The Italian lakes conjure a dreamy image of romance and beauty, amongst the bucolic landscapes. All around mountains tumble steeply into ribbons of blue, islands float enticingly just offshore, whilst mellowed villas sit in perfect gardens along the shorelines.

“See the Lakes in style with Classic Travelling … fold down the roof and follow a specially designed scenic route that snakes around the back roads between Maggiore, Como, Iseo and Garda.” The Sunday Times, Italian Top 20 (Jan ‘06)

This two week tour will explore Lakes Maggiore, Orta, Lugano, Como, Iseo and Garda, together with the surrounding areas which exhibit an enchanting combination of Mediterranean foliage set against the back drop of snow-capped mountains. There are some of the most beautiful towns and striking gardens in the whole of Europe to be visited. Experience aristocratic villas, glorious sunsets, boat trips to islands with magical villages, a fascinating range of cuisines, truly superb wines and, of course, the lakes themselves and all they have to offer.

This tour is now fully booked! Please contact us to be on the waiting list.

Route

Italian Lakes route: Lake Orta to Lake Garda. Click image to enlarge

Accommodation

The Italian section of the tour will stay in three delightful hotels, each on a lake shore. All the hotels have wonderful character and individuality, whilst being of an excellent standard. Due to the nature and age of these hotels, all the rooms are different, and will vary from charmingly comfortable to the utmost luxury. We have hand-picked and visited each hotel to ensure it has an enchanting atmosphere, as well as suitable parking for your car. All the accommodation includes breakfast.

Itinerary

May be subject to change without notice

Day One

Depart from Dover early afternoon to Calais. Drive to Laon and stay in a fabulous chateau hotel just to the north of the city. There is a welcome dinner tonight.

Day Two

Drive through France to the Jura Mountains. Stay overnight in a lovely, former-mill hotel in the Franche-Comte region. Dinner is included.

Day Three

Drive across the Jura mountains into Switzerland. Visit the beautiful, medieval hilltop town of Gruyeres, famous for its cheese, and see how the cheese is made in the local alpine farms. Stay in a gorgeous chalet hotel in Chateau d’Oex. Dinner is included.

Day Four

Arrive in Piedmont, Italy. From northern Europe the most spectacular route is over the Alps from Switzerland, via the Simplon Pass. Descend into the Ossola valley and drive along the shores of Lake Maggiore to Stresa. Stay for three nights in Stresa’s most wonderful hotel, the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees, overlooking the lake and the Borromean Islands. There is a welcome dinner at the hotel tonight.

Day Five

Spend the day relaxing and enjoying the delights of Lake Maggiore. Discover the town of Stresa – perfect for an evening promenade by the lake. Maybe take a boat ride to see the jewel-like Borromean Islands and enjoy the spectacular palace and beautiful gardens.

Day Six

A short tour today to circumnavigate Lake Orta and visit the captivating town of Orta San Guilio, set entirely on its own garden peninsula. Take a short boat ride across to the island in the middle of the lake. Lanes are too narrow for cars so take a few hours to discover the town on foot. The scenic journey around the perimeter of the lake makes for a gentle and interesting drive.

Dinner will involve a boat trip to the Borromean Islands to dine in a local restaurant.

Day Seven

Take the ferry across Lake Maggiore to Laveno. Drive up the east shore of Lake Maggiore, which is dotted with religious sanctuaries and churches, decorated with fine frescoes. Head inland on some sensational mountain roads to Sacro Monte, a holy way that winds 2km to the sanctuary at the top, and is lined with 14 chapels decorated with frescoes and statues. Drive to Lake Lugano and cross the border into Switzerland and drive around its northern shore before crossing over to Lake Como, where you will spend the next two nights at a wonderful hotel, right on the shore, overlooking the pretty town of Bellagio.

Day Eight

Discover the lovely little walled city of Como and its fine monuments. Take a scenic drive around the southern half of Lake Como – Italy’s prestigious romantic lake since the early Roman times. Visit Bellagio; a town as charming as its setting.

Day Nine

Drive northwards to Menaggio and take the ferry across Lake Como to Varenna. Drive some fabulous mountain roads, past the spa town of San Pellegrino and onto Lake Iseo. Continue onto Brescia and visit the Mille Miglia Museum. Drive to Lake Garda to stay for three nights on the west shore in Gardone Riviera. The hotel is situated right on the shores of the lake and each room overlooks the lake and has a balcony.

