Road Trip to Venice

An epic road trip through Europe

Just like the ‘Monte Carlo or bust rally from the film ‘Monte Carlo or bust’ the Motoscape banger rally is an epic road trip through Europe. The 2024 “ROAD TRIP to Venice” starts on Saturday 31st August 2024. Unlike other similar rallies, Motoscape is not just about driving and seeing nothing but Tarmac. Motoscape gives you the opportunity to visit up to 8 countries in 5 days. The route enables you to visit the famous Nurburgring (you can normally take the car on the ring for a small charge) plus the Stelvio and Timmelsjoch passes as well as the Lamborghini & Ferrari Museums and a whole host of other attractions. En route you will definitely meet some interesting people, have a great laugh and a truly unforgettable experience! Visit our testimonials page to read first hand what our previous Motoscapers have said about the rally!

The 8 Countries in 5 Days include: UK, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria and Italy.

Check out the full itinerary of the route below:

Day 1 – Saturday 31st August

Not Monte Carlo or Bust but Venice or Bust startAll the teams meet in St Omer and Motoscape registration will open from 1pm onwards; the organisers are around all day to ensure every body knows what’s happening during this fantastic week. St Omer is 30 miles and 40 – 45 minutes from both Dunkirk and Calais.

Today is all about meeting the other teams, checking out the weird and wonderful cars, eating some traditional French cuisine and sampling a few “frothy bevies” in the many bars and brasseries (the Motoscapers usually gather in the Queen Vic) of this attractive little town.

St Omer is the perfect place to start the 2024 Motoscape Banger Rally!

Day 2 – Sunday 1st September

All the teams are raring to go for the drive to Koblenz in Germany, which is situated in the picturesque Rhine valley.

The drive today is on the surprisingly clean, efficient motorways of France, Belgium and Germany where you will find driving an absolute pleasure. If you are ticking countries off a list, you can head to the Netherlands before dropping down to Luxembourg to make it 5 countries in one day.

En route to Koblenz you can visit the Nurburgring. For those of you who don’t know what it is, well it is probably the greatest and most challenging race circuit in the world. It is 20.8km long and members of the public can take their own cars onto the track. You don’t have to take your car on the track; you can just turn up and gaze in awe at some of the fancy cars that will be there.

Team Arthur Ant Hill Mob at the NurburgringYou may have been to the Nurburgring previously but still fancy racing round a circuit. Another option therefore is to visit the karting track where Michael Schumacher started out racing as a child is at Kerpen near Cologne (Koln).

Not into the Nurburgring? Then why not come off the motorway at Eupen and head along the 258 through the Ardennes Forest to experience some fantastic scenery all the way to Koblenz. Alternatively you could head to La Roche and visit the museum of the ‘battle of the Ardennes’ where there is a section that studies in detail the British involvement in this battle of the Second World War.

Motoscapers at Winningen wine FestivalOnce you have arrived in Koblenz and checked in to your hotel, the majority of entrants visit the wine festival in the evening. A short taxi ride will take you to the pretty village of Winningen to experience one of the oldest wine festivals in Germany. This is a night not to be missed and it is just how you would imagine a German wine festival to be, with live music, an endless supply of wine and beer, and traditional German bratwurst (that’s a hot dog to the uncultured!). The finale is a dazzling firework display which lights up the night sky above the river. This is one of the most amazing firework displays you will ever come across, and that is no exaggeration!

A late night is guaranteed and it’s a great chance for some team bonding.

Day 3 – Monday 2nd September

A Visit to Motor World on day 3 of our European rallyToday we head towards Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the most famous resort in the German Alps. It lies at the foot of the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain, and hosted the winter Olympics way back in 1936. Hopefully we will see sunshine and not snow on our visit!

After a hearty breakfast and a pep talk from the organisers you will be ready for the day ahead. The easiest route is via the German autobahn (motorway), which if you have a need for speed is excellent. Why not consider breaking up the journey by visiting Motorworld in Stuttgart, a real treat for petrol-heads. Here you can see the most amazing display of both new and old supercars, and if you have a few spare Euros you can buy most of the cars on show.

If you want to see even more, there are planes, trains and automobiles at the Auto and Tecknik Museum in Sinsheim. With more than 3,000 exhibits including a genuine Concorde from Air France, 300 classic cars, 200 motorcycles, 40 racing cars, the largest permanent formula-1 exhibition in Europe, 60 airplanes, 20 locomotives, and much more. It is a definite must see for anyone that likes all things mechanical

alpine-coaster-imstOn a similar theme, what about Auto Tecknik’s sister museum, the Tecknik museum of Speyer. Here you will find thousands of exhibits covering the history of technology. In addition to the numerous vintage cars, ships, locomotives and motorcycles you will find Europe´s largest aerospace exhibition, it’s absolutely fascinating

Not into cars then why not head down the Rhine gorge towards Bingen, to experience the finest scenery along the whole of the Rhine. Along this stretch you will find there are more castles than anywhere else in the world.

