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Egyptian international company that owns various brands and sister companies in the field of tourism and hospitality.

Our Offices

Our headquarter is located in Cairo, Egypt; moreover since we have expanded our operations on an international level, we now have offices in Dubai, Zanzibar, and Sicily. Each office acts as a destination management company to serve our clients and bring Flash Tour  heritage to the world.

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More than 7000 years to experience

Where luxury comes directly to you

The pearl of the Indian Ocean

We Help Tourism Make A Lasting Impact.

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Discover how you can make an impact: See our areas of work, worldwide locations.

TRUE BEACH RESORT IS ON SPOT

True Beach Resort provides a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life, allowing you to relax and rejuvenate in a quiet environment.

Egypt: Ultimate Family Holiday Destination

Egypt is an ideal destination for family holidays. It offers all-inclusive hotels and resorts that provide services, facilities , and beautiful holidays for families’ trip.

Egypt Apply the Cashless Ticketing System

Egypt has implemented a cashless ticketing system for tourists and travel agencies at archaeological sites. Visitors can use bank cards to purchase tickets to selected tourist attractions.

Destinations

Transportation

Flash Tours Zanzibar

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Day Safari tour to Selous Game Reserve from Zanzibar

Zanzibar Nakupenda Tour

Quad Safari Tour in a Local Village from Zanzibar

Day Safari Tour to Mikumi National Park

2 days safari to Selous National park from Zanzibar

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Flash Tours Zanzibar - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• DESTINATIONS

Care and Passion

Our journey, changes small and large begin when we care.

​A Journey of Care and Passion

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"Getting to know Africa the way we did on this tour we felt connected and have gained such an appreciation and insight into this fascinating continent. Thank you for making this possible ." ~  M. Watkins, California

"Flash Tour USA has done a fantastic job organizing an extensive South America expedition. 5 countries in one month and everything was perfect. Great guides, beautiful hotels and unique excursions." ~ K. Owlen, Hawaii

"A wonderful trip, everyone had a great time in Sri Lanka and saw so much more than expected. Highly recommended." ~ G. Winsten, New York 

"So good to have someone who listens and build a trip based on our wish list. An unexpected surprise was a private candle light dinner during sunset at the beach. Thank you for everything, we will always remember.” ~ L. Gabel, OGI, Maryland

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Your Travel partner. Your reliable safari operator.

Our Company

Africa Flash McTours is a Kenya safari tour operator based in Nairobi specializing in African Safari packages. We take pride for having a team of professionals who have traveled in Africa and now works to ensure that our clients both acquire a unique and educational experience of African wildlife, landscape and culture.

Since our inception in 2009, Africa Flash McTours has catered to numerous international clients in various continents particularly in Europe, America, and Asia.

Why Choose Us

Our company works with travel operators from international markets to update our ways of delivering our services. We also have a marketing team that studies the profile of our target clients to ensure that we can best meet their expectations. With the cut-throat competition in the industry, Flash McTours and Travel, a Consecutive Winner of the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence in 2017, 2018 and 2019, aim for Kenya and Africa in general to advance its reputation and credibility in the tourism industry.

We aim to be the leading provider of safari packages and related travel services to both local and international markets. We will achieve this by delivering optimum customer service rooted in our continuous training and market research. We will lead a positive change by upholding sustainable business practices and protecting the African wildlife. Through this, we endeavour for tourism in Africa to prosper and uplift its image as a dream holiday destination for everyone in the world to see.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Africa Flash McTours is to be the leading travel and related services company of choice, providing premier services and innovative options to all customers.

We will accomplish this by: • Ensuring that we have the best qualified and trained professional staff • Expanding market strength through superior service levels • Developing business opportunities through unique travel services that meet all business and leisure travel needs • Maintaining flexibility to adapt to local and international market trends • Establishing our team as the optimum service provider • Operating continuously in compliance with applicable industry principles and standards

OUR PILLARS

• We ensure competence of our team through regular trainings • We practice honesty, transparency, and integrity in all our business dealings • We continuously develop business opportunities through relevant travel services that meet diverse business and leisure travel needs • We keep our team abreast with local and international market trends • We provide excellent customer service • We operate in compliance with ethical and sustainable industry principles and standards

WE THRIVE ON FEEDBACK FROM OUR CUSTOMERS

We welcome and highly encourage for all our customers to leave us feedback. Through this, we will strive to improve our weaknesses, fortify our strengths, and continuously innovate our services to serve the continuously evolving market trends

SAFETY AND SECURITY

We understand your concerns when it comes to booking a safari in Africa hence, we guarantee your financial security and personal safety when booking a safari with us. Africa Flash McTours is a member of the Kenya Association of Tour Operators bonding scheme, backed by a leading insurance company, to ensure your payments are fully protected.

OUR TOUR-DRIVER GUIDES

The competence and knowledge of safari tour guides highly contribute to the overall experience. Ours are highly trained with years of experience enabling them to handle clients from various nationalities with ease. We also have staff that speak a number of languages and dedicated departments for incentive groups, cruise ship arrivals and other group events.

Start Your Adventure

Our Safari Vehicles

We have a variety of vehicles so we can meet the needs of different safaris and groups. They range from large coaches to safari buses and 4×4 vehicles to make it through the toughest of terrains.

Giving back to The Society

Since the beginning, we have worked to create businesses that only leave a positive footprint on Kenya. As leaders in sustainability, we’ve integrated environmental and social best practices into every aspect of our businesses.

Commitments to sustainability in Kenya follow the goals laid out by a number of respected organizations and groups including Sustainable Travel International, Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, Kenya government policies and discussions with Kenyans themselves.

