Help planning epic hoon round Europe

[tomTVR]

Hi guys. In May next year me and some mates are going to do a big Euro trip. There is going to be about 5 cars and should last about 10 days.

We have chosen a basic route through places we want to go to. I was hoping people would be able to add suggestions regarding good roads to use, places worth visting (even on a driving holiday), particularly nice hotels worth staying in and any other changes they would make if they were doing something similar.

Day 1
London - Dover(100)
(ferry)
Calais - Millau (577) - motorway

Day 2
Millau - Nice (277) - big night out in Nice

Day 3
Chill on beach in Nice (day off)*

Day 4
Nice- Milan (200) via good roads

Day 5
Milan - Zurich (178) (no beer tonight as the best hooning is tomorrow)

Day 6
Zurich - Innsbruck (171) - via lake como to davos (via stelvio/Sustenpass) - proper hooning starts

Day 7
Innsbruck - Munich (102) - Detour via more good roads

Day 8
Munich - Nurburgring (333) - Afternoon at the track

Day 9
Nurburgring - Brussels (157) - Full day at the track before driving to Busssels for final night out.

Day 10
Brussels - York (450)

Any amendments welcome from people who have done this sort of thing bearing in mind this is our first Alps hoon so want to do as many 'must see' places as we can.

[SlvrCrb]

Ok, here goes.....

D1. Calais to Millau is a loong old haul in one hit, you're better off dropping West of Paris and staying somewhere around Orleans.

D2. Then heading South via Clermot Ferrand via the Puy de Dome and then onto the Gorges du Tarn. (PM me for a fantastic hotel there).

D3. Next day across the Millau viaduct, head into the valley and under the viaduct and head towards Avignon

D4. Storm the fantastic Mont Ventoux and from there I'd miss out on Nice (overpriced, overrated) and stay somewhere like Grenoble.

D5. Then you're set up for a blast along the route Napoleon (allow at least 5 hours for that)and you can then stay somewhere like Genova just across the border in Italy.

D6. From there head North and try out the Pagani testing grounds in the Apennine mountains (glorious roads) and stay in either Bologna (hip, cool but crazy traffic) or Modena (less busy but not much nightlife).

D7. You're then on top of the Lambo factory so could fit in a tour of the facilities in the morning. From there head north towards Trento and up the Stelvio (again great hotel at the top, PM me for details)

D8. Then you can slip into Switzerland and onto Chur (Davos is OK, but not brilliant) and sample such delights as the Fluela pass amongst others ,

D9. Then you can head into southern Germany and onto the Nurburgring. I'd miss Brussels out though and head west to the Black forest for some serious hooning roads there and then stay just across the border in Alsace (again I've a great hotel and Spa in my rolodex)

D10. Head back up to Calais via the back roads or drop into the Schlumpf collection (well worth a visit).

PM if you want more info on specific roads, hotels etc.

[DIW35]

Bear in mind that some of the passes may not be open in May. We were thwarted two years in a row when we travelled to Italy in May, and ended up having to use the Mont Blanc tunnel.

[tomTVR]

Wow that is a pretty comprehensive list cheers.

Perhaps going to Millau in one stint is a tad far, thing is i cant decide weather or not it is worth going there just to go over that bridge?

I had promised ourselves one day off at the beach on the Med so if not Nice then i need to find somewhere else nearby which has a good beach and nightlife?

[Harsh]

tomTVR said:

Wow that is a pretty comprehensive list cheers.

Perhaps going to Millau in one stint is a tad far, thing is i cant decide weather or not it is worth going there just to go over that bridge?

I had promised ourselves one day off at the beach on the Med so if not Nice then i need to find somewhere else nearby which has a good beach and nightlife?

Tom, it's not just about the Bridge.....D4 is all about mont ventoux.....
We're going there in April and i cant wait!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zzc2ugMoujY

[burriana]

Someone mention Mount Ventoux? ... Bloody brilliant!




Mind you, hammering up the famous Monte Carlo Rally Col du Turini behind Daz with nothing coming the other way was pretty good too




Why oh WHY did I sell that car

Tom, make sure you spend a few days down in the Southern Grande Alps, they are truly stunning.

Edited by burriana on Saturday 15th November 22:11

[Plotloss]

burriana said:

Why oh WHY did I sell that car

No idea, it was lovely.

[MaestroDave]

Munich is great - good night life and 'motor enthusiast friendly' locals. Say what 'style' of hotel you want and I'll try and recommend one - also what kind of night life? beer? clubs? pubs?

Driving from Munich to the Nurburgring in one stint, and then having the energy to fully appreciate the track is a bit hopeful - the roads are a bit tiring and always covered in roadworks! Hockenheim is on route, perhaps there is some racing on to break the drive up?

I also agree with the comment above about missing out brussels - it'll be the most boring drive and a bit of an anti climax after the previous hoonage! Drive straight back to Calais from the 'ring and save yourself night earlier in the trip...

