Our Grand Tour 2008
Start date: Sunday 18th May Finish date: Sunday 6th July
Went by Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Caen overnight with our own car. Then we drove down to Pouant, south of Tours, for a week exploring the Loire Valley and some of the chateaux. Following that we drove down through France, calling in to see some friends on the way, and visiting a few places on the way to Genoa. After that we had 2 weeks in an Agriturismo near Vicenza, followed by a week in an Agriturismo near Firenze, a week on the Ligurian coast and then a week in Provence. We returned on the overnight Autotrain from Avignon to Calais and then via the Channel Tunnel.
NB, we did manage all the holiday without mishap, everything went according to plan, including returning overnight on the Auto Train from Avignon to Calais. We drove almost 4000 miles. The disappointment was in leaving 30+C on Saturday in Avignon and entering UK via the Channel Tunnel to a temperature of 13C and rain showers.