grand tour french island

A Massive Hunt

• Edit source
• View history

A Massive Hunt (or the Madagascar Special ) is the second episode of Season 4 of The Grand Tour - made up of Specials. It aired on December 17th, 2020, before its "planned" release on December 18th, 2020.

The episode saw the presenters travel across the Reunion Island in three performance pre-production cars before modifying them for a road trip across Madagascar in a massive treasure hunt.

• 3 Production

Synopsis [ ]

The intrepid trio find themselves back on four wheels for their latest adventure. Armed with sports cars, Richard, James and Jeremy think they are in for a cushy road trip as they arrive on the exotic island of Reunion and race on the world’s most expensive piece of tarmac. But a bizarre challenge propels them to Madagascar where they must tackle the world’s toughest road.

Production [ ]

The episode was filmed in November 2019 on the African island nation of Madagascar and on the French overseas territory of Reunion Island.

The special was expected to air in March/April 2020, however producer Andy Wilman, had contracted Coronavirus, having difficulty in breathing and "coughed his spleen out" but was on the road to recovery. The only parts that would be required was voiceovers and final edits which would've been made by Wilman. Due to this outbreak, the special was scheduled for release on 18th December 2020.

However, the trio surprisingly released it a day earlier after a short announcement on YouTube, with the description saying "All those marketing plans… wasted" in a jokingly manner.

• This is the sixth special episode of the entire show.
• This is the third special episode of The Grand Tour to be filmed in Africa, following the show's travels through Mozambique in Season 2 and Namibia in Season 1 .
• This is the first ever special of The Grand Tour, where not all of the cars have finished the journey and the second time for Richard Hammond . Travelling along the RN5 Hammond's Ford suffered a broken clutch on the journey, putting it out of action permanently.

Gallery [ ]

• 2 Hammond's Rimac Crash
• 3 Enviro-mental

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories

The new Grand Tour is … actually quite charming? We’re as shocked as you are

By Thomas Barrie

A spectre is haunting The Grand Tour  – the spectre of Europe. The latest instalment of Amazon Prime’s Clarkson-Hammond-May supervehicle, subtitled A Massive Hunt , sees the heroic champions of political incorrectness speak a considerable amount of French. For the show’s traditional fanbase of Eurosceptic-at-best dads, it might all be a little uncomfortable, but for the rest of us, it’s a sign of a more mellow, good-natured programme that sees the ruddy trio at their best.

A Massive Hunt is just that (please, please don’t acknowledge the pun): a big treasure hunt where the lads are sent to search for a hoard of pirate booty allegedly buried by Olivier Levasseur, an 18 th -century corsair nicknamed “ La Buse ” or “The Buzzard”. In true Grand Tour  grand tradition, the gang heads to a remote corner of the world and churns sections of it up in a makeshift convoy of Cronenbergian custom vehicles. This time, our lucky locations are the Francophone islands of Réunion and Madagascar.

Réunion, which is almost 6,000 miles away from mainland Europe and our first stop, is literally part of France, as Clarkson quickly points out: it shares the same laws and tax system and counts as a region of the Eurozone. The Indian Ocean, apparently, was the first place a currency exchange involving the Euro ever took place. It is also, coincidentally, home to a new ringroad in the sea, 12km long and spanning the entire circumference of the island. Built at a cost of £112m per kilometre, even Clarkson is impressed by “the most expensive tarmac in the world.” And so, to introduce their cars, we’re treated to a drag race. As usual, the vehicles are chosen to reflect their drivers’ IDs: a massive Bentley for Clarkson that he wonderfully describes as “a suet pudding of torque and opulence”; a light, turbocharged Ford Focus RS for 50-year-old boy racer Hammond; an open-top Caterham 310-R designed in the 1950s for old man May. And they have a wonderful, if brief time in Réunion. “What’s this?” we hear you gasp, “ The Grand Tour and the EU luvving it up?” Yep: truly, Joe Biden could learn a thing or two about bipartisanship from this episode.

Directions come from Andy Wilman, the long-time Svengali producer behind The Grand Tour  and, before that, Top Gear . By now, Wilman is a character in the series himself; he’s fully Grand Tour canonical, like a sort of off-camera, vengeful God. Bringing in Wilman and acknowledging the camera crews around the central trio of presenters has been a masterstroke for The Grand Tour , because it punctures the pretence that everything we witness is anything other than a massive set-up. Of course they aren’t really going on a treasure hunt. Of course James May isn’t really decoding a centuries-old coded message from a pirate king. The whole thing is an excuse to do dumb stuff with big cars in a tropical jungle, like it always has been.

Nonetheless, after the appetiser in Réunion, Wilman orders the crew to Madagascar for the main course, to track down the legendary 220lb golden cross La Buse supposedly buried somewhere on the island. The cross, they reckon, would now be worth £100m – more than enough for Clarkson to achieve his dream of owning every farm in Chipping Norton.

A Massive Hunt is imbued with a different energy to previous Grand Tour episodes. It’s less fraught. There are fewer, if any, loutish jokes about empire or ladyboys, and more loutish jokes about James May being covered in mud in his open-top Caterham (Clarkson to May: “Your car looks like Teddy Kennedy’s car after Chappaquiddick”) and how Hammond is childishly obsessed with pirate lore. The whole thing is somehow… a bit nicer. Even the French barely get a roasting. Not unlike the Top Gear  of yore, it’s silly, but not needlessly provocative. Mercifully, Greta Thunberg isn’t mentioned once. There’s no way anyone got punched on this set, hot food or not .

By Andrew Nagy

By Lucy Ford

By Daisy Jones

The Grand Tour went accidentally woke with its last episode, set in Vietnam and Cambodia, as Clarkson encountered a bone-dry riverbed and defensively acknowledged what the rest of us accepted a decade and a half ago – that climate change just might be real . Here, the show does touch briefly on the fact that most Madagascans live on less than a dollar a day, but it’s otherwise a largely apolitical hour and a half. Instead, The Grand Tour  leans into what was always its strength: the physical comedy and dad-bromance of its cast. 

And so they drive, and drive, and drive. They take ferries and swampy roads. May gets covered in more mud. Hammond fixes caterpillar tracks to his Ford. If you ever wanted to see James May walk wordlessly and fully clothed into a swimming pool, or Jeremy Clarkson pull a banana tree onto himself, then deliver one of his portentious declarations (of a particularly bumpy road: “The Madagascans call this the R.N. 5, but there’s a better name… Hell ”) then this is the special for you. There is lots of charmingly bad improv comedy, like the three are doing panto at the side of a jungle road. And in a way, the pirate theme fits The Grand Tour ’s silly, old-fashioned rebel outlook. 

This is comfort food, nothing more. Your dad will love falling asleep in front of it on Christmas Day; it won’t spark any arguments. After all that Clarkson and his travelling circus have given the tabloids to write about in the last few years, what more do you really want?

The Grand Tour Presents: A Massive Hunt   is available now on Amazon Prime Video.

