Italian Grantour 13TH – 19TH SEPTEMBER 2018 Luxury is no longer about owning things. It’s about experiences, Happiness isn’t as focused on possessions or career status. Living a meaningful, happy life is about creating, sharing and capturing memories earned through incredible experiences. MONOCLE MAGAZINE As a club, we have been doing an annual European Grantour for seven years. For this Italian Grantour we have gone all-in. The very best roads, the finest hotels that you will have ever stayed in and some special experiences sprinkled in there too. For the first time, we have also partnered with a hotel group – Belmond. Rest assured, this Grantour will be a life-long memory. DAY ONE THURSDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2018

Where better to start a driving grand tour than in a city that has no cars? We will start this Italian Grantour in the beautiful Hotel Cipriani in Venice. Our rooms should be €1,815.00 per room so expect the best, just at a lower CM price. Our cars will be transported (or driven) to a secure location on the outskirts of Venice. But today is about travelling here and enjoying the beautiful location. The driving starts tomorrow… The 95-room Belmond Cipriani is a five-star Venetian classic. It’s also an oasis of breezy elegance, with huge pool, manicured gardens, luxury spa, an Adam Tihany-designed fine-dining restaurant, and the kind of discreet professional service you’d expect in a hotel used to hosting VIPs. THE TELEGRAPH DAY TWO FRIDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2018

Today we drive. The Club Mulholland crew will be up early to meet the transporters to unload the cars. Take breakfast overlooking Venice and then board the Cipriani River Transporters to join us and get ready for the day. We drive north and head for the Dolomites with our evening destination being the Rosa Alpina hotel. Roads today include the Passo San Boldo and Monte Grappa. The quintessence of Italian mountain dolce vita, the family-owned Rosa Alpina boasts a two Michelin-starred restaurant, not one but two spas and a scenic setting in the Dolomites, officially one of the world’s most beautiful places. No wonder George Clooney’s a fan. THE TELEGRAPH DAY THREE SATURDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER 2018

Today will be a good day. Our end destination is a real favourite of ours – Villa d’Este on Lake Como. Tonight you will be sipping a cold beer on the lake but first we must get there. And that’s the best bit – today we drive the legendary Stelvio Pass, plus some new roads that include the Gavia Pass, Berninapass and Maloja Pass. One of the great hotels of Italy, Villa d’Este opened in 1873. Built as a summer palace in the 16th century, it was later owned by Princess Caroline, estranged wife of the future George IV. People with class come to Villa d’Este. THE TELEGRAPH DAY FOUR SUNDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER 2018

We have almost 300km to cover today which will include some standard roads to get around Milan and then we get on to the good stuff taking the SS45 in to Portofino. A beautiful destination in its own right, we will have an ice-cream in the harbour before returning to our hotel – the Splendido – which has the most incredible views. This is our most expensive hotel – standard 2018 rate for our rooms should be €1,980.00! Housed in a protected Benedictine monastery dating from the 16th century, the Splendido first opened its doors to guests in 1902. Since then Winston Churchill, Clark Gable, Ava Gardner and Marlon Brando have passed through. Expect genteel interiors, exceptional service, and sensational views of Portofino harbour. THE TELEGRAPH DAY FIVE MONDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER 2018

We take some great roads in to the home of the Italian Sportscar , Modena. We’ve been to Ferrari before, so we’ll skip Maranello this time, but we will stop in at Pagani for a private tour of their new facility. This will be a perfect break in the day, so once we’ve had a simple pasta lunch we will be back on the finest roads with our final destination being the utterly stunning Villa San Michele. This is a favourite of Club Mulholland’s but we haven’t stayed here since 2014. Wonderful. The hotel offers restrained good taste rather than flashy luxury. It occupies a former Franciscan monastery dating from the 15th century (the weathered, porticoed façade is said to be by Michelangelo). The setting of the restaurant — under a long, vaulted loggia with views over the city — is magical, especially at sunset. THE TELEGRAPH DAY SIX TUESDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER 2018

