Plan-It travel

 

Sat 3rd May

Montreuil & Valley of the Course

Travel by shuttle from Folkestone to Calais and then continue direct to the outskirts of Boulogne for a brief stop at the Auchan Hypermarket before continuing to Montreuil. Time will be allowed to explore this
picturesque old town with its cobbled streets or walk along the town ramparts. The tour then continues along the scenic valley of the River Course and passes through attractive countryside returning to Calais for our shuttle crossing home.
TCM £27.00 NM £30.00 Depart Code A

Mon 5th May

Bank Holiday

Cotswolds Beauty

A new tour featuring, the beauty and charm of the northern Cotswolds. Following a break in the pleasant hilltop town of Chipping Norton we travel along the idyllic Evenlode and Wind rush valleys to Bourton on the Water – quite rightly known as ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’.
TCM £15.00 NM £18.00 Depart Code E

Thur 8th May

Rye on Market Day &
Bybrook Garden Centre

Travel with us to Rye for an extended market day visit and plenty of time to soak up its wonderful atmosphere. Later in the afternoon we call at the well known Bybrook Barn Garden Centre near Ashford for a tea stop.
TCM £12.00 NM £15.00 Depart Code G

Sat 10th May

Lunch on a Mountain Top

A scenic drive along the Opal Coast from Calais to Wimereux, where we will stop for coffee prior to Blanc Nez & Restaurant Panoramic, with stunning views across the French countryside and English Channel. Here you will enjoy an excellent four-course lunch including wine. (Includes Lunch & Passports Required)
TCM £38.00 NM £41.00 Depart Code A

Wed 14th May

Waddesdon Manor

Waddesdon is a French Renaissance style chateau built for Ferdinand de Rothschild in the 19th century to display his vast collection of works of art, including French Royal furniture, Sevres porcelain, works by Gainsborough and Reynolds. It has one of the finest Victorian gardens in Britain, famous for the parterre, seasonal displays, shady walks and views, fountains and statuary.
(National Trust Members Deduct £8.50)
TCM £20.00 NM £23.00 Depart Code F

Thurs 15th May

Darling Buds of May

Come and experience Kent at its loveliest – at apple blossom time. Beautiful tranquil ‘Darling Buds of May’ countryside, hop gardens, oast houses, apple orchards, picture-postcard villages and historic buildings give this part of Kent its own unique flavour. Visit Chilham, the prettiest village in Kent, and Pluckley, the most haunted village in England and the setting of the popular comedy “The Darling Buds of May”. A lunch stop will be made in the delightful town of Tenterden, then in the afternoon enjoy a delicious cream tea overlooking the ‘Devils Punchbow!’ with views out to sea from this high point of the Downs. As Pop Larkin would say “It’s Perfick”. (Includes Cream Tea)
TCM £16.00 NM £19.00 Depart Code G

Sat 17th May

The Three Rivers Tour

Estuaries are magical places. At low tide meandering streams cross shining mudflats. At high tide vast expanses of water reflect the changing light of wide skies. In all we visit three of the most beautiful river estuaries in East Anglia: The Stour, the Orwell and the Deben, on the last of which we enjoy an afternoon tea cruise. We begin by the Stour in Manningtree to buy morning coffee. This attractive little port is England’s smallest town – just 22 acres low tide.
We follow the Stour to where it meets the Orwell and flows into the sea at Old Harwich. The street pattern is mediaeval and compact conservation area. Here man-of-war ships were built from as early as 1600 and there are some fine sea captain’s houses and a unique treadmill crane. We stay here for lunch. After lunch we drive across the impressive Orwell Bridge. From high up in a coach there are magnificent views, which are denied to car drivers. We are heading for our third river and a well-equipped all-weather cruiser for a two-hour cruise up river to Woodbridge, an elegant town set on slopes above the Deben near Sutton Hoo burial site or down rive to Felixstowe, it depends on the tide on the day you come. Both trips are interesting and attractive.
A substantial afternoon tea will be served and there is also a bar if you’d like to round your day off with a glass of something stronger. (Includes boat cruise & afternoon tea)
TCM £27.00 NM £30.00 Depart Code D

