Epic Euro Road Trip ideas
Discussion
Next year some time myself and my good friend will be undertaking a 5,000 mile road trip through most of Europe in our modified Toyota GT86's, stopping off at Rotterdam, Dortmund, Munich, Zurich, Milan, San Morino, Naples, Rome, Florence, Genoa, Nice, Marseille, Barcelona, Bilbao, Bordeaux, Le Mans and finally Paris before returning home to Essex on an epic journey that will take course over what will hopefully be the best month of my life so far.
I'm asking for suggestions on routes to take between the various cities, mountain passes, best sections of the autobahn and anything else people have done on road trips through Europe that they think everyone else must do, not forgetting the essential trip through the Mont Blanc tunnel as well as the run round the Nurburgring.
I've decided to add Naples on to the list, to allow a drive down the Eastern coast of Italy, and then the Amalfi Coast.
I'm asking for suggestions on routes to take between the various cities, mountain passes, best sections of the autobahn and anything else people have done on road trips through Europe that they think everyone else must do, not forgetting the essential trip through the Mont Blanc tunnel as well as the run round the Nurburgring.
I've decided to add Naples on to the list, to allow a drive down the Eastern coast of Italy, and then the Amalfi Coast.
Edited by Pennick93 on Friday 10th October 15:55
Next year some time myself and my good friend will be undertaking a 5,000 mile road trip through most of Europe in our modified Toyota GT86's, stopping off at Rotterdam, Dortmund, Munich, Zurich, Milan, San Morino, Rome, Florence, Genoa, Nice, Marseille, Barcelona, Bilbao, Bordeaux, Le Mans and finally Paris before returning home to Essex on an epic journey that will take course over what will hopefully be the best month of my life so far.
I'm asking for suggestions on routes to take between the various cities, mountain passes, best sections of the autobahn and anything else people have done on road trips through Europe that they think everyone else must do, not forgetting the essential trip through the Mont Blanc tunnel as well as the run round the Nurburgring.
I'm asking for suggestions on routes to take between the various cities, mountain passes, best sections of the autobahn and anything else people have done on road trips through Europe that they think everyone else must do, not forgetting the essential trip through the Mont Blanc tunnel as well as the run round the Nurburgring.
Edited by Pennick93 on Thursday 23 October 12:45
Sounds like a great trip.
Have a read of this thread
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
It's a link to the wite up's of Euro road trips that other people have done, should give you some great ideas.
Have a read of this thread
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
It's a link to the wite up's of Euro road trips that other people have done, should give you some great ideas.
Always been a fan of the N260, but alas for the first time ever I only drove a part of it this time. Basically the Spanish got a whole load of money from the EU to upgrade their road system, now they are broke the roads now redoing and they haven't the money.
I was over in the Pyrenees this summer and on one part after only three miles we pulled off the 260. The road was that bad.
Still plenty of fab roads though, but we found that the very minor roads (quite often unclassified)were best tarmacked as they had such low traffic.
Enjoy your trip ...... it sounds epic. The only advice I'd give is spend a month in and around Spain. You will not get better roads or less traffic anywhere else in Western Europe, and the scenery is simply stunning.
I was over in the Pyrenees this summer and on one part after only three miles we pulled off the 260. The road was that bad.
Still plenty of fab roads though, but we found that the very minor roads (quite often unclassified)were best tarmacked as they had such low traffic.
Enjoy your trip ...... it sounds epic. The only advice I'd give is spend a month in and around Spain. You will not get better roads or less traffic anywhere else in Western Europe, and the scenery is simply stunning.
Edited by Wozy68 on Thursday 9th October 22:54
Wozy68 said:
Always been a fan of the N260, but alas for the first time ever I only drove a part of it this time. Basically the Spanish got a whole load of money from the EU to upgrade their road system, now they are broke the roads now redoing and they haven't the money.
I was over in the Pyrenees this summer and on one part after only three miles we pulled off the 260. The road was that bad.
Still plenty of fab roads though, but we found that the very minor roads (quite often unclassified)were best tarmacked as they had such low traffic.
Enjoy your trip ...... it sounds epic. The only advice I'd give is spend a month in and around Spain. You will not get better roads or less traffic anywhere else in Western Europe, and the scenery is simply stunning.
SSSSssssshhhh. What are you doing??? I was over in the Pyrenees this summer and on one part after only three miles we pulled off the 260. The road was that bad.
Still plenty of fab roads though, but we found that the very minor roads (quite often unclassified)were best tarmacked as they had such low traffic.
Enjoy your trip ...... it sounds epic. The only advice I'd give is spend a month in and around Spain. You will not get better roads or less traffic anywhere else in Western Europe, and the scenery is simply stunning.
Edited by Wozy68 on Thursday 9th October 22:54
I've found a vast amount of good roads between Zurich and Venice, as well as south-eastern France. Struggling to find any in northern Germany/ Denmark, Central and the eastern and western coasts of Italy excluding the Amalfi Coast, and in Western France! Any of you got any ideas for these locations?
