S Club Euro Tour 2013 - Full Details

[Longers]

S Club Euro* Tour 2013 - Battle of the Alps (Part Deux)
Saturday 6th July until Wednesday 10th July

Format of tour is the same as previous ones:

1. 4 nights / 5 days, plus option to stay in Calais on Friday 5th
2. 2 nights in one of the hotels so we're not packing and unpacking every day, plus there is the freedom to do as much or as little driving as desired on middle day
3. Hotels are not 5 star palaces but have been chosen to offer a good standard of food and accommodation, be as reasonably priced as possible and have enough twin rooms (believe me, hotels with enough twins are few & far between where we're heading!)

Friday 5th July - Day 0 - The French Connection
Home to Calais
We will be leaving Calais after breakfast on Saturday (exact time tbc) so there is the option of staying in Calais on Friday for those who want to break their journey from the UK, get the one hour time difference out of the way and start Day 1 refreshed after the slog round the M25 and through Kent. For any first timers thinking of attending, so far 100% of UK attendees on previous tours have taken this option but you do not have to.

Saturday 6th July - Day 1 - Bad(en) to the Bone
Calais to Baden Baden
420 miles
Sadly a day spent mainly on the motorway to get us to the good bits of road for the rest of the trip. Scenic detours will be included where possible. Experience has shown that even motorway driving is fun in a convoy of S's
Meet the mainlanders on the way to or at Baden Baden.

Sunday 7th July - Day 2 - Teddy Bears Picnic
Baden Baden to Meiringen
245 miles / 6.25 hours
"If you go down out in the woods today you're sure of a big noisy surprise". For mainlanders unfamiliar with this nursery rhyme... http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/teddy/teddypicnic....
Most of the day will be spent on the flowing roads in Germany's Black Forest, including the well known B500 used by Ducati test riders, before crossing into Switzerland and starting to climb through the Alps.

Monday 8th July - Day 3 - Looping the Loop
Meiringen to Meiringen
200 miles / 6 hours OR 168 miles / 4.5 hours
Exact routes are still tbc but there will be 2 offered; 1 for those who want to spend all day driving and 1 for those who would prefer to do some sight seeing, relax at the hotel, sleep off hangover, etc!
The day will include the famous Andermatt Loop, made up of the Furka, Grimsel, Gotthard, Nufenen and Susten Passes going as high as 7500 feet... http://www.google.co.uk/search?aq=&rlz=1T4ADRA...


Tuesday 9th July - Day 4 - Run to the Hills
Meiringen to Nancy St Dizier
Option 1 - 250 miles / 6 hours
Drive over the Vosges Mountains used by the WRC and Tour de France
Option 2 - 225 miles / 4.25 hours
Use the quicker motorway to get to Nancy and stop at the Schlumpf museum in Mulhouse on the way http://www.citedelautomobile.com/en/home

Wednesday 10th July - Day 5 - The Great Escape
Nancy St Dizier to Calais and onwards to home
310 miles / 4.5 hours to Calais


Prices per person
Single £409 £404 (+£60 for Calais)
Double or twin £296£289 (+£42 for Calais)
Deposit of £75 per person to paid by 31st January
Balance by 26th April
Note - If after paying you are unable to attend I cannot guarantee a refund will be available but I will do my best to get your money back by contacting the hotel and / or trying to fill your place with someone else.

What's included
4 nights bed & breakfast
Satnav files & maps
Witty banter
And possibly a film show one night...

What's excluded
Channel crossings
Evening meals
Fluids (beer & petrol)
Anything else not mentioned in What's "included"

Next steps
Add your name to the list below.
Send me an email to confirm you want to come and tell me

• what room type you require
• if you will need a room in Calais

I will reply with details of where to send your payment.
I will also send you a disclaimer which must be signed and returned by you and your passenger. This is the first time I have asked for one of these but seeing how these tours have grown and the nature of the world we now live in I feel it has become a necessary formality. I know we all go on these tours understanding what is involved but if there is a terrible accident I do not want me or my family to be financially at risk. I hope you all understand.

To guarantee a place I will need your deposit by the deadline. I am sorry this is not far away but I must work to the dates set by the Alps hotel which we are using for 2 nights. Depending on demand if you contact me after the deadline there may still be places available. If the hotel fills up they will try to find rooms in another one close by of the same standard at the same price.
At this stage if you are not sure you can come I suggest you contact me anyway so I have you on the list but please remember I cannot confirm your place until you have paid your deposit.

Approx 1 month before we set off I will send you satnav files and a PIMP (Project Implementation Plan) which is an informal document containing maps, notes, a list of useful things to remember, etc.

If you have not been on one of these tours before, do not worry:

• Everyone was a first timer once. In 2012 50% of attendees were newbies and all got on well (at least they seemed to!)
• There is no racing and you are free to drive at your own pace, whether that's like a bank robber or at a more sedate pace so you can enjoy the scenery
• You do not have to follow the routes offered and can plan your own day if you wish
• It is not a problem if you do not have a satnav, there are usually plenty spread through the group and we have not lost anyone yet. Well, not for long anyway

Sorry for the long post and that it's taken so long to pull this one together, I hope the delay will not prevent any of you attending.

As Swiss Toni might say "Driving a TVR S Series in the Alps is like making lurv to a beautiful woman"

Cheers,
L'rs
* Yes, I know this is a "Euro Tour" and Switzerland is not part of Europe but we do need to go through Europe to get there and back!!