WORKING WITH KENYAN COMMUNITY

To us, sustainability is about more than just a carbon footprint; it’s also about working with local communities to ensure their lives are improved by tourism, and that they can carry on the work we started. For years, we have consulted with local leaders to ensure that Flash McTours and its guests are not just treading lightly on Kenyan landscapes, but also positively impacting the lives of Kenyan people.

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Our aim is to work closely with communities living alongside national parks and wildlife reserves to help them derive benefits from conserving wildlife species and the indigenous habitat. They do this by earning an income from eco-tourism through setting aside areas of their land as wildlife conservancies and thereby creating wildlife dispersal areas outside the parks, increasing wildlife numbers and species variety, habitat and bio-diversity.

EDUCATION INITIATIVE

When it was founded in 2012, the primary purpose of Shauri Moyo Secondary School was to improve access to, and quality of, education in Kenya communities. Though the mission of the organization has expanded since then, education is still a passion.

Completed and On-going Projects:

Donated thousands of textbooks, as well as other necessary school supplies.

Constructed kitchen in several schools. Many children in Kenya were coming to school hungry, or were becoming ill because of unsafe food. These canteens ensure that children are nourished, healthy, and able to focus on learning.

Built teacher housing in remote areas. Often times, teachers cannot go to isolated rural areas because there’s nowhere for them to live, meaning these areas are sometimes entirely without educational options. With the addition of modern, comfortable teacher housing, these communities are now able to attract and hire teachers.

To date, more than 3,000 children have directly benefited from SMSC efforts .

ADVANTAGES OF BOOKING WITH FLASHMC TOURS

Personalized service by travel experts with first-hand knowledge

Customizable tours to your preference

400+ 5-star TripAdvisor and Google reviews

Booking Security - Money - back guarantee & 24/7 support

Our Partners and Booking Security

Africa FlashMc Tours and Travel is a member of Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO), membership code: No.AS/687. KATO is one of the key tourism trade associations in Kenya, representing the interests of over 400 of the most experienced professional tour operators in Kenya. As a member, our services have been checked and are bound by the Code of Conduct to provide the highest possible quality of service to their clients. The scheme is insured to guarantee your holiday safari in the unlikely event that a bonded KATO member ceases operating.

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Onwards and Upwards

9 October 2021

2022 DATES ARE UP!!!

We managed three weekends at the fag end of this year (2021) and I was very happy to welcome those of you brave/foolhardy enough to confront the covid testing and potential quarantine to get down here. The weekends did not disappoint. This year is a bit special as we have garnered, over the last two, cancelled, seasons a large number of deposits and bookings. I felt it right to give those people first pick of the dates available. This operation (which I have named "Operation Stampede") has resulted in us being full before I've even put the dates up here. There may be cancellations so please do let me know if you'd like to come. I'm showing the dates with "1" slot available just in order for the weekend not to disappear off the page, but to all intents and purposes we are full.

All the best

Tony & Violette

Prices & Dates 2021

• 0 Slots Remaining Nights Rider Rate Pillion Rate

Dates are for INCLUSIVE nights.

If the dates of your choice are showing "FULL", please contact us and we will let you know if there are any cancellations

2021 Prices are EUROS and are as follows: All prices are for individuals sharing two to a room: €690.00 per rider for the full 5 nights (Pillions: €620.00), Arrival will be on the Thursday afternoon, with departure on the morning of the following Tuesday

Single room charge: single rooms are only available should we have one or more of our "double bed" rooms available for single occupancy. Should you wish for a single, contact us and we will allocate them on a 1st come 1st served basis. The single room supplementary charge is €60 for the weekend

See right for cancellation charges

Click HERE for exchange rates

For this you get:

Accompanied ride-outs. We will lead the group out every day and take you along some superb biking roads. We will stop for coffee and lunch. The cost of these is not included in the weekend rate. (FYI €90 per person will normally cover the 4 lunches and the 8 coffee-stops over the 4 days' riding. We normally have a whip-round at the first coffee stop of the day. Any Coke or Orangina drinkers will be subjected to extensive verbal abuse and a surcharge)

(NB: The prices for the weekend do NOT include ferry costs. You should book these yourselves.

A €150.00 deposit is payable per person at time of booking, with the balance to be paid two months before your scheduled arrival

Just send an e-mail to the site address, letting me know the dates and the number of people you'd like to book for and I'll get back to you asap.

A normal weekend would shape up like this:

You will make your own way down to the Chateau in order to arrive here on the Thursday afternoon. The best route is an overnight ferry from Portsmouth which will get you into Le Havre, Caen or Cherbourg early in the morning. You then have all day to ride down here at a relaxed pace. The next FOUR days are all about riding. Departure is on morning of the Tuesday following your arrival.

The roads we will be riding are very scenic, but will also cater for the most demanding road-rider. It is a very intense motorcycling experience. We will ride in the morning for 1 to 2 hours and stop for a coffee break, another 2 hours or so and lunch, a coffee stop in the afternoon and then back home. 200 miles altogether. Over the four days you will ride four different circuits, all will be approximately 200 miles long and we will aim to be back home by around 17h30

We use the "drop-off" system when on the road (see "How we ride" ), so nobody ever gets lost and everybody can ride at their own pace with no pressure to ride at a rate that they don't feel comfortable with, nor have to plod along at the rate of the slowest rider.

If you haven't ridden in France before you'll be amazed at the welcome you'll receive from the people here. Policemen will wave (you down....), traffic will be light and will be trying to help you wherever possible by getting out of your way; the myth of the little café terrace, in the middle of nowhere, where we stop to take on coffee and water and to regale each other with our tales of derring-do is TRUE! There'll be lots of coffee stops, lunch in a little local restaurant and more stops in the afternoon. You'll come home to the Chateau tired, but with your eyes popping out of your head, ready for the next day's roads. You'll park the bike up and grab a cold beer, before hitting the showers in preparation for dinner and another round of "Did you see me when.....?"