Why fans will love the new season of The Grand Tour

Citroën Ami review: Is it a car? Is it a moped? No, it’s a quadricycle

‘Lewis Hamilton could not have driven better to win his seventh world championship’

By Daphne Bugler

By Owen Gough

By Jessie Atkinson

By Jack King

By Ali Howard

The Grand Tour ‘A Massive Hunt’ review: Madagascar trek is (mostly) worth the wait

Possibly born of pure annoyance from constant questions as to when it would finally appear, The Grand Tour’s second episode of Season 4 was at last released — and a day earlier than announced.

Titled “A Massive Hunt,” the special was shot last year, and until today, the only massive thing about it was the public badgering the hosts have endured as COVID-19 delays pushed the release date back by months.

This is the second installment of the Grand Tour’s new look, which ditches the tent home of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May and focuses on what fans have traditionally loved best — watching the three have caustic, cinematic motoring adventures against exotic backgrounds.

Shiny new toys

A Massive Hunt opens in the Indian Ocean, on Reunion, a French island off East Africa. Instead of the usual run-down crapmobiles the trio typically nurses across a far-flung finish line, they all have shiny new toys.

Clarkson is driving a V8 Bentley Continental, while Hammond is behind the wheel of the latest version of the Ford Focus, the RS. James May has drawn the inverse of Clarkson’s cushy Bentley, a Caterham V10R, a stripped-down lightweight racer. This appeals to his Reassembler side: “You even have to attach the steering wheel,” he says, beaming, as he… attaches the steering wheel.

We’re shown a 12 mile ring road built off-shore, like a rockslide-escaping Seven Mile Highway of the Florida Keys. It’s the most expensive road in the world, so of course the hosts conduct a drag race while the showroom shine is still on (longtime Top Gear /Grand Tour fans won’t be surprised by the first person to lose a speed contest on this engineering wonder.)

Still, this was initially disappointing, as part of the fun of Top Gear/Grand Tour is watching these millionaires battle their own pre-knackered modes of transportation, pushing through punishing terrain and staggering mileage as their cars fall apart around them. I should’ve had more trust; this is the Holy Trinity of Destruction, and these rides don’t stay commercial-ready for long.

If you enjoy the scripted bits of the Top Gear/Grand Tour oeuvre, this special is your huckleberry. The boys are going treasure-hunting, and their guiding light is a cryptogram reportedly left by hanged pirate Olivier Levasseur. May pretends to work on cracking the code as Hammond and Clarkson pretend to wait and for-real drink (the code’s alphabet is on Wikipedia, but its translated text is gibberish and remains incomprehensible.)

We are asked to believe that an entire retinue of camera crew and kit hang around for three days while this takes place, and that Hammond also waits quite some time before sharing pertinent treasure-hunting information.

They do, however, have the rare self-awareness to later wink at the viewer when they drastically modify their cars. For just as this begins to feel like a late Top Gear episode full of supercar poster shots — Clarkson crows about having a “proper, functioning, decent car” in a challenge for once — after it’s “learned” that they will take on the famously wretched roads of Madagascar, their beautiful new rides are adorned with winches, treads, and 4×4 light kits.

These vehicular transformations are credited to an amazingly “well-equipped” auto repair shop, and I do believe this is the first time it’s openly acknowledged that these challenge-related pimpings don’t take place at the trio’s own hands (I discovered the original Top Gear on my brother-in-law’s DVR, and as I watched stock cars magically transform into semi-trucks, I asked him, with great earnestness, if these three men were engineers in addition to car enthusiasts. He slowly, sadly shook his head.)

Atrocious roads

It soon becomes evident why the hosts enjoyed the first-ever privilege of starting from new: The roads, even the main roads, of Madagascar really are that atrocious. They wouldn’t have made it fifteen feet with the baseline of the already-exhausted blind buys with which they usually begin their adventures.

Mileage-wise, the crew doesn’t travel far, by Top Gear/Grand Tour standards, and the reason is apparent as the vehicles first get dusty and then half-drowned in foul mud. “The water’s like a bath that someone’s had diarrhea in,” May says as yet another wave of human excrement breaks over his head. The rock-strewn, deeply pitted roads they’re driving on look like what we in the West would use as a rough hiking trail (my husband mentioned that, and I mention that my husband mentioned that because he demanded credit.)

These men are their best when the fictional situation they’re in brings them into real trouble. They abandon one another, bicker over whether on not the place they’re heading actually exists, break down repeatedly, and enter and leave with general mayhem. As they labor for every mile of progress, sometimes on three wheels, the punishing manner in which they scrape their way down the road recalls the inch-by-inch progress of the Top Gear Polar Special.

A Massive Hunt is 90 minutes long, so there’s plenty of time for Hammond to have adventures with an auto-heating MRE and Clarkson to hurl a rotten coconut at some fresh ones.

Worth the price of admission alone are the views of Madagascar, not only for its spectacular beauty, but also the glimpses of its struggles as a developing nation. Clarkson states that most locals get by on less than a dollar a day, and in a culture accustomed to seeing Madagascar only through the Instagram filter of gorgeous beaches, entrancing biodiversity, and deep green tropical glades, the fuller picture is important to see.

Despite the worn faux premises and increasingly cringy ways in which the locals are inconvenienced (Hammond holds up an entire wedding party for two hours), the genuine misery on the face of May in particular is a reminder of the drastic physical toll these shoots must require. The gag setups are fake, but the strain they generate is quite real.

I’m at least a decade younger than Hammond, the baby of the trio, and as I watched yet more bits of vehicle fly off, leading to another winching scene, I lost count of the number of times I’d have picked my way to the nearest WiFi signal and first flight to running water. The distance was short, but the journey was long.

A Massive Hunt’s final scene is the usual Catskills-style gotcha, but the show does contain a somber Top Gear/Grand Tour first — yes, there are still room for those, and that’s what keeps us along for the ride when these three are in the driver’s seat.

The Grand Tour Presents: A Massive Hunt is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. 

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

The Grand Tour Presents: A Massive Hunt

• Episode aired Dec 17, 2020

Hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May journey through Madagascar in search of buried treasure. Hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May journey through Madagascar in search of buried treasure. Hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May journey through Madagascar in search of buried treasure.

• Phil Churchward
• Jeremy Clarkson
• Richard Hammond
• 118 User reviews

• Self - Presenter

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia A massive hunt is a play on words of Clarkson's nickname.
• Goofs The number plate "FURY" attached to the Richard Hammond's car can be seen before Jeremy Clarkson gifts it to him.

User reviews 118

• Dec 17, 2020
• December 17, 2020 (United States)
• Expectation Entertainment
• Expectation
• Television Interactive Network Agency
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 30 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed

Andy Wilman Talks The Grand Tour Heading To France For Next Episode: “Couldn’t Give A S**t”

With the next episode of The Grand Tour only around the corner, producer Andy Wilman has talked with BT about the upcoming trip that Jeremy Clarkson , Richard Hammond, and James May take to Madagascar in three highly modified cars. But before they step foot on the worst roads in the world, they first appear on the small island of Reunion.

