Marv, you and Paul can always kip down at mine the Saturday night if you like, it's about two hours to Dover, 1.5 hours to Portsmouth/Southampton

Stu

 

OK 10:40 pretty sure Martin (bugeye) will join you guys on Sunday as well

 

Thanks for that Stu - hopefully seeing Paul later today and will be discussing plans for this one then, so will let you know if that's ok

So not taking the scoob then Stu ??

 

No, my brother Mark (co-driver) has a bad back so I don't think a week in the scoob would help! The Merc is virtually as quick, has a soft top, and is quiet and comfortable!!!

 

Hi guys, Is there an official organiser for this trip or who do I talk to for some information and details? Thats if myself and co-pilot are welcome to come along?? Done a couple of Euro trips like this one last year on our own but fancied it this year with a few other scoobs!!

Cheers
Richard

 

Richard, try contacting MRK, TerryB or Stormy off this thread, they are the organisers.

 

Richard drop me a line at mark.stevens@invocom.com, you are welcome to join the Scoobs, Merc, Evo, Jag and Audi blast

 

Checking ferries on the Sunday - there's one at 1215 from Dover-Calais (arrives 1445 local - one hour time difference) - £75 return for car + 1.

That would mean a fairly leisurely drive down to Dover, drive say 250 miles the other side, overnight stop in B&B or hotel, 300 mile drive to Interlaken on the Monday - doddle!!

Any thoughts?

 

I think I would prefer a slightly earlier ferry, so you get to the hotel before 7-8 in the evening. I would guess 250 miles is going to take 4-5 hours depending on traffic and route chosen.

 

Guys let us know with the ferry looking at block booking Ferrys beginning of next month.

Other option is that you blast down to Interlaken on Sunday and have a restful/pass day on the monday waiting for everyone to rock up. Think MRK is doing that arriving for late dinner in Interlaken. Me Im leaving Friday night at 18:00 so will arrive early hours on Saturday.

Drive to interlaken at speed limit is 8 hours (in a focus 4 up with skis etc)

 

What do you think Marv? The Speed ferries sailing at 10:40 looks good, and is cheaper than P&O, though you do have to drive a little further the other side.

 

Guys ferry crossings are covered in the price we have quoted unless people book late I.e cost exceeds current pricing or peeps prefer tunnel.

Boulogne is actually less mileage as en route to your destination

 

Not on the way back though stormy

 

1040 ferry on Sunday sounds good then - me & Paul will meet you at Dover Stuart, can't leave the other halves too long on their own !! lol

What about accommodation t'other side??

Paul wants to book something in advance to avoid a disaster!! Personally, I think we could just get over there, drive until we've had enough that day and find somewhere on spec - your thoughts?

 

I'm with Paul, pre-book, I don't like surprises!!! Maybe MRK or the others can suggest a route down, or we could follow similar to what we did last ime down through the Champagne region, I still have the route for Day 1 in my satnav, might find the pits at Reims this time as well then!!

 

Blast to reims for late lunch via autoroute 2.5 hours.

Then drop south towards Vitry (your recognise the first bit we drove it in 2005) then drive east cross country across de Lorraine through loads of Stella artois advert villages to Metz. Superb drive we did it last year with very little traffic.

Can then recommend Luxembourg and after driving cross country your be ready for a few Leffe's. Caution the darker variety gives you a stonking headache.

Stayed in the Novotel which like most of Luxembourg was excellant enjoy the painted cows

 

1040 speed ferry will get us into France at about 1235hrs local (hour time difference included), so we'll be away from B' about 1300hrs.

We'll have been up since daft o'clock that morning and bearing in mind ferry timings, how long you looking at driving before stopping and where?


Stormy, PM me with where and how you want deposit mate

 

Marv, I was thinking maybe follow same route as last time, down to Reims on autoroute, then the Chamapagne route, but stop earlier in the day, say aim for 6-7pm, then on day 2 we could do the forest stage again on the way to Interlaken. If not I'm happy to go with any other suggestion.

 

Sounds good to me Stuart - I reckon we'll be stopping not long after Rheims anyway so sounds like a good plan. We now need to start looking at booking overnight somewhere, any ideas or I can have a go at checking it out

 

Hi Marv

For the run down on Sunday I reckon:

Dover for 10:00
Ferry leaves 10:40
Get off ferry about 12:45
We would be in Reims (180 miles) about 15:30
Chalons-en-Champagne (220 miles) about 16:30
Saint Dizier (255 miles) about 17:00
Chaumont (310 miles) about 18:00
Langres (330 miles) about 18:30

Where do you want to stop/when will you have had enough? Should be easy enough to find a hotel at that time of the year, but I would like to have booked before we go, which isn’t difficult with the internet. I use a couple of websites www.laterooms.com or Active Hotels

FYI if we stopped at Langres it would mean 100 miles to the start of the forest “gravel” stage, and a further 130 miles the other side of the stage to Interlaken, so we would have plenty of leeway to stop earlier on day 1 if you want, bearing in mind the miles you will have done in the UK already!! Saint Dizier would give us about 300 miles the next day to do.

Cheers

Stu

 

Saint Dizier sounds about right to me - should get there at a reasonable time and still get the forest gravel stage in the following day (think I'll keep my distance from the car in front this time tho !! lol )

 

Keeping my eye on you lot Just been given this offer code (SPR7) for Car Ferry to France Dover - Dunkerque Channel crossings made a journey leaving sunday 23rd return sunday 30th sept £42 for 2 passengers. Not a bad price, and the crossing is 1.5 hours from dover to dunquerqe.

 

How about:
Hotel Homepage - Campanile Saint-Dizier, Saint Dizier

 

Does that mean you are thinking of coming Chris?

 

I really do wish I could Stuart, but unless I win the lottery, I can't see it myself. (Although the wife is soon to start a new job, with a little more money )

 

Confirmed drivers so far (via deposit for ferry booking)

MRK & Sonja Evo IX, Danny & Natanya Evo VIII, Stormy & Lindsay Specie, Stuart & Mark Merc SL,

Obviously every one will meet up Monday night in Interlaken. Im driving out Friday night 18:00 ferry, Stuart& MRK are travelling out Sunday and splitting the trip down to interlaken 10:40 ferry, Danny is driving out Monday. Everyone is returning on the 20:50 ferry on the 30th Sept.

Im am sorry we have had several requests from people wanting to camp, my preference is that drivers stay in hotels to ensure you have a opportunity to rest irrelevant of the weather.

 

Wasn't that Marv and Paul saying they are camp? In which case......

 

PMSL now Im worried everything suddenly makes sense ;-)

 

You leave me out of this sweetie !!

 

Just paid deposit by electronic transfer so I'm in