Your chance to experience the unique cultures of these three states. They are geographically close to each other, but culturally very different indeed.
All campsites are the best available, but do not expect western European standards. The sites are fairly basic.
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Saturday 12 June 2010: We catch a ferry this morning to Calais, including access to the Club Class saloon. Here we will be offered complimentary Champagne. tea, coffee and newspapers with very comfortable seating. After disembarking we have a drive of about 90 miles to our first continental campsite in Belgium. This evening we can all get to know one another at an informal drinks reception. |
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Sunday 13 June: Today we pass through Holland as we drive 270 miles, all on motorway, to our overnight stop in the north of Germany. |
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Monday 14 June: We continue heading east on the German autobahns with a drive of 240 miles to a campsite 40 miles short of the Polish border. |
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Tuesday 15 June: Today our drive is shorter at 160 miles which takes us into Poland and to the city of Poznan. This evening there is a further opportunity to get to know other tour members as we enjoy a group dinner in the campsite’s own restaurant. |
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Wednesday 16 June: After a drive of 210 miles we arrive at the Polish capital Warsaw. |
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Thursday 17 June: Following the last few days driving today has been left completely free. You can choose to do nothing or maybe you’ll wish to visit Warsaw’s old centre, making use of the public transport running from just outside the campsite. |
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Friday 18 June: Today we drive 160 miles to our overnight campsite in Poland’s Lake District |
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Saturday 19 June: Following a drive of 170 miles we arrive in the Baltic States and our first Baltic campsite at Trakai, Lithuania. Tonight we celebrate our arrival in the campsite bar/restaurant with a traditional Lithuanian welcome of folklore singing & dancing, beer & wine and simple hearty food. |
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Sunday 20 June: Trakai is famous for its ‘Island Castle’ and today has been left free so you may visit. This is easy with boats running directly from the campsite jetty across Lake Galve to the castle entrance. |
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Monday 21 June: Today we visit the first of three Baltic capitals Vilnius, Lithuania. The Jerusalem of the North with its 45 churches but whose bells never ring otherwise the city would never rest. Our coach collects and return us direct from the campsite and our English speaking guide will help us appreciate our time in the city. Included is lunch in an old city centre restaurant. |
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Tuesday 22 June: Today as we drive we leave Lithuania and arrive in Latvia. For this our first of two visits to Latvia we cross its rural eastern edge. Our drive is 165 miles to the pilgrim town of Anglona; receiving around 250,000 people each year its basilica is the Baltic’s most important Catholic monument. For tonight we have been granted permission to park (no facilities so we will use our motorhomes’ own) within the grounds of the basilica which we tour in the afternoon. In the evening we visit a nearby bread museum for a rustic supper. |
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Wednesday 23 June: Our drive today of 165 miles takes us across the Latvia – Estonia border and our first Estonian night is spent in its lake district. Being more closely tied with Finland then to its Baltic neighbours Estonia has a different feel. Its Nordic connections are especially prevalent when we visit Tallinn and the Western Isles region. |
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Thursday 24 June: A free day. Today is a Baltic national holiday celebrating mid summer’s day and the light nights of this time of year. The sun sets about 10.30pm each evening with darkness arriving around an hour later. |
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Friday 25 June: Today we all drive 155 miles and stay the night at a Spa Hotel & Camping complex on Estonia’s north coast; a full range of swimming, sauna, massage & beauty treatments are available. Here, either you or your motorhome will stay a further 3 nights. |
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Saturday 26, Sunday 27 & Monday 28 June: We are now just 100 miles from St. Petersburg, Russia and will take the opportunity to offer an optional 3 day trip to this fascinating city synonymous with excess and magnificence. The trip will include coach transfers, guided tours incorporating the Kunstkammer area & the Hermitage museum and hotel accommodation. Whilst away our motorhomes stay parked within the secured campsite and for further peace of mind an additional security guard will be employed each evening to watch solely our vans. You will be contacted early in 2010 and asked if you wish to take this option. Bookings cannot be taken earlier as the prices will not be known. |