This is a French island, and it’s here that they decide to travel to Madagascar to hunt for hidden pirate treasure. Before they do this though, they explain why they’ve chosen their cars. Of course, this is long before they ever even expect to be going to Madagascar, so here they can safely perform small reviews behind the wheels of the machines: a Ford Focus RS, Bentley GT Continental, and a Caterham.

Here on Reunion, they perform a drag race on the most expensive road in the world. Andy Wilman explains how after the first episode that was released to mixed review, this had to be very car focussed, so this was a priority. He also comments on just how incredible Madagascar is as a country, describing the journey as “mind-blowing”.

“We’d make a schedule in the morning and you’d go to the tent guys, we reckon we’ll do 20 miles today – see you up there. But we’d never get anywhere near,” Wilman said..

“But I was pleased that the problems were mechanical. After the Mekong, we wanted a car-based film with car problems.”

He turns to Reunion.

“I thought it would be tricky getting permission to race on that road in Reunion, but the French couldn’t give a s**t and they were very happy with that,” he said.

“The Madagascans were brilliant. They got the panto of what we were doing. They were very charming and bright. You sometimes think when you rock up with a big film crew and three silly cars people will just think. ‘what a bunch of morons’. But everyone around us got the panto and that was really helpful.”

The Grand Tour Presents: A Massive Hunt comes to Amazon Prime on December 18th 2020.

Alex Harrington

The grand tour madagascar special reasoning revealed: "why are we bothering", the grand tour: producer andy wilman warns fans to expect less from the show thanks to covid, related articles, new rolls royce cullinan suv disappoints, halloween night is much better if you don’t run over kids, sergio perez disobeying red bull at austrian gp led to mercedes crash, classic acura nsx gets crushed by dumb lexus driver.

How to watch The Grand Tour: A Massive Hunt and stream the new episode anywhere now

Clarkson, Hammond and May hit Madagascar in new special

Christmas has come early for petrolheads this week, after Amazon decided to drop the latest instalment of popular motoring show The Grand Tour a day early on its Prime Video streaming service. Read on as we explain how to watch The Grand Tour: A Massive Hunt online, wherever you are in the world right now.

The Grand Tour: A Massive Hunt is out now exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. That means you won't find it anywhere else - but you will find that it's available at no extra cost to Prime subscribers! Check out Amazon's FREE 30-day Prime trial and you can watch The Grand Tour online free. Prime members can log-in to their account from anywhere in the world with the help of a good VPN.

A Massive Hunt sees Messrs Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond primarily touring Madagascar, though the trio start off the 90-minute episode on the French island of La Réunion.

You'll have to watch the show for yourself to see what kind of wheels the trio are rolling with and what stunts they have in store for us in their latest outing, which follows on from the totally-straight-faced special Seamen. As well as giving the lads the chance to get in a title gag the BBC would have almost certainly frowned upon, it saw the motley crew of motoring enthusiasts take to the oceans instead of the open road for a change of a pace.

This could be the last episode of The Grand Tour released until well into next year, as while the show's next special is pencilled in to take place in Russia, coronavirus restrictions means filming is going to be complicated for the foreseeable future.

In the meantime, though, fans of the show have an early holiday gift in the form of A Massive Hunt and its surprise early-release. Perhaps best of all, watching the Prime Video exclusive couldn't be easier - just sign up for a FREE 30-day Amazon Prime trial and watch The Grand Tour online from anywhere!

• Related: all the best Amazon Prime shows

How to watch The Grand Tour: A Massive Hunt and stream the new special with Prime Video

Amazon and its Prime Video streaming platform have the exclusive global rights to The Grand Tour and its latest special, A Massive Hunt. From Thursday, December 17 that means you can watch The Grand Tour online with Prime Video at no extra cost.

Amazon's streaming service comes standard with any and all Amazon Prime memberships. You can famously get a FREE 30-day Amazon Prime trial before signing on in full, to see if its combination of top-notch entertainment, exclusive deals, and premium delivery is right for you.

If you decide you like it and want to keep it, Prime costs:

• US: $12.99 per month or $119 for the year
• UK: £7.99 per month or £79 for the year
• Canada: $7.99 per month or $79 for the year
• Australia: $6.99 per month or $59 for the year

Subscribers can access the service in web browsers, on smart TVs, iOS and Android smartphones/tablets, games consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One X, streaming boxes and dongles like those made by Roku, Amazon’s Fire TV devices, Apple TV, as well as a number of compatible Blu-ray players. 

How to watch The Grand Tour: A Massive Hunt from abroad

If you're a Prime Video subscriber but find yourself stuck abroad in a country where the service isn't available or you can't log-in as usual, that's probably down to geo-blocking restrictions.

Thankfully, help is at hand. Downloading a VPN will allow you to watch Uncle Frank no matter where you are, simply by changing your IP address to one that's back in your country of residence. Here's how to get started with this essential bit of streaming software.

ExpressVPN is the world's top VPN right now We've taken the time to try out all the biggest VPN providers and we found ExpressVPN to be the standout service. It works with lots of devices and offers super fast connections across its many servers. 

Throw in a robust approach to security and ExpressVPN is the best all-round VPN for streaming - but perhaps best of all, it has a 30-day money back guarantee plus 3 months FREE when you subscribe for a year.

Access ExpressVPN via your laptop, iPhone, tablet, Android phone, PlayStation, Xbox and plenty more. Express is a do-it-all service that also benefits from 24/7 customer support.

- Try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free for 30 days

More from Amazon Prime:

• How to watch The Boys season 2
• Discover the best Amazon Fire TV stick VPNs
• Our pick of the best shows on Amazon Prime

Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox

Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.

James is a technology journalist with nearly 10 years experience and currently Sports and TV Streaming Editor at Future, where he works across TechRadar, T3 and Tom's Guide. He is here to help you find the best ways to watch sports, TV shows and movies online. Previously, he was News and Features Editor at Trusted Reviews, Editor of Lifehacker UK, and Senior Staff Writer at ITProPortal.

Prime Video movie of the day: 12 Angry Men is a claustrophobic courtroom drama that deserves its perfect Rotten Tomatoes score

Prime Video movie of the day: The Wizard of Oz gets a strange makeover in The Wiz

What is Snapdragon Sound?

