Team Torque cannot wait to take participants on our Let’s Torque Reims Tour from Friday 26 April – Monday 29 April 2024.
Delivering the ultimate driving Tours with military precision and flair is of course the strapline for our Company, but it really does define who we are, and how we operate. Careful planning and a reconnaissance visit to Reims by the Team, ensures this is going to be a fabulous Tour.
Reims is situated around 100 KM North-East of Paris on the Vesle River Reims, a tributary of the Aisne, and the Marne–Aisne canal. Together with Epernay, it forms the planet’s epicentre of champagne production!
Reims is a historical city boasting the Coronation place of twenty-five French Kings and one of the most impressive Gothic Cathedrals in Europe. The 13th-century cathedral “Our Lady of Reims”, took over a century to build, was greatly damaged during World War I, but painstakingly restored, and ranks as one of the most beautiful Gothic churches in France.
It is also the home to the legendary Reims ex-Formula 1 Grand Prix Grandstand, a veritable mecca for the car enthusiast.
On the Tour, you will have the opportunity to:
• Stay in a superb 5* Hotel
• Relax in the Deep Nature Spa
• Explore the Champagne region
• Experience some great driving roads
• Immerse yourself in the beauty and splendour of this wonderful city and its rich vein of history
All this whilst being hosted by the Torque Events team for the duration of your tour.
Day 1 – UK to Reims
Friday 26 April 2024
We depart the UK and make our way to Reims, where our destination is the beautiful 5 Star La Caserne Chanzy. This stunning Hotel and Spa is the only luxury hotel located in the very heart of Reims, right in front of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame of Reims. Its immersive atmosphere is so captivating that you can feel and travel the region without even leaving your room!
La Caserne Chanzy Hotel & Spa has been designed to give you a sense of immersion into the world of Champagne, both the region and the famous beverage. As we arrive late afternoon, you have time to explore the most beautiful spots of this wonderful city, which are only a few steps away.
Day 2 – The Grape Escape
Saturday 27 April 2024
Reims is famous around the world for its Cathedral but equally for its chalk caves (“crayeres” in French), where champagne bottles are stores at a constant temperature of 10 degrees Celsius all year round.
Around 80 B.C. the Romans dug into the ground below Reims, in the Champagne region to mine salt and chalk. Hundreds of years later, in the 1600s, local winemakers found a new use for these caves: Champagne storage! Many champagne makers use a 200-kilometre network of cellars and tunnels dug into the chalky soil and bedrock that lies beneath the surface of this stunning pastoral landscape. The chalk creates a unique atmosphere that gives the wine its special qualities.
Day 2 of this fantastic Tour will see participants exploring 2 of the region’s most famous champagne houses, one in Epernay and the other in Reims. Uncover the process of making champagne, explore the wine cellars and experience carefully curated tours which end with a tasting and a Champagne brunch.
The evening is then yours to explore Reims at your leisure.
Day 3 – Rediscover Your Senses
Sunday 28 April 2024
From the smell of aromatic oils and incense of the Deep Nature Spa and the rich culture of historic Reims on your doorstep, to the smell of hot rubber on tarmac and the legendary twisting B roads of France, Day 3 on Let’s Torque Reims has it all!
The Deep Nature Spa within the Hotel provides an invitation to serenity right in the centre of Reims. Today, there is time for you to discover the intimate universe of the Deep Nature Spa, a delicate mix of raw materials, colours, games of glass and mirrors, where everything is done to develop the sensory experience. The Spa features a 27m2 massaging jet pool, a sauna, a steam room, a shower with waterfall bucket and a fitness room.
After a soothing break in the spa area, extend the experience in one of the 5 treatment rooms with a Deep Nature massage or facial. Relax, and be transported into a cocoon of softness and soothing. The Spa offers you face and body treatments as well as “Signature” massages using the Deep Nature skincare range and products containing natural ingredients for tailor-made treatments.
For those that wish to step back into their cars, you will be taken on a guided driving Tour, taking in a visit to the legendary Reims Ex-Formula 1 Grand Prix Grandstand. The circuit Reims-Gueux was a motor racing circuit made up of rural public roads, located in Gueux, 8 km (5 miles) west of Reims.
Motor racing at Reims started in 1926 with the second Grand Prix de la Marne. The last year for Formula One at Reims came in 1966, final sports car competitions were held in 1969 and Motorcycle racing continued for another 3 years. Steeped in automotive history, the legendary Reims Grand Prix Grandstand is a must see for our visit to the region.
Day 4 – A Time for Reflection
Monday 29 April 2024
Day 4 is a time for reflection as we make our way back to the UK. On the way, we visit the Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, which bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave.
Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. There will be a short period of reflection here, as we learn about the WW1 history behind this iconic memorial.
Following our visit to Thiepval, participants can enjoy a leisurely lunch at the Auberge de la Vallee d’Ancre, a typically French restaurant in Authille before making our way back to the UK via the Eurotunnel.