| Tour | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Grand Touring | Tuesday 25th May 2021 | Monday 31st May 2021 |
A 7-day escorted driving tour to the prestigious Grand Prix de Pau including return ferry crossings, fine dining, track time, race and grandstand tickets for the event in Pau.
The Grand Prix de Pau Historique remains one of our favourites on the Historic Motor Racing Calendar. A lovely old city with thrilling views of the Pyrenees, this is the oldest and most exciting of the remaining street circuits and provides great racing and a convivial atmosphere. Our central hotel is adjacent to the track, with excellent parking.
Tuesday 26th May | Portsmouth to Caen | Overnight Ferry Crossing
Our tour begins in Portsmouth where we will board the 22:45hrs sailing to Caen. Your Classic GT Tour Manager will be on hand to greet you at check in and will direct you to our dedicated loading line. Having checked in, we will board the ship together and find our overnight cabin accommodation.
Wednesday 27th May| Caen Ouistreham to La Chartre-sur-le-Loir to Fontevraud | 150 Miles
Having disembarked the ferry around 08:00hrs, the first part of our journey takes us on a short drive to the town of Putanges. Here we will enjoy a typical French breakfast by the river before continuing our journey to the Hotel de France in La Chartre-sur-le-Loir. Here we will enjoy a fabulous light lunch and have a chance to take in the motor racing history the hotel portrays so well.
After lunch, we continue our journey to our first overnight stop, the newly renovated Fontevraud Abbey. We should arrive with plenty of time to wander around the abbey grounds before sitting down for dinner prepared by their acclaimed chef in the hotel restaurant.
Thursday 28th May | Fontevraud to La Rochefoucauld to Chateau des Vigiers | 160 Miles
After breakfast at the hotel, we will aim to depart around 10:00hrs to allow plenty of time to enjoy today's scenic drive. Our destination is the stunning Château des Vigiers, a château-style hotel set on a 27-hole golf course.
En route, we will visit the beautiful town of La Rochefoucauld and have lunch at a local restaurant overlooking the Château de La Rochefoucauld. This lunch is optional but a visit to the Château is certainly recommended. We then continue our journey on local D roads to the hotel where dinner is included here tonight.
Friday 29th May | Chateau des Vigiers to Pau | 220 Miles
Today we depart for Pau. The first part of our journey takes us into Gascony to a 'Ferme Auberge' near St Medard for lunch. Our lunch spot is a fabulous duck farm and a restaurant we call a hidden gem. After lunch, we take a short drive to the Parc Beaumont hotel in Pau. This hotel's location could not be better to enjoy a race weekend with your hotel room balcony overlooking one of the most exciting corners on the racetrack. With the weekend in full swing, the town of Pau has lots to offer with pop-up bars, live music and a fantastic atmosphere. The evening is free for you to enjoy.
Saturday 30th May | Race Day 1 in Pau
This morning you will hear the beautiful sounds of historic racing cars practising around the circuit. After breakfast, we will meet in the hotel car park and drive to our private club parking area. You can watch the racing from the Palais Beaumont grandstand before we take to the track in our cars for the club parade laps.
Lunch today is in the Au Fin Gourmet Restaurant within the main paddock area where we have a set menu including wine arranged. After lunch, you are free to enjoy the remainder of the afternoon's racing and once again, this evening is free for you to enjoy Pau.
Sunday 31st May | Race Day 2 in Pau
Today the racing begins around 08:00hrs. Once you have had a good breakfast you can either return to your hotel balcony to watch some of the racing or head over to the paddock for a close-up look at all the cars. Lunch will take place at the same restaurant today.
As the race weekend ends, you are free to enjoy the town of Pau as it celebrates a fantastic weekend of motor racing.
Monday 1st June | Pau to Santander Port | 220 miles
After an exciting weekend of historic racing, we head for Santander to board our crossing back to the UK For this journey we recommend the most direct route however you're welcome to drive your own route at your own pace.