Most Popular

• 2 Intel says its supercomputer broke the exascale barrier – and what makes that claim even more impressive is it's still being built
• 3 Here’s what iPad upgraders are doing with their old iPads, instead of trading them in
• 4 'Today’s computers are horribly inefficient': How a US startup is going Apple's way — combining hardware and software to crack AI's big 99% power consumption problem
• 5 Score a Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra for $199.99 if you trade in your old tablet
• 2 Build or buy? How smart TV OEMs choose an OS in a market that’s getting ever smarter
• 4 Netflix movie of the day: Gerald's Game reveals the perils of sex-based games in spooky adaptation of 1992 Stephen King novel
• 5 Obscure startup unveils record-breaking LED display that would be perfect for the next Apple Vision Pro — Q-Pixel delivers highest resolution color display, squeezing a whole 4K screen into something barely bigger than a thumbnail

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Link to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Hit Man Link to Hit Man
• Babes Link to Babes

New TV Tonight

• Eric: Season 1
• We Are Lady Parts: Season 2
• Geek Girl: Season 1
• The Outlaws: Season 3
• Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted: Season 4
• America's Got Talent: Season 19
• Fiennes: Return to the Wild: Season 1
• The Famous Five: Season 1
• Couples Therapy: Season 4
• Celebrity Family Food Battle: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• Tires: Season 1
• Evil: Season 4
• The Sympathizer: Season 1
• Outer Range: Season 2
• Dark Matter: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• Bodkin: Season 1
• A Man in Full: Season 1
• Jurassic World: Chaos Theory: Season 1
• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Bridgerton: Season 3 Link to Bridgerton: Season 3
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming

30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming

Asian-American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Movie Re-Release Calendar 2024: Your Guide to Movies Back In Theaters

Weekend Box Office Results: Furiosa Edges Out  Garfield in Worst Memorial Day Weekend in Decades

• Trending on RT
• Furiosa First Reviews
• Most Anticipated 2025 Movies
• Best Movies of All Time
• TV Premiere Dates

The Grand Tour – Season 4, Episode 2

The grand tour presents: a massive hunt, where to watch, the grand tour — season 4, episode 2.

Watch The Grand Tour — Season 4, Episode 2 with a subscription on Prime Video.

More Like This

Cast & crew.

Jeremy Clarkson

Richard Hammond

Andy Wilman

Executive Producer

Phil Churchward

Critics Reviews

Episode info.

The Grand Tour

The Grand Tour Presents… A Massive Hunt

Information, accessibility.

Copyright © 2024 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.

Internet Service Terms Apple TV & Privacy Cookie Policy Support

• Rent or buy
• Categories Categories
• Getting Started

• Episode number
• Newest episodes
• Available to watch

Customers also watched

Cast and Crew

1316 global ratings

How are ratings calculated? Toggle Expand Toggle Expand

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Become an Amazon Hub Partner
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

Join our Newsletter

The Grand Tour Season 4: What Happened To The Madagascar Special?

It was a sad day when the much-loved trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May explained in the final episode of The Grand Tour season 3 that the show would be adopting a ‘specials-only’ format. No studio, no racetrack and no challenges. It seemed as if the days of regular programming that were brought across from their former network – and a career which spanned 25 seasons collectively – had finally come to an end. It got many of us asking, is The Grand Tour season 4 cancelled?

Well, yes, as we knew it before. But not entirely. Here’s what we know so far about The Grand Tour season 4, and more importantly, the Madagascar special.

What’s replacing The Grand Tour season 4?

That concept actually kicked off last December with the first episode of the new format – The Grand Tour Presents : Seamen , where Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond travelled through Cambodia and Vietnam by boat.

As we enter the latter half of 2020, though, and with the first episode now well and truly in the rearview mirror, it quickly left us questioning if the second special would ever make it to Amazon Prime Video this side of Christmas.

What is episode 2 of The Grand Tour Presents about?

Jeremy Clarkson told  GlobalNews  that the next episode “starts in La Réunion and then ends largely in Madagascar. We started on the very same beach that a Scotsman was eaten the other day.” (Clarkson is referring to a British citizen who was attacked and killed by a tiger shark in November 2019).

Other than this, we don’t know much about the second episode. A handful of reports state the trio was ‘marooned’ on a tropical island miles away from their crew.

The third episode of The Grand Tour season 4 was thus inevitably delayed.

When is the next episode of season 4 coming to Amazon Prime Video?

Yes, the next Special will land later this year. Yes, it’s filmed in Madagascar and yes, there will be cars. Yes, we wanted to go to Russia. No, we couldn’t (we all know why). Yes, we will try again. No, we don’t know when. Yes, we will keep you updated. #TheGrandTour — The Grand Tour (@thegrandtour) July 7, 2020

Following the Seaman special, the next episode of The Grand Tour Presents will return to Amazon Prime Video in the latter half of 2020. As for a specific release date? Well, that remains to be confirmed as per the tweet above. It’s likely we’ll see a November/December release, as is the usual modus operandi for Prime Video in previous years.

It’s highly unlikely, however, that the third episode of this new format will be seen for some time.

James May reiterated the need for patience in a recent interview with  The Sun . “The effects of lockdown on making TV shows is that we have to retract our ambitions for travel,” he said. The team “would rather wait a bit longer rather than rushing it for the sake of it and coming out with something half-arsed.”

Clarkson himself had this to say:

We have one pretty much ready to go and when this virus business is settled, we will head off to do two more. — Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) March 7, 2020

So while we wait for the next episode of The Grand Tour, pass the time with this interview we did with Jeremy Clarkson back in 2018. He talks about his experiences hooning in Australia, the one car he wishes was never discontinued, and the looming end of internal combustion engines…

Subscribe to B.H. Magazine

Share the article.

What’s New On Binge In June 2024?

What’s New On Netflix Australia In June 2024?

What’s New On Amazon Prime Video Australia In June 2024?

‘The Bear’ Season 3 Trailer Reminds Us It’s Really About Chaos (Not Cooking)

Roger Federer’s ‘The Last Dance’-Style Doco Arrives Next Month — Here’s The Trailer

Related articles.

Yes, That Was A Mad Max Cameo You Saw In ‘Furiosa’

‘Industry’ Season 3 Release Date Confirmed — Here’s A First Look

First Look: HBO’s ‘The Last Of Us’ Season 2

Plot Twist: ‘Shogun’ Season 2 & Season 3 Officially In Development

‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Officially Finds A Home At Netflix

NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

The Grand Tour: Jeremy Clarkson says ‘no wonder Brexit won’ when discussing driving on world’s most expensive road

Share this with

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

It’s one of the most divisive subjects in British history, but Jeremy Clarkson reckons he might have finally worked out why Brexit happened – and it’s not what you might think.

The presenter was speaking about the upcoming Grand Tour special, A Massive Hunt , which is released on Amazon Prime Video next month.

Jeremy and co-presenters James May and Richard Hammond were the first to drive on the world’s most expensive road around the Indian Ocean island of Réunion, which he described as ‘vanity project’ and waste of EU money.

Réunion is an overseas department of the French Republic, found off the coast of Madagascar. The trio drove on the road which connects the cities of Saint-Denis and La Possession and rises out of the sea. It cost more than $2 billion (£1.5 billion) to build.

‘We were the first people ever to drive on it,’ Jeremy said about the road. ‘It’s extraordinary that you can fly for 13 hours and then land – still in France, that’s astonishing in itself – and then it’s astonishing to see the EU at work.’

He added: ‘I was a Remainer and a fervent believer in the EU and what it stands for, but when you see something like that you just think “Oh for heaven’s sake, no wonder Brexit won when we’re spunking this much money on a completely unnecessary vanity project on the other side of the world”.

Jeremy did however recognise the road which runs arond the length of the island as an incredible architectural achievement.