Dave

[tomTVR]

Here are the changes i have made. We are slightly constrained because there will be at least 8 of us we all want to do different things so i have had to include a day at the beach and also a day in Milan (not my cup of tea). Stuttgart has replaced Munich simply beacause it avoids doubling back on ourselves towards innsbruck in order to leave the Alps - it is also 100 miles nearer the ring which makes things easier.

I have left Brussels on this list but only beacause i dont fancy driving back from the ring to York in one day (with work the next day) Any suggestions where else to stay (between the ring and calais) which we could have a good night out would be welcome. Suppose i could consider the option of Le shuttle or possibly even Holland - Hull.



Day 1
London - Dover(100)
(ferry)
Calais - Clermont Ferrand(440)

Day 2
Clermont Ferrand - marseille (379) - via Millau, Mont Ventoux, Route Napoléon

Day 3
Chill on beach (day off)

Day 4
marseille - Milan (323) - Via MONACO

Day 5
Milan - Innsbruck (384) - Via Modena, Mirandola, Canazei (Passo Sella)

Day 6
Innsbruck - Zurich (346) - via stelvio, Chur, Sustenpass

Day 7
Zurich - Stuttgart (234) - via Freudenstadt (black forest), Strasbourg, Freudenstadt

Day 8
Stuttgart - Nurburgring (201) - Afternoon at the track

Day 9
Nurburgring - Brussels (157) - Full day at the track before driving to Busssels

Day 10
Brussels - York (me) (450)

Edited by tomTVR on Sunday 16th November 00:22

[oggs]

Plotloss said:

burriana said:

Why oh WHY did I sell that car

No idea, it was lovely.

[oggs]

Harsh said:

D4 is all about mont ventoux.....
We're going there in April and i cant wait!

I was the same trip as Al and Mont Ventoux was
Col du Turini was even better esp following a Vanquish at speed

[Viper]

tomTVR said:

Wow that is a pretty comprehensive list cheers.

Perhaps going to Millau in one stint is a tad far, thing is i cant decide weather or not it is worth going there just to go over that bridge?

I had promised ourselves one day off at the beach on the Med so if not Nice then i need to find somewhere else nearby which has a good beach and nightlife?

going over the bridge isnt that exciting i went out over it a few years ago in my Jeep, you cant pull over and take peek down while on it, and it has almost solid protection sides so you cant actually see that much, going underneath around the twisty roads seems to be the thing to do

Edited by Viper on Sunday 16th November 07:38

[oggs]

Tom if you do need any more help with routes/ places to stay etc PM SlvrCrb or Harsh they do have a bit of knowledge

[Furyblade_Lee]

9 of us did something similar this summer (if you get this months Nov/Dec Totalkitcar magazine there is a big write up on it). The only thing that worries me about your itenery (and that of many other organised trips) is that people seriously under estimate the size of France and Germany. What will happen is you will visit so many amazing areas and get one shot at one good road then have to blast along motorways for hours on end to get to your next good road. You will miss out on so many other roads in the vicinty it wil be a crime! I am pretty hardcore driving abroad but even i would struggle to do Nice and the 'ring in a 10 day trip, you will miss LOADS of superb Monte-Carlo stages ect. We planned to the Milau bridge and Col de turini, in the end we had to choose and the group parted for 2 days. To give you a rough idea, we did 2,400 miles in 10 days. Obviously 240 a day average but as few as possible on Motorways / Tolls so that driving was hardly ever a chore.

My route;

Day 1~ Boulogne to St. Die des Vosges, France, boring 350 miles on Motorways.

Day 2~ St.Die to Paxmontana Hotel, Switzerland. All day driving the VOSGES Mountain region, seriously cool roads and very quick...

Day 3~ Fleuli Ranft, Switzerland to Tirano Italy. This takes you over the Grimselpass, Furkapass, and the famous Top Gear "best road in the world" Davos to Stelvio, via the Fleulapass and Stelvio Pass. F*****g MEGA! Its where they took the Green GT3 RS, Aston N24 and Lambo Superleggera.

Day 4~ Tirano to Antibes (campsite) via evening Monte Carlo GP track. Boring again motorway for 300 miles but what awaits you is worth it....

Day 5~ I swam in the Med in the morning and spent the afternoon scaring the locals in Monte Carlo lapping the streets. Some of the others went to the Verdayne Gorge where Jeremy Clarkson raced the climber / base jumper in the Audi RS4. Awesome.

Day 6~ Group split up temporarily, some went to Milau bridge, we drove the Col du Turini and Luceram Monte Carlo Rally stages amongst other awesome roads (the whole area is awesome!) Evening swim in the Med with beer... THE best days driving I have ever had.

Day 7~ Antibes to Grenoble. Head back up North via the Route Napoleon (mental 40 mile rolercoaster of a road) to do some more Monte Carlo Rally stages at Sisteron (research the road numbers first!)

Day 8,9 and 10. work you way back up via the Pit straight at Reims (Gueux)

Just do not rush, and enjoy every area you are in is my advice to you. Do not try to cram in too much or you will not enjoy it. Another place to try is the southern Black Forest in Germany, similar to the Vosges and nowhere near as busy as the Swiss Alps. We are going again in June but will be touching Slovenia a bit, and Italian and Austrian Alps. A good book to get is "30 greatest driving roads" by Richard Meaden. It covers Mont Ventoux ect. and lots of places in Europe you can still drive. Just take your time and take it all in, the roads are just endless gorgeous mountain roads if you plan well!