Latest News & Reviews

We have a lot to say, and sometimes our guests do too!

See our Facebook page :

Reviews & Rogues

2016 september 2015.

"Ha! You look like you've gone 10 rounds!" Tuono Chris

"It'll buff out" FLASH

"Half way round the lorry and I'm thinking "What am I doing!"" FLASH

"One of the KTMs is really good and the other is total rubbish, but I can't work out which is which" FLASH

"I've left my phone at the restaurant" Dave C

"They should bulldoze it" Chris B (on Oradour)

"It'll buff out" FLASH/Robin

"You're all rubbish" Chubby

"I need a bigger bike" FLASH

2010-14-Nov November 2014

Staples removed from my leg yesterday. Leaping about like a bunny wabbit. What it is to be normal again! :-)

2013 August August 2012

Well, jingle my bells.....what a disaster! Me mam's in hospital after falling down on an ice-covered pavement and breaking her hip. Joy! NOT what you want to happen when you're 60 years old! My daughter from my first (and, it has to be said, only) marriage is stuck at Heathrow at the Radison Hotel, getting into the festive mood on room service and the mini-bar. She "may" get out this pm. meanwhile the temperature here has plummeted to 9C and there's been a flurry of snow reported somewhere not far from here. I've sandbagged the tennis court and am prepared to fend off starving Brit tourists with my wasser-kanone. Happy Christmas to you all, Peeps!

2010 24 December December 2010

2010-november november 2010.

And so to hospital where I finally had the pin removed from my left tibia. It's been in there since 2005 and I've been meaning to have it out for a number of years now. My pet surgeon (see 4 Sept above) smuggled me out of the hospital and took me home for dinner and then slipped a bottle of wine in my cabinet the next day for post-op stimulation. Love it!

What is going on in London! Looked like scenes from Sarajevo. Shame, shame, shame. I totally understand what the students are demonstrating about but who the hell are these other berserkers? Here come the water-cannon.........

2010-October October 2010

Managed to squeeze in a visit to Lille to attend a Supertramp concert. All well and good, but the old sound was really all down to Roger and without him, although they're very tight, it just ain't the same

2010-9 October 2010

Well, the painting's almost finished and Ian is departing Monday. Final dates for 2011 are up on the board. Get booking.

House looks really great; sort of a cross between an expensive sanatorium and a Tyrolean Schloss-fahrtel. Totally knackered. :-)

Been thinking about my experience on the lad's S1000RR and it appears that the problem might be down to the tyres. He's got Pilot Power Pures fitted and BiKE mag said that they were awful on the S. Maybe that was it. Certainly everything I'd initially loved about it turned to dust when I tried it with those tyres on.

2010-8 October 2010

And a thought for Dave, who loved coming down here and who will be sorely missed by us and all of those of you who met him.

2010-7 October 2010

Teetering on the edge of the last weekend of the year. Group due to arrive this pm and Ian (God bless him!) is turning up in his van and will spend the next 3 weeks with me repainting the outsides of the windows, No small task. Amazing what a biker will do for the promise of a beer. Dates for 2011 are up and, as usual, I'm locked in a titanic struggle with Violette for the use of the available weekends. Her plant and antique fairs do tend to get in the way of the important things in life......So tense are the negotiations that I've had to delay posting a couple of dates until Hilary Clinton gets here to act as arbiter. Fat chance....

2010-6 September 2010

Just back from London where we attended Tony & Suzanne's wedding bash (K1200S). Absolutely perfect: weather, people, food, dancing and the BRILLIANT idea of having the hotel situated 54 miles away from the venue! Classic! I threw some of the more obscure FLASH moves on the dance floor and attracted my usual tally of groupies. Violette just beginning to speak to me again. If you're in Knockholt go to the HARROW INN (no, I didn't make that up) Check it out on the Links page

This is the week we inaugurate the FLASH Facebook page. You'll be able to get your own back in pics and comments. Hang on!

2010-5 September 2010

An excellent weekend. Jimmy was down again for the 2nd time this year (his first visit coinciding with the Great Cyclist Cull) Really good riding. Fast but steady and with everybody giving themselves plenty of room.... the more I think about it, I think this is the key to safe riding......Dave bought himself a textile jacket from the local Triumph dealer with runes on it. Spent most of dinner mumbling in Elvish.

2010-4 September 2010

A complaint comes from the FOUR guilty parties, caught slightly over the speed limit last month. To whit: "Not sure I like being held up as an example of some terrible crime against biking sanity on Tony's Blog...perhaps a caveat could be added..."D* made us do it!!!" "J** made us do it faster" Warning: Don't change your destination or arrival time by a significant amount 5 minutes before you leave. Warning: Control your urges to eat; all bodily functions are subordinate to completing twisties (when you're in a rush) Warning: Never rely entirely on SatNav (even the latest and greatest can be wrong) Warning: Long Distances require different planning techniques when using a limited size fuel tank (eg D c t* 1098 or 1198)"

2010-3 September 2010

Hmmmm......again...I'm developing a raste for this self-aggrandizement. Lunch with my surgein (yes, here in France we have a surgeon allocated to one when one is a motorcuclist). Andouilleyyes and chups (note to self: replace keys on keyboarf where letters are tubbed off)

2010-2 September 2010

Hmmmm......food for thought. FOUR of our stalwarts got stopped on the way home for speeding on the m'way, 80 kms outside Le Havre. Very, very large fine and an immediate 2-week ban which meant they had to hire a truck to carry them and their bikes to the port. I know that when you're late for the ferry the temptation is to gun it, but in this case not only did they miss their ferry but will remember the day for a long time to come. On m'ways, Route Nationales and/or any long straight, be VERY circumspect about winding it on. They ARE out to get you!