‘It’s a fantastic thing to see,’ he said. ‘David Attenborough shows some very extraordinary things, but this road is up there. Man did that, man can be proud of that.

‘It does feel slightly like there might have been an easier solution in terms of fixing the existing roads, doesn’t it? Well, yes but that’s the EU. They just want to keep everyone sweet. While politically it was an idiotic thing to do, from an engineering point of view it’s just fabulous.’

Jeremy, James and Richard explore the islands of Réunion and Madagascar in the new special, which has been a long time coming.

It’s been a year since the last episode of the show was released, and Jeremy Clarkson previously admitted he was as annoyed as fans about the delay.

After one social media claimed they were ‘kind of bored’ waiting for the episode, Jeremy replied by saying: ‘Me too.’

The Grand Tour presents: A Massive Hunt will launch Friday 18th December on Amazon Prime Video.

Got a story?

Hot Property Picks from Metro

What I Own: My partner and I bought our own home before we were 30 — through a loophole

Not spotting these common property issues could end up costing you £40,000

I pay £395 a month to live in an underground doomsday bunker

'Magical' town with two castles named best place to live in the South West

'We went on TV to help us get onto the property ladder – here's what we learned'

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : Jeremy Clarkson takes on Charlie Brooker with Screen Wipe-style end of year TV special

MORE : Jeremy Clarkson claims bees are ‘out to get him’ as he’s stung on the bum on his farm

Get us in your feed

• Welcome to Nice Côte d'Azur
• Overcast 20°C Weather page
• I am on site
• Travel Trade
• Meet in Nice Côte d’Azur

French Riviera Pass

Nice Le Grand Tour

Visit Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer from the top on an open-deck bus.

Discover Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer! This original means of transportation, combined with tours with commentary in 9 languages, offers the possibility of getting on and off the bus freely at each of the 12 stops. Discover the city from above, its cornices and decorations of Belle Epoque buildings or others, to enjoy the unique views of the route or to take a cultural break. Approximate duration of the tour 1h20 (without stop) - 12 stops Main departure 4 avenue Max Gallo. Discover our schedule and map on our website www.nicelegrandtour.fr Buy your tickets directly online or on board our buses.

Read More Text... Close

Included with the French Riviera Pass

Discover Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer from above. This original means of transport offers the possibility to get on and off the bus freely at each stop. Approximate duration without a stop: 1h20 (Nice + Villefranche) - Unlimited use for one day.

Buy my Pass

• Available for private hire

Adult: 23 €.

Accepted payment methods

• Credit card payment
• Holiday vouchers

Opening periods

From 01/01 to 31/12.

You would also like...

patrimoine culturel

Eglise Notre Dame du Port

Built in the middle of the nineteenth century, this monument also called the Church of the Immaculate Conception, stands at the heart of Place Île de Beauté and dominates the port of Nice

Cathédrale Orthodoxe Russe Patriarcat de Moscou

An unusual monument to discover in the centre of Nice. Inspired by traditional Moscow churches, Saint-Nicolas Cathedral is part of the city's Baroque and Belle Epoque architecture.

Jardin Albert 1er

Connecting Place Masséna to the Promenade des Anglais, the Albert I Garden is a huge three-hectare park in the heart of Nice, which hosts many cultural events throughout the year.

commerce et service

Port - Parking Port Lympia

Nestled at the foot of the Castle Hill and Mont-Boron in the heart of the City, just a stone's throw from Cours Saleya, Place Garibaldi and Old Nice, the parking facilities at the Port of Nice are ideally located to start your tour.

Port départemental de la Darse

Main activities: yachting, commercial fishing, trade, clubs and associations, ship repair.

Villefranche-sur-Mer

Gare SNCF Nice Ville

The SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer) operates long-distance trains (Inoui, Ouigo & Train de nuit) and regional express trains (TER/ZOU!).

Citadelle Saint-Elme de Villefranche-sur-Mer

Overlooking one of the most beautiful harbors in the world, Villefranche-sur-Mer and its 16th century Citadel, listed as a historic monument, offer you an exceptional and unexpected setting.

Musée Masséna

Listed in the Historic Monuments inventory, the Villa Masséna is an architectural jewel in a tree-lined setting on the Promenade des Anglais that presents the history of Nice in the 19th Century.

La Place Masséna

Recognisable by its red facades, its Fountain of the Sun and its black and white paving, Place Masséna is the meeting-point for the people of the Côte d'Azur in the heart of Nice.

Le Palais de La Méditerranée

After being the temple of the arts in Nice during the Roaring Twenties, the Palais de la Mediterranée is one of the most iconic hotels which can be found on the Promenade des Anglais.

• Our information offices
• Our guides to download
• Useful information

Our team at your service

• By telephone

Sign up now to get a sneak preview of exclusive offers, new experiences and all the news about Nice.

Home / Nice Le Grand Tour

What are you looking for?

• Accommodation

Book your accommodation on-line

Make the most of our booking platform to check availability and compare rates of the different types of accommodation in Nice Côte d’Azur! To help you prepare your stay, we offer a...

Let’s discover all our hotels and select your favorite for your holidays in Nice Côte d’Azur Whether you prefer a boutique hotel, a family hotel, a business hotel, or a palace, the...

Boat trips, parasailing, gourmet tours, hikes in the hinterland or introduction to canyoning…..

Make your choice and book on line.

Book your visit or activity

Cruise along the coast and admire Nice Côte d’Azur from the sea Take to the sea and enjoy a unique experience onboard a boat. For a coastal area trip to discover marine...

Nature and sensations

With over 300 days of sunshine a year, Nice Côte d’Azur is the ideal destination for outdoor activities! Whether you are a novice or an experienced sportsman, set off on an adventure!A...

Guided tours

Guided walking tours, electric bike tours, Segway tours, bike taxi, minibus or tourist train tours….

Book your visit online

Book your visit

Guided visits with a qualified guide-lecturer

Nice Côte d’Azur has a thousand and one surprises in store… Its monuments, its churches, its gardens, its walking paths, but also its museums, its artists, its traditions, its local crafts, and...

Discovery tours

Book an original excursion and discover the hidden treasures of Nice Côte d’Azur Guided tours and discovery walks are accessible to all. On foot, by bike, perched on the roof of a...

FRENCH RIVIERA PASS

Visit more and spend less!

With the French Riviera Pass, make the most of free access to over 50 sites and attractions for 24, 48 or 72 hours.

BUY YOUR FRENCH RIVIERA PASS

Make your life easier and save money during your holidays in Nice Côte d’Azur! For a 100% discovery holiday, don’t hesitate to get the French Riviera Pass. This is a unique card...

The French Riviera Pass – 48hrs

We have tested for you the French Riviera Pass, over 48 hours of visits in Nice and its metropolitan area. Indeed, the end of the year celebrations are an opportunity to take...

Our special offers

Choose your “all-inclusive” offer according to the theme, the number of persons and the duration of your stay.

