The Alpine/Euro Trip 2016 : 10 June - 19 June

[wasp]

Following a few conversations with other owners, I've been looking into the possibility of organising a trip around Southern France/Northern Italy, provisionally at the end of June next year.

The idea was to put the cars on a motorail train from Paris to Nice, spend a few days driving, ending up in Verona. Here we can put them on another train to Dusseldorf, from where we can drive back to the UK.

The first hurdle I've come to is that we can't book the train more than 6 months in advance for the French leg and 3 months for the Italian-German leg. Also, you can't travel with the car from Paris to Nice and you have to let them drive it onto the train. We would then have to get an overnight train from Paris to Nice, which in itself is pretty easy but I just wanted to gauge reactions to the above issues before I spend too much more time on this.
Minimum ground clearance is 10cm, which I think is ok for us but I haven't checked yet?

The second idea (and one I'm beginning to favour tbh) is to get the ferry down to Santander, where we know there are great routes and take a run up the west coast(ish) of France, perhaps taking in a run through the Pyrenees, Biarritz, a bit of Bordeaux (can't imagine how we could pass time there!), La Rochelle and Nantes.

This route would probably be about 800 miles including the twisties.

There's a nice little circuit at Fontenay Le Compte that we could see if we could have a hoon at if there's enough interest too.

I'm happy to look into both ideas but my current main concern is the possibility of the cars getting damaged when being put on or taken off the train in France plus the fact that several of these services have been permanently cancelled in the last couple of years and we can't book the last leg until early next year, when I know some will already have to had their holidays committed.

So, please forgive the diatribe but I'd really appreciate some feedback and thoughts from anyone and everyone.

Cheers,
Stu

[Sir Nick]

Humm I did like the idea of the train, but I don't like the idea of some Johnny foreigner shunting our cars around 

Happy to go anywhere, if it's dry!

Nick

[Alex Brandon-Smith]

Watching this depending on dates. Would like to get some Euro action in...

Would not be so happy about the train though!

[Steve Gibson]

A few of us have pencilled 25 June to 9 July - the passes will be open, the kids will still be at school and it should be warm. Rob Evans needed a date to book his holidays (his deadline is October 1st), so we picked those dates. Nothing concrete but we had to start somewhere.

Personally not keen on an anonymous Frenchie driving my car on or off a train.

Julian, Bruce and I did the Pyrenees back in 2013. It's a definite option. Lots of great roads and northern Spain is good driving. The ferry is a little pricey, but it has to be compared to driving down and stopping overnight a few times on the way. Driving the Atoms into Lourdes for an overnight stop on the way back was like a Top Gear special. It was nun central.

Italy is still possible, but you'd have to take two days to drive there and two days to drive back...

[Rob Evans]

Both options sound great Stu. Thanks for beginning the process nice and early.
I've provisionally booked time off for the period mentioned by Steve, above.

Rob.

[jpswift]

ive done the ferry, overnight in san sebastien and back to blighty  via the pyrenees and the west coast in the atom a few years back

was a hoot until we started the return up the west coast

may have been poor route planning but roads were  pretty dull tbh

is a bit too far to push onto the alps for the route back, but i would be inclined to stay in the pyrenees, andorra and northern spain then just get the ferry back

[wasp]

Thanks Justin, that's helpful info.

I'm away at the Ring next week but when I get back I'll see if we get a consensus of opinion and go from there.
I suspect most people will find a deal breaker letting a jonnie put their car on/off the train in Paris.

Return trip to Santander seems to be about £560, which is £140 more than going back from St Malo but it will probably be a bit less mileage so swings/roundabouts. Overnight cabins are £100 for 2 sharing or £130 for 4 sharing depending on how friendly you are/how much you snore

If this is the option we go with, best sailings look like Fri 24th June out (arriving Sat 25th) and departing Sat 2nd July (arriving Sun 3rd)

They do a cheapo offer which I though could have been possible until I found out that the cars could be on open decks and they throw water at them before the end of the journey! That will be a no to that one then

Cheers,
Stu

[Alex Brandon-Smith]

[quote="wasp"]


If this is the option we go with, best sailings look like Fri 24th June out (arriving Sat 25th) and departing Sat 2nd July (arriving Sun 3rd)

[/quote]

The Portsmouth Bilbao option comes in cheaper but doesn't sail on the weekends, only midweek. Portsmouth Santander is Friday/Saturday and comes in at £738 including a 2 berth cabin...The Bilbao option on the way back could be good for those wanting to bail early (like myself if I can get the dates sorted).

Alex.

[julian]

I did Pyrenees with Steve G and Bruce a couple of years ago, Portsmouth to Santander, Bilbao - Portsmouth back, no issues with cars on ferries. Some regular saloons parked on the arse end exposed but the dockers and crew are normally fine so my experience is you would be parked on the main car deck, inside just like the bikes. That price sounds good. At worst, they get wet, wash salt off a few hours later?

Does Mont Ventou, Milau Bridge work at all if we drove back? I've done them but for those that haven't they are worth a look?

Had 3 days in Pyrenees, snowed in, not good, went in May, wrong time of year. Should be fine June / July.

Julian

[Steve Gibson]

There is also the 'traditional' trip of the Swiss Alps, which is always reliably great driving and scenery. It depends if people have had their fill of that location yet.

Chatting to Andy Smith at Atomic Mass, he was keen to go back there. We did have some particularly wonderful mountain pass drives there in August 2014.

[jpswift]

agree with you steve

do that every year

spend a couple of days getting there, staying east, no motorways

few days in the mountains, chilling and finding new routes, back home  ....... perfick

[toms]

What about ending up at the Classic Le Mans race? 

http://www.atomclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,15953.0.html

[Bruce Fielding]

My tuppence...

I would suggest a ferry to Santander (1 day)

Drive across Pyrenees to Barcelona. (2-3 days)

Drive from Barcelona to Riviera (French and Italian) taking in Route Napoleon and possibly an Alp. (4 days)

Drive to Verona taking in some Northern Tuscany. (2 days) I know a great inexpensive hotel with parking there... And 'La Traviata' playing at the Arena that night.

Train from Verona to Dusseldorf. (1 day - has to be a Saturday night)

Sunday drive back across to Channel via Belgium or Holland (1 day)

Back to Blighty that evening ready for work on Monday

Done

Could be done in reverse...

[julian]

I like Bruce's option. Have had enough of Swiss Alps.

Julian

[jpswift]

Can never have enough of the alps