"In search of art, culture and the roots of Western civilization" - The Just go Grand Tour

Re-trace the steps of the 17th Century aristocrats embarking on a "Grand Tour" of Europe with our exclusive Eurolease package. The traditional tour was undertaken by mainly upper class European young men of "sufficient means and rank" who had come of age - around 21 years old. The tour flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transport in the 1840s. It served as an educational rite of passage, one that was primarily associated with the British nobility and wealthy landed gentry. Please note this is an abridged version for Just go, and you'll be happy to know you don't have to be of sufficient means and rank! Many travellers stopped far more regularly and visited a wider variety of places than detailed below. The core notion to go: "In search of art, culture and the roots of Western Civilization" was always at the heart of every Grand Tour.

A portrait of William Beckford painted around 1780 (c) National Trust, Dunham Massey

The Uffizi gallery - Florence

Ordinarily the the British tourist began in Dover, England, then headed into mainland Europe. In our version of the tour (interactive map below) we suggest a reverse of this itinerary, as you'll be picking up your motorhome close to Siena, Italy. From the Rollerteam factory you head west to Pisa, then once you're done there, travel back inland to the beautiful Florence. Here you can take a look around the Uffizi gallery and catch a glimpse of the "Tribuna of the Uffizi" by Johan Zoffany: one of the most important antiquities from the Medici collection. 

"The Tribuna of the Uffizi" by Johann Zoffany, 1772 (c) Windsor

Ancient Rome

After you're done in Florence we take you south to explore ancient Rome, and the masterpieces of painting, sculpture, and architecture from Rome's Early Christian, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. Some travellers adventure further south to Naples to study music, and (after the mid-18th century) to appreciate the recently discovered archaeological sites of Herculaneum and Pompeii. If you have time you can enjoy a hike up to the smoking crater of Mount Vesuvius. Before you leave Naples you'll undoubtably enjoy a pizza that is widely accepted to be the best in the world (if not, make sure you do). From here you'll head north to Bologna, and through to Venice, known to the British as the "locus of decadent Italianate allure" which forms a hugely important cultural stepping stone on the Grand Tour.

Venice - the "locus of decadent Italianate allure"

Northern Italy

From Venice you'll venture west through Milan and into Turin, and then head north to tackle the challenging crossing of the Alps. Traditionally routes like the Great St Bernard Pass were taken, which involved dismantling the carriage and luggage. If you were a wealthy traveller you may even be carried over the challenging terrain by servants! We ask that you don't dismantle your carriage, and enjoy the roads that will now take you (almost) effortlessly through the mountain range.

William Beckford's route back in 1780

Returning home

Having navigated your out of the Alps, you then head over to Geneva: the cradle of the Protestant Reformation. From here you'll head up through France and to the beautiful city of Paris. Once in Paris you can enjoy lessons in French (the dominant language of the 17th & 18th century European elite), dancing, fencing, and riding. During these more traditional times, the appeal of Paris lay in the sophisticated language and manners of French high society. This served to prepare young men for a leadership position back in the UK, often in government or diplomacy. Once you've become an expert in French, dancing, fencing and riding you'll head back across to be reunited with the white cliffs of Dover via Calais, Ostend or Le Havre.

If you have any suggestions of places that you'd recommend on your "Grand Tour" then feel free to send them through to us, we're always on the lookout for areas not to be missed!