London to Lisbon Rally
London to Lisbon is like no other rally we have planned before; it’s got more miles, more days, it starts in the UK and we’ll all be driving the same vehicle…. A Ford KA! This route will really be a true test of man/woman and machine, 1850 miles in a car that was originally designed for grandma, what could possibly go wrong? We want it to be one big adventure from start to finish; we’ve incorporated beautiful scenery, historical landmarks, breath taking mountains, a race circuit, crazy challenges and of course, the capital of Portugal, Lisbon….. not to mention a few beers along the way coupled with the great company of like mined people.
Day 1 ... Thursday 11th April 2024: Brands Hatch to Le Mans (340 miles)
We will meet early on the Thursday morning at Brands Hatch race circuit where we will head down in Two Ball Rally convoy to the Dover Ferry terminal. We will make good use of the ferry crossing and have our team briefing on the crossing. Once in France, we will head toward Rouen then onto Le Mans. No doubt you will have a few challenges to complete along the way! Once we have ourselves settled for the night we will meet up at a local bar for a spot of dinner, collate the daily challenges and a cold beer before getting teams briefed on the next day’s route.
Day 2 ... Friday 12th April 2024: Le Mans to Bordeaux (277 miles)
We will meet at the famous Le Mans circuit before hitting the road towards our first checkpoint of La Rochelle also known as the ‘white city’ with its arcaded walkways and half-timbered houses. We will continue along the west coast of France keeping off the motorways, passing through Rochefort and Royan before catching the ferry to Le Verdon-sur-Mer. We will then head towards our evening venue in the region of Bordeaux to meet up and de-brief on the day’s events.
Day 3 ... Saturday 13th April 2024: Bordeaux to Burgos (278 miles)
We start by driving through the Gascony region of south-west France. This region is one of the country’s best-kept secrets with its rolling hills and wooded valleys. From here, we will take on the mighty Pyrenees, this serrated chain of peaks stretches 430 km along the Franco-Spanish border, and we all know what this means, amazing roads and high altitude driving. After spending some time in the mountains, we will descend and head towards our evening venue, the historical city of Burgos, Spain.
Day 4 ... Sunday 14th April 2024: Burgos to Braga (329 miles)
From Burgos, we will continue west and head for the Spanish city of Leon then drop down crossing the border into Portugal via the Parque Natural de Montesinho. The park is known for its oak forests and deep canyons and will make a great checkpoint before we hit the N103 Bragança to Braga. This road is the best biking road in Portugal… and we are going to make it the best Ford Ka road in the world! The road takes us through some of the best scenery that Portugal has to offer and delivers us perfectly to our evening venue of Braga, Portugal.
Day 5 ... Monday 15th April 2024: Braga to Lisbon (226 miles)
Although today is our shortest day, do not think for a moment you are getting off lightly! We will meet at Braga race circuit, where we will hopefully manage a lap or two of the circuit in our Ford Ka’s! (it’s a private test track with one of Europe’s best karting circuits on-site and we have a very good friend who works there). We will then follow the Portuguese coastline down to beach resort of Figueira da Foz to meet for lunch, and then in Two Ball Rally style, we will aim to drive in convoy down to the capital of Portugal Lisbon!
London to Lisbon FAQs
Does it have to be a Ford Ka?
Preferably, but we know Ka's are getting thin on the ground, so we will consider other unsuitable small cars!
Is there a limit to what we can spend on the Ford Ka?
Yes, in typical Two Ball Rally spirit it’s £789. You can then spend as much as you want modifying it and refining its reliability.
Will teams be scrapping in Lisbon?
Yes and No. We have made arrangements for the poor little Ka’s to be scrapped/recycled. Our Portuguese contact will deal with all the necessary paperwork too.
What if I want to drive back?
Good on ya! Make life easy and book the Santander to Plymouth 24 hour ferry crossing. However, check crossing and costs beforehand!
Will there be any mechanical support?
No. But, we will be looking to organise a range of Ford Ka spares and tools across the teams participating, so we will be covered as much as possible. Plus, the staff team may be in a Ford Ka!
Why a Ford Ka?
Why not? Cheap, cheerful and fun to drive!
What about hotels?
As usual, we will suggest hotels for the route.