European road trips.

[DonkeyApple]

Ever since we were at uni, a group of friends and I have always done at least one lad's road trip into Europe a year.

The trips are only ever about 3/4 days and tend to centre around points of interest or events and involve much gout inducing dining.

In recent years we have begun to run out of ideas as there is only so far you can reach sensibly within that time frame. There are obviously going to be places and events that we've overlooked so I'm looking for inspiration.

To give you some ideas as to what we've already covered here are some of the types of runs:

WW1 war graves.
Bridge too Far route.
Battle of the Bulge.
NRing Old Timers.
Monte Carlo.
Le Mans classic.
Brittany.
Trouville.
Bordeaux.
Cologne.
Loire
Epernay
Paris
Bruge
Amsterdam.

There is an RTR war grave in northern Germany we'd like to visit but the route is dull. Ireland is out as people would try and play golf. No ferries to Norway any longer. Denmark is properly dull.

Not done Stelvio.

General idea is usually one day full driving then a couple of days pottering locally. But keen to avoid massive motorway legs which does limit range but not a set rule. Also have to be a little wary of where the cars are overnight.

[DonkeyApple]

MarshPhantom said:

Pague - around 600 miles from Calais so possible in your time available.

Good call. Have done it, back in 90s just after the revolution. In a ford Sierra. Class.

[DonkeyApple]

littleredrooster said:

Circuit des Remparts, Angouleme?
http://www.circuit-des-remparts.com/index-id_page-...

I'm hoping to go there myself this year.

That looks like a good weekend. Looks like it may be how Le Mans was twenty years ago before the package holiday firms got involved.

Nice crossing to Le Havre and a cross country journey down. Good time of year also.

Thanks for the heads up.

[DonkeyApple]

Russwhitehouse said:

I can vouch for the Circuit des Remparts. I live twenty minutes away and we go most years. Great proper no mercy racing on a tight city circuit. The weather is always hot and sunny and the surrounding countryside provides stunning driving roads. Pre book seats for the tribunes though, as standing all day craning your neck to see is no fun at all. Seats cannot be bought on the day anymore so get them via the website. Always a massive turn out of Brit competitors in a lush variety of precious metal.

Thanks. I do like that part of the world and this event looks good.

[DonkeyApple]

truck71 said:

Reims, take a tour of some champagne producers, go to Laon for lunch. Pop over to Belgium to Ypres, Spa etc- lots of great roads. Or, try Luxembourg city, loads of history and a bit of a surprise.

Another thought, have you read the poor boys tour from the last C&SC?

You said Ireland is out due to golf (quite right by the way), does this include NI? Belfast is very interesting with great cuisine, the coast road heading North West out of Larne is superb with a great little place for lunch in Ballygalley.

Jumping back to France, you can hit the Dordogne in a day which out of season is reasonably traffic free with great scenic roads.

Edited by truck71 on Sunday 4th January 13:57

Edited by truck71 on Sunday 4th January 14:05

We've done all the first ideas. And the Dordoigne. All fantastic.

Northern Ireland is dangerous as a quick dash down the M1 means bags of clubs will be loaded before you know what's happening. It's a real danger. One year we had a chap who decided he'd fly himself to Le Touquet a day before we would be passing so he could get a round in. He was only snapped into line for future trips because we actually forgot to pick him up. It's a crippling affliction.

What's the poor lads tour?

[DonkeyApple]

Keep it stiff said:

DonkeyApple said:

Northern Ireland is dangerous as a quick dash down the M1 means bags of clubs will be loaded before you know what's happening. It's a real danger. One year we had a chap who decided he'd fly himself to Le Touquet a day before we would be passing so he could get a round in. He was only snapped into line for future trips because we actually forgot to pick him up. It's a crippling affliction.

On that basis I guess you have ruled out Scotland too?

Did a lap of Scotland a few years back. Fantastic. Left the golfers down south out of necessity.

Edited by DonkeyApple on Sunday 4th January 17:07

[DonkeyApple]

lowdrag said:

Spa 6 hours in September. The right crowd and no crowding. As someone who did Angouleme a few times in the 90's I find it expensive and too controlled these days.

Thanks. Done several Spa events. One of the best was stumbling across some enormous Beetle event when heading to the Ardennes.

I think the 90s saw the end of most events as they used to be. It's worse if you knew them from before.

Edited by DonkeyApple on Sunday 4th January 17:30

[DonkeyApple]

Thanks everyone. I knew PH would have some better ideas than I'd ever find using Google.

Particularly interested to learn that you can travel freight to Norway as that was a country we definitely wanted to tour.

Found this article: http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advic...

[DonkeyApple]

Stevemr said:

Mulhouse Bugatti museum
http://citedelautomobile.com/en/home

Then up through Alsace wine villages

Thanks. Have done that one. My great grandfather raced Bugs at Brooklands so after Prescott this was the next place to go.

[DonkeyApple]

Thanks. Yes I've enjoyed San Sebastián a few times. A couple of times on classic car rallies around the Basque and also dashing over the Pyrenees from Bordeaux for lunch. It's a fantastic part of the world.

The tips on the islands would be great if it weren't that I avoid seafood more than golf. This generally makes places like La Rochelle etc immensely unexciting as I'd end up sitting on a table surrounded by seafood platters!!!!

It would be nice to do a bit more in Germany, if anyone has any tips. Again, we've done the Ring many times and have become a little bored of it and we've done the Rhine/Mosel wine area which was great.

[DonkeyApple]

GSE said:

DonkeyApple said:

Good call. Have done it, back in 90s just after the revolution. In a ford Sierra. Class.

I did a road trip to Berlin via Amsterdam in the '90's not long after the Berlin Wall came down - in a 20 year old Opel Commodore GS/E that I restored. It was a really good trip (first time on the autobahn) I went to a really fascinating museum in Berlin devoted to those from the east who attempted to escape and the methods they used. I presume its still there, would like to go back. Prague was a revelation too!

I think that anyone who got to drive Europe in the 90s saw a part of the world that simply no longer exists. Especially towards the Soviet Block remnants. That part of Europe has changed so rapidly.

I feel very lucky to have accidentally experienced events like Le Mans, Nurburgring and a few other hugely important places before they went corporate and you could still see the same things that your father saw and even your grandfather.

I guess I'm trying to find some places/events within a day's drive of Calais that cheap debt, commercial promotion and modern architects haven't changed forever.

This thread has thrown up a few events that I never knew about and wish I'd experienced earlier. In short, I like going to events where I am not going to bump into fellow Square Milers.