Further to the above, the only good news is that the ban does not apply anywhere other than France and there are no points on the license. How long is THAT going to last before Brussels decides to allow cross-border penalties?

Took the S1000RR out for a blat y'day. Found that it's not very comfortable :-) and in a bumpy bend the movement of the bike is transmitted via your wrist to the throttle, resulting in a rather unpleasant pogo-ing effect. Or is it just me?

2010 September 2010

Great year's riding so far marred only by the English Tourist Lady from Hell who berated me at Oradour sur Glane for talking....oh and by Thud hitting a car head on. Bump on the head and a sprained thumb. That boy is luck personified

Realised that virtually ALL incidents that occur down here are due to the rider not giving himself enough space to see what he's doing, where he's going etc. SPACE OUT, MAN!

Very proud of the group I served Ox-tongue to, in a hot and sour sauce. They all pretended to love it.

I can now do a paella for 10 in 20 minutes flat

Had the Irish back again early on in the year. Love those guys!

2006-3 August 2006

"Moules, please!" Robin

"We have never in all our lives met such lovely people, experienced such a wonderful welcome, such excellent food and such a tremendous range of challenging and beautiful roads....outside of Wales, that is" Chris and Ian (Welsh gastronomologists)

"More moules, please!" Robin

"Whaaaaaa.....?" Matt

"I have texture issues with ratatouille" Ceri

"Rob's on the pull" Ian

2006 July 2006

"May I have some more of those "bulots", please? And may I eat Andy's as well?" Alexis aka "Hollowlegs"

"I suppose you're going to try and sell us those photos" Dave

"There's nothing like scraping your tassels along French tarmac" Nick - Virago wanabe

"What do you mean "You're not going to be the first one to say that?" He is the first one to say that" Jane - (pedant)

Two years on the trot June 2006

"Dinner is still a vivid memory and I have to share with the world what a totally wonderful place this is" Tony - local asylum seeker

"FLASH Tour - The autumnal gathering YOWSA! BIG thanks to FLASH for receiving the Rapid Training posse down Melle way. They loved every moment. ...two full days of more glorious sunshine, empty roads, cafes, food beer and wine with FLASH ever present at the helm. Jolly japes all round. The local roads are the stuff of biking legend and one in particular is one that you should all experience at least once in your biking lifetime. For those of a nervous disposition, you should know that one of our group with a mere 7 months riding under her belt, survived the whole journey with ne'er a moment. Top Stuff. Why shouldn't you go? I can only refer you to that fine wordsmith Walpole who famously said: "Folk should try everything at least once with the possible exception of incest and country dancing" Sye - Itinerant knife-sharpener

"Wow! Hello Big Boy!" Ceri - Welsh ophthalmologist (failed)

Third time lucky! September 2005

"What a hoot and I can't wait to do it all again - sooner rather than later too" Kingsley - Essex entomologist

"I was all over you like a rash, but I could see that you were getting a bit out of shape, so held back to give you some space" Keith - diplomat

"S'allright, I suppose" Slug - Poet Laureate

We did it again! August 2005

"Flash's riding skills are trumped solely by his wit, charisma, cordon bleu cooking skills, charm, dashing good looks, scintillating conversation, eclectic choice of furnishings and his totally ravishing wife, Violette" Andy (has permanent invitation)

"Not much in the way of raves in Melle, then" Nicki - novice nun

The first year July 2005

"My ears are still aching from the laughter" Adam - Cattle culler

"Is your brake light sticking on?" Nick - stuntman

Please contact us by email in the first instance, (see address below).

Once your booking has been accepted then communication will generally be via email.

During the tour, mobile numbers for Lead riders will be shared out as necessary.

(Unfortunately the contact form has proven to be too unreliable and so has been taken back to the orangerie for corrective treatment).

Note: these are not only people I owe money to......in fact these links are to people that I've had contact with and who have impressed me with their wacky hairstyles...(apart from Speedferries who are...bald)

For anybody interested in:

Touring Europe

Looking for a place to stay on the way down here? Take two days to come down and you've got yourself two EXTRA days of super roads. Stay here: " Hotel Le Saumon " at Verneuil-sur-Avre. It's halfway down to here from Calais and is really very good. I can give you "twisty" route cards all the way to here.

Medical Insurance (repatriation etc) There are a number of options out there but whoever you choose make sure that they cover you for riding motorcycles OF MORE THAN 125cc. At time of writing (12 August 2008) The Post Office in the UK DO. Check it out here: Post Office Travel Insurance

Advanced Training? Go and talk to Gary at Rapid Training You'll never regret it!

Ferries: All bets are off as far as ferries are concerned....it's a mad world out there but you can always grab a discount if you use the current MCN booking code.

UK Dealers:

Only the best make it on here (as per recommendations of weekenders passim) -HONDA- Hatfields of Crowthorne Ltd. They can do no wrong according to Gillian and Chris

-DUCATI- Snells of Alton Nick has recommended these guys and he should know, he spends all his time and money there (ho-ho).

-ALL MAKES- SparkLight Racing. Go and check these guys out. Recently opened by Garry who is stunningly handsome, erudite and a dab hand with the rhinestones and a needle and thread. Also a bit of a hoot round the track and on the road. Oh and he fixes bikes as well.....and he's got one of those Italian coffee machines. Like that Georgio Clooni

Other Biker Friendly Accommodation:

"Coup de Cœur" - Right down on the Eastern Pyrenees - 2 hours from the accessory paradise of Andorra. Great place for a stop-over before jumping off through Spain

B&B in "Suze" near Dijon - Right! You've GOT to try this one out. It's run by a friend of mine who is totally barking and who's given up her career as a super-model and body-double for Angelina Jolie and started up a biking B&B with rideouts, having NEVER swung her leg (for it is a she) over a bike before 2006. Full marks to her and let it be known that she's in a superb biking part of France. Go there immediately! Website here: "Burgundy Bikers"

Old Mates Erudite Witty and Informative Web Pages section.....

