The link is there in English now
Sounds fantastic
Definitely up for this

Yeah, very nice, but!
Where do we apply! Still no application details!

I have been talking to the organisers and am pleased to say that the website will be live for bookings from Monday 20th January.

You need to book and pay your deposit quickly to guarantee your place. I suggest within 7 days.

Sounds like the Gumball rally or the Italiam Job.!!! Sounds Amazing !

A couple of things though.

1. Who wants to drive the Stelvio Pass on the way back ?
2. Don't want to go if we're the only Brits
3. Can we sort convoys through France
4. Assume we're using the Mont Blanc tunnel?

Yeah still up for this, (I have permission quick before she changes her mind!) But I don't want to go alone. I'll get lost knowing me is this on a purely 1st come 1st served basis?

I think we'll be plenty. I will try and reduce cost by travelling free roads though. Through France and Mont Blanc tunnel will be another 250 euro peage and toll.

Yes it is.
Obviously there's a limit for several reasons.
1st come 1st served rule applies to the visit of the Pininfarina plant on day one.
As Pininfarina will only allow 120 people at a time.
As soon as that number on the registration list is achieved one's meeting starts at the hotel.

In general the 1st come 1st served rule applies as follows;
Registration deadline April 30, 2014 or the achievement of the 100 cars or 200 people participating.

I don't want to exaggerate but having attended to the 10th anniversary Turin meet back in 2004 I can only advise you to get organised and prepare your coops for an epic event: .

Anyone worked out the best route? Belgium and Germany would be a cheaper route to avoid tolls in France, but it Belgium/Germany could work out more miles in the end.

Fuel cost has anyone put pen to paper and estimated this, it might help those thinking of going to say either yes or no.

In the south crossing the channel it's cheaper to go via Dover Dunkirk this way you are closer to Belgium. From Dunkirk it's a straight road up to Brussels then onto Germany.

I had a quick look.

Down the French tolls is the fastest and nearest; it's almost impossible to avoid if you stay within France and want to do the trip inside a week... I am told that the French toll roads *do not* calculate average speed between toll gates, but there are a lot of speed cameras anyway - fixed, average, and mobile.

http://about-france.com/travel.htm is a cluttered but useful site, and offers a route to the Med without tolls - but they do not recommend it!

Going across to Belgium (also largely intolerant of speeding) and down through Germany is a couple of hundred miles further, and will probably involve either tolls when you get back into France or a toll going through Switzerland...

Fuel - assuming you do nothing else, it's at least an eight hundred mile trip from London depending on route. 2400 miles at 30mpg (which I'd expect to get with ease; I shan't be thrashing it) is 80 gallons = 360 liters ~= 540 quid. If you prefer to boot it, increase the cost proportionally.

We plan to travel down the weekend before, have some sort of holiday in the south of France before travelling to Turin and then coming back the weekend after some time in Italy. Which will give the engine some time to cool.

Mind you, I've never done Stelvio from the south...

I make it only 1794 miles total, and that is from near Cardiff in S Wales. So £360 in fuel for me. My pence/mile is about 20p.

Calais to Turin is 664 miles if you go the direct French route.

We have driven that route (via Lyon) many times on the way to the Alps and it is usually easy. You pays yer tolls, but the roads are great.

We've rarely been too concerned about cameras, but then the French speed limit (dry) is 130km/h (81mph) anyway. Doing 80 all the way in my Coupe will not be great for fuel economy though....

We are planning to revisit some of the Alps for a weeks holiday to make it extra worth the drive. Stelvio on the way back could be on the cards.

Must book my Coop into Jo for some fettling in April methinks.

Hmmm, having totalled it all up, not including tolls but inc. event, fuel, Eurostar, no spending money, £800 there abouts! for just one man and his motor. That does not take into account any pre trip close inspection work either. I'm sorry guys, I just can't justify what will be nigh on a grand of very enjoyable folly when my wife has just been given her notice of site closure at work.
I wish it was otherwise, but it is too much. I have thought about this road trip for a couple of years now ever since I knew about it, but and it is with a heavy heart and mind I just can't do it, sorry, but I'm out. I'm "officially" depressed

I'm in a similar position, but thought sod it. Perhaps I'll do without a paragliding holiday this year.

1) Barnacle + Mrs Barnacle (submitted: awaiting deposit payment details)

Haven't looked into any costs yet. Maybe put the car on a train transporter either one way or both or part the way. This could cut down on the overall cost and speed up the journey plus save on an overnight stop.

Registered at 0830 this morning and I am already number 24 on the list. Better get in quick if you want a place as they are going fast.

1. Sedicivalvole - Submitted and deposit sent
2. MCMike - Submitted and deposit sent
3. Barnacle - Submitted

1. Sedicivalvole - Submitted and deposit sent
2. MCMike - Submitted and deposit sent
3. Barnacle - Submitted
4. CC - Submitted

This is going to be a trip to remember !