Day Ten

Enjoy wandering around the various little towns along the lake and taking it easy, relaxing in the local vicinity, or take the opportunity to visit the city of Verona, which is about 40 miles away.

Day Eleven

Take a circular tour to drive around the whole of Lake Garda, visiting the charming towns of Riva in the north, Torri del Benaco and Desenzano.

Day Twelve

Leave Lake Garda and start the journey homewards. Either take the fast route on the motorways to Milan, Geneva and France, or drive north to the Alps and experience the famous Stelvio Pass and Bernina Pass to Switzerland. Stay overnight in the town of Chur in a lovely character hotel in the centre of the old town. Dinner is included.

Day Thirteen

From Chur you can either join the main motorway network in Europe, or take a leisurely drive through Switzerland to Interlaken and the capital, Bern. Cross over the Jura Mountains to the Alsace region of France. A good opportunity to stock up on some wine! Stay overnight in a wonderful hotel in a pretty Alsatian village. Dinner is included.

Day Fourteen

Drive across northern France and take the opportunity to see some of the WWI sites of Verdun and environs. Stay for the last night of the tour back at the chateau where we stayed for the first night as well. There will be a final, farewell dinner.

Day Fifteen

Drive across northern France to Calais and cross to Dover  and then depart for home.

Details

Dates:

Start: 5 June 2010
End: 19 June 2010
Duration: 14 nights

Price:

€3,295 per person – based on two people sharing a double or twin room and one car

€3,245 per person – excluding ferry crossing (Dover-Calais) from the UK

€4,350 per person in a single room

Please let us know if you would prefer to cross from Hull to Zeebrugge with P&O Ferries. This will incur a supplement of €400 for the return crossing in a 2 berth window cabin, and a supplement of €495 for a Club  sea view cabin. This also includes dinner and breakfast for two people in the Four Seasons Restaurant on each crossing. All cabins have an en-suite shower, toilet. It is obligatory to have a cabin and cabin standards are subject to availability.

What’s included

• All accommodation
• Breakfast every morning
• Eight evening meals
• A boat trip to the Borromean Islands on Lake Maggiore one evening for dinner
• Return ferry crossing from Dover to Calais with P&O Ferries, for those participants starting in the UK.
• Tour book – includes a brief history of Italy, basic Italian dictionary, emergency details, maps and directions, accommodation information, and a very detailed account of sights and visits for each day. The book effectively eliminates the need for any other guide books.
• Road map of Italy
• Mechanical back-up provided by Dan Monk of Winchester Classics. The first 30 minutes of work is free, and subsequent work will be charged at Winchester Classic’s normal rate – www.winchesterclassics.co.uk
• We shall also have the services of a registered chiropractor and physical therapist for participant back-up/human mechanics!
• Experienced and friendly Classic Travelling tour guide, Sarah Dowding

What’s not included

• Fuel, any road tolls and any Italian lake ferry crossings
• Lunches and some dinners (unless stated)
• Entry into attractions and activities
• Personal travel insurance
• We strongly suggest and recommend you have European breakdown cover, and ensure you are covered for the countries to be visited. Although we have mechanical back-up, there may be cases that cannot be fixed on the tour and your car may need to be repatriated.
• All drinks are extra to accommodate individual preferences.
• Any increase in the rate of exchange leading to the increase in the land arrangements, which may come into effect prior to the departure.

Requirements

• This Italian Lakes Tour is only open to members of the Jaguar XK Club.
• Each person must have a passport (and any necessary visas for non-EU passport holders) valid for Italy and any other countries you may visit to participate on the tour. All passports must be valid for six months after the end of the tour
• You will also need your vehicle registration documents, driving licence (a photo-card licence or international permit is best), and international insurance cover.
• Please check your travel and motor insurance that you are covered for travel in the required countries.
• You are also required to safety equipment: carry a warning triangle, first-aid kit, fluorescent jackets, set of replacement bulbs and a national identification sticker.
• The most important requirement is that you take pleasure in motoring through fabulous scenery, relish individual, character hotels and enjoy the company of like-minded travellers.