferry.

At the moment I don't have a co-pilot which does make a difference to my plans.

Comments invited

[Barry S1]

Me and Jo are thinking of doing that,will have to look at the map when we get the hotels,would be nice to have extra days there this year,happy for you to join us or us you

[Longers]

1 Longers / S3 / twin / Yes / Bosch
2. Hanita /s3 / Double / no / bosch
3 PompeyTim & Buzzlt / Grieff hopefully / twin / yes / Bosch
4. Joe /V8S/ twin ?? share with Phillpot?? / yes / Bosch
5. Max / S3 / twin ?? Share with L.i.am ?? / yes / Bosch
6. Stew Mc & Karen / Griff / twin / yes / Bosch
7. Phillpot / S3 / twin ?? share with Joe?? / yes / Bosch
8. Colin /s3 /twin / yes / Bosch
9. AutoAndy / S3 / single / yes / Bosch
10. Allan / S3 /single (will share) / yes / Bosch
11 Paul (OldredV8S) & Colin / V8S / Twin / No / Bosch
12. Simon SJS357 / V8S / Twin (father in law?) / yes / Bosch
13. Niiige/S4c/Double/Yes/Bosch
14. Gary & Matt / S / twin / Yes / Bosch
15. Glenrobbo/ Austin S1/ Twin (share with anyone, not proud)/Calais yes /Bosch (daren't do the museums, might end up as an exhibit)
16. Paul (Potlesspaul) and Tom/S3/twin/yes/Bosch
17. TopGearTVR / S2 / twin (Tim counting pennies?) / yes / Bosch
18. Smokey Boyer / S3 / double / yes / Bosch
19 Barry and Jo yes to everything, sorry Glen
20 Alan461 / S2 / twin / yes / Bosch
21. AndrewS2 / MG?! / twin / yes / Bosch?!!
22. kevroe / S3 /single /yes to Bosch /yes to Calais
23 Andy Lynch /Chim /Double/yes to Bosch /yes to Calais
24 theme/V8S/single/yes to Bosch and Calais About 90% at mo have a tax return to fill in!
25 S2ANDY/S2/ twin if codriver will come otherwise happy to share/yes to Calais/ Yes to Bosch
26. TJC 46/Lorraine/ Chimaera/Double/Calais yes/Bosch yes
27. TurboTony/S3/twin/Calais/Bosch
28. Mr Plow / Golf Buggy (a fast one though ) / room type TBC / Bosch
29. mk1fan / Tamy (maybe her older sister) / Twin / No / Bosch - Although depends on Le Mans plans.
30. mohitos / Mark / Twin / Yes / Bosch
31. Deeman/Julie/Double/yes/Bosch
32. Damian S3 / tbc / tbc / tbc

Damian, can you fill in the gaps when you get a chance?

Reserves
1. Terry (& Joel?)

[Longers]

mohitos said:

Any thoughts about the return from Stuttgart and how long that's likely to take ? I'm wondering whether a return to the UK on Tuesday is realistic ?

Glad I'm not the only one with that thought!

The Bosch centre is approx. 1hr east of Karlsruhe, where we'll be staying on Saturday and Sunday, and Karlsruhe is 6hrs exactly from Calais. I agree that if we also stay there on Monday 6hrs is too far to drive to Calais on Tuesday. Getting to Calais would be fine but then a channel crossing and onward drive in the UK? Not for me thanks!

Therefore I am negotiating hard with several hotels within a max of 5hrs from Calais. We will not need to travel too far after a day at Bosch but will also comfortably be able to make a mid afternoon channel crossing (the normal sort of time we aim for). And that is 5hrs of mainly m'way so hopefully we'll be a bit quicker than that estimate.

I wouldn't want to be any further than 5hrs from Calais on Monday night - that's roughly how long my favourite route back from the Nurburgring takes, which is fine, even though that means using the Brussels ring road which can cause delays. Our route from this part of Germany will be a lot more straightforward.

Hope that helps?

