Tour of the Pyrenees 2023
Wednesday 3rd May | Arrive at Plymouth: Ferry crossing to Santander in a 4-berth club class cabin with a window. The last check-in time will be 11:00am for a departure at 12:15pm. Please note the boat will leave without you if you’re not checked in on time, so please allow yourself plenty of time to get to Plymouth.
Thursday 4th May | 5.5 hour drive 365km: Disembark the boat in Santander at 10am. As we don’t want to miss a day on these epic roads the route heads into the mountains just 30km outside the city on a great pass that will get you warmed up, and ready for the week ahead. The route then takes you through the mountains of Cantabria to the historic Spanish city of Pamplona where we will check in slightly later than normal due to the late start, but the roads are more than worth it!
Friday 5th May | 5.5 hour drive 340km: The Journey East across the Pyrenees on day 2 to Boltana includes some fantastic less well-known cols just north of our hotel, that offer great driving challenges to tick off before stopping for coffee. Couple these with some better known parts of the N260 in the afternoon before arriving at the hotel, and you have all the ingredients for a fabulous day on the road.
Saturday 6th May | 6 hour drive 385km: The route across to our most easterly hotel is a fantastic mix of passes and open fast roads that include a new favourite to do before lunch that we discovered on the recce. It was that good we had to turn around and do it again! The end of the day includes a very technical stretch of road across to Ripol, before we drive down to Hotel Camiral, a member of the ‘Leading Hotels of the World’ group, for a chance to take in some evening sun around the pool terrace overlooking the PGA Golf course!
Sunday 7th May | 5.5 hour drive 285km: The tour heads north across 3 countries on day 4 to the tiny principality of Andorra, on some well-known passes including the Collada De Toses, and Port d’Envalira, before reaching a couple of lesser known passes on route to our hotel in the centre of Andorra La Vella. Once in the hotel you will have a free night to eat where you like and shop till you drop in the duty free capital of the Pyrenees.
Monday 8th May | 5.5 Hour Drive 340km: Day 5 will be the start of the journey west on route to Pau, and following the feedback from last year’s tour, we are staying at this lovely hotel for 2 nights. The route includes some of the best roads in the Pyrenees that commence as soon as we leave Andorra, on a great section of the N260. This is followed by one of our personal favourites, Port de la Bonaigua en route to the lunch stop. The afternoon includes tackling the Col du Portillon and the Col de Peyresourde, as well as some lovely sections of link roads before we head onto the motorway, one of the very few sections on this tour, to reach our hotel on the side of the historic Pau road circuit.
Tuesday 9th May | 3.5 Hour drive 180km plus track session at Pau Circuit: Day 6 we have planned a scenic route around some of the Pyrenee’s more well-known passes that include the beautiful Col De Soulor and the Col d’Aubisque, definitely 2 passes that are not for testing your left foot braking techniques. Alternatively, the 2-night stay in Pau offers a chance to have a lie-in and maybe have a Spa morning ahead of a late afternoon track session at the Pau and Arno’s circuit**.
Wednesday 10th May | 5.5 Hour drive 270 km: The final day of proper driving heading across to Biarritz has a great mix of roads that begin with some technical passes before opening out onto some fast-flowing roads that include the Col de la Pierre Saint-Martin and Col de Belagua. The final night’s hotel in the beautiful coastal city of Biarritz overlooking the beaches of Miramar offers you a chance to relax and have a beer sitting by the lovely heated outdoor pool, ahead of the final night’s group dinner.
Thursday 11th May | 2.5 hours 245km: The final drive back to Santander to catch the ferry for a 1:30pm departure will get underway at 8:30am, and sadly this time we will have to take the direct route, as the ferry will leave without us if we don’t make it on time. The 22-hour crossing back to Plymouth offers you plenty of time to relax and enjoy a few beers and chat over the week’s tour with some new friends.
Friday 12th May | Grab breakfast on the ferry ahead of disembarking the boat at 10:00am
Please note: Routes and exact timings are just a guide to the day’s routes and are subject to change.
** Please Note: A small supplement may apply for the track session. At the time of launching the event, we are still awaiting full costings for the track hire.