Edited by Longers on Monday 7th January 18:45

Edited by Longers on Wednesday 27th March 20:47

[Longers]

1 Longers / S2 / twin

[Longers]

Amazing response!

Joe, replying in 18 minutes must be a record I think!

One thing I forgot to mention at the start of the topic was please let me know if you will want a room in Calais. Based on previous experience I'm assuming all of the names so far will take this option, apart from Han & Anita

[Longers]

1 Longers /s2 / twin / Calais yes
2 Joe / V8S / twin / Calais yes (share with Mike)
3 Mike /S3 / Calais yes (share with Joe)
4 Tony / S3 / twin / Calais yes
5 Max / S3 / twin / Calais yes (share with Liam if he's attending) or anyone else if he's not ;-)
6 Han / S3 / twin / Calais no (share with Anita , I guess)
7 Glen / S1 / twin / Calais yes ( share with Barry )
8 Barry / S1/ twin / Calais yes ( share with Glen ) Is that OK Barry?

[Longers]

orange_dodo said:

I would love to add my name to the list but unfortunately having just bought a house (with a garage and workshop ) I am broke and banned by SWMBO from going on a holiday in 'that car'.

Next year maybe!

[Longers]

Oldred_V8S said:

Sounds like you need to man up Tom...

Paul, after saying that I cannot wait to see your reason excuse if you do not join us!

[Longers]

Unbelievably the first 2 deposits have already been paid. Joe & Mike must be very keen to share a room...

[Longers]

Tom & Andy, shame you cannot be there this year

AutoAndy meant to say said:

..hope you find someone to do the write up, to leave black lines in the road and to create a horrible burning smell from the dust covers on their front brakes after an enthusiastic descent of one of the Alpine passes

[Longers]

Ragtop said:

9 Graham / V8S / twin / Calais yes (share with Stuart)
10 Stuart / V8S / twin / Calais yes (share with Graham)

Great news gents. At least I'll not get confused about who's car your in this year!!




When adding your names to the list, please remember...

Longers said:

Next steps
Add your name to the list.
Send me an email
I will reply with details of where to send your payment.

Cheers,
L'rs

[Longers]

One final point for today... if anyone is reading this and thinking about bringing their wife or girlfriend but is put off by the current number of blokes in twin rooms, please don't be. There have been plenty of other halves come along in previous years and they must've enjoyed it because some have even been on more than one trip

[Longers]

Gary / Jaye,
Looks like I had better start thinking about a 2014 route. Shouldn't take long, always got plenty of ideas

Maffe said:

I´m in the middle of moving north...

Based on where you currently live is that actually possible ?! Say "hello" to the polar bears for me

JustAl said:

This will be my first trip but not the S3C as it is an old campaigner ex Stew Mcc.

"Honest guv, never used it in rain. Snow? No chance!"

[Longers]

1 Longers /s2 / twin / Calais yes
2 Joe / V8S / twin / Calais yes (share with Mike)
3 Mike /S3 / Calais yes (share with Joe)
4 Tony / S3 / twin / Calais yes
5 Max / S3 / twin / Calais yes (share with Liam if he's attending) or anyone else if he's not ;-)
6 Han / S3 / twin / Calais no (share with Anita , I guess)
7 Glen / S1 / twin / Calais yes ( share with Barry )
8 Barry / S1/ twin / Calais yes ( share with Glen ) Is that OK Barry?
9 Graham / V8S / twin / Calais yes (share with Stuart)
10 Stuart / V8S / twin / Calais yes (share with Graham)
11 Nobby6 / S3 / twin / Calais yes
12 Maffe /s3c/ twin, share with my father
13 Allan /S3C / Single / Calais yes.
14 Stew Mc and Jane / Griff / Double / Calais oh yes.
15 Barclayboy & Matt / S2 / twin / Calais yes

[Longers]

Apologies - at the start of this topic I showed the price for a single room in Calais but for some stupid reason I forgot to include the price (£42) for a twin or double I've added it now


I also mentioned that the Furka Pass topped out at 7500 feet. For reference, the summit of Ben Nevis is "only" 4400 feet...

[Longers]

Greg thought PompeyTim said:

17a PompeyTim Buzzit - Griff
17b Buzzlt - S3

[Longers]

Mr Plow said:

19 Mr Plow / TVR / Twin / Calais yes (share with Max? - Max read your email )

Max, I think your room mate is too ashamed to admit what car he will be driving at the back with Stew

[Longers]

Well volunteered Max Don't worry about the lack of dust covers, Andy's were last seen smouldering in a litter bin at the bottom of the Petit St Bernard Pass
Now all we need is Maffe's new boss to give him the time off so we get some more of his amazing photo's

[Longers]

Tim, if it were me (which I appreciate it isn't!) I'd wait to do the work on the Griff until after Spa Classic in May* and bring the S on tour. That way you can fully exploit the extra power of the Griff during the "Parade Laps" and have the chuckability of the S for the Alpine twisties



*Also Liam will have finished tweaking my S by then and he'll be able to satisfy his desire of working on a Griff (YOURS!) without me having to buy one!

[Longers]

Thanks to those of you who've paid your deposits already. Don't forget to post your forms to me

[Longers]

It was on the original email I sent you Mike. Resent a moment ago

[Longers]

Note to self - try and fit the PIMP for a 5 day trip across Europe onto 1 page for Mike