Fasttrack Tours .....
Discussion
phillpot said:
...Am I missing something?..phillpot said:
....Extra 400 quid +, 2 days stuck on a ferry....
Just one day plus two nights. Yes £400, but less tolls but plus over priced ferry food.You pay more, you get more - possibly!
Joe, I understand the point you are trying to make but just because you don't like France I think it's pretty unfair to start scaremongering by showing images like....
I totally get your comparison of the driving distances, i.e. the twisty route from Spain is the same length as the direct autoroute from Calais, but when have you ever known me to take you on a route that is all motorway? The autoroutes are (normally!) an easy stress free way to cover reasonable miles for a while but as usual I will also include plenty of options for some more enjoyable sections on each day.
Going from Calais will mean 2 nights in hotels on the way south. This gives the chance to explore some flowing cross country roads in the north followed by the twistier hillier areas further south, finishing with the Route de Napolean.
I'm not saying going by Calais is better than Spain or vice versa, there are pros and cons to both. All I'm trying to do is give a balanced opinion for everyone reading this so they don't think that going via Calais is less preferable. I'm happy to help organise both options if necessary
v8s4me said:
I've cycled in Pyrenees in July and been caught in a blizzard, so going in May means there is even more of a chance of the weather being a bit dodgy (I'm not saying it's likely, but it's a possibility). And in all of my years and thousands of miles in France I've never seen a peage like the one in the second link. Don't forget this will be May and not August when the whole of France heads south I totally get your comparison of the driving distances, i.e. the twisty route from Spain is the same length as the direct autoroute from Calais, but when have you ever known me to take you on a route that is all motorway? The autoroutes are (normally!) an easy stress free way to cover reasonable miles for a while but as usual I will also include plenty of options for some more enjoyable sections on each day.
Going from Calais will mean 2 nights in hotels on the way south. This gives the chance to explore some flowing cross country roads in the north followed by the twistier hillier areas further south, finishing with the Route de Napolean.
I'm not saying going by Calais is better than Spain or vice versa, there are pros and cons to both. All I'm trying to do is give a balanced opinion for everyone reading this so they don't think that going via Calais is less preferable. I'm happy to help organise both options if necessary
phillpot said:
Fair comment about Tolls, and of course there is still a Dover - Calais ferry to pay for but 24 hours or whatever stuck on basically a floating Motorway service station isn't "rockin' my boat" (sic)
Mmmmm...
Mike, the only catch with the train, apart from the cost, is .... just look at that scenery! Do you really want to be watching it from a train window, or with the roof off and the sound of a V6 ringing in your ears Mmmmm...
Sorry Longers. That second image was supposed to be a light-hearted jibe at auto-routes, French or otherwise. So in the interests of balance, they can be like THIS or or even THIS.
I'm forgetting this may be being read by people who haven't been away with us before and don't know how well you've always looked after us!
It's a long way off so lets draw a line under it.
I'm forgetting this may be being read by people who haven't been away with us before and don't know how well you've always looked after us!
It's a long way off so lets draw a line under it.
Longers said:
Mike, the only catch with the train, apart from the cost, is .... just look at that scenery!
was only jesting about the train ............. but I like this (no, not the Austin 1100)
Longers said:
or with the roof off and the sound of a V6 ringing in your ears
or even a V8..... 
Edited by phillpot on Friday 30th June 17:09
Longers said:
No problem Joe. I appreciate it can sometimes be hard to remember when chatting in the forum that it isn't private and there are likely to be loads of unknown people reading our posts who don't know the background!
If Joe wants to dance with truck-drivers that is entirely up to him, innit ? 
We'll meet you lot at Calais, and a two day transfer to Monaco sounds good to me, bit a Mway to get us south and some twisties .....excellent !
phillpot said:
Longers said:
Mike, the only catch with the train, apart from the cost, is .... just look at that scenery!
was only jesting about the train ............. but I like this (no, not the Austin 1100)
phillpot said:
Longers said:
or with the roof off and the sound of a V6 ringing in your ears
or even a V8..... 