As soon as I can get this hotel sorted and the TVRiders can finalise the format of the Bosch day I'll let everyone have the final details

[themee]

"After Spa we did a tour of the WW1 battlefields"I was thinking of doing something like this on the way back. I may take an extra couple days not sure I want a 10 hour drive plus ferry and then another 4 getting home.

Edited by themee on Thursday 9th January 21:03

[DamianS3]

Sorry keep getting errors.

Single twin or share rooms, yes to Calais and Bosch.

Thanks

Damian

[v8s4me]

I could be tempted to have an extra night somewhere to break the journey.

[DamianS3]

I am thinking this too.

[v8s4me]

themee said:

"After Spa we did a tour of the WW1 battlefields"I was thinking of doing something like this on the way back. .......

They are on the route back and given the anniversary this sounds like a good idea. Also possibly easier than trying to find city centre parking for a group of TVS. Just a thought.

[v8s4me]

AutoAndy said:

...is that the GTS answer Joe... surely closer to 6 1/2 hours or 6 at a push...

You have to allow for blindly following the say nav when it's clearly wrong and then stopping for a coffee to have an argument about how best to find our way back onto the correct route I think I've now worked out why you carry those empty coke bottles. Just remember to empty them down wind.

[mohitos]

Longers said:

Glad I'm not the only one with that thought!

The Bosch centre is approx. 1hr east of Karlsruhe, where we'll be staying on Saturday and Sunday, and Karlsruhe is 6hrs exactly from Calais. I agree that if we also stay there on Monday 6hrs is too far to drive to Calais on Tuesday. Getting to Calais would be fine but then a channel crossing and onward drive in the UK? Not for me thanks!

Therefore I am negotiating hard with several hotels within a max of 5hrs from Calais. We will not need to travel too far after a day at Bosch but will also comfortably be able to make a mid afternoon channel crossing (the normal sort of time we aim for). And that is 5hrs of mainly m'way so hopefully we'll be a bit quicker than that estimate.

I wouldn't want to be any further than 5hrs from Calais on Monday night - that's roughly how long my favourite route back from the Nurburgring takes, which is fine, even though that means using the Brussels ring road which can cause delays. Our route from this part of Germany will be a lot more straightforward.

Hope that helps?

As soon as I can get this hotel sorted and the TVRiders can finalise the format of the Bosch day I'll let everyone have the final details

Sounds like it's all in hand ! I'd struggle to add another day to the trip, so bridging the return journey with a hotel closer to Calais definitely gets my vote !

[mk1fan]

Assuming I can arrange things to come, I'll be heading straight back. At the moment I'll be heading back on the Thursday for Le Mans.

Alternatively, I may just head to Le Mans on the Tuesday but this would be car dependant.

[SJS357]

Sounds good to me.

[Longers]

mk1fan said:

Alternatively, I may just head to Le Mans on the Tuesday but this would be car dependant.

If it were me and I had the time...
- Monday back to hotel in Karlsruhe
- Tuesday chilled day in Stuttgart at Porsche and Merc
- Wednesday half way to Le Mans
- Thursday arrive at Le Mans


Apart from the time and effort getting back to UK then returning to France almost straightaway, you'd save a few £s on fuel and another channel crossing

[mk1fan]

It all depends on what car I take and whether the OH comes. We're supposed to be going to Le Mans and this trip has come up subsequently. I'll try and sort things this weekend.

[Top Gear TVR]

In planning the routes dont forget the Glenrobbo 'visits to places if industrial significance'

A 'concrete' requirement😜

[TJC46]

Just for you Glen click on the link below and enjoy

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF-8&q=conc...

.....................................................................................

[v8s4me]

Spoilt for choice there Glen

[glenrobbo]

Top Gear TVR said:

In planning the routes dont forget the Glenrobbo 'visits to places if industrial significance'

A 'concrete' requirement😜

I'm really looking forward to cementing relations with our Continental counterparts this year.




ETA: Steve, what shoe size you?

I'm making you some concrete boots.......

Edited by glenrobbo on Saturday 11th January 12:29