Provisional Itinerary for the H4H European 4x4 Rally 2011

Provisional Itinerary – H4H European 4x4 Rally 2011

Saturday 18th June 2011 - Day 1 - England, 'Prelude to Invasion' – 235Km (146 Miles)

At 1130hrs we leave Littlecote House Hotel, North Wiltshire and engage 4-wheel drive to traverse the roads and byways of Salisbury Plain (a WWII training area – and still in use by today’s armed forces as a major military training ground). We then make our way on a journey towards Portsmouth, where we will board the overnight cross-channel ferry to Caen.

Overnight - Brittany Ferries 'Portsmouth-Caen' Route

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Sunday 19th June 2011 - Day 2 - 'Fortress Europe' - 67Km (42 Miles)

At Caen we visit Pegasus Bridge and its museum, followed by a ‘green-lane’ drive to Arromanches. Situated on the Normandy coast, famous for the D-Day landings, Arromanches is not only perfectly located to visit other battlefield sites of Normandy but is home to a fascinating museum and impressive 360 degree, 9 screen cinema, showing wartime footage. A visit to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer will also form part of the route.
An early finish today; a rare event! A BBQ for the entire rally (€7 per adult) is planned for 1900hrs and is being organised by the campsite.

Overnight - Arromanches

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Monday 20th June 2011 - Day 3 - 'Moving Inland' – 305km (190 Miles)

To St-Marie du Pont, Utah Beach then St. Mere Eglise – the first town liberated by allied forces. Then on to Carentan, the Norman town that was one of the Allies’ earliest objectives. In the afternoon we head to an off-road centre and return to the coastal area early evening.

Overnight - Arromanches

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Tuesday 21st June 2011 - Day 4 - 'Remember September' – 766Km (476 Miles)

An early start and a very long drive. The route will take in elements of WWI and include The Somme. Then to the Belgian/Dutch border; and the first part of “Hell’s Highway,” the route followed by the British XXX Corps as it attempted to reach its embattled 1st Airborne Division at Arnhem.

Overnight - Arnhem

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Wednesday 22nd June 2011 - Day 5 – 'Operation Market Garden' – 204km (127 Miles)

We will visit the Airborne Museum and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery at Oosterbeek to pay homage to those who fought in Operation Market Garden, the largest airborne operation of the war.
After crossing ‘A Bridge Too Far’, a 4x4 scenario is planned for the afternoon routing back along Hell’s Highway and ‘The Island’.

Overnight - Arnhem

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Thursday 23rd June 2011 - Day 6 - 'The Battle of the Bulge' – 391Km (243 Miles)

Onwards towards Belgium, then a scenic run through the Ardennes to our destination: Bastogne, the site of an epic eight-day stand against the Germans in December 1944..

Overnight - Bastogne

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Friday 24th June 2011 – Day 7 'The Bois Jacques and Beyond' – 240Km (149 Miles)

The day involves a circuitous but historic loop around Bastogne and includes a visit to the La Roche museum dedicated to the Battle of the Bulge. Late in the day you will pass Bois Jacques and Easy Company’s foxholes overlooking the village of Foy.
We conclude our WWII tour of the Bulge.

Overnight - Bastogne

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Saturday 25th June 2011 - Day 8 - 'The Last Patrol' – 422Km (263 Miles)

From Bastogne we head south into Alsace, France; an area famed for its wine and Maginot Line fortifications.
After that, the journey passes through Haguenau, the site of some of Easy Company’s final battles and several daring patrols thence into Germany and the beautiful scenery of the Schwarzwald (the Black Forest).

Overnight – Calw-Altburg in the Black Forest

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Sunday 26th June 2011 - Day 9 – 'The Atrocity of War' – 452Km (281 Miles)

We move on from the Black Forest. On April 29, 1945, as they advanced towards the Bavarian Alps, the allies liberated a satellite of the Dachau concentration camp at Landsberg. We will visit Dachau, site of some of the most nefarious acts against humankind during the war. Our goal approaches as we travel south-east through Bavaria routing along the vistas of the Alpenstrasse and arrive at our destination – Berchtesgaden.

Overnight - Berchtesgaden

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Monday 27th June 2011 - Day 10 – 'The Eagle’s Nest' – 48Km (30 Miles)

Our final motoring day of the rally ends at Adolf Hitler’s Alpine retreat at Berchtesgaden, where (weather permitting) we will visit the Eagle’s Nest and the remains of the vast Nazi Party complex liberated by American Forces in May 1945.

Evening – 1800hrs for 1830hrs; Meal, prize giving.

Overnight - Berchtesgaden

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Tuesday 28th June 2011 - Day 11 - 'The Eagle’s Nest' – 48Km (30 Miles)

A rest day after the travels of the last 10 days! – and an opportunity to savour the panorama’s of Bavaria.

Overnight - Berchtesgaden

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Wednesday 29th June 2011 - Day 12 – Decamp and onward travel



Distances

Overall from UK to Berchtesgaden = 1941 miles

Return options:

Berchtesgaden – Calais = 1141Km (713 Miles) - 10hr 9min

Berchtesgaden – Koblenz = 658Km (411 Miles) – 6hr 3min

Koblenz - Calais = 495Km (309 Miles) - 4hr 29min

*** UPDATED ***