Sun 18th May

Apples and Oysters

We start our day with a cup of coffee (or tea) and a croissant with jam and butter, included in the tour price, at the Brogdale Tea Room before heading into Faversham, one of the most attractive and historic small towns in Kent. Discover the finest mediaeval street in England, an old world chemist with mortar & pestle shop sign and the art deco cinema. We aim to spend two hours in Whitstable for lunch and free time to explore. With picture postcard weatherboard cottages and streets with eccentric names, such as Squeeze Gut Alley, Whitstable has plenty of charm and character. The historic harbour, flanked by old fishermen’s huts and sail lofts was built to serve the “Crab & Winkle Line” – the world’s first passenger railway service, which linked Canterbury to London via a steam ship from Whitstable. Once a smugglers haunt, Herne Bay with its sandy beaches and views of the 12th century Reculver Towers grew into a fasionable Victorian resort. In recent years its been spruced up and today makes a delightful afternoon stop for a saunter along the prom in time for tea. (Includes morning coffee)
TCM £17.00 NM £20.00 Depart Code E

Wed 21stMay

Luncheon Club Venue

TCM ONLY £20.00 per person Depart Code G

Fri 23rd May

The Wonders of the Weald

We begin the day at Bewl Water reservoir – the largest stretch of open water in South East England. You can buy morning refreshments in the café overlooking the lake. During the morning we tour the beautiful High Weald villages, and call in at The Romany Life Centre to see gipsy Henry’s eclectic collection of country ephemera and old gypsy caravans. Delightful Cranbrook, known as the ‘Capital of the Weald’, is a pretty town with a mediaeval layout of streets and alleys and as fine a collection of historic buildings, interesting speciality shops, pubs and restaurants as you’d want. We stop here for lunch. The afternoon is spent at Scotney. The Mansion House wonderfully sited on a bluff with views over the valley gardens was designed in 1830 in the “Old English Style. There’s no tearoom at Scotney Castle Gardens so we’ll pop into Lamberhurst where we can buy tea at one of England’s most picturesque and successful vineyards before heading home.
(Includes Entrance to Scotney Mansion & The Romany Life Centre) (National Trust Members Deduct £7.00)
TCM £18.00 NM £21.00 Depart Code F

Tues 27th May

Bank Holiday

Jewellery and Crystal

An informative day out to Birmingham and the Black Country. Visit the amazing jewellery quarter where most jewellery in Britain is now produced. Explore over 100 specialist shops and see craftsmen in action. When the elderly proprietors of the Smith & Pepper jewellery manufacturing firm decided to retire in 1981 they simply ceased trading and locked the door, unaware they would be leaving a time capsule for future generations. Nowadays the factory is a remarkable museum, which tells the story of the Jewellery Quarter and Birmingham’s renowned jewellery and metalworking heritage. We will see demonstrations of traditional jewellery making skills. Continue to Stourbridge, the glass “capital” of Britain, tour Broadfield House Glass Museum and see some of the finest glass and crystal displays in the world. (Includes guided tour of jewellery quarter and visit to Broadfield House Glass Museum)
TCM £27.00 NM £30.00 Depart Code A

Weds 28th May

Audley End House & Gardens

Lunch and free time in Saffron Walden then the afternoon spent at Audley End House & Gardens. Experience for yourself the sumptuous splendour enjoyed by royalty and the aristocracy in one of England’s grandest stately homes. Marvel at the lavish interiors reflecting past generations of style and relax in the lovingly restored 19th century parterre garden with its elaborate floral displays and beautiful Elysian Garden cascade. (Includes Admission to House and Gardens)
(English Heritage Deduct £6.50)
TCM £24.00 NM £27.00 Depart Code G

Sat 31st May

Pines & Vines

We visit Kent’s oldest family owned Vineyard (Biddenden) and enjoy a Ploughman’s Platter served with a glass of wine followed by a guided tour of the vineyard, tasting and of course an opportunity to buy the award winning Wines, Ciders & Juices produced on site. Rejoin your coach for Bedgebury, home of the National Conifer collection and 2000 acre forest. Bedgebury is a beautiful, safe place to walk, on the easy access pathways. There is also a wonderful abundance of wildlife including birds, butterflies and dragonflies. Enjoy a cup of tea in the new visitor centre before departing home.
(Includes Ploughman’s Lunch & Guided Tour)
TCM £22.00 NM £25.00