European driving scare stories?
Discussion
I've book my holiday and I'm going to France camping in August, same as thousands of other Brits I guess. We will be driving down with three other families. This got me thinking about the Euro breakdown / accident cover. For peace of mind I will take it out, I'm not expecting any problems (my car will be three years old and about 48k miles) but I wondered if anyone has ever had to claim. As a kid I remember my dads Rover SD1 breaking down in France but it was an HT lead and after clipping it back in everything work fine, but I was also told of a friend of ours who wrote off his Sierra in the south of France.
Anyone got any scare stories?
Anyone got any scare stories?
Only a minor one, took a posse of bikers around the Ardennes, one chap on a very custom 'blueprinted' Honda, found a lake of oil under the bike the next morning. That was a Sunday. Took until late Monday for the bike to be recovered, then a week of phone calls to get it shipped back to the UK. Bike finally arrived two weeks later, badly broken as it slipped off the transport somewhere near Belgium at 50 km/h.
The only other woe is distraction thefts from the Aires in France, and rest areas in Spain. Scrote #1 lets a tyre down, unobserved, Scrote #2 helpfully points it out, Scrotes #3 & #4 help themselves to car contents while tyre is being changed.
The only other woe is distraction thefts from the Aires in France, and rest areas in Spain. Scrote #1 lets a tyre down, unobserved, Scrote #2 helpfully points it out, Scrotes #3 & #4 help themselves to car contents while tyre is being changed.
mk4gtiturbo said:
Thats reassuring, only one story in 24 hours!!
I've not broken down abroad, but I have driven thousands of miles across much of mainland Europe over the last twenty years and my experiences have largely been extremely positive. In general there are much fewer people, a lot less aggression and the roads are a lot quieter and smoother. When I say that on Pistonheads people normally assume I'm only driving off peak, but I've actually frequently driven in rush hour traffic in and around major cities such as Brussels and Stuttgart, as well as lived and worked in smaller towns and commuted at peak times. Things generally are just much nicer.When I was a child we were going on a family holiday to the South of France, in one of the first 406 HDi's. Very early on it dropped down to running on 2 and soon after it gave up the ghost altogether, thanks to Peugeot Assistance we were recovered to the Peugeot dealer in Bethune who on a Saturday afternoon had no mechanics there to have a look. We then had to get a few different trains back to Calais to get the ferry home. Much arguing and bickering ensued as tempers had frayed somewhat over the last few hours. Being a Peugeot dealer ourselves, my Dad took another car off the forecourt, opting against 'modern technology' and taking a 306 1.9 Turbo Diesel to set about the journey again the next day.
I think the 406 received a new engine in Bethune, my Dad returned a couple of weeks later to pick it up with my older sister where on a roundabout he had a 'coming together' with a local which prompted a few hours in a police station arguing with the gendarmerie about who was going to take the blame. After establishing it was 6 of one, half a dozen of the other the local constabulary let them on their way.
This is the first time I have publicly acknowledged the incident in its entirety as my Dad had sworn us to secret, fearing it would damage the reputation of this new breed of diesel engine. I guess after around 18 years it's ok to let the cat out of the bag! My Dad still keeps a 406 HDi estate for dog, tip and pulling his trailer duties so he clearly doesn't hold it against them.
I think the 406 received a new engine in Bethune, my Dad returned a couple of weeks later to pick it up with my older sister where on a roundabout he had a 'coming together' with a local which prompted a few hours in a police station arguing with the gendarmerie about who was going to take the blame. After establishing it was 6 of one, half a dozen of the other the local constabulary let them on their way.
This is the first time I have publicly acknowledged the incident in its entirety as my Dad had sworn us to secret, fearing it would damage the reputation of this new breed of diesel engine. I guess after around 18 years it's ok to let the cat out of the bag! My Dad still keeps a 406 HDi estate for dog, tip and pulling his trailer duties so he clearly doesn't hold it against them.
