THE GRAND TOUR
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken from around 1660 until the large-scale rail transit in the 1840‘s. It served as an educational rite of passage. On Saturday 8th June 2013 we will leave Belgrave Square early in the morning on a five day journey to Monte Carlo and back. This car journey is our inaugural trip with a small party of Belgravia residents. We will head through Cambrai and Troyes, via Geneva along the Route Napoleon to Monte Carlo. We have ensured there is plenty of free time to enjoy the drive and route independently as well as social occasions in the company of fellow travellers along the way.
Enjoy some time away from London on a leisurely journey through France. Remind yourself why you love to drive and the pleasure of time at the wheel.
Get Ready
Go
Get Set
DRIVE FOR CHANGE IN AID OF UNICEF
Open Roads
Zip Around - Literally
The Grand Tour is not just a car rally, it is the start of an international journey. Sometimes we forget that Belgravia is home to at least forty Embassies. We are inextricably linked with international relations. Every day a rich and varied group of people come and go in SW1. For The Grand Tour we focus attention on this aspect of our heritage. So, in addition to enjoying a few days out of town, we are preparing to spend time understanding the UNICEF Education Programme and how we can contribute to mentoring and supporting young people leading up to ‘Day For Change in February 2014’.
Enjoy The Drive
THE ITINERARY
!
PRE-EVENT SCREENING
DAY ONE - 8 June - (Sat)
EVENING
Belgravia - Troyes - (310 mi) 8.30 PM - Meet fellow travellers at a
8.30 AM - Early morning all
We will be entertained by one of the
screening room in Belgravia for a
participants gather in Belgrave Square
local vineyards with a selection of
briefing on the forthcoming trip and to
for a morning briefing over breakfast.
Champagnes to taste. The tasting
learn from a UNICEF representative about the Day For Change 2014 Education Programme. Light refreshments will be served.
11AM - We cross through the Eurotunnel, head through Cambrai and Rheims where we check into our hotel for the evening.
session will also allow you to sample the best boutique Champagnes grown locally and to meet the growers. After the tasting enjoy the rest of your evening at leisure.
THE ITINERARY DAY TWO - 9th June (Sun)
DAY THREE - 10th June (Mon)
Troyes - Geneva (270 mi)
Geneva - Monaco (310 mi)
10.00 AM - A late start to the day,
10 AM - We leave Geneva and head down on the
followed by a spirited drive to Geneva
Route Napoleon to Sisterton where we stop
skirting around the famous town of
for lunch.
Dijon. With plenty of places to stop en
The route is the one taken by Napoleon in 1815
route to dine or to relax, the emphasis
on his return from Elba. The route begins at
today is to enjoy some freedom with no
Golfe-Juan where Napoleon disembarked
set time and no set stop-offs. Arrival in
1 March 1815, beginning the 100 days that ended
Geneva will be late afternoon. Time
at Waterloo. We will arrive at the famous
enough to tour the town and walk
Metropole, parking along the main foyer road
by the lake.
which is usually unavailable to guests, where we will spend the night. Evening will be at leisure in Monte Carlo with entry to the Monte Carlo Casino for those that would enjoy some time at the tables. !
!
THE ITINERARY DAY FOUR - 11th June (Tue) Monte Carlo - Bormeo (320 mi) 7.30 AM - OPTIONAL - Early morning convoy around the famous Monte Carlo F1 circuit. 8.00 AM - We start along the southern coast road taking in breathtaking scenery and a host of bridges and tunnels. Turning north we skirt around Milan. Heading up into the Alps we take the route through Galleria Sant’Antonio Cepina –
!
an 8 mile long tunnel - and then through the
Note: For those choosing to fly home on
Stelvio National Park. We overnight at a simple
Day Four - drive to Cannes Airport on the
ski hotel in Bormio village, allowing you time to
morning to collect your flight, cars will be
explore this famous ski town.
concierged back to London.
THE ITINERARY DAY FIVE - 12th June (WED)
DAY SIX - 13TH JUNE - (THU)
DAY SEVEN - 14TH JUNE (FRI)-
Bormeo - Stuttgart (340mi)
Stuttgart - Antwerp (338mi)
Antwerp - Belgravia (197ml)
9.00 AM - morning begins with your
The journey home is only 3.5
choice of a visit to either the
hours of driving with a one hour
Porsche Museum or the Mercedes Benz
train journey to break it up. We
Museum. For those that would like both
have made this a very short day
we recommend you choose one and
so you can choose to get home
perhaps come back another day.
in good time or spend the
9.00 AM - morning begins with a drive down the Stelvio Pass. Starting at 9000 feet above sea level (2700m) the Stelvio Pass is the highest mountain pass in the eastern Alps and comprises of 48 hairpin turns as it makes its way down through the Alps. One of the top featured routes in Top Gear, the
morning in the Diamond road and the scenery are breathtaking. After the Stelvio Pass we head north through Innsbruck before entering Germany. Lunch is en route with no set itinerary. Many of the Autobahns in this part of Germany are unrestricted – meaning there is no speed limit. So lunch is perhaps dictated by just how fast you want to go to get to your destination
We recommend an early lunch before
District which covers one square
driving on more Autobahns and
mile. Over 80% of the world’s
unrestricted roads to the diamond capital
rough diamonds pass through
of Europe – Antwerp. If you wish to leave
Antwerp every year with a
earlier and do your shopping in the
turnover of $54bn.
Diamond Quarter of Antwerp then lunch can be had in the town itself. EVENING - Free for Dinner on your own.
PRIVATE DINNER
DAY TWENTY ONE
UNICEF
20.00 PM - Meet at Mosimann’s
We will reflect more on the UNICEF Day For Change 2014
Dining Club in Belgravia for a
initiative and discuss how simple changes can make a
Private Dinner, film screening and
significant difference to young people in London.
‘car talk’.
We will showcase a few locally based initiatives and their impact on youth issues as well as progress ideas on how to develop our own local Ambassador programme for mentoring, opportunities and experience supporting young people both at home and abroad.
A PRIVATE JOURNEY - A SHARED EXPERIENCE
The Grand Tour will appeal to car drivers resident in Belgravia with a social conscience. It will be of interest to those willing to take time out to consider the issues facing Europe in the twenty first century. This event is not for racers, although the throttle will be full. This event is for those drivers who are ready to combine an open road with an open mind. The Belgravia Residents Association has partnered with Belgravia Garage, the oldest garage in London, and Exempla Global to bring together a group of drivers interested in making a journey, part road trip and part international envoy.
Prices for The Grand Tour are: ÂŁ4,200 for your own car, driver only and ÂŁ1,550 for passenger. Final itinerary may be subject to small variations.
Open roads leading to open minds.
Contact us: Email: communications@belgraviaresidents.org.uk Telephone: +44 (0)20 7808 0128 www.belgraviaresidents.org.uk
PB