Well, he's begged and begged and I just couldn't say no to him any more......Here then ladies and gentlemen is " Nick's Site " also known (probably more accurately) as " The Worldwide Wobble "

What you'll make of this one I've no idea....Alex and his incorrigible mates, all patrons of the Gay Bar, have set up camp (!) here: " The World Famous Gay Bar and Hosiery Club " also known as " The Revenge of the Pink Panter "

All Things French

These guys are brilliant: the local Melle TRIUMPH dealer will not only look after your bike while you're down here, but from April 2012 will be able to rent you a brand new Triumph for the whole weekend. Check them out here: " HDM - TRIUMPH Dealer - Melle "

OK...your bike's broken down, you're in the middle of a two-wheel transport drought and your significant other is threatening divorce unless you take him/her fishing/abseiling/gastro-gnoming...Well...your troubles are over! Check these good people out (especially the "Activity Breaks" page....) " France on line "

Useful Stuff

Products and bits and bobs that can make your life a tad easier

Check out TWOZERO for bum-bags, reflective stuff and practical gear that's been designed for bikers, by a biker. It's a company that belongs to a chum of mine so go there, mention my name and I'll be sent a Tesco token up to the value of one shilling.

NO! SERIOUSLY! Those of you who come more than 3 times a year (which, let's face it, is most of you....if you lot ever get a life I will be seriously out of business.....but I digress..) will know that I foist a flourescent tabard upon the tail-ender so that he'll know who he is and also so that the rest of us can recognise him for what he is. Well, I've tried a number of different manufacturers over the years and they've all self-destructed pretty quickly. TWOZERO on the other hand have shown their flouo tabards to be rugged, well-made and indescribably dashing. IAM approved (well, you can't have everything) so dash over there and have a squint. No, really, they are VERY good.

(more to follow as you give me your favourites)

Hope to see you soon Tony

Mine host, in James Dean mode...

How We Ride

The whole point of the weekend is for you to have FUN while riding at all times within your "comfort zone". You won't have that if you feel that you're obliged to gallop along at a rate that you don't feel comfortable with, neither will you if you feel that you're dawdling along and are getting bored...

Rider Experience

Every group is made up of riders with varying degrees of experience, age, skill, enthusiasm, horsepower, machine control and stamina. I like to think that we can cater for everybody but it's obvious that somebody who has only recently passed their test will find it daunting to be thrown into this particular deep-end...It's also important that everybody is committed to their riding and, normally, the fact of having to ride all the way down here is a guarantee of that. If you are a "new" rider however it might be worth postponing your 1st trip until you've undertaken some additional training in the UK (see the LINKS within the Contact Us section ) or just piled on the miles and are feeling confident with your riding. Confidence is the key; how FAST you ride is definitely NOT. Groups are, by definition, made up of riders with varying levels of confidence and we can cater for this by applying the "Drop-off system" This is not complicated but I've managed to make it appear so in the following explanation. Read it carefully as you'll be quizzed on it once you eventually arrive here...

Frequently Answered Questions

What should you know before you come?

Passport, bike registration docs, insurance. You will need some form of European breakdown insurance. The AA, Green Flag etc do good cover. Check with your current insurer what’s on offer and also confirm that your bike is fully insured for the trip to France, BOTH FOR ACCIDENT AND BREAKDOWN (a lot of the companies are NOT offering recovery for bikes involved in an accident, check it out!).

!!!!!MOST IMPORTANT!!!!! MAKE SURE THAT YOUR TRAVEL POLICY COVERS YOU FOR BIKES LARGER THAN 125CC!!!!!!!! Seriously, this was a major issue in 2007 with a rider needing medical/repatriation assistance and finding that he was NOT covered as he thought. Check it out!

Take photocopies of your docs and keep them separate from your originals.

You WILL need the the EHIC card which can be obtained free from your local post-office. This enables you to recover any medical costs incurred in France.

Hard panniers are good. If your bike doesn’t come equipped then throw-overs or a tail-pack are good alternatives. A tank bag is very useful for documents, camera, route cards, maps etc. make sure that whatever you have is waterproof. If you don’t have soft pannier covers then wrap up all your stuff in bin-liners before putting it in the panniers. You won’t need too many clothes. Enough shirts/T-shirts for four days, a pair of jeans, a sweater, a fleece-type jacket, and some walking shoes (in case you have to push your bike anywhere...). A little black dress for the evening and a simple string of pearls is always very elegant.

Riding Gear

Accessories

Sunglasses, camera, chocolate, fruit-juice, energy bar…..whatever.

We don't include the ferry booking etc as part of your weekend cost. We have two recommendations for you to make your booking however:

MCN offer discounts on cross-channel ferries here: MCN Ferry Discount Codes

Also you can try: www.ferrysavers.com

Arrival at the port

Aim to get to the check-in at around an hour or so before departure in case there are queues. There are cash machines and a Bureau de Change at the Terminal and on board. Don't hesitate to muscle your way to the front of the queue as British drivers love to hear the throaty roar of bikes' exhausts and admire our multi-hued vestments. It's a good idea if you've all filled up in the UK. This will save at least 30 minutes on the French side, just when you're all impatient to be getting away

Arrival in France

I don't know which port you'll all be arriving at, but if you can let me know when your arrangements are finalized I'll send you the best (most interesting) route down. If you get tied up with lunch/ hedgehogs/lambs-wool underwear, you'll have the option of popping onto a motorway to make up time. If you've opted for one of the Cherbourg/Le Havre/ Caen crossings and have arrived in the morning you'll have plenty of time to get down here. The route maps I will give you will lead you from town to town on the route, with the road numbers and distances between points clearly marked. A good idea is to stop for a coffee once you've cleared the town and are out on the open road. You can check the map and the bloke who forgot to attach his chinstrap can now do so.....

