23 replies to this topic

[jonathansouth]

Right... I'm planning a monster road-trip across Western Europe. Thought I'd post up the details on the very rare chance that I could convoy with/meet anyone on the way; -

 

September

18th leave early morning to catch the Euro Tunnel at 8:20. I'll then drive to Ulm in South-West Germany to stay at a friends, although I haven't decided on whether to go through France or Belgium-Germany to get to Ulm. Guess it'll probably depend on the number of road works on the different routes on the day.

19th drive to Interlaken, passing through Zurich on the way, stay over-night.

20th drive to Liechtenstein, taking the long-route through the Furka Pass , stay over-night.

21st drive to Hasselt, Belgium stay with some friends.

22nd head back to the UK on the 12:20 Euro Tunnel.

 

I figure it's going to add 2k-2.5k of mileage to the car, which is a lot but since she's my fair-weather weekend toy that barely gets used I'm not that bothered about the extra mileage.

 

Any thoughts/comments welcome. I'm borrowing a friends' European road kit (mini-fire extinguisher, red triangle etc.). I've got a small bag of common tools, fuses etc., and an additional puncture repair can. I've purchased uber-insurance i.e. drag my car all the way back to blighty if it properly brakes. I've also created a 25 hour playlist on my phone (I have a bluetooth stereo) too. In-car phone charger.

 

Changed the oil and filters 3 months back. New bilstein shocks and springs have only seen 1k. Tyre tread is good.

 

Think I'm all ready?

[kipper]

That's hell'va distance in five days. This year it took us three days to get down to Colmar in Eastern France with the family and that was driving for 4-5 hours a day. Carried on with a circular journey to Lake Constance, Black Forest, back into France, then Belgium (Spa track day), back into Northern France and then home. Took fourteen days and never more than two nights at any one place. Totalled over 2500 miles. You must love endurance driving!

[oblomov]

When I do a eurotrip it usually clocks up about 3k miles.  I would say what you're doing is a bit pointless because there are too many long drives and not enough stops. Also when you get to Switzerland it's very nice to take three or four days to drive a number of passes with much shorter driving hours and more time to take in the local ambience.  I'm usually gone from my hotel in Switzerland by 0500 am which gives lots of driving on uncluttered roads/passes before getting back reasonably early to chill out.

 

I mean one night and then immediately returning?  A wasted opportunity to explore the area in the VX and see a lot of sights well worth seeing.

[jonathansouth]

"pointless" is my middle name

[Harry Hornet]

Johnathon

 

Look at my Kalamata or bust thread in Eurotrips..

 

Im one day behind you, go across channel on 19th September but as Oblomov states have planned stuff both down and back to Venice

 

Meeting Jonyboy at Nubergring, spending a day doing Alps, and a day in Venice after doing the Italian passes

 

then Greece..

 

and on the way back, meeting Matt Bently at Monza, stopping at Dijon for a GT round, old Reims circuit then visit to war graves at Ypres

 

Suggest you try and stop at SPA..its the equivalent of the Goodwood festival there..old F1 races etc...

 

HH

Edited by Harry Hornet, 29 August 2015 - 08:35 PM.

[jonathansouth]

Look at my Kalamata or bust thread in Eurotrips..

 

Just had a read of your Eurotrips post; very impressive! Some great stop-off points and events in your plan.

 

My trip is far from optimum however I have a constraint in my trip in that my friend currently living in Ulm moves back to Brazil permanently at the end of September and I can only get 5 days away from the office in that month. So we've decided on a driving trip around Switzerland and Liechtstein for a few days in the VX. That does mean some 10 hour endurance drives at the start and end of the trip but I don't mind driving in the VX at all. Even the long straight boring motorways of Belgium and France will be fun in the VX.

[P11 COV]

 

 

 

 Even the long straight boring motorways of Belgium and France will be fun in the VX.

 

 

Not my cup of tea. When we were on our trip I ended up doing 100mph plus for hours on end to get the motorway bits over with.

 

Personally I enjoy exploring places. We did 2000 mile there and back but stopped a lot en route.  (Probably nearer 3000 in total) Most days travel was limited to 3 hours. Then we took 5 days holiday (in addition to the track days for the French Frolic)

 

Admittedly that requited a generous few weeks but even then I was glad of days when I didn't gave to get in the VX!

 

Each to his own though

 

 

Edited by P11 COV, 30 August 2015 - 03:59 PM.

[WrightStuff]

Even the long straight boring motorways of Belgium and France will be fun in the VX.

 

No, it'll be sh1t unless you enjoy being tailgated by a tw4t in a renault .

There's no way I'd take a eurotrip in the VX unless there was a trackday at the end of it. Its a very poor tourer.

[Harry Hornet]

 

Even the long straight boring motorways of Belgium and France will be fun in the VX.

 

No, it'll be sh1t unless you enjoy being tailgated by a tw4t in a renault .

There's no way I'd take a eurotrip in the VX unless there was a trackday at the end of it. Its a very poor tourer.