[Furyblade_Lee]

Claermont Ferrand is a tricky one too, while pretty it is a volcanic region, and the roads are covered in chippings which will damage your car. If you have something special, then it may be somewhere to avoid. One of our guys had a Caterham R400, he was not too impressed. We counted 300 stonechips at Boulogne, nearly all came from there....

[tomTVR]

Furyblade_Lee said:

Just do not rush, and enjoy every area you are in is my advice to you. Do not try to cram in too much or you will not enjoy it. Another place to try is the southern Black Forest in Germany, similar to the Vosges and nowhere near as busy as the Swiss Alps. We are going again in June but will be touching Slovenia a bit, and Italian and Austrian Alps. A good book to get is "30 greatest driving roads" by Richard Meaden. It covers Mont Ventoux ect. and lots of places in Europe you can still drive. Just take your time and take it all in, the roads are just endless gorgeous mountain roads if you plan well!

Yes i know what you mean. Having done some reasearch it is hard work trying to fit all of roads we want to into a 10 day trip. Especially when we want a full day at the ring, a full day at the beach on the Med and a full day in Milan. I shall just have to choose the ones i can and note others for next time.

Between Zurich and Stuttgart i am planning a detour through the black forest - possibly through to Strasbourg and all the way back through again if we have time.

[tomTVR]

Furyblade_Lee said:

Claermont Ferrand is a tricky one too, while pretty it is a volcanic region, and the roads are covered in chippings which will damage your car. If you have something special, then it may be somewhere to avoid. One of our guys had a Caterham R400, he was not too impressed. We counted 300 stonechips at Boulogne, nearly all came from there....

Holy Moly! - that is quite a serious consideration, i am buying a new car in time just for this trip and dont like the sound of that at all mmmmmmm.

[tomTVR]

oggs said:

Tom if you do need any more help with routes/ places to stay etc PM SlvrCrb or Harsh they do have a bit of knowledge

Cheers

[heebeegeetee]

Furyblade_Lee said:

9 of us did something similar this summer (if you get this months Nov/Dec Totalkitcar magazine there is a big write up on it). The only thing that worries me about your itenery (and that of many other organised trips) is that people seriously under estimate the size of France and Germany. What will happen is you will visit so many amazing areas and get one shot at one good road then have to blast along motorways for hours on end to get to your next good road. You will miss out on so many other roads in the vicinty it wil be a crime! I am pretty hardcore driving abroad but even i would struggle to do Nice and the 'ring in a 10 day trip, you will miss LOADS of superb Monte-Carlo stages ect. We planned to the Milau bridge and Col de turini, in the end we had to choose and the group parted for 2 days. To give you a rough idea, we did 2,400 miles in 10 days. Obviously 240 a day average but as few as possible on Motorways / Tolls so that driving was hardly ever a chore.

I would absolutely second this.

Tom, on your itinerary, by the time you get to Nice, you will have done a heck of a lot of driving, not much of it will have been fun, though you will have seen a very nice bridge. Likewise, the long haul up to the 'Ring, it will be a day or more on very busy m'ways.

very few, if any, of the high passes will be open in May. Not even ventoux opens until the middle of May, and i would say the stelvio will definitely be closed.

I'm now going to say something rather heretical: I didn't like the Gorges du Tarn and the Gorges du verdon much. Reason: They're tourist traps and too busy to have that much fun, even in May.

What i would say though, is that the area above Monte carlo, all the way up to geneva, and the whole of the Massic Central, is not only possibly the best driving area in the world, but it is an easy days drive from Calais, it is a huge area, and in May is bloody deserted.

Certainly, above Monte, to Sospel, Col du turini, and all around there, is absolutely fantastic, total nirvana.

Calais to Annecy is an easy 8 hour drive, its a lovely town with a bit of life, and has easy access to some of the most stunning roads anywhere. I might ask, is there anywhere else in the world that has such a large area of such a fantastic selection of roads?

Keep planning though, its hard work but worth the effort.

[heebeegeetee]

Harsh said:

tomTVR said:

Wow that is a pretty comprehensive list cheers.

Perhaps going to Millau in one stint is a tad far, thing is i cant decide weather or not it is worth going there just to go over that bridge?

I had promised ourselves one day off at the beach on the Med so if not Nice then i need to find somewhere else nearby which has a good beach and nightlife?

Tom, it's not just about the Bridge.....D4 is all about mont ventoux.....
We're going there in April and i cant wait!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zzc2ugMoujY

I was there in April last year, was baking hot, 30 degs, but the road over the top was still closed at Mt. Serain, where the ski station is. I got chatting to the bar owner and the local postman, very friendly, and was told that the road doesn't open until the Prefecture says so, which is normally the middle of May. Having said that it was still a good drive up to that point, you can have a meal there, the drive back down is good and the roads around the mountain are great.