1. Barnacle - Submitted and deposit sent
2. Sedicivalvole - Submitted and deposit sent
3. MCMike - Submitted and deposit sent
4. CC - Submitted

1. Barnacle - Submitted and deposit sent
2. Sedicivalvole - Submitted and deposit sent
3. MCMike - Submitted and deposit sent
4. CC - Submitted
5. Gilbo (Mr&Mrs) Submitted and deposit sent

Hmm. Further investigation re the route and costs thereof. Italy is definitely in the wrong place...

Trains: the car trains from either Germany or Holland are expensive and more to the point go on the wrong day: they both leave Friday. SNCF trains all start in Paris, which is somewhere you probably want to avoid...

ViaMichelin.com offer a route planner which allows not including tolls, if you choose. Tolls on the direct motorway route in France are over three hundred Euros there and back... but it's the quickest route.

I know, who decided to put Italy there ???!!!

Perhaps we should organise a Uk equivalent, and fake Italian accents.

I've driven to the border with Italy before and the tolls roads are definitely the easiest.

Any more Brits signed up yet? I am still in negotiation with Mrs G.

60 coupes registered already!

I am the 61st

1. #18 UK Barnacle + Mrs Barnacle - Submitted and deposit sent
2. Sedicivalvole - Submitted and deposit sent
3. MCMike - Submitted and deposit sent
4. CC - Submitted
5. Gilbo (Mr&Mrs) Submitted and deposit sent

To give an idea of how many have booked and where you're coming from, please add to this list and *also* include the booking number.

Thanks.

1. #18 UK Barnacle + Mrs Barnacle - Submitted and deposit sent
2. Sedicivalvole - Submitted and deposit sent
3. MCMike - Submitted and deposit sent
4. CC - Submitted
5. Gilbo (Mr&Mrs) Submitted and deposit sent
6. #24 France, French Coupe (Mr&Mrs) - Submitted and full payment sent

I've been looking into this also. I remember driving the Coupe when I'd not long had it (1997?) down to Venice (900 miles, 19 hours, overnight in Ulm), where it's easier to avoid Switzerland and the requirement to buy a Vignette valid for a year (but it's only 40 euro which isn't much compared to the total cost...) It was fun getting it up to an indicated 155mph but if I'd have realised that it reads low, I would have tried 165mph...

Using viamichelin.co.uk and using a "family car" (gives around 30-31 mpg) with fuel assumed at £1.60 per litre (perhaps a little high) I get the following options starting from Calais:

Quickest with tolls: 661 miles (633 on M'way) 10h39m £158 for petrol, £139 for tolls Google Maps shows the same journey taking 1 hour less (68mph average, viamichelin 62 mph). Both ways £596

Quickest avoiding tolls (1): 747 miles (670 on M'way) 13h49m £174 for petrol, £31 for tolls (Italy) + CH Vignette. Both ways £411

Quickest avoiding tolls (2): 839 miles (764 on M'way) 14h51m £193 for petrol, £31 for tolls (Italy) + CH Vignette. Both ways £448

Would I drive 661 miles in one day? Perhaps. The other options avoiding tolls adds 3-4 hours and makes it way too long for one day IMHO, so an overnight stop each way adds maybe another £120 (and another day or two to the overall trip).

So as far as I can tell, adding in UK travel cost for me £47 petrol), EuroTunnel £120, event cost £320 ish, 6 days food £120 and £100 for driving around Turin, I get £1,303 for the quickest option with tolls, and £1,238 / £1,275 for the other two.

It kinda makes the tolls look reasonable, and being able to avoid Switzerland helps.

As for the Stelvio Pass, that's a rather huge detour...

By the time I've made my mind up and cleared it with the Mrs, the places may all have gone. Although I note that the deposit is refunded in full if cancelled before 30 April (when the full payment is due), so there may be a few spaces coming free near then for those procrastinators like me...

But for those of us getting depressed at the high cost making it rather impossible to justify, how about doubling up, with 2 fccuk-ers in one Coupe...and if you trust your friend enough you could share the driving as well as the cost, but you're still talking over £700 each (but it makes the toll route look much better value).

Justification of travel expense improves if you make the trip into a holiday.

If I go, we would definately have a week in the Alps to chill out.

Thanks for the very detailed breakdown of costs Dave, I had rounded down, rather than be accurate, so my figures were on the conservative side.
I'm still "depressed" and mourning the inability to go and I know I will regret it long term, but, and it is a big BUT! The Mrs is unhappy about me going, so I will have this looking over me during the whole trip, rather putting a spoiler on things. Plus I would just want to go and come back due to the seasonal pressures of work. I cant afford to take off too much time. The "family" would not be happy about driving down in the coupé, so that spoils the extended break idea too. All in all I'm up against it, all the the way to Turin and back! As much as I want to go, my balls are in a very tight vise from all directions.
I have told her that to compensate, I will be spending some money on the cars this year.
Good luck and enjoy all those who are going, just don't bring back too much salt

Someone needs to invent a cheap way to teleport a car from here to the Italian border. Can someone out there work on this and quick.

On a different note; If you travel by ferry not EuroTunnel you could save £40.00.

How about going without the coupe. Ryanair?