From the stunning roads of Tuscany we return to where this all started just a week ago – Venice. By the end of today we will have completed some of the very finest roads in Italy and stayed in the best hotels – anywhere, let alone in Italy. On Day Seven, you will either be making your way home in your car – or you will be joining us for a very special return journey to London. DAY SEVEN AND EIGHT (OPTIONAL) WEDNESDAY 19TH – THURSDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER 2018

We started in a City where there are no cars and our final (optional) day will mean we depart on a train! Not just any train though, we will be taking the Orient Express from Venice back to London on an 18 hour train journey that will be the perfect end to our Italian Grantour. Belmond have worked with us again to ensure a discounted tour that will be a once in a lifetime trip. If you are doing the Grantour alone, you may want to fly your partner in to take this train journey back together? To travel on the Orient-Express is to step back in time to the best that The food – refined French cuisine – is to Michelin-star standard, and the train travel had to offer in the 1920s. It is the quality of the décor (exquisite meals, served with silverware, crystal glass and starched napery, are the art deco marquetry and glass panels, and generous armchair seats in the highlight for many passengers. All meals are provided, and a continental three dining-cars), service and food that distinguishes the train. breakfast is served in the cabins. This is a truly special way to travel. THE TELEGRAPH Italian Grantour 2018 Car Transportation Orient Express

In our 2018 Italian Grantour we acknowledge the romantic era when the British would go on a £5,495.00 allow £1,000 each way £1,750 per person Grand Tour of discovery, especially to Italy. The big difference being that we will do all of this in one week as opposed to six months. And we’ll finish in Venice with an optional train journey back. Price includes all accommodation, Optional. If you wish to transport Optional. If you want to finish your This is going to be a special event and we will limit numbers so please be quick to book your place parking and breakfast. Fuel, lunch your car to and/or from Venice. Grantour off in real style, then this with a deposit. The prices are to be seen opposite. and evening meals are extra. This will be payable direct to is for you. A very special journey Double occupancy is an additional the transport company, but we with friends. Price includes all We will be producing a large format hard-backed book post-event and a film. Belmond will have £450.00. will handle the logistics on your meals but not alcohol. access to our images and we will produce a partnership film regarding our Grantour too. Deposit is £1,750.00. behalf. Final price will depend on Deposit required is 15%. number of cars being transported. Full payment 120 days in advance of trip. BASIC ITINERARY SUMMARY

Italian13th - 19th SEPTEMBER Grantour 2018

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5 DAY 6 DAY 7 & 8 Venice Dolomites Lago Como Portofino Florence Venice London HOTEL HOTEL HOTEL HOTEL HOTEL HOTEL TRAIN Belmond Hotel Cipriani Rosa Alpina Villa d’Este Belmond Hotel Splendido Villa San Michele Belmond Hotel Cipriani Orient Express

Cars transported to Venice. Incredible day driving to An Italian Grantour needs to We skirt around Milan to get We take some great roads Our last day of driving. The cars are being transported Each member arranges their include Passo San Boldo include Lake Como, and we’ll to the good roads. We then in to Modena and have a We have to load our cars home, so all we need to do is own flight in to Venice. and Monte Grappa. take the scenic route to include take the SS45 in to Portofino. visit to the Pagani Factory. on to the transporter again enjoy the most wonderful Tonight we drink Bellini’s. This is a truly special place. the legendary Stelvio Pass A most stunning location. After our visit, we take more but first we must drive train journey home on the plus Gavia Pass, Berninapass forest roads in to Florence. some lovely roads to most incredible train. and Maloja Pass. Venice. This year, we end where we started!

DISTANCE DURATION DISTANCE DURATION DISTANCE DURATION DISTANCE DURATION DISTANCE DURATION DISTANCE DURATION DISTANCE DURATION - - 345km 6h 20m 360km 6 hours 292km 5h 40m 360km 5h 45m 350km 5h 15m 1,600km 18h 40m