I have very fond memories of a tyre blowout on a remote mountain road in northern Montenegro at 10pm on a Saturday night last May. The revolting hired Mercedes B Class (oh we'll give you an upgrade from that VW Golf sir! Look, a Mercedes!) had neither jack or nor spare tyre. There was, however, a hysterical girlfriend. And bears.
I called the rental company in Croatia - disturbed the office manager from his appointment in the local taverna only to find that, not only was he too mullered to note down the reg number, he really couldn't give a monkey's and mumbled something about sending a recovery truck out to the middle of nowhere in the next country sometime on Monday. Said phone call cost me the bargain sum of £45 (thanks for forgetting that Montenegro exists, Vodafone EuroTraveller).
I will be forever grateful for the car load of locals who passed and stopped, and thanks to sign language and my broken Russian informed me that their mate owned a tyre shop in the nearest town, that they would drive me there with the stricken wheel, replace the tyre, drive me back to the hire car and fit it, FOC (apart from the new tyre).
Oh, and my OH and I got free beers out of it, not to mention the company of a fat Montenegrin shouting "Gay!" at the UK's Eurovision entry.
Lesson to all - do your damndest to make sure your hire car comes with a jack and spare wheel.
I called the rental company in Croatia - disturbed the office manager from his appointment in the local taverna only to find that, not only was he too mullered to note down the reg number, he really couldn't give a monkey's and mumbled something about sending a recovery truck out to the middle of nowhere in the next country sometime on Monday. Said phone call cost me the bargain sum of £45 (thanks for forgetting that Montenegro exists, Vodafone EuroTraveller).
I will be forever grateful for the car load of locals who passed and stopped, and thanks to sign language and my broken Russian informed me that their mate owned a tyre shop in the nearest town, that they would drive me there with the stricken wheel, replace the tyre, drive me back to the hire car and fit it, FOC (apart from the new tyre).
Oh, and my OH and I got free beers out of it, not to mention the company of a fat Montenegrin shouting "Gay!" at the UK's Eurovision entry.
Lesson to all - do your damndest to make sure your hire car comes with a jack and spare wheel.
I was held up behind a rusty old van in the pays d'oc, solid white lines so daren't overtake. Finally got to a broken white line so overtook, but whilst passing the van i realised the broken white line was just to indicate there were houses with driveways to allow residents to turn left from their house... One of those rare instances of fastidiousness one encounters in France.
Anyway, every vehicle behind me mistook my manoeuvre for a lengthy rant insulting the quality of French wine and cheese, so spent the next couple of miles trying to run me off the road Mad Max style until i had enough and pulled over with a mind to thump one. Presumably they didn't consider that if i was a law-breaking hooligan then my car with 3 times the horsepower of their merde boxes might have been off into the distance rather than a viable target.
Oh, also note that the French all drive bendy cars with squidgy suspension so they make ridiculous speed bumps and put them in inappropriate places (i found one on a 130kph autoroute)... if you have anything remotely sporty watch out.
Finally, anyone who tells you French road surfaces are brilliant has never driven more than a mile from Calais or a motorway. I have lost a tyre and two springs to French roads, as well as two geometry alignments.
Anyway, every vehicle behind me mistook my manoeuvre for a lengthy rant insulting the quality of French wine and cheese, so spent the next couple of miles trying to run me off the road Mad Max style until i had enough and pulled over with a mind to thump one. Presumably they didn't consider that if i was a law-breaking hooligan then my car with 3 times the horsepower of their merde boxes might have been off into the distance rather than a viable target.
Oh, also note that the French all drive bendy cars with squidgy suspension so they make ridiculous speed bumps and put them in inappropriate places (i found one on a 130kph autoroute)... if you have anything remotely sporty watch out.
Finally, anyone who tells you French road surfaces are brilliant has never driven more than a mile from Calais or a motorway. I have lost a tyre and two springs to French roads, as well as two geometry alignments.
Had an interesting experience going to Le Mans in 2015.
My Mazda A/C compressor pulley bearing decided it had enough. We were about 2/3rd's of the way there so decided to coninue. The pulley sort of turned luckily and although we had no A/C and the thing was making a hideous noise we limped it there.
