Picos to Pyrenees - The outline itinerary is as follows: |
The Picos to Pyrenees Classic will be THE event of 2008. With the usual superb precision road book, excellent hotels and the ever friendly and welcoming Classic Rally Tours team you can be assured of a great driving adventure across the most beautiful mountain ranges of Spain and France.
We are hoping to use only the superb Parador hotels when in Spain and keep out of the main cities completely if we can. These magnificent hotels are often converted castles or monasteries and offer top quality accommodation in stunning surroundings. When in France of course the hotels will easily match this standard with Biarritz finishing the week with a prestigious venue for our final prize giving dinner Hotel.
Thursday/ Friday 25/26th September
Working with our partners Continental Car Tours we have a choice of ways for you to travel across to the Start in Bilbao. This year we have decided to price the rally and hotel package separately to the ferry crossing so you can choose to either travel on the overnight Portsmouth to Bilbao ferry to arrive Saturday morning. Or perhaps you want to take the Dover –Calais crossing and drive down and make a holiday of it. We are also working with a car transport company who can even take your cars for you and allow you to fly to Bilbao ready to go on Saturday the 26th. The choice is yours.
Saturday 27th September
Pre event scrutineering and documentation will be in Bilbao allowing you the rest of the day free to explore this historic city. Perhaps you can take in a tapas bar for lunch or if you are feeling cultural visit the Guggenheim Museum.
In the evening we will hold a pre rally dinner to welcome you and answer any last minute questions before the off on Sunday morning.
Sunday 28th September
Starting from Bilbao we head West and quickly climb through the hills of Cantabria and the stunning Rio de la Sia Valley. Lunch at Vega de Pas is followed by an afternoon which will take you into the heart of the Picos de Europa over mountain passes with Catalan castles looming over you as you roar across the Sierra Pena Sagra to our overnight halt at the magnificent Parador Fuente De in the foothills of the Macizo Central.
Monday 29th September
Sunrise over the Picos will tempt you away from the Parador back into your car for a challenging and exciting day into the depths of the Picos and the Asturian mountains before heading South through the Fuentes Carrionas National Park.
Superb transport sections and amazing regularities wind back East along the Rio Ebro valley finishing at our Parador in Cervera de Pisuerga.
Tuesday 30th September
The high passes of San Lorenzo and the breathtaking Sierra de la Demanda will draw you into truly memorable regularities before turning North and passing across the Navarra plains to a well earned rest at the stunning Parador Sos del Rey Catolico.
Look north now from this impressive hillside castle and you can see the Pyrenees on the horizon- our climax awaits!
Wednesday 1st October
North now and up and across the Sierra de Abodi across the border and into France and the magnificent Pyrenees. The Golden Eagles will swoop down for a closer look as we switch back and forth this stuning mountain range. Classic rally cols such as Bagargui, Iraty and Ichere await your attempt to master them and the Gorges and Forests in between make for the most glorious scenery on this penultimate day.
Oh did I say day? Of course we have the awesome night section to come.
A true test of navigator and driver you will finish at the hotel exhilarated and ready for bed before the grand finale in the morning.
Thursday 2nd October
Heading west and back to the sea to our prestigious finish at San Sebastian. But not before enjoying a truly excellent final day of regularities across the highest passes along the spine of the Pyrenees.
Who will lift the Picos to Pyrenees inaugural trophy? It could be you!
San Sebastian gives us the glamour and prestige for our well deserved prize giving dinner. With prizes for class awards, team and finishers too everyone takes home a prize.
Then its time to unwind at the bar and swap tales of your escapades and relive the weeks enjoyment with your fellow rallyists.
Friday 3rd October
Take a leisurely breakfast and then either travel across to Bilbao to join your ferry home or why not take a couple of days to drive back through France and make a holiday of it? The choice is yours.
This magnificent event will include in the rally package all hotels from Saturday to Thursday, all evening meals, breakfasts and the gala prize giving dinner in San Sebastian.
All navigation will be handed with our precision road book to guide you through the transport sections and all regularities, maps, speed tables and rally plates are provided. You can forget about weeks of pre plotting we do all the hard work for you, just turn up and start rallying.