THE ESCAPE TO VICTORY TOUR

TOUR DETAILS

Destination:

EUROPE

Duration:

12 Days

Year:

2020

Ends:

2021

TBC

TBC

Prices:

£1,495 p/p

£1,695 p/p

£1,995 p/p

We meet in Folkestone at the Eurotunnel for the start of the Great Escape Adventure. After a short 35 minute crossing we begin our journey along the motorway through France, Belgium, the Netherlands and into Germany to our first hotel.

After a welcoming briefing our guests can choose either to dine in the hotel for the evening or to join the tour guides in taking a short trip across the river for a stroll to a local village eatery, which offers traditional German cuisine, pizza and the tour guide’s old favorite, a plate of gyros.

Our hotel for the night is situated conveniently on the banks of the river Rhine. From the terrace we overlook a quick and efficient old style car ferry service that will take us over the river for dinner in a neighboring village.

Our second day welcomes the sight of our first major attraction: the Mohne Dam. After a fuelling breakfast in the hotel we cross the Rhine by ferry, beginning our journey to Maneln.

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We ride into the town of Mohne on the banks of the Mohneesee reservoir, home to the famous dam that was successfully bombed by Guy Gibson and his colleagues with the bouncing bomb during WWII. Today the reservoir is used as a recreational area by both locals and holiday makers alike. 

Scheduled arrival is around 1130hrs (just in time for lunch!), where you can treat yourself to a traditional bratwurst/currywurst and pommes (sausage and chips) at a superb, little imbis.

Leaving here at 1300hrs we will ride up into the Weserbergland area of Germany to the town of Hameln, termed as Hamelin by us Brits.

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We aim to depart by 1300hrs ready to ride some breathtaking roads boasting beautiful views of the countryside all the way into Goslar.

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Here you will have time to explore the square and watch the bells on the gable of the Hochzeitshaus at approx 16.30. Plenty of cafes and ice cream parlors can be found in the square if you fancy an afternoon snack or drink.

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Meal options here are similar to the first night. There is a restaurant within the hotel or the option to walk down into the town center where there is a wide variety of food choices.

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After breakfast in the hotel another 8.30 start on the bikes and our 154 mile journey to the Harz Region town of Goslar will begin. The featured stop today will be at the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp Visitors Centre. Arriving at around 10.45 with a planned leaving time of 12.45 you will have plenty of time to wander through the large visitor centre/museum and walk into the memorial area. Although a somber place it’s a really worthwhile visit in our opinion.

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There is a small café on site for drinks, hotdogs and sandwiches for anybody who wishes to have an early lunch.

Leaving Bergen-Belsen at around 12.45 our journey to Goslar in the Harz Mountain region should take around 2 and a half hours giving us an mid afternoon arrival at our hotel for the night.

Leaving Bergen-Belsen at around 12.45 our journey to Goslar in the Harz Mountain region should take around 2 and a half hours giving us an mid afternoon arrival at our hotel for the night.

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A five minute walk from the hotel is Goslar main square. There is a wide choice of food outlets, cafes and bars here giving you plenty of evening meal options. The ice creams come highly recommended here.

After breakfast in the hotel we start out at 8am. We will cover 165 miles to our end point in the town of Grimma. Our morning ride will meander through the beautiful Harz Mountains giving you some early indications of what to expect with the Austrian mountain roads. (Look at it as a practice ride).

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Riding into what was once old East Germany you will notice a subtle change in the housing and feel of the country, but then with the unexpected surprise of Sussersee where we will be stopping for lunch, a beautiful inland lake and castle nestled by the side of our route to Leipzig.

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After lunch we continue our ride to our hotel in Grimma for the night.

After breakfast, we start our relaxed day with a 2 hour guided tour of Colditz Castle (which is not to be missed).

his is followed by a great ride to our next hotel in the town of Mariánské Lázně in the Czech Republic. More stunning scenery and switchbacks await you here. Pillions be ready with your cameras.

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After riding through the austerity of the Czech countryside and run down villages you will be in for an amazing sight in the most unexpected terms as we ride into where you will be taken aback by its grandeur and magnificence, certainly not what you are expecting to see in the middle of nowhere! There will be plenty of downtime to explore this delightful town before dinner.