Unfortunately a psare was not to be found anywhere and due to the routing of the belt I couldnt just buy a shorter belt and bypass this A/C pulley. We decided to chance it and luckily made it the whole way back home. We kept it below 60mph as the faster you went the more heat was generated by the pulley turning with no real bearing and all the magnetic clutch wiring liked to try and set itself alight!
What was left of the magnetic clutch;
The only the race remained!
Remainder of the elctrickery to engage the clutch solenoid
My Mazda A/C compressor pulley bearing decided it had enough. We were about 2/3rd's of the way there so decided to coninue. The pulley sort of turned luckily and although we had no A/C and the thing was making a hideous noise we limped it there.
Unfortunately a psare was not to be found anywhere and due to the routing of the belt I couldnt just buy a shorter belt and bypass this A/C pulley. We decided to chance it and luckily made it the whole way back home. We kept it below 60mph as the faster you went the more heat was generated by the pulley turning with no real bearing and all the magnetic clutch wiring liked to try and set itself alight!
What was left of the magnetic clutch;
The only the race remained!
Remainder of the elctrickery to engage the clutch solenoid
A friend off mine and his mate set off from the North of Scotland to drive to Italy for the world cup in a Ford Sierra. Whilst waiting in the ferry queue at Dover they were approached by a rep selling AA membership and luckily signed up for full european cover, when they blew up the gearbox in Rome they got recovered the whole way home.
I went over to Spain once and was involved in numerous near misses and everyone kept flashing me and honking their horns.
Do you know they all drive on the wrong side of the road over there, bloomin idiots, there should be a law about it, absolute mayhem, they all need to retake their driving tests, if ever they took one in the first place which I very much doubt, roll on Brexit.
Do you know they all drive on the wrong side of the road over there, bloomin idiots, there should be a law about it, absolute mayhem, they all need to retake their driving tests, if ever they took one in the first place which I very much doubt, roll on Brexit.
Edited by Monkeylegend on Tuesday 17th January 15:15
Recovery insurance is worth having. Minor stuffage can result in a quick write off when they charge about a billion quid to get it back home.
The only amusing story I have was from when I was about 19 - I thought it would be a good idea to drive to the South of Spain in an Alfetta GTV. It was a somewhat hilarious adventure, aided by the fact that 3 girls were travelling with me (my future wife, my mate's sister and her best mate). We shared the driving, and because we were skint students, we refused to go on the motorways because you had to pay for them. At some stage crossing the middle of France, I was trying to sleep in the back (bit hard when you're 6'3"), and it was pouring down with rain. Future wife at the wheel. I realised that something was going horribly wrong, as we were going very sideways, she'd lost the back end in a huge flood and we were sailing down the road, with the passenger door at the front. Thankfully she kept the power on and steered out of it .... and nothing was coming the other way.
By the time we got halfway down Spain, we realised that they didn't have any proper roads, it was all single track then and you had to overtake - which is hard in an RHD car. So you get the (non-driving) girl in the passenger seat to tell you when it was clear. Of course, not being a driver, she did not realise that an Alfetta with 4 up was not really on the same level as the Millenium Falcon when it came to acceleration. Many times she said "clear", and I pulled out, only to have a trouser soiling moment with an artic not 50 meters away.
How we survived, I have no idea. Car made it both ways just fine!
The only amusing story I have was from when I was about 19 - I thought it would be a good idea to drive to the South of Spain in an Alfetta GTV. It was a somewhat hilarious adventure, aided by the fact that 3 girls were travelling with me (my future wife, my mate's sister and her best mate). We shared the driving, and because we were skint students, we refused to go on the motorways because you had to pay for them. At some stage crossing the middle of France, I was trying to sleep in the back (bit hard when you're 6'3"), and it was pouring down with rain. Future wife at the wheel. I realised that something was going horribly wrong, as we were going very sideways, she'd lost the back end in a huge flood and we were sailing down the road, with the passenger door at the front. Thankfully she kept the power on and steered out of it .... and nothing was coming the other way.
