The Car Museums

Our tour includes some of the world's greatest car museums. And nobody is bored - even the ladies. These museums not only have amazing collections of cars, but tell great stories in engaging ways.

The first museum we visit is the spectacular Museo dell'Automobile. If you had a partner who wasn't interested in car museums - this one will change their mind! It has just had a 4-year 40-million euro refurbishment and the result is brilliant. Stage set designs surround the cars, clever multi-media and creative design abounds, highlighting the cars, history of their era, plus stories of designers and much more. "Spellbinding!" is how one of the ladies on our tour in 2012 described it. Great cafe and shop too.

In Stuttgart we visit two great car manufacturer's museums - Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. Once you've been through the Mercedes-Benz Museum, you'll understand why it has over a million visitors a year. The award-winning high-tech building houses a wonderful array of cars from the dawn of motoring and the displays tell the history of the world since that time. There are several cafes and restaurants, an excellent shop and a dealership attached. In the same town is the Porsche Museum, also opened just a few years ago, with a dramatic building and thoroughly impressive display inside.

In Mulhouse is the French national car museum which is based on the Schlumpf collection - a truly amazing array of cars of all ages, particularly pre-1970 and with the largest collection of Bugattis ever assembled. This museum has an incredible history and nobody comes away unimpressed.

Optional museum visits include the Mille Miglia Museum in Brescia, opened only a few years ago in a magnificent ancient building, near our hotel. It tells the history of the Mille Miglia and includes some very significant cars.

In Lucerne is the Swiss National Transport Museum. This vast museum covers all forms of transport - cars, motorcycles, trains, boats and aircraft - with extensive, interesting coverage of all of these. It's just a short walk from our hotel.

Finally in Monaco, is the Royal family's car museum in Fonteveille. It's a short walk from the centre of Monaco (everything is close) and has a great array of cars bought by HRH Prince Rainier for the museum, cars of the Royal Family and cars on loan from collectors.

If some of the participants in the group are interested, we can arrange to go to any of the optional museums in a small group, and Paul Blank will be happy to act as your guide.

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