During this trip you will reside in a castle hotel that is tried-and-tested and guaranteed to be Nostalgic quality , in which not only Audrey Hepburn and Juliette Binoche were guests, but also several French presidents. From the spacious castle park you start with our Alfa Romeo classics for a short drive exploring the surrounding area, before we take you on a city tour in Tours and accompany you from the cathedral to the historic old town for dinner together.
After the morning briefing, turn the ignition key and head west, the route largely runs along the Loire. You pass Azay-Le-Rideau Castle and visit Ussé Castle. Its Sleeping Beauty Tower inspired Walt Disney during his trip to Europe in the 1930s. You will spend your lunch break in the former Huguenot stronghold Saumur, home of the most famous riding school in France, the 'cadre noir'. In the afternoon we will accompany you to the historic sparkling wine cellar Ackerman and its vaults carved deep into the tuff, including spectacular art installations.
The neighboring river to the Loire, Indre, accompanies your morning drive at the wheel of our Alfa Romeo Spiders from Tours southeast towards Montresor. Your road book leads you through sparsely populated river landscapes, past extensive sunflower fields and charming French villages, in which time seems to have stood still. As a lunch stop, we have chosen the picturesque Bracieux, where you will be initiated into the secrets of chocolate production at Max Vauché. Then we visit the most famous and magnificent of the Loire castles, Chateau Chambord . Once we return to the hotel, that evening will be at your leisure.
Today you will experience the 'Le Mans' spirit up close. The race track was founded by the local 'Automobile Club de l’Ouest' in 1923, and history has been written at the Circuit de la Sarthe ever since. We will transfer you from your hotel here when the breathtaking spectacle is approaching its climax. Take advantage of the proximity to the action that our hospitality upgrade offers, stroll through the car parks and the paddock, be impressed by historic motorsport and thousands of enthusiasts. You have the opportunity to be part of the race until late at night, when we will accompany you back to your hotel for the last night of this fantastic tour.
After a long breakfast, relax by the swimming pool, enjoy the sun in the 14 hectare castle park or go for a round in a rowing boat from the hotel's jetty. Later in the morning, our transfer will take you to the TGV train station in Tours (St. Pierre-des-Corps) or, if you wish, to the French capital for an extension.
* sharing a double room/ sharing a car
If you would like to book as an individual guest, just speak to us.
For almost 100 years, automobile manufacturers have been testing their creations where the French kings once resided: Le Mans is a two and a half hour drive west of Paris in the Pays de la Loire region, where the tradition of 24-hour races began. The "Automobile Club de l’Ouest" is still the patron of the long-distance race of the same name, which aims to drive the 13.88 km route as many times as possible within 24 hours.
In the beginning, only the racing drivers were allowed to carry out repairs on their racing cars themselves, later mechanics were allowed, but the rule was that their cars have to come to the pits without outside help still applies. Famous and notorious on the Le Mans circuit, where the greatest disaster in motorsport occurred in 1955, at the, almost five-kilometer-long Hunaudières straight or "Mulsanne Straight", as it is also known, which used to allow speeds of over 400 km / h to be reached. The tragedies, however, have not done any harm to the fascination of Le Mans; film stars and actors such as Steve McQueen have enjoyed their time on the race tracks. As well as the „Le Mans-Start“ is a key attraction, in which the drivers had to sprint across the lane to their vehicles parked in front of the pit lane still hold strong.
The Le Mans Classic 24-hour race is not the only jewel on our journey to the Loire Castles region. You will experience exciting driving days and sightseeing, and see France from its most beautiful side, and you will also spend a whole day at the “Circuit du Mans” where high-powered racing cars from the 1950s and 1960s start under a starry sky in midsummer. If the scent of the surrounding fields and forests mixes with the smell of oil and gasoline, the hearts of thousands of motorsport fans beat faster and you will become part of the exciting history of the automobile. This tour is one day longer than our other trips, so that you have enough time for the rides yourself and can spend a full day at the race.
On this trip you will reside in a privately owned castle hotel a few kilometers south of Tours. At the wheel of our Alfa Romeo Spider you will experience the tranquil country life away from the tourist crowds and, in contrast, the life-filled Saumur on the Loire. Seeing the Loire castles of Ussé and Chambord shouldn't be missed, as well as a detour to one of the most renowned chocolatiers in France or the sparkling wines in the Caves Ackerman in Saumur. If you still have time, we recommend the French Atlantic coast , Normandy or Brittany .
Not included in the tour price: meals unless expressly included, travel to Tours
Balanstraße 73 / 81541 München
Office: +49 (0)89 5454060
Fax: +49 (0)89 5454066
E-mail: info@nostalgic.de
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Jutta Löffler –
Leider ohne roadbook und ohne Vorbereitung. Man sollte powerbanks dabei haben. Die Handys haben das oft nicht geschafft und ohne Karte zurück zu finden, das dauert.
Leider wird man in le Mans bei den Rennen alleine gelassen. Bis man sich da orientiert hat, das dauert. Mehr Infos wären hilfreich, damit man auch was interessant ist.
Hotel ist gut und mit Komoot findet man auch in den nächsten Ort wo man nett essen kann.
Reise ist noch nicht ausgereift.
Positiv war die Fahrt mit dem TGV, das ist entspannt ( in Frankreich)
Nicht verifizierter Kauf. Mehr Informationen
gert.pichler –
Liebe Jutta, vielen Dank für Dein ehrliches Feedback, das wir sehr ernst nehmen. Du hast fast alle unsere Reisen bereits gemacht und kannst sehr gut vergleichen. Die Internationalisierung unserer Kunden und die Ausweitung der Reisedestinationen machen es notwendig langsam auf die digitale Navigation umzusteigen. Die Le Mans/Loire Reise war die erste Privatreise, bei der wir die digitale Navigation ausprobiert haben. Mittlerweile haben wir auch bei vielen anderen Reisen die digitale Navigation getestet. Bei den beiden Targa Florio Reisen wird es zum ersten Mal Powerbanks für alle Teams von Nostalgic geben (vielen Dank für den wertvollen Hinweis). Le Mans Classic wurde die letzten Jahre aufgrund der Pandemie nicht durchgeführt und war deswegen auch für uns Neuland. Ich bin mir sicher, bei der Reise 2023 wird es auch bei dem Rennen eine bessere Begleitung und Einweisung geben.
Danke nochmals für das Feedback & Herzliche Grüße
Gert