By the time we got halfway down Spain, we realised that they didn't have any proper roads, it was all single track then and you had to overtake - which is hard in an RHD car. So you get the (non-driving) girl in the passenger seat to tell you when it was clear. Of course, not being a driver, she did not realise that an Alfetta with 4 up was not really on the same level as the Millenium Falcon when it came to acceleration. Many times she said "clear", and I pulled out, only to have a trouser soiling moment with an artic not 50 meters away.
How we survived, I have no idea. Car made it both ways just fine!
HayesDC2 said:
the traffic around Antwerp was insane.
Traffic seems to be very busy round Antwerp ring road all day.Anyhoo.....The exhaust broke on my RS1600i in 2005 ,on my first trip to the Ring.
Owner of the guest house said take it to the garage down the road.
Was welded up and fixed within the hour.
Whilst passing through Andorra back in the summer of 2010 the x/flow in our Caterham decided to 'let go'.
I put in a call to Britannia Rescue explaining the we were on a very narrow hard shoulder on a dual carriageway and a low-loader arrived within 30 minutes. While waiting at the garage a taxi was organised to take us back to our Chambre D'Hote some 80 miles north in France. During the journey I requested repatriation of the car and ourselves and a flight was booked for us the following day.
The next day we were taxi'd to the airport, flown to the UK and then taxi'd back home, finally arriving on our doorstep just 25 hours after making the initial breakdown call
The best bit was that all costs were met by BR at the time so avoiding the hassle of us paying and claiming back later.
The car arrived home some 3 weeks later and sadly the bonnet was damaged. I put a claim into BR for a new bonnet including painting etc and this was settled without any quibble.
The photos below show the damaged piston and majority of the larger items extracted from the sump
A minor inconvenience compared to our real horror story here. So just be extra careful on the twisties
I put in a call to Britannia Rescue explaining the we were on a very narrow hard shoulder on a dual carriageway and a low-loader arrived within 30 minutes. While waiting at the garage a taxi was organised to take us back to our Chambre D'Hote some 80 miles north in France. During the journey I requested repatriation of the car and ourselves and a flight was booked for us the following day.
The next day we were taxi'd to the airport, flown to the UK and then taxi'd back home, finally arriving on our doorstep just 25 hours after making the initial breakdown call
The best bit was that all costs were met by BR at the time so avoiding the hassle of us paying and claiming back later.The car arrived home some 3 weeks later and sadly the bonnet was damaged. I put a claim into BR for a new bonnet including painting etc and this was settled without any quibble.
The photos below show the damaged piston and majority of the larger items extracted from the sump
A minor inconvenience compared to our real horror story here. So just be extra careful on the twisties
mk4gtiturbo said:
I've book my holiday and I'm going to France camping in August, same as thousands of other Brits I guess. We will be driving down with three other families. This got me thinking about the Euro breakdown / accident cover. For peace of mind I will take it out, I'm not expecting any problems (my car will be three years old and about 48k miles) but I wondered if anyone has ever had to claim. As a kid I remember my dads Rover SD1 breaking down in France but it was an HT lead and after clipping it back in everything work fine, but I was also told of a friend of ours who wrote off his Sierra in the south of France.
Anyone got any scare stories?
Scare story? We are coming out the EU so you won't be able to go to Europe!! Anyone got any scare stories?
I've driven tens of thousands of miles on the continent and only crashed 3 times 😛👍🏼
Apart from that I broke down in my Tuscan on the way back from Spain. I'm in the ADAC so the French recovery guy was happy. The ADAC sorted out a rental car for us to continue my slow drive (4 days) back to Calais and had a car waiting in Dover too.
They transported my car back to the location of my choice.
Apart from that I broke down in my Tuscan on the way back from Spain. I'm in the ADAC so the French recovery guy was happy. The ADAC sorted out a rental car for us to continue my slow drive (4 days) back to Calais and had a car waiting in Dover too.
They transported my car back to the location of my choice.
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