Book your stay

Our holiday “good deals”

Whatever the season, there is always a good reason to come on holiday to Nice Côte d’Azur. Discover the special offers proposed by our accommodation partners, and book directly on our website.

Special offers Nice-Cannes Marathon

Save the date – 5th November 2023 for a 5* experience 42.195 km, surrounded by palm trees and the blue waves of the Mediterranean sea, the Alpes-Maritimes Nice-Cannes Marathon is back! Prepare...

• The Inventory

I Regret To Inform You That The Grand Tour 's French Special Is Very Good

The trio asks the biggest question in automotive history: "what's the matter with the french".

For many folks, the Top Gear and The Grand Tour trio of Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond are the last word in automotive content and humor. For me, it has been the trio that my husband has insisted upon making me watch (ugh) while also telling me I should be more like Jeremy Clarkson (no). However, I regret to inform everyone that The Grand Tour ’s new special about French cars, “Carnage à Trois,” is very good.

Related Content

French cars have historically been an enigma, and the special opens with Clarkson posing the question the crew would aim to answer in the episode: “What’s the matter with the French?” It is an admirable goal to undertake in a single special, and it was extremely good.

That’s because it combined many of my favorite things: France, making fun of the French, awful cars, and a delightful sense of humor that culminates in launching a Citroën C3 Pluriel over the Cliffs of Dover and back to its homeland.

My husband pointed out that a large part of this episode felt scripted, but I thought it was well done. There’s one moment where Richard Hammond gets behind the wheel of a propeller-powered car and the entire crew runs off behind a fence, that was particularly egregious, but it was still an exceptional moment of humor — especially since it’s compounded by Hammond with several later crashes. There’s another where Clarkson’s car is shown rolling down a hill overlaid with his grunts, as if he’s behind the wheel when it’s quite clear he’s not. But it’s a slapstick-style comedy that works quite well for these three.

A large part of this episode focuses on the fact that the trio posit French cars are designed to be destroyed. No one in France ever sells their cars; they drive them until they need to be scrapped, since everyone just bumps into each other. This is something Hammond illustrates by parallel parking a car in between two cars that he needs to shove out of the way with his bumpers and that May illustrates by sledge-hammering some space into his trunk to fit around a dishwasher.

The trio also illustrates the durability of these French cars by off-roading three family vehicles. Arguably the highlight of the episode comes as Hammond tries to overtake his compatriots on this rutted, one-lane path, crashing into both of them and ultimately tipping his own car onto the side. Somehow, the massive catapult only serves as the cherry on top of an already-excellent cake.

The special is available on Amazon Prime, and it’s worth enjoying with a holiday beverage of your choice — even if this trio is normally not your cup of tea.

Discover French Island Tour

DISCOVER FRENCH ISLAND TOUR

This tour is a wonderful introduction to French Island, exploring the National Park and wilderness environment with ease and comfort in our 4WD vehicle.  Our local guides will share their knowledge of island life, history and the treasure trove of flora and of course the wildlife, including the  iconic koala & echidna. This tour will go off the beaten track and provide the opportunity to have an up close and personal encounter with all of French Island’s natural beauty.  Take in the silence and pristine beauty of this unique, off the grid, eco destination.

Highlights & Inclusions

• Transfer by fast catamaran aboard Western Port Ferries
• Meet and greet at ferry arrival on French Island
• Experienced, local tour guides
• Travel in a purpose built, 4WD tour vehicle
• Expert commentary 
• Wildlife spotting up close & personal
• Photo point stops including vistas and look out points
• Exclusive vehicle access to French Island National Park
• Historic Sites including iconic Chicory Kilns
• Short guided walks to points of interest
• Lunch or afternoon tea

VIEW ISLAND MAP & TOUR STOPS

*Free ferry travel on weekends. Please present Seniors Card when boarding ferry

TOUR BOOKINGS WITH FERRY TRAVEL INCLUDED

For bookings within 24 hours please call our Customer Service Team on 5257 4570.

*This ferry travels via Stony Point.

Related Tours

Private Touring

Gift Vouchers

French Island Nature Walk

• Rent or buy
• Categories Categories
• Getting Started

• Episode number
• Newest episodes
• Available to watch

Customers also watched

Cast and Crew

1420 global ratings

How are ratings calculated? Toggle Expand Toggle Expand

• UK Modern Slavery Statement
• Sustainability
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Sell on Amazon Business
• Sell on Amazon Handmade
• Sell on Amazon Launchpad
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect and build your brand
• Associates Programme
• Fulfilment by Amazon
• Seller Fulfilled Prime
• Advertise Your Products
• Independently Publish with Us
• Host an Amazon Hub
• › See More Make Money with Us
• Instalments by Barclays
• Amazon Platinum Mastercard
• Amazon Classic Mastercard
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Payment Methods Help
• Shop with Points
• Top Up Your Account
• Top Up Your Account in Store
• COVID-19 and Amazon
• Track Packages or View Orders
• Delivery Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Amazon Mobile App
• Customer Service
• Accessibility
• Conditions of Use & Sale
• Privacy Notice
• Cookies Notice
• Interest-Based Ads Notice

‘Grand Tour’ Review: Miguel Gomes’ Dreamy, Delirious Time-Swirling Travelogue Through East and Southeast Asia

Bristling with life and song and revelatory collisions between cultures and timeframes, the Portuguese master's Cannes Competition title is a healing balm for trying times.

By Jessica Kiang

Jessica Kiang

• ‘Viet and Nam’ Review: History Is a Shallow Grave in a Plaintive, Penumbral Queer Romance 2 hours ago
• ‘Misericordia’ Review: Alain Guiraudie’s Darkly Comic Backwoods Fable of Pansexual Desire and Small-Town Sociopathy 1 day ago
• ‘The Story of Souleymane’ Review: A Superb Lead Electrifies a Propulsive, Compassionate Immigration Drama 4 days ago

Popular on Variety

All we know is that, when this low-level British diplomat (who, like all the British characters, whether they hail from London or pine for Yorkshire, speaks in Portuguese) shows up at Mandalay train station, it is 1918, near midnight and he is drunk. The next day, when he goes to pick Molly up from her arriving steamship, his nerve suddenly fails, and before he even claps eyes on her, he scarpers onto the next ship bound for Singapore.

This is the story of “Grand Tour,” but it is not the half of “Grand Tour.” From the beginning, Gomes’ eccentric, puckish sensibilities are in evidence, with every beautifully rendered black-and-white, period-set interior alternating with bustling, bristling contemporary footage of the various towns and countries featured. Between 1918 and now, some of them have changed their names — Burma is now Myanmar, Siam is now Thailand — but none have changed their spirit, a fact that the seemingly reckless but actually deceptively meticulous construction makes clear.

Sometimes in color, sometimes in monochrome, with the narrators speaking the local lingo and knitting Edward and Molly’s colonial-era stories into the Asia of today, we get gorgeous on-the-fly snapshots of modern life across the continent. A rickety Rangoon ferris wheel propelled by hand (and foot). Workers untangling the wires atop Saigon’s overloaded telephone poles. Old Chinese men playing mahjong; Filipino locals riding tuktuks; Lunar New Year fireworks exploding over the Saigon skyline; a portly man in a restaurant moving himself to tears with his karaoke rendition of “My Way” before returning to his noodles, dabbing at wet eyes.