IMPORTANT! DRINK LOTS OF WATER ON THE WAY DOWN! Some riders have arrived here on the Friday with splitting headaches and totally exhausted. This is due to dehydration. Drink lots of water when you stop to take on fuel/lunch/coffee and you'll be fine. No, really...

Once you're all down here I'll be leading you out over the four days on four circuits which take in some great biking roads and will give us the opportunity to visit Oradour sur Glane. We will all start in the morning with full tanks and then stop for petrol every 100 - 120 miles. We will stop for coffee in the morning, for lunch and again for coffee in the afternoon. The accent is very much on riding; we will leave the chateau at 10h00 and won’t be back until around 17h00. We will have covered 200 miles in that time. Riding will be on well-maintained B-roads. There will be 0.00 kms of dual-carriageway riding during the weekend, so come prepared. NOBODY WILL GET LOST NOR WILL THEY HAVE TO PEDAL LIKE MAD TO KEEP UP WITH THE LEADERS! (see " How we ride "). The one thing to be avoided at all costs is for you to feel pressured into riding at a speed where you feel uncomfortable, be it too fast or too slow.

Liability - Important!! You are liable for both your and your bike’s safety. Do not attempt to ride beyond your capabilities. If you drop behind we will wait for you. If you fall off, we'll go back and pick you up

Remember the THREE "P"s Position, Planning, Execution, Cheery wave, Cup of Coffee

Teller machines will accept British cards providing you have a PIN number.

Be aware that when you use your card to pay for petrol at an automated pump your card will be debited a "maximum" amount of around €120. This is also true in the UK. The difference lies in the fact that in the UK the bank automatically and immediately calculates the difference beteween the maximum figure and your actual purchase and credits you the difference. Using your UK card in the rest of Europe it may take up to a week for the credit to appear on your account. This can mean that after 5 fill-ups your card might be showing a debit of approx €600. It's easy to max out over a week's travelling. If you're travelling with a mate then double up when filling up and spread the strain between your two cards.

Accommodation

Food & Drink

Electrics and electronic equipment

Bring a UK/French plug adaptor with you! You can get these in Boots or on the ferry. I used to have several of these but they've all gone walkabout, so I've given up......(you know who you are)

The weather forecast for this weekend, from Saturday morning until Tuesday morning is bright and sunny. Not too hot, not cold at all, rain if you'd like some

Past trips have been very good fun. The riding has been great and the company as good. By the time we get back to the chateau in the evening you will be glad to park the bike up, hit the shower and get ready for dinner. During the day coffee and lunch stops are normally chosen on aspect and availability.

Chateau Flash

Where are we?

We're located 60 kms south-west of Poitiers, or 22 kms due east of Niort, in the Deux-Sevres département of France. The town is Melle, and it's great! Melle is about 750kms from Calais or 450kms from Cherbourg or Le Havre. There are direct routes via A and B roads with some interesting twisty bits on the way down or you can choose to go the whole way on the motorway route, which will get you to within 15kms of Melle, whichever port you're coming from.

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Rory McIlroy “carries” Shane Lowry to 25th PGA Tour win at Zurich Classic

The all-Irish duo of McIlroy and Lowry came from behind Sunday to capture the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

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Share All sharing options for: Rory McIlroy “carries” Shane Lowry to 25th PGA Tour win at Zurich Classic

The PGA Tour is in New Orleans this week for the only team event on tour, the Zurich Classic.

Despite a tumultuous round by Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry , the Irish duo came out on top in a playoff over Martin Trainer and Chad Ramey.

It is McIlroy’s 25th career victory on the PGA Tour . Lowry notched his third and his first since winning The Open in 2019. But it was the former that did most of the heavy lifting.

“Let’s go and get 400 [FedEx Cup] points each. That’s what we’ve done, and I nearly feel a little bit bad taking them because Rory carried me a lot of the way,” Lowry said with a smile after the win.

Nearly three hours before the 72nd hole had been played by all teams, Trainer and Ramey entered the clubhouse at 25-under par. A number of pairs were already at or just below that number with practically an entire round to play.

Yet, windy conditions made scoring very difficult as no one would finish any lower.

A bogey on 17 for McIlroy and Lowry dropped them one shot off the pace. But the Northern Irishman made up for it on 18 with a fantastic chip . That set up a short birdie putt, which Lowry drained to get into the playoff.

RORY MCILROY! Shane Lowry has a chance to sink that putt to tie the lead. pic.twitter.com/hkma9BdZeK — Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) April 28, 2024

In the playoff, Ramey and Trainer’s rust showed. Two hours and 54 minutes after they finished their round, Trainer’s tee shot missed the fairway left. Despite getting a clean lie just short of the fairway bunker, Ramey yanked his 3-wood well left of the green.

Meanwhile, McIlroy’s tee shot found the fairway. Lowry’s approach came up just short, nestling into the greenside bunker. But they were still in decent shape.

Trainer chunked his third and Ramey chipped up near the hole, leaving a makable 5-footer for par.

McIlroy hit a decent bunker shot, which left his fellow Irishman with 10 feet for the win. But just like much of the week, Lowry’s putter failed him. He missed the putt just above the hole and it appeared as though a massive opportunity slipped away.

Moments later though, Trainer inexplicably missed his short par putt, sealing the victory for McIlroy and Lowry.

“Absolutely amazing. We’ve had an awesome week here in New Orleans. The crowds all week have been absolutely amazing. To get the support that we’ve had out there and to have so much fun while doing it, it’s been an awesome week, and obviously I feel like it’s just a bonus to win at the end,” McIlroy said.