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Tuesday 29 June: This morning we are all treated to breakfast in the hotel before a short drive of 75 miles to Vosu in the heart of the Lahemaa National Park, Estonia’s most protected area. |
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Wednesday 30 June: Early evening we leave the campsite for the Lahemaa visitor centre where we see a video presentation of the National park. From here we move to an eighteenth century Manor House for the evening. Open to the public throughout the day as the doors close we enter for a private function. We are served drinks on arrival and take a tour of the baroque Manor House, cumulating in the banqueting hall where we are served dinner with wine. |
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Thursday 1 July: Completely free for exploring the Lahemaa National Park. This can be done by walking, cycling or using the local bus which passes in front of the campsite. |
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Friday 2 July: Today belongs to Tallinn, Estonia’s capital. We have a coach and guide at our disposal and lunch in an old city restaurant. |
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Saturday 3 July: We leave Vosu and drive 140 miles to Haapsalu on Estonia’s west coast. Surrounded by water on three sides it is imaginatively known as ‘Nordic Venice’. Tonight we have dinner in a restaurant overlooking the lagoon. |
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Sunday 4 July: Completely free. You may choose to do nothing or visit Haapsalu with its old castle and decommissioned Victorian train station now a railway museum. |
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Monday 5 July: A free day. If there is enough interest the tour directors will arrange a trip to one of Estonia’s western isles. |
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Tuesday 6 July: Today with a drive of 230 miles we leave Estonia and return to Latvia, this time to its Amber coast. Our first stay is near the Baltic’s largest city Riga, capital of Latvia and home to one of Europe’s leading collections of Art Nouveau architecture. |
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Wednesday 7 July: Today we are collected by coach to visit Latvia’s grandest building, the 138 room Rundale Palace of Baroque architecture and Rococo furnishings. Included will be an English guided tour and lunch in the Palace restaurant. |
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Thursday 8 July: Riga is our destination for today. We visit the Art Nouveau district by coach and take a walking tour of the pedestrian old city, both guided in English. Included will be a restaurant lunch within the old city and time for a wander. |
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Friday 9 July: We leave Riga and drive 100 miles to Ventspils, Latvia’s city of flowers and number one daytrip destination. However do not be misled; mass tourism has yet to reach Latvia so Ventspils remains a quiet beach resort. |
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Saturday 10 July: Today has been left completely free for you to enjoy the parks and beach that surround the campsite. One being the adjoining open air museum recreating Latvian rural life from the past century, complete with fully functioning narrow gauge steam train. |
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Sunday 11 July: A free day. If there is enough interest the tour directors will arrange a trip to Kuldiga, a picturesque provincial Latvian town. |
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Monday 12 July: Today we drive 180 miles to our campsite on the UNESCO protected Curonian Spit nature reserve (2009 - £17 for a motorhome to enter). Our drive sees us leave Latvia and return to our first Baltic country, Lithuania. To reach the Curonian Spit we take a short ferry journey across the Curonian Lagoon (2009 cost - £28 return). It is not practical to buy these tickets in advance so you should buy them yourself and the Tour Directors will refund the money when you arrive at the campsite. |
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Tuesday 13 July: Sandwiched between the Curonian Spit and the mainland is the Curonian Lagoon. Today we see this nature reserve with a boat cruise on the lagoon complete with buffet lunch. |
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Wednesday 14 July: An ideal way to explore the Curonian Spit is on a bicycle. Those wishing may join the tour directors as they lead a ride along the dedicated coastal / pine forest Nida to Preila (7 miles) cycle path. Others may do nothing in preparation for this evening.
Having spent 26 days in the Baltics, tonight we have a ‘Farewell Evening’ in the campsite bar/restaurant with local music, dinner and drinks. |
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Thursday 15 July: Today the tour ends. You may either make your own way home or accompany the tour directors back to Calais. If you decide to return directly to Calais we recommend you take the overnight ferry (2009 price - £245 for a motorhome up to 8m, 2 people plus cabin) from Klaipeda (just a few miles from our last campsite) to Kiel in northern Germany. From here it is just two days drive back to Calais. This will save over 1,400 kilometres and several days driving, but will cost the same as driving and staying on campsites. Our tour directors will be taking the ferry option.
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