The film also has a recurring motif in the puppet shows that seemingly every culture has developed, and developed differently, as a storytelling medium. There are marionettes and paper silhouettes and two-person representations of — are they turkeys? Ostriches? Who knows? But that we always see the puppeteers as much as we see their puppets seems appropriate to the sense we get, throughout this overflowing cornucopia of worldly pleasures, of a single intelligence, a particular curiosity and a uniquely skewed sense of humor unifying so much that, in our darker moods, might seem actually to divide us.

Gomes shot this extraordinary film in an extraordinary way. Hampered by Covid-era restrictions, a lot of the modern footage — credited to three cinematographers in Rui Poças, Sayombhu Mukdeeprom and Guo Liang — was directed remotely, while the period segments, whether in bamboo forests or Raffles Hotel or aboard a ship whose captain speaks in six different languages over the mooing of a cargo hold full of cows, were creations on a sound stage. But even aside from the occasional deliberate anachronism — like a cellphone dropped in a forest when Molly is on the verge of catching up to Edward — and despite the brash collisions of stock and style, and scripted fiction and found-footage reality, “Grand Tour” is a remarkably coherent, if richly complex experience.

Reviewed at Cannes Film Festival (Competition). May 22, 2024. Running time: 129 MIN.

• Production: (Portugal-Italy-France) An Uma Pedra no Sapato production in co-production with Vivo film, Shellac, Cinéma Defacto. (World sales: Match Factory, Cologne.) Producer: Filipa Reis. Executive Producer: João Miller Guerra. Co-producers: Marta Donzelli, Gregorio Paonessa, Thomas Ordonneau, Tom Dercourt. 
• Crew: Director: Miguel Gomes. Screenplay: Mariana Ricardo, Telmo Churro, Maureen Fazendeiro, Miguel Gomes. Camera: Rui Poças, Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, Guo Liang. Editors: Telmo Churro, Pedro Filipe Marques.
• With: Crista Alfaiate, Gonçalo Waddington, Cláudio da Silva, Lang Khê Tran. (Portuguese, Chinese, Thai, French, Burmese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Japanese dialogue)

More From Our Brands

‘vanderpump rules,’ as we currently know it, is over, celebrity real estate roundup: joe jonas buys in brooklyn, sarah silverman scoops up the house next door, and more, the case to end college football, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, chicago p.d. boss gives an update on burgess and ruzek’s wedding — will it happen in season 12, verify it's you, please log in.

How French day-trippers fell in love with Guernsey

“Victor Hugo planted this oak tree 150 years ago, and named it ‘the Oak of the United States of Europe’’”. Our Anglo-French tour guide pointed at a grand tree in the gardens of Hauteville House , where the French writer lived in exile for 15 years. 

It was a funny phrase to hear here on Guernsey, the Channel Island just off the coast of France – especially with Brexit just barely in the rearview mirror.

A dependency of the British Crown, like its neighbour Jersey, Guernsey has never been in the EU, but it is in the Common Travel Area and, as such, easily accessible for Brits. Post Brexit, however, the French are required to show a passport to come to the Channel Islands, when previously they simply needed to flash their national ID cards. 

But last summer – perhaps partly in the name of unity; certainly in order to make it easier for France’s Anglophiles to visit – a scheme allowing French nationals to make day-trips to Guernsey and Jersey using their national identity cards was introduced. It’s now been extended to the end of September 2024, after the number of French day-trippers rocketed. 

“A lot of French don’t have passports ,” he observed Rod, a native Guern and guide for Tuk Tuk Guernsey, “so allowing them to come with their identity cards for a day-trip brings a lot more French people in”. 

A new direct flight route from Paris also launched earlier this year, indicating a growing French interest in this charmingly eccentric community. 

On the crossing from Saint-Malo, I met Marianne and Agathe, a mother and daughter from Avignon, who had spent the previous night travelling back to the South to retrieve Agathe’s forgotten passport. “Alas, there is a border now,” said the young woman, reflecting on her faux pas. The duo were heading to Sark, the car-free island in the Guernsey island grouping (called the Bailiwick), having read about it in a travel book. 

Another passenger, Kristelle, was heading to Guernsey on a solo trip to indulge her love of all things Anglais. “I’ve always wanted to go to Guernsey,” she said. “I like the respect and politeness of Les Anglais – the way people queue up neatly to wait for the bus and the whole ‘mind the gap’ thing!”

While Anglo-immersion is one draw, most French people who visit are also on a literary pilgrimage. “Victor Hugo is the first thing on their list,” said Jennifer, who works at the tourist office in St Peter Port. “We even have a Victor Hugo map with all the places he used to go.” 

The author of Notre-Dame de Paris and Les Misérables (which was finished on Guernsey) is almost god-like in the French public consciousness: some two million people followed the procession of his state funeral, and countless roads, schools and town squares in France are named in his honour. 

Nathalie lives in Paris, but owns a home close to the Manches Iles ferry embarkation point in Normandy – from which two ferries run each week – and visited Guernsey for the first time last year.  “We went because we wanted to see the Victor Hugo museum, otherwise I think we could have gone to another island,” she said. “We reserved the museum then a fish and chips lunch right next to it; it was enchanting, a dream.” 

Nevertheless, French visitor numbers to Guernsey are still dwarfed by those of their British counterparts, who make up about half of all visitors to the island. Geography is a common draw, with outdoor activities – such as hiking, biking and wild swimming in popular spots like the Victorian-era La Vallette Bathing Pools – proving popular. 

The local cuisine draws its fair share of visitors, too. Along the seafront, a string of restaurants – amongst them the excellent Le Nautique and Balthazar – serve up seasonal menus blending elements of French cuisine (fresh oysters, unctuous sauces, delicately cooked fish cuts) with a distinctly British twist (gravy, wellingtons, posset for pudding). The milkshakes – served in local spots like The Kiln in the rugged north of the island – are ambrosial, thanks to lashings of the famous Guernsey milk. 

But if the culture is British-leaning, it is also a thing apart. For one, its currency is unique (it even has a one-pound note), as is the delightfully old-fashioned time-card drivers are asked to put on dashboards for parking (which is free).

It is also a place of contrasts. There’s a huge financial sector, with PwC and Barclays offices, and high net worth types attracted by low income tax and a lack of capital gains and VAT – but there’s also a strong folkloric tradition, with tales of pookas (goblins), fairies and haunted houses (along the west coast you’ll even find old seats for witches). Over the years, Romans, Vikings, Gauls, pirates, German soldiers, Norman dukes and international financiers have all considered this a place worth fighting for. 

Strolling out of Hauteville House, I met a group of jovial French retirees, friends from a Rotary Club in northern France. “I feel at home here in Guernsey,” Bruno, one of their group, told me provocatively. “I’m Norman, you see!”

