This two week tour of the Baltic States takes you on an amazing journey through, historical, cultural and scenic delights, visiting the beautiful capital cities of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, as well as the less explored countryside of these fascinating, former Eastern bloc countries. The journey to and from the Baltics includes driving through Denmark, and a small part of Germany, and very short visit to Finland as well.The tour will drive across Denmark and Germany before taking an overnight ferry from Kiel across the Baltic Sea to Klaipeda in Lithuania. Visit the Curonian Spit before crossing the country to visit the capital, Vilnius, for two nights. Travel north to Latvia and Riga for two nights. The tour will then go to Sigulda and the Gauja National Park and north to Estonia and the resort of Pärnu for one night. Continue onto Virtsu where we shall take a ferry to the islands of Saaremaa and Muhu for a two night stay. Back to the mainland and onto the capital, Tallinn for two nights. Our return journey will be by ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki, with a few hours in Helsinki, then another (overnight) ferry from Helsinki to Rostock in Germany. After a final night in Germany, drive to Esbjerg, Denmark for the return crossing to Harwich, England.
Route
Accommodation
The tour will stay in some of the most glorious hotels, including sumptuous former palaces, castles and villas.
All the hotels are individual and unique and, overall, are of an extremely high standard, often in stunning buildings and locations. Due to the nature and age of these hotels the rooms vary from charmingly comfortable to the utmost luxury. We have hand-picked the accommodation for their unique atmosphere and style.
All accommodation includes breakfast. Suitable parking is, of course, a feature of each hotel, but it is rarely undercover.
Itinerary
*Itinerary may be subject to change without notice*
Day 1 - 10 June
All UK vehicles will meet in Harwich. Leave Harwich at 18.00 for an overnight sailing to Esbjerg, Denmark. Dinner is included on board.
Day 2 - 11 June
Arrive in Esbjerg at 13.00 and drive south into Germany to Kiel. Catch an evening ferry from Kiel, which will take us across the Baltic Sea to Lithuania. The ferry journey is 21 hours so plenty of time to relax and read a great book.
Mileage: 150
Day 3 - 12 June
Arrive in the coastal resort of Klaipeda, just at the top of the beautiful Curonian Spit - the most exotic natural wonderland in the Baltics. The Spit is a National Park and has fabulous long beaches. Stay for two nights in a lovely hotel in Klaipeda. Dinner is included.
Mileage: 5
Day 4 - 13 June
Spend the day exploring Klaipeda and the Curonian Spit. Enjoy a day relaxing in the sleepy town of Nida or getting some sun on the idyllic white sandy beaches.
Mileage: 50
Day 5 - 14 June
Drive along the border with Kalingrad, heading east for Vilnius. Visit the Rumšišk’s open-air museum, which has 150 original buildings from all over the country.Then visit Trakai, a major medieval fortress just to the west of Vilnius. Stay in Vilnius for two nights in a gorgeous hotel, with a gated courtyard for parking.
Mileage: 195
Day 6 - 15 June
Explore Vilnius and its Old Town; an inviting warren of cobbled alleyways and Baroque churches. The city has a laidback charm and atmosphere that draws you in and it is easily explored on foot.
Mileage: 0
Day 7 - 16 June
Head north into Latvia. Just to the south of Rīga take time to visit one of Latvia’s architectural wonders, the stupendous 18th-century Rundale Palace, a huge Baroque palace of aristocratic excess, and veritable ‘Versailles of the north’. Continue on to Rīga, capital of Latvia. Stay for two nights in a wonderful, contemporary, luxury hotel.
Mileage: 180
Day 8 - 17 June
Explore Rīga, a boisterous, mercantile city, that was once part of the Hanseatic League. The city has a rich collection of Art Noveau architecture, Baroque churches, cobbled squares and idiosyncratic museums. The Old Town is a compact network of narrow streets and medieval merchant houses, dotted with Gothic spires and fairytale turrets. Most of the buildings are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is also a motor museum featuring Latvian and Soviet transport history.
Mileage: 0
Day 9 - 18 June
Drive up to the Gauja National Park, a wonderfully unspoilt and forested area where the river carves through steep cliffs. Explore the Gauja River area, including Turaida Castle and the nineteenth-century aristocratic seat of Krimulda, both sitting on the cliff top above the river. Then head north along the coast and into Estonia. Arrive in the beach-side resort of Pärnu, which is blessed with a glorious white-sand beach. Stay in a century-old merchant’s grand villa, now a truly exquisite and stylish, Russian Art Noveau hotel, restored to the highest quality. Dinner is included.