Staying on the theme of castles there is an opportunity towards the end of the day to visit the world famous Neuschwanstein castle. This is the ultimate storybook castle and Germany’s most visited tourist icon. If you only visit one castle, this has to be it!

Visit Neuschwanstein castle on day 3 of our road trip through EuropeAlternatively for those who set off early, what about riding a 2.6 km long roller coaster through fabulous countryside at Oberammergau, just a short distance from Garmisch Partenkirchen.

Upon arriving in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and after a heavy night out in Koblenz, most teams will grab a bite to eat and have an early night, others will continue to party and venture into this famous resort where there’s a great choice of entertainment from restaurants to bars.

Day 4 – Tuesday 3rd September

Do the Timmelsjoch Pass on day 4 of our road trip through EuropeToday’s drive is the drive everyone has been waiting for. It’s the mega alpine pass day, ending in Rovereto near Lake Garda in Italy.

This year we have come up with several options to make it the best Day 4 ever. The first option gives you the chance to test those bangers on the 60 hairpin bends of the gargantuan Stelvio pass, described by ‘Top Gear’ as the ‘world’s best driving road’. This year it is all change, as you will be able to traverse the pass in both directions and truly experience those hairpins from all angles. Which way is best, you will now be able to decide. A stop at the top, which at 2758 metres is the second highest paved mountain road in the Alps, is a must.

An MGB at the Stelvio Pass on day 4 of our classic car rallyIf you don’t fancy doing it both ways then you can head down towards Bormio and take in the Foppa pass (1,852 metres) or the Gavia pass (2,618 metres), both followed by the Tonale pass (1,883 metres) before heading to Rovereto for a well earned rest. If you think the Stelvio pass can’t be beaten, we’d beg to differ.

Head to Rovereto via the Timmelsjoch pass. It may not have quite as many hairpins as the Stelvio pass but at 2,509 metres, it’s another biggie. There’s fabulous scenery on the way up and at the top a breathtaking panorama of north and south Tyrol awaits you. That’s not all, this route then allows you to take in the Jaufen pass (2099 m) and Penserjoch pass (2215m), both of which are equally impressive in their own right. Whichever route you take, the memories will be there forever.

Day 5 – Wednesday 4th September

"LakeWith the finish in Venice, this marks the end of your road trip through Europe. It is also a great day for anyone who is a car enthusiast or for those wanting to visit a majestic city.

The actual destination that teams will be staying at is San Dona’ di Piave, which is just a short hop from both Venice and the beach resort of Lido di Jesolo. This provides the best of both worlds. You can visit Venice, stop for some lunch in St Mark’s Square, and take in the unique atmosphere of this city on the water.

Alternatively you can just chill out on the beach or take a walk along the 10 mile long promenade of Lido di Jesolo. San Dona’ di Piave is a city in it’s own right with a population of around 40,000 people where there are plenty of places to eat and drink.

A Motoscape team test driving a FerrariAs today is a comparatively short driving day, what about stopping off first thing at Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake and a must on any visitor’s itinerary. Here you have the chance to take a speedboat out onto the lake and drive it yourself. With it’s micro climate it is more like southern Italy, so why not just pull up at the side of the road and take in those views.

As you are in Italy and this is after all a rally, there is the opportunity to visit Maranello, the home of Ferrari which attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims each year. Here you can drive the latest Ferraris with prices starting from just €75 (this has got to be the bargain of the trip!). After the Ferrari museum, teams can also visit the Panini museum in Modena which houses the entire Masserati factory’s historic collection, completely FREE of charge. The Lamborghini museum is another obvious port of call where you can pay for a tour round the factory if you wish.

A visit to Venice on day 5 of the car rallyBack to the destination and if you have never visited Venice, it’s certainly worth taking the time out to do so. The city on the water sits on millions of wooden piles pounded into marshy ground and has been slowly sinking for the last 1,000 years. It stands on 117 small islands and has some 150 canals and 410 bridges. It is so beautiful that it defies description. There is barely a building in the city that isn’t a unique monument of some sort and millions of visitors pile into the city every year. This historic city has so much to offer from the famous St Mark’s square and Gondolas to the fabulous array of restaurants serving the best in Italian cuisine. A visit here is an absolute must.

In contrast, Lido do Jesolo, which is situated just a few miles north of Venice is a purpose built resort. It has miles of sandy beach, rows of sunbeds, watersports and night-time entertainment that attracts thousands of holidaymakers every summer. A great place to party or to just chill out and catch a few rays.

For teams finishing on the 5 day rally, Motoscape have arranged a traditional Italian buffet meal and presentation which will put the finishing touch to a momentous road trip through Europe.

Map of the Route:

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