 

 

Sorry for Spamming Johnathon, but really Wightstuff.....horses for courses and all that...

..you wont be coming on the Hoon  then??..

 

or meeting me here....

 

https://www.facebook...220568731316574

[jonathansouth]

 

Even the long straight boring motorways of Belgium and France will be fun in the VX.

 

No, it'll be sh1t unless you enjoy being tailgated by a tw4t in a renault .

There's no way I'd take a eurotrip in the VX unless there was a trackday at the end of it. Its a very poor tourer.

 

 

Thanks for sharing your opinion.

[stu8v]

When I did my ring trip. 1200 miles in 3days the only thing that let the vx down where the poor headlights. Go for it, whats the worst? You decide the vx wasnt the best choice, hardly the end of the world :-)

[jonathansouth]

 

Sorry for Spamming Johnathon, but really Wightstuff.....horses for courses and all that...

..you wont be coming on the Hoon  then??..

 

or meeting me here....

 

https://www.facebook...220568731316574

 

 

The Hoon definitely sounds like my kinda thing. I take it next year will similar to the last one - driving in the highlands of Scotland? I've never been to Scotland so I'd love visit, especially the ultra scenic bits.

 

The Megara thing looks good - hope you enjoy it there, I think you'd have to try hard not to! I won't be joining you though - I've only got a 5-day window and will be spending 3 of those in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Unless you're going to be in that area between the 19th-21st?

[jonathansouth]

You decide the vx wasnt the best choice, hardly the end of the world :-)

 

Maybe, I'll let you know. I could have flown to Munich and picked up a hire car; that seems very dull to me though. A few years back I drove from Belgrade to a ski resort in the south of Serbia and then Sarajevo stopping off in Podgorica (Montengro is lovely to drive through!) and then back to Belgrade. The hire car I had was a Hyundai or another Asian-brand car... I can't even remember the model it is so dull! Would have loved to have driven through Montenegro in something fun

[Harry Hornet]

 

 

Sorry for Spamming Johnathon, but really Wightstuff.....horses for courses and all that...

..you wont be coming on the Hoon  then??..

 

or meeting me here....

 

https://www.facebook...220568731316574

 

 

The Hoon definitely sounds like my kinda thing. I take it next year will similar to the last one - driving in the highlands of Scotland? I've never been to Scotland so I'd love visit, especially the ultra scenic bits.

 

The Megara thing looks good - hope you enjoy it there, I think you'd have to try hard not to! I won't be joining you though - I've only got a 5-day window and will be spending 3 of those in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Unless you're going to be in that area between the 19th-21st?

 

 

Johnathan

 

The thing about Megara was a at WRightstuff that there is a track at the end of my trip...

 

..I will be at Solden/Hochgurgl , Austria on 21st..doing the Timmlesjoch passs down in to Italy and Venice..

 

..perhaps next time, next year,  as we both miss the Tiyrol VX/Lotus meet by a 1 weekend..this year

 

HH  

[jonathansouth]

Ahh... I see your point. And yes, missing Tirol event is unfortunate

[Chief]

Go for it Jonathan! If you like driving the car then driving through Europe will be a blast.

I'm going this week, through France (via Poitiers and Bordeaux), to Northern Spain. Meeting friends in Madrid, Cordoba and Granada. Then through Barcelona, Monaco to Livorno, ferry to Corsica drive through and on to Sardegna (family and friends there). I love driving the VX and have no problems doing 500 miles a day. I'm taking my 16 yr old son too so should be an adventure. No real plans, I just have to be back before 26 September to check out the National and my son has to be at university that weekend too. Just pray the weather is better than this wet bank holiday.

[jonathansouth]

Sounds like an excellent trip mate! Hope you and your son have a lot of fun meeting friends and exploring foreign lands

[Harry Hornet]

Go for it Jonathan! If you like driving the car then driving through Europe will be a blast.

I'm going this week, through France (via Poitiers and Bordeaux), to Northern Spain. Meeting friends in Madrid, Cordoba and Granada. Then through Barcelona, Monaco to Livorno, ferry to Corsica drive through and on to Sardegna (family and friends there). I love driving the VX and have no problems doing 500 miles a day. I'm taking my 16 yr old son too so should be an adventure. No real plans, I just have to be back before 26 September to check out the National and my son has to be at university that weekend too. Just pray the weather is better than this wet bank holiday.

 

..puts my trip in perspective...just a little jaunt

 

.....perhaps we should aim for a convoy next year to the Tirol meet....

 

..have a good one..HH

[ianrm]

I am driving down to Florence in Italy on the 16th Sept for 2 weeks holiday. It is 1016 miles and we do it in one day. We leave home at 04:00, use the Eurotunnel, go through France, enter Switzerland at Basel, use the Gothard Tunnel, into Italy near Milan and then on to Florence. We normally stop four times for fuel and arrive at our destination at around 09:30 ish.

[jonathansouth]

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