Today sees us heading back as we ride into Germany south to Bavarian town of Altotting which will be our destination for lunch in a restaurant that doubles up ice cream parlor (Oh Boy!).

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On route to our final destination for the day we will visit the world famous Kehlsteinhaus, which is better known to us Brits as the “Eagles Nest” in Berchtesgaden. Here you can opt to take the bus tour up to Hitler’s home on the mountain or simply sit with a coffee sucking up the wonderful views. It is simply stunning and well worth the visit to the top.

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From here we have a short ride to our hotel for the night in the center of the town.  There is an amazing pizza restaurant a short walk from the hotel too, it won't disappoint!

Today’s ride is slightly more challenging in terms of the miles we ride, however the smiles will last all day long and make the mileage worthwhile!

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After a hearty breakfast we will ride into Austria and head south to ride the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, it is the highest surfaced mountain pass road in Austria. This is a toll road so have your Euros at the ready.

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Your reward for the days riding will become all too clear to see once we arrive at our hotel where we will be staying for the next three nights. You will be greeted with a glass of snaps and a four course evening meal.

Based for three nights in at this stunning hotel in Austria there are options for guided tours during each day or you may wish to do your own thing. Our Castles Rivers Mountains tour will include rides covering Austria, Italy and Switzerland and of course the famous Stelvio pass.

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For those choosing to do their own ride outs, we have a number of mapped route options that promises to get the maximum out of your chosen ride showing you the best views possible. You can plan to ride up to 250 miles a day knowing that it will be 250 miles of spectacular roads and scenery.

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Be ready to have sun in the valleys and snow on the mountains. The contrasts between upper and lower mountains is remarkable and the roads just outstanding.

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There is an excellent garage facility within the hotel where our bikes will be kept overnight and there is even an option to jet wash your bike if you feel you need to. We guarantee you will not want to leave this hotel!

Your tour guides will be leading a number of different ride outs from our hotel so you can chose to join them or if you prefer, you could chose to ride one of 9 different routes at your own pace. (Maps and guidance will be provided if you chose this option)

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Our rides will include a ride up to the Kaunertal Glacia and of course it would be rude not to ride the world famous Stelvio Pass. 

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The hotel offers coffee and cake in the afternoon in case you feel a little peckish after your days ride and a four course evening meal for dinner.

Today is your second day of relaxation at this superb hotel. Again your tour guides will be leading a number of different ride outs from our hotel so you can chose to join them or again if you prefer, you could chose to ride one of 9 different routes at your own pace. (Maps and guidance will be provided if you chose this option)

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Our rides will include a ride over the Ofenpass Pass and the surrounding area, but again you can chose a ride of you own (or relax in the spa) if you prefer. 

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The hotel offers coffee and cake in the afternoon in case you feel a little peckish after your days ride and a four course evening meal for dinner.

We have a 7:30am start to our days riding covering approximately 269 miles. Riding through Austria and into Switzerland, we travel south of the Bodensee another vast inland lake which straddles both Switzerland and Germany.

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Leaving the mountains of Austria we will enjoy the rolling hills that are of grape vines. After stopping for lunch break we then ride north into Germany’s Black Forest along the famous B500 and onto tree lined roads over hill tops revealing amazing valley views.

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Our penultimate rest stop is on a hillside popular with paragliders, as the hillsides and air streams provide good gliding conditions, so don’t be surprised if you see and hear one or two over your head.

Our final day of the Castles Rivers Mountains tour riding takes us north continuing along the B500 through the town of Baden-Baden and over the border into France.

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We then ride through Parc Naturel Régional des Vosges du Nord a Sprawling preserve of scenic forests & wetlands, plus medieval ruins & quaint villages.

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After a stop for lunch we continue the ride to Tinqueux for our final nights hotel.

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As this is officially the end of the tour a farewell evening dinner will be enjoyed by all.

Today is where the Castles, Rivers and Mountains Adventure sadly comes to an end.

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It is a relaxing day where you can decide what to visit and where to ride.

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The tour guides will be heading back to Calais where they will board the train back to the UK.

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You are welcome to join them if you wish.