“But couldn’t be better to have this man alongside me to get a PGA Tour win together.”

It likely was not the way they envisioned winning, but a victory is a victory, however it comes.

This was McIlroy’s first time playing in this event. He had such a great time and received such a warm welcome, that he already let everyone know his future plans.

“I’d say we’re going to come back and defend next year.”

In a much-needed boost, Lowry and McIlroy jumped to 12th and 15th respectively on the FedEx Cup points list with the win.

Kendall Capps is the Senior Editor of SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social media platforms.

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Grandmother shoots robber in the middle of taylor swift 'eras' movie, hero crimefighter grandma shoots robber ... in the middle of taylor swift 'eras' flick.

Forget anti-heroes ... a grandma in New Mexico is a full-blown hero after shooting an intruder who was on the run from cops -- right in the middle of Taylor Swift 's "Eras" flick!

Anissa Tinnin was watching the movie version of Taylor's tour with her granddaughter. They were having a great time, singing, dancing, popping M&M's ... when a guy named Joseph Rivera came charging through her front door. Turns out Rivera had allegedly stolen a car and cops were on to him.

Tinnin says she was manhandled, threatened and ordered to turn over her car keys, which she did. She says, "I told him not to hurt us ... I would do whatever he wanted."

She says when Rivera walked outside, she called 911 and beelined it for her gun case, where she removed a weapon.

For some reason, Rivera came back inside the house. By this time she had put her granddaughter in a bedroom for safety, but the guy came charging at her.

She screamed, "Get back. I will f***ing shoot you! " ... and she did. He asked why she did it, and Tinnin responded, "Because you're in my f***ing house!"

Tinnin even showed compassion, rendering first aid by putting pressure on the wound.

But, she warned Rivera ... one false move and she'd shoot again.

Cops showed up and Rivera is now in custody, charged with burglary, auto theft and other crimes.

Dude has 5 prior felony convictions for burglaries and theft, the stakes were high for Tinnin, and she rose to the occasion.

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Orange crush: Boats packed with revelers tour Amsterdam canals to celebrate the king’s birthday

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Decked in the national orange color, dancing to music, and eating orange-glazed pastries, many in the Netherlands Saturday are marking King’s Day, celebrating the birthday of their monarch who is enjoying a very slight rise in popularity as per a national poll.

As King Willem-Alexander celebrated his 57th birthday with his family in the northeastern city of Emmen, people across the country engaged in the traditional “free markets” held on that day, selling second-hand toys, books and other items. Others toured through the historic canals of the capital, Amsterdam as orange smoke from flares held aloft one boat drifted over vessels of all shapes and sizes jostling for space on a busy canal.

“Celebrating your birthday with your own family is the most beautiful thing you can experience. I'm very happy everybody is back,” Willem-Alexander told Dutch broadcaster NOS during a walkabout in Emmen, 190 kilometers (120 miles) northeast of the Dutch capital.

An annual poll published by the NOS for King’s Day showed Willem-Alexander’s popularity edging up very slightly since last year to 6.6 out of 10. His Argentine-born wife, Queen Maxima, scored 7.1 out of 10 in the poll of 1,015 people, conducted earlier this month.

The royals’ popularity took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic after Willem-Alexander and his family went on vacation in Greece during a partial lockdown. The royals cut short their break amid national uproar and Willem-Alexander took the unusual step of issuing a video message to express his regret and contrition for the trip.

The king’s three daughters, Amalia, Alexia and Ariane have all spent time out of the country recently — Ariane has been studying in Italy while Alexia has taken a gap year to travel. The eldest and heir to the Dutch throne, Amalia, also returned ahead of the king’s birthday after being forced to leave her student accommodation in Amsterdam and move to Madrid following threats from the criminal underworld.

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Amalia, 20, who is studying politics, psychology, law and economics at Amsterdam University, told NOS she was “extremely grateful to everybody who made it possible” for her to live in Spain, where she said she was able to enjoy more freedom than in the Netherlands.

But, she added: “I’m glad to be back.”

Woods, McIlroy to receive loyalty payouts from PGA Tour, report says

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Many airlines have 'stopover' programs that let travelers tour a city between connecting flights, and some will even pay for a hotel — here's how to book them

• Many people intentionally book flights with long connections so they can explore the layover city.
• Airlines capitalize on this trend with "stopover" programs, some even offering free hotels and food.
• These stopovers benefit travelers, airlines, and the carrier's home country by boosting tourism.

A special segment of adventurous travelers will purposely book itineraries with long connections in layover cities just to leave the airport and explore for a few hours or days between flights.

Airlines have jumped on this growing trend with built-in "stopover" programs, which can come with free or discounted hotels, excursions, transportation, and food at the layover destination.

It's basically a vacation within a vacation.

Although it sounds too good to be true, stopovers benefit everyone involved. Travelers get more choices and don't have to be confined to an airport, airlines gain customers who may have otherwise chosen a nonstop option on a competitor, and the carrier's home country sees a boost in tourism.

Plus, the cheap or complimentary accommodations typically come at a small cost to airlines, thanks to partnerships with local hotels or tour companies.

Not all stopover programs are structured with an emphasis on tourism, though, as some were created simply to offer conveniences during long layovers. Still, they are a way to secure a free hotel and explore an extra city.

Here are 22 global airline stopover programs, each lasting anywhere from hours to months.

Many carriers allow stopovers to be added to a regular cash booking, but some are only available via award tickets . This means the flight was paid for using points/miles or a combination of points/miles and cash.

Air Canada has a stopover option built into its Aeroplan loyalty program. It allows customers booking award flights to add a stop on international journeys and explore practically any city the airline flies to outside the US and Canada.