Zurich to Milan is pretty much what I did over two days only in the opposite direction. Andermatt loop on my second day with a few other smaller passes and the first day I did a little pass in Italy before hitting the Stelvio and a free me in Switzerland. Midpoint was around Chur. Don't forget to buy your Swiss road tax though
Pennick93 said:
Next year some time myself and my good friend will be undertaking a 5,000 mile road trip through most of Europe in our modified Toyota GT86's, stopping off at Rotterdam, Dortmund, Munich, Zurich, Milan, San Morino, Naples, Rome, Florence, Genoa, Nice, Marseille, Barcelona, Bilbao, Bordeaux, Le Mans and finally Paris before returning home to Essex on an epic journey that will take course over what will hopefully be the best month of my life so far.
Ah the innocence of youth.Rotterdam is the Dutch version of Hull,
Dortmund is twinned with Leeds and IME isn't as nice,
Zurich is a sleepy banker's town,
Marseille is the French version of Liverpool with added Algerians,
most of the others seem ok except possibly Naples.
Done much driving in Africa ? Naples and most of Southern Italy
is a close simulation. Traffic lights mere decoration, speed limits
and lane markings merely advisory at best. Essex it very much isn't.
Don't forget that Naples is rife with crime and is prime Mafia country,
so keep your eyes open and don't go upsetting anyone.
OTOH, the food is excellent and the people are very friendly.
[quote=dcb]
Ah the innocence of youth.
Rotterdam is the Dutch version of Hull,
Dortmund is twinned with Leeds and IME isn't as nice,
Zurich is a sleepy banker's town,
Marseille is the French version of Liverpool with added Algerians,
most of the others seem ok except possibly Naples.
Done much driving in Africa ? Naples and most of Southern Italy
is a close simulation. Traffic lights mere decoration, speed limits
and lane markings merely advisory at best. Essex it very much isn't.
Don't forget that Naples is rife with crime and is prime Mafia country,
so keep your eyes open and don't go upsetting anyone.
OTOH, the food is excellent and the people are very friendly.[/quot15e]
This.
S.Italy, great food, scenery, people, but the crime and craziness is on another level. The different Mafias do exist and are some of the most profoundly vile humans you will ever meet. N. Italy is great, as is N. Spain, as others said, forget Bilbao, but take in the wild North Atlantic coast, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia.
Ah the innocence of youth.
Rotterdam is the Dutch version of Hull,
Dortmund is twinned with Leeds and IME isn't as nice,
Zurich is a sleepy banker's town,
Marseille is the French version of Liverpool with added Algerians,
most of the others seem ok except possibly Naples.
Done much driving in Africa ? Naples and most of Southern Italy
is a close simulation. Traffic lights mere decoration, speed limits
and lane markings merely advisory at best. Essex it very much isn't.
Don't forget that Naples is rife with crime and is prime Mafia country,
so keep your eyes open and don't go upsetting anyone.
OTOH, the food is excellent and the people are very friendly.[/quot15e]
This.
S.Italy, great food, scenery, people, but the crime and craziness is on another level. The different Mafias do exist and are some of the most profoundly vile humans you will ever meet. N. Italy is great, as is N. Spain, as others said, forget Bilbao, but take in the wild North Atlantic coast, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia.
Thanks for the replies and suggestions guys. Dcb, a lot of the cities are just resting points that are on our route, they aren't of any significance, such as Rotterdam, Zurich and Marseille. We're considering starting all the way up in Norway instead of Rotterdam, but that'd add a lot of miles onto the journey.
For the main cities, specifically in Italy, where we will be stopping for a couple of days to enjoy the city, we'll be parking outside of the city in a secure car park and getting the train in. After visiting Rome in June I will never even consider driving in that free-for-all!!! When it comes to Naples, it'll specifically be Sorrento to see Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii and that'd just be a single day stop.
For the main cities, specifically in Italy, where we will be stopping for a couple of days to enjoy the city, we'll be parking outside of the city in a secure car park and getting the train in. After visiting Rome in June I will never even consider driving in that free-for-all!!! When it comes to Naples, it'll specifically be Sorrento to see Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii and that'd just be a single day stop.
Zed 44 said:
Wozy68 said:
Always been a fan of the N260, but alas for the first time ever I only drove a part of it this time. Basically the Spanish got a whole load of money from the EU to upgrade their road system, now they are broke the roads now redoing and they haven't the money.
I was over in the Pyrenees this summer and on one part after only three miles we pulled off the 260. The road was that bad.
Still plenty of fab roads though, but we found that the very minor roads (quite often unclassified)were best tarmacked as they had such low traffic.
Enjoy your trip ...... it sounds epic. The only advice I'd give is spend a month in and around Spain. You will not get better roads or less traffic anywhere else in Western Europe, and the scenery is simply stunning.
SSSSssssshhhh. What are you doing??? I was