Mileage: 175
Day 10 - 19 June
Leave Parnu behind and drive across lovely countryside to the coast. From here take the ferry to the island of Muhu. Stay for the next two nights on the southern tip of the island in one of Estonia’s most charming manor houses, situated at the sea edge. There is a spa, private cinema, and renowned restaurant, as well as a number of activities to keep you amused. There is a 6km untarred drive to the manor. Dinner is included.
Mileage: 80
Day 11 - 20 June
Take the opportunity to explore Muhu and the neighbouring, larger island of Saaremaa, reached by a causeway. For Estonians, these islands epitomise the nation’s natural beauty more than any other place. Or, if you prefer, spend the day relaxing at the manor. Boat rental, mountain bikes, water skiing, fishing, and riding can all be arranged, or pamper yourself in the spa.
Mileage: 0-100
Day 12 - 21 June
Leave Muhu and take the ferry back to the mainland. It is only about two hours drive to Tallinn, the capital. Tallinn is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in northern Europe and is a beautiful place. The Old Town’s maze of paved alleys, turrets, slender steeples, and proud merchant houses look like they are from a fairy tale. Stay for two nights in one of Tallinn’s best hotels, an atmospheric and intimate baronial city house, in the heart of the Old Town, with secure courtyard parking.
Mileage: 95
Day 13 - 22 June
Spend the day discovering the delights of Tallinn; a fascinating combination of quaint medieval old town, and gleaming, glass-fronted new metropolis. Visit Kadriorg, a leafy park laid out by Peter the Great, with a palace at its centre, and home of the finest art museum in the Baltics.
Mileage: 0
Day 14 - 23 June
Leave Tallinn and Estonia by ferry at 11am on the short crossing (2 hours) to Helsinki. Spend a couple of hours exploring Helsinki, and then take the overnight ferry to Rostock, Germany at 19.15.
Mileage: 15
Day 15 - 24 June
The day will be spent crossing the Baltic Sea, so enjoy time to relax. Arrive in Rostock, Germany at 10pm and stay in a nearby hotel. Dinner is included.
Mileage: 5
Day 16 - 25 June
Drive up through Denmark and spend the day discovering the small villages in the southern part of the country. The ferry departs from Esbjerg at 18.45. Dinner is included.
Mileage: 275
Day 17 - 26 June
Arrive Harwich at 11.30am and depart for home.
Details
Duration: 16 nights
Dates: 10-26 June 2009
Mileage: 1,325 miles - 875 miles in the Baltic States and 425 miles in Germany and Denmark
Price:
€3,495 per person - based on 2 people sharing a twin/double room and cabin
What’s included
- Tour participation
- All accommodation for 16 nights for two people sharing a twin or double room
- Breakfast every morning & dinner 6 evenings. You will be able to dine at restaurants of your choice on other nights.
- Return crossing from Harwich, England to Esbjerg, Denmark for a car & two people (with sea view cabin)
- One-way crossing from Kiel, Germany to Klaipeda, Lithuania for a car & two people (with sea view cabin)
- One-way crossing from Tallinn, Estonia to Helsinki, Finland for a car & two people (day time crossing)
- One-way crossing from Helsinki, Finland to Rostock, Germany for a car & two people (with sea view cabin)
- Tour book - includes a brief history of the countries to be visited, emergency details, maps and directions, accommodation information, and a very detailed, tailored account of sights and visits for each day. The book effectively eliminates the need for any other guide books
- Arrangement and reservation of optional activities
- Event regalia - There will be a rally plaque for each car.
- European and Baltic States road atlases
- Experienced and friendly Classic Travelling tour guides
What’s not included
- Evening meals (unless stated - 6 included) and all lunches
- Entry into attractions and activities
- Personal travel and medical insurance
- We strongly suggest and recommend you have European breakdown cover, and ensure you are covered for the countries to be visited. The RAC and Green Flag both cover the Baltics but the AA do not.
- All drinks are extra to accommodate individual preferences.
Requirements
- This tour is only open to members of the Jaguar Drivers’ Club
- Each person must have a passport (and any necessary visas for non-EU passport holders) valid for Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland and any other countries you may visit to participate on the tour.
- All passports must be valid for six months after the end of the tour.
- You will also need your vehicle registration documents, driving licence (a photo-card licence or international permit is best), and an international insurance green card.
- Please check with your travel and motor insurers that you are covered for travel in the required countries.
- You are also required to carry a warning triangle, first-aid kit, fluorescent jacket, set of replacement bulbs and a national identification sticker.
- The most important requirement is that you take pleasure in motoring through fabulous scenery, relish individual, character hotels and enjoy the company of like-minded travellers.