The add-on costs 5,000 Aeroplan points each way and can only be booked if the stop is at least 24 hours, capping out at 45 days.

Air France/KLM

Air France and Dutch carrier KLM's Flying Blue loyalty program offers a stopover of 24 hours or more in a connecting city on either carrier or their airline partners.

The option is free to add to award tickets, and passengers can stay up to a year in the stopover city.

China Southern Airlines

China Southern Airlines offers a free one-night hotel stay for transfer passengers with connection times lasting between six and 30 hours, though there are some time and route restrictions.

Breakfast and transportation are included for eligible travelers.

Copa Airlines

Copa Airlines' Panama stopover program allows customers to spend anywhere from 24 hours to seven days in the nation's capital, Panama City, on their outbound or return trip.

The option is free for the first stopover, but a second stopover can cost up to $250 plus taxes. Copa offers discounted hotels and tours that can be booked via its stopover website.

Emirates allows a stopover in Dubai with the option to add discounted tours or hotel bookings to the itinerary via its website.

The UAE carrier also has a " Dubai Connect " program that gives passengers with layovers between 6 and 26 hours, depending on the cabin, a complimentary hotel, transfers, meals, and any needed visa.

Dubai Connect only triggers if the customer takes the next available flight. Essentially, you can't intentionally book a longer layover to quality for the free stopover hotel.

Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines' transit program gives customers flying via Addis Ababa a free hotel, transit visa, and transfers during layovers lasting between eight and 24 hours.

The hotel on the airline's website is the Ethiopian Skylight In-Terminal Hotel, located inside the airport.

Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways offers a stopover in its Abu Dhabi hub, which comes with an undisclosed discount at select three-star hotels for up to two nights.

Two and four-night stays can be booked at more luxurious four and five-star hotels at a 40% discount. The minimum stay is 24 hours.

Although Etihad's website says it is temporarily unavailable, the airline used to allow eligible travelers to use a so-called Transit Connect Package that provided a free hotel near the airport for layovers lasting 10 to 24 hours. It is unclear when or if the program is returning.

Fiji Airways

Fiji Airways offers a stopover program in Fiji for those traveling to and from Australia, New Zealand, and other South Pacific nations.

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Hotels and activities like ziplining and beach resorts can be booked through the airline as part of the stopover package.

Finnair allows passengers to book 6, 12, or 24-hour layovers in Helsinki at no additional fare charge and outlines itinerary ideas and information on its website , like transportation, free walking tours, and restaurants.

Customers can book a hotel through the airline and earn Finnair Plus points.

Iberia customers can plan a stopover in Madrid to or from an international destination for one to six nights at no extra cost.

Discounts on hotels, excursions, and transfers in the Spanish capital are available through Iberia.

Icelandair offers a stopover option for one to seven days in its capital city of Reykjavik on transatlantic itineraries for no additional charge.

The airline offers itinerary help and assistance in booking excursions and tours. Hotels need to be booked separately.

Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines considers itself one of the "most stopover -friendly" carriers in the world.

The stopovers, which trigger at 24 hours, are not limited to JAL's hubs in Tokyo but can be enjoyed in places like Osaka and Kyoto using the airline's multi-city booking tool.

Latam Airlines

Latam Airlines offers stopovers for between one and three days on flights that connect in São Paulo, Brasilia, Fortaleza, Recife, Manaus, Curitiba, and Belem. Only international itineraries that connect in São Paulo.

Hotels and amenities can be booked via Latam, but the stopover booking is free.

Oman Air offers customizable stopover packages to give travelers time to explore the country's capital, Muscat, and beyond. An additional fare charge may be applicable, though the airline does not fly to the US.

Packages and a-la-carte options include discounted hotels for up to three nights, as well as organized tours, meals, and transfers.

Australian flag carrier Qantas offers its stopovers in a similar manner to JAL in that multi-city bookings can be manipulated to add extra days between flights in layover cities, like Bangkok, Osaka, or San Francisco.

This comes at no extra cost on eligible Qantas fares and can be used on its Oneworld partner airlines.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways' stopover program allows passengers with a minimum layover of 12 hours and up to 24 hours to choose from a list of deeply discounted four and five-star hotels. Certain flight itineraries allow for up to four nights.

Nightly hotel rates start at $14 per person for 1 night at four-star standard hotels, with premium five-star beach hotels starting at $30 per person for one night.

Royal Jordanian Airlines

Royal Jordanian Airlines' transit program gives economy and business-class travelers with at least eight and six-hour layovers, respectively, a free hotel room, meals, and transit, assuming certain fare conditions are met.

However, the connecting flight must be the earliest possible — meaning, similar to Emirates, passengers can't intentionally book a longer layover to be eligible for the complimentary perks.

Swiss International Air Lines

Swiss International Air Lines, or SWISS, has a multi-city stopover booking tool on its website that allows passengers to find itineraries with extra days in Switzerland.

The cost of hotels and other perks is on the customer, though.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines' stopover program is available via the multi-city tool, similar to other carriers, where travelers can add hotels, transfers, and activities. The stopover can last one to seven days.

Singapore also offers free transit tours to passengers with layover times between five and a half and 24 hours at Singapore's Changi Airport. It's first-come, first-serve and includes sightseeing around Singapore.

TAP Air Portugal

TAP Air Portugal allows customers to add a stopover in Lisbon or Porto between one and 10 days, offering discounts on hotels, food, and activities.

It also offers 25% off a domestic flight to a second Portuguese destination, like the Azores or Madeira islands, to take during the stopover.

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines' stopover program gives economy travelers a one-night free hotel stay and business flyers a two-night free stay if the period between their connecting flights in Istanbul exceeds 20 hours.

Those traveling from the US in economy class can stay up to two nights in a four-star hotel, while those traveling in business can stay up to three nights in a five-star hotel.

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