Advice please for the PissFlap family's Grand Tour

[TreacherousPissFlap]

DS is in GCSE year next year so will be breaking up early. This allows us the double whammy of cheaper prices and me being able to book a longer period of leave than in July and August.

We are planning a Grand Tour, pottering about Europe and would really appreciate any advice about where to go / not go etc.

So far we have the battlefields in France, Berlin, the Nürburgring, the Le Mans 24 hr race (I'm not sure whether DS will have broken up by then) and Venice, as well as a short stay in an area of southern France of which we are very fond.

I'm aware we don't want to fall into the trap of doing too much and being frazzled, but on the other hand this is probably our last chance to have an experience like this as a family.

DH has never done the EuroTunnel so I think he and DS will travel to Paris via that, and I will meet them with the car. We are happy (and tbh actively looking) to do a combination of flying, train travel and driving and intend to do a selection of Eurocamp type bases and Air B'n'Bs.

I suspect this will take military levels of planning

Can you not just take the car on the euortunnel too?

That apart:

Pisa
Florence
Rome

Monaco / Monte Carlo?

www.tripsavvy.com/the-grand-tour-of-europe-revisited-1507419

Have a look at this article!

Damn, I meant Eurostar

DH wants to do the Eurostar from St Pancras strange man and I will either take the ferry from a local port, or more likely take the ferry/EuroTunnel to Calais.

Ooh I love a road trip - half the fun is the planning.

Drive over the Mileau bridge! Go to Epernay and do a champagne tour. Drive through the tunnels in the alps. Cycle along the Canal du Midi in stages. Get the ferry from mainland Italy to Elba.

Do NOT drive in central Genoa 😂

Oh - and look at putting your car on the TGV coming back to take some of the strain!

Thank you pottering, that article is perfect!

We've just done the Millau viaduct collector, that region is our "happy place"

Can you still get the TGV? Last time I looked into it it seemed to have stopped which was vexing

Hopeful bump for any other wise MNers, now the world is working as it should again