Is there something (or 2 cylinders) that I don't know about?!Actually Joe's picture of the blocked motorway could well be the A9 around Montpellier which is I'm afraid a really good reason not to take the route from Spain as it is really busy with all the Italians, Swiss etc popping down to Spain for some cheap stuff.
My friends live there and the only problem with that is getting to and from the airport, about an hour and 40 round trip took 7 hours for them when they dropped us off earlier this year.
Calais to the Swiss alps the other side of Lake Geneva = 8 hours ish on a good run in a
Please can we get a couple of laps of Dijon in on the way
My friends live there and the only problem with that is getting to and from the airport, about an hour and 40 round trip took 7 hours for them when they dropped us off earlier this year.
Calais to the Swiss alps the other side of Lake Geneva = 8 hours ish on a good run in a
Please can we get a couple of laps of Dijon in on the way
Longers said:
I've made it a bit easier for you Frank
Mmhh, depends, if Calais means a gentle 'cruise' to, or Reims an early morning start.....bluezeeland said:
We'll meet you lot at CalaisReims or Troyes, and a two day transfer to Monaco sounds good to me, bit a Mway to get us south and some twisties .....excellent !
bluezeeland said:
Longers said:
I've made it a bit easier for you Frank
Mmhh, depends, if Calais means a gentle 'cruise' to, or Reims an early morning start.....bluezeeland said:
We'll meet you lot at CalaisReims or Troyes, and a two day transfer to Monaco sounds good to me, bit a Mway to get us south and some twisties .....excellent !
I do not appear to have received the email, but I have just returned from a month long trip to Italy, so the message may have been lost in the ether.please bear this in mind as my comments below may have been covered in the original communication.
I have travelled a few times on the Brittany Ferry to Spain, for holidays down to Spain and Portugal and we may use this service next year. However, if one wishes to have a civilised crossing it is best to use the proper restaurant and we usually travel Commodore Class which doubles the cost of the trip. A lovely start to a touring holiday but I would rather drive my TVR through the Continent as this is the reason for owning the car.
I am in two minds about Monaco, or as Stirling Moss pronounces this, Mon Ar Co. It would depend on where we where relative to the circuit. The atmosphere is the main attraction.Sorry to say it, but I find watching motor racing at circuits fairly dull. It would be nice to say that I had driven another F1 circuit.
I have been to Spa Classic twice now so would not be worried if I did not visit again for a few years.
My experience with S Club Tours is as follows:
1. The company and the cameraderie
2. The lovely driving roads
a fairly distant third is the destination.
Wales sounds fun and this is probably a certainty, depending on dates.
Cheers
Tony
I have travelled a few times on the Brittany Ferry to Spain, for holidays down to Spain and Portugal and we may use this service next year. However, if one wishes to have a civilised crossing it is best to use the proper restaurant and we usually travel Commodore Class which doubles the cost of the trip. A lovely start to a touring holiday but I would rather drive my TVR through the Continent as this is the reason for owning the car.
I am in two minds about Monaco, or as Stirling Moss pronounces this, Mon Ar Co. It would depend on where we where relative to the circuit. The atmosphere is the main attraction.Sorry to say it, but I find watching motor racing at circuits fairly dull. It would be nice to say that I had driven another F1 circuit.
I have been to Spa Classic twice now so would not be worried if I did not visit again for a few years.
My experience with S Club Tours is as follows:
1. The company and the cameraderie
2. The lovely driving roads
a fairly distant third is the destination.
Wales sounds fun and this is probably a certainty, depending on dates.
Cheers
Tony
Hi Tony
I've just checked and the email definitely went to you Thanks for your comments though.
TurboTony said:
I do not appear to have received the email...
I've just checked and the email definitely went to you
Thanks for your comments though.TurboTony said:
...but I have just returned from a month long trip to Italy
If you were not towing a caravan you probably could've done it in 3 weeks Hi Andy (& Shirl). You were sent that email... Seeing as it was a group email I can only assume your spam filter caught it?
I can see that you and Tony have both opened the one I sent to everyone yesterday about the Scotland tour so it proves that it is working. Well, some of the time anyway...!
I can see that you and Tony have both opened the one I sent to everyone yesterday about the Scotland tour so it proves that it is working. Well, some of the time anyway...!
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