With the Oak of the United States of Europe stretching 150-years tall behind us, I took his words in the best of humour. 

Hannah was a guest of Visit Guernsey ( visitguernsey.com ) and stayed at the Old Government House Hotel, formerly the official residence of the Crown-appointed Lieutenant Governor who historically presided over the island. Doubles from £233 per night (01481 724921; theoghhotel.com ).

Recommended

The beautiful Channel Island you've probably never heard of

Play The Telegraph’s brilliant range of Puzzles - and feel brighter every day. Train your brain and boost your mood with PlusWord, the Mini Crossword, the fearsome Killer Sudoku and even the classic Cryptic Crossword.

Press Herald

Account Subscription: ACTIVE

Questions about your account? Our customer service team can be reached at [email protected] during business hours at (207) 791-6000 .

• Local & State

Observe Memorial Day with these events in southern Maine

Tons of towns have parades and ceremonies happening Monday.

You are able to gift 5 more articles this month.

Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Learn more .

With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month.

It looks like you do not have any active subscriptions. To get one, go to the subscriptions page .

Loading....

Kids and adults gather at a Memorial Day parade to honor and celebrate veterans in South Portland. Sofia Aldinio/ Staff Photographer

BATH 10 a.m. Monday. Parade begins at 200 Congress Ave. and concludes at Library Park and will be followed by a wreath-laying service at 11 a.m.

BERWICK 11 a.m. Monday. Parade begins at Berwick Town Hall/Sullivan Square and proceeds to Lord’s Cemetery by way of Wilson and Allen streets. After a ceremony there, the parade will continue down Saw Mill Hill Street with a pause at the Somersworth-Berwick Bridge for a brief memorial service for those lost at sea. The parade ends at Sullivan Square with a memorial service honoring area veterans.

BIDDEFORD-SACO Opening ceremony at 9:55 a.m. Monday at Saco City Hall. Parade starts at 10 a.m. from Saco City Hall and proceeds along Main Street and down York Hill into Biddeford, continues along Main Street, onto Alfred Street and finishes at Veteran’s Memorial Park with a closing ceremony at 10:45 a.m.

BRUNSWICK-TOPSHAM 9 a.m. Monday. Parade proceeds from Topsham Town Hall, pauses for observances while crossing the Brunswick-Topsham bridge, and concludes at the Brunswick Mall.

CAPE ELIZABETH 9 a.m. Monday. Parade begins at the middle school parking lot, turns right on Scott Dyer Road, right onto Route 77 and ends at the village green adjacent to the town hall. A brief ceremony and laying of the wreath will be held at the Village Green after the parade.

CUMBERLAND 8 a.m. Monday. Kids run at Greely High School followed by 5K Run and Remember race at 8:30 a.m. Parade starts at 10 a.m. at Mabel I. Wilson School and ends at the veterans’ monument in Moss Side Cemetery in Cumberland Center, where a ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m. Advertisement

FALMOUTH 10 a.m. Monday. Parade proceeds from 65 Depot Road (Falmouth American Legion) to Pine Grove Park, where a ceremony will be held.

FREEPORT 9:30 a.m. Monday. Parade proceeds from Holbrook Street, heads north on Main and makes a right onto School Street, then right onto Park Street, ending in Memorial Park. There will be a small ceremony in Memorial Park starting at 10 a.m.

GORHAM 11 a.m. Monday. Parade starts at Village School (12 Robie St.) and ends at Eastern Cemetery on Johnson Road.

GRAY 11:30 a.m. Monday. Parade leaves the Russell School (8 Gray Park), proceeds to Shaker Road and continues to the Soldiers Monument at the intersection of Routes 26 and 3 for a wreath-laying ceremony. Parade continues north to the American Legion Post (15 Lewiston Road) for a closing ceremony.

LYMAN 1 p.m. Monday. Parade starts at Waterhouse Road/Mill Pond in Goodwins Mills and ends at the Lyman Town Hall on South Waterboro Road.

NEW GLOUCESTER 9 a.m. Monday. Parade leaves from Memorial Elementary School (86 Intervale Road) and heads down Intervale Road to Route 100/202 to Veterans Park for a memorial service. The parade will reconvene and go down Peacock Hill Road, then take a left on Gilmore Road. Advertisement

OLD ORCHARD BEACH 1 p.m. Monday. Parade starts at the corner of Ballpark Way and E. Emerson Cumming Boulevard and proceeds down Saco Avenue, Old Orchard Beach Street to First Street and ends at Veteran’s Memorial Park.

PORTLAND 2 p.m. Monday. The procession starts at Longfellow School (432 Stevens Ave.) and ends at Evergreen Cemetery for a commemoration ceremony.

SANFORD 10 a.m. Monday. The parade starts at the Sanford Armory (88 William Oscar Emery Drive), proceeds up Gowen Park Drive and ends at Central Park.

SCARBOROUGH 10 a.m. Monday. Parade starts at Scarborough High School, turns onto Route 114 and then Route 1, past town offices to the Maine Veterans Home and concludes with a ceremony there.

SOUTH PORTLAND 10:30 a.m. Monday. Parade starts at Southern Maine Community College parking lot, proceeds down Broadway to the Veterans Monument for a short Memorial Day recognition service.

WELLS 9 a.m. Monday. Parade starts at Wells High School (200 Sanford Road) and proceeds to Ocean View Cemetery for a ceremony and musical performances. Advertisement

WESTBROOK 10 a.m. Monday. Parade proceeds down Main Street and will be followed by a ceremony in Riverbank Park.

WINDHAM 9 a.m. Monday. Parade starts at Windham Town Hall and proceeds onto Route 202 toward Windham High School. At 10 a.m., there will be a ceremony in front of Windham’s Veterans Memorial Flagpole at Windham High School.

YARMOUTH 10 a.m. Monday. Parade leaves from Yarmouth High School (286 West Elm St.) and proceeds to the Memorial Green at Town Hall for a ceremony.

YORK 10 a.m. Monday. Parade starts near St. Christopher’s Church (4 Barrell Lane) and proceeds down York Street to York Town Hall.

Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.

Enter your email and password to access comments.

Forgot Password?

Don't have a commenting profile? Create one.

Hi, to comment on stories you must create a commenting profile . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. Already have a commenting profile? Login .

Invalid username/password.

Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.

Create a commenting profile by providing an email address, password and display name. You will receive an email to complete the registration. Please note the display name will appear on screen when you participate.

Already registered? Log in to join the discussion.

Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why .

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

Send questions/comments to the editors.

In Camden, a story of wealthy neighbors, ocean views and over $1.7 million in fines

‘american idol’ star julia gagnon to pursue a career in music, starting with a maine tour, cracking the ‘recode’ that could decide portland’s housing future, scenic section of down east trail reopens, maine’s struggling child care industry gets much-needed boost from new state support, daily headlines.

• Email address
• Hidden Untitled
• Name This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Member Log In

Please enter your username and password below. Already a subscriber but don't have one? Click here .

Not a subscriber? Click here to see your options