CITROËN CLASSIC CHALLENGE 2015
Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2013 2:01 pm
Calling all XM fans and Citroenistes... Oh, and Francophiles and driving enthusiasts... and lovers of fine food and wine; travellers of taste etc..
There is another Challenge set for June 2015.
Following in the footsteps of the 2009 BXagon Challenge, the Citroen Classic Challenge of 2012 and the Challenge Ecosse 2013, this second incarnation of the CCC2012 promises to be even more amazing. Lots to do and see, and at a time of year selected to give everyone on it an early taste of Summer.
Entry is open to any interesting Citroen prefer 20 yrs or older, but in the case of an XM all comers welcome! Fees only to cover the costs of car stickers and print outs etc. Plus a supplement to help cover the cost of getting the whole event professionally filmed in HD... if I can get it sorted. Even with the latter it's going to be less than £30 a head I'm sure. Then all you have to do is arrange car, crossing and Euros and off we go. (Well, as I'm sure you know there's a lot more than that to arrange, but you get my drift).
Please - LET ME KNOW IF YOU'RE INTERESTED...
ROUTE SUMMARY
Saturday 13th June 2015: 7:30am - Drive south from Calais to Gien via Abbeville, Gournay-en-Bray, Chartres… (As mentioned, this means that those crossing to Dieppe, La Havre or Caen have a chance of a rendezvous with those from further North). Overnight:http://www.bardelet.com/campsite-france.html
Sunday 14th June: Another early-ish start: The route takes us, (once again for the veterans of the 2012 event) up the Loire, via Sancerre to Nevers. Here we press on South to Vichy, via Moulins. and travel to our second night's stop over (Espalion near Rodez) via the town of Le Puy en Velay missing out Clermont-Ferrand and the ganglion of autoroutes there; we'll instead be driving through the Parc du Livradois Forez. Overnight:http://www.rocdelarche.com/index.html?lg=gb
Monday 15th June: Head for the Millau Bridge. Crossing that, the route splits, giving the choice of a coastal route or cross-country route, both of which have their advantages…
Either cut through the majestic landscape of the Parc des Grands Causses and into the Parc Du Haut Languedoc, passing Castres on the East side and on to the Medieval wonder that is Carcassonne. From there it's up into the Pyrenees foothills. Campsite in the Limoux/Quillan area.http://www.camping-quillan.fr/English/P ... psite.html
Or take the coastal route... This option has possibly some less exciting roads initially but once past Beziers things liven up as the route hits the Med. Along the coastal road to Perpignan and then heading up into the Pyrenees and arrive at the campsite from the South. This is likely to be the favoured option if the weather's nice
Tuesday 16th June: On this, Day Four there’s lots of choice; visit Cathar sites, muck about in Limoux etc. but I propose a ‘Raid on Spain’… well, an enclave in the Pyrenees: Llívia (a city at 4,000 feet). This 110-mile round trip will take us through National Park (Parc Naturel Régional des Pyrénées Catalanes) landscapes, along a lake (Lac de Matemale - which is over 5,000 ft up). Should be fun… The plan is to return to camp in time to go to a dinner at this place, for a group nosh-up: https://www.facebook.com/AubergeDesCathares ). The restaurant’s only 7.6 kms from camp.
Wednesday 17th June: Drive to Pau. Taking the mountain route via St. Girons and Bagneres de Luchon, Gourette, etc. Opportunities for getting off the track too. Overnight: http://www.camping-belair64.com/UK/Accueil.php
Thursday 18th June: Depart Pau. We travel to Agen via Eauze and Nerac and travel through lovely Bastide country to Cahors and the campsite near there. Timings mean a lunch in or near Agen (where I used to live) and afternoon tea in Cahors. Overnight: http://www.domainequercy.com/
Friday 19th June: Drive cross country to Angouleme and onwards to an overnight near Bressuire, via Parthenay. Overnight: http://www.camping-ptite-cuiller.fr/
Saturday 20th June: We can start by driving a short distance to the Heuliez factory at Cerizay, before continuing to Saumur (tank museum) and Le Mans in the afternoon. Overnight is the IBIS hotel, Alençon where we will have the Challenge Dinner.
There is a Camping alternative; Camping de Guéramé, (about 2.2km away).
On Day Nine, Sunday 21st June, the World is our oyster. Well, Normandy. We can drive though the huge Forêt d'Ecouves to Falaise then through the Suisse Normande to Bayeux and then do the D-Day bit and visit a beach, museum etc. If you book a crossing late in the day you’ll only need to leave the Caen area for Calais mid-afternoon.
Feedback welcome
IN ADDITION
I have now got Hotel alternatives for each of the camping stop-overs:
Calais: We start from the same place as the 2012 Challenge started and there’s a B&B Hotel there: http://www.hotel-bb.com/en/hotels/calai ... pierre.htm
Day One stop-over alternative: http://www.hotelducerf.com/en
Day Two: http://www.hoteldefrance12.fr/english/eng-index.htm
Day Three and Four: http://www.hotel-restaurant-canal-en-py ... athares.fr
Day Five: http://www.closgourmand.com
Day Six: http://www.orangetree.fr
Day Seven: http://www.hotel-lesporting.fr
Day Eight: http://www.ibis.com/gb/hotel-0982-ibis- ... ndex.shtml
There is another Challenge set for June 2015.
Following in the footsteps of the 2009 BXagon Challenge, the Citroen Classic Challenge of 2012 and the Challenge Ecosse 2013, this second incarnation of the CCC2012 promises to be even more amazing. Lots to do and see, and at a time of year selected to give everyone on it an early taste of Summer.
Entry is open to any interesting Citroen prefer 20 yrs or older, but in the case of an XM all comers welcome! Fees only to cover the costs of car stickers and print outs etc. Plus a supplement to help cover the cost of getting the whole event professionally filmed in HD... if I can get it sorted. Even with the latter it's going to be less than £30 a head I'm sure. Then all you have to do is arrange car, crossing and Euros and off we go. (Well, as I'm sure you know there's a lot more than that to arrange, but you get my drift).
Please - LET ME KNOW IF YOU'RE INTERESTED...
ROUTE SUMMARY
Saturday 13th June 2015: 7:30am - Drive south from Calais to Gien via Abbeville, Gournay-en-Bray, Chartres… (As mentioned, this means that those crossing to Dieppe, La Havre or Caen have a chance of a rendezvous with those from further North). Overnight:http://www.bardelet.com/campsite-france.html
Sunday 14th June: Another early-ish start: The route takes us, (once again for the veterans of the 2012 event) up the Loire, via Sancerre to Nevers. Here we press on South to Vichy, via Moulins. and travel to our second night's stop over (Espalion near Rodez) via the town of Le Puy en Velay missing out Clermont-Ferrand and the ganglion of autoroutes there; we'll instead be driving through the Parc du Livradois Forez. Overnight:http://www.rocdelarche.com/index.html?lg=gb
Monday 15th June: Head for the Millau Bridge. Crossing that, the route splits, giving the choice of a coastal route or cross-country route, both of which have their advantages…
Either cut through the majestic landscape of the Parc des Grands Causses and into the Parc Du Haut Languedoc, passing Castres on the East side and on to the Medieval wonder that is Carcassonne. From there it's up into the Pyrenees foothills. Campsite in the Limoux/Quillan area.http://www.camping-quillan.fr/English/P ... psite.html
Or take the coastal route... This option has possibly some less exciting roads initially but once past Beziers things liven up as the route hits the Med. Along the coastal road to Perpignan and then heading up into the Pyrenees and arrive at the campsite from the South. This is likely to be the favoured option if the weather's nice
Tuesday 16th June: On this, Day Four there’s lots of choice; visit Cathar sites, muck about in Limoux etc. but I propose a ‘Raid on Spain’… well, an enclave in the Pyrenees: Llívia (a city at 4,000 feet). This 110-mile round trip will take us through National Park (Parc Naturel Régional des Pyrénées Catalanes) landscapes, along a lake (Lac de Matemale - which is over 5,000 ft up). Should be fun… The plan is to return to camp in time to go to a dinner at this place, for a group nosh-up: https://www.facebook.com/AubergeDesCathares ). The restaurant’s only 7.6 kms from camp.
Wednesday 17th June: Drive to Pau. Taking the mountain route via St. Girons and Bagneres de Luchon, Gourette, etc. Opportunities for getting off the track too. Overnight: http://www.camping-belair64.com/UK/Accueil.php
Thursday 18th June: Depart Pau. We travel to Agen via Eauze and Nerac and travel through lovely Bastide country to Cahors and the campsite near there. Timings mean a lunch in or near Agen (where I used to live) and afternoon tea in Cahors. Overnight: http://www.domainequercy.com/
Friday 19th June: Drive cross country to Angouleme and onwards to an overnight near Bressuire, via Parthenay. Overnight: http://www.camping-ptite-cuiller.fr/
Saturday 20th June: We can start by driving a short distance to the Heuliez factory at Cerizay, before continuing to Saumur (tank museum) and Le Mans in the afternoon. Overnight is the IBIS hotel, Alençon where we will have the Challenge Dinner.
There is a Camping alternative; Camping de Guéramé, (about 2.2km away).
On Day Nine, Sunday 21st June, the World is our oyster. Well, Normandy. We can drive though the huge Forêt d'Ecouves to Falaise then through the Suisse Normande to Bayeux and then do the D-Day bit and visit a beach, museum etc. If you book a crossing late in the day you’ll only need to leave the Caen area for Calais mid-afternoon.
Feedback welcome
IN ADDITION
I have now got Hotel alternatives for each of the camping stop-overs:
Calais: We start from the same place as the 2012 Challenge started and there’s a B&B Hotel there: http://www.hotel-bb.com/en/hotels/calai ... pierre.htm
Day One stop-over alternative: http://www.hotelducerf.com/en
Day Two: http://www.hoteldefrance12.fr/english/eng-index.htm
Day Three and Four: http://www.hotel-restaurant-canal-en-py ... athares.fr
Day Five: http://www.closgourmand.com
Day Six: http://www.orangetree.fr
Day Seven: http://www.hotel-lesporting.fr
Day Eight: http://www.ibis.com/gb/hotel-0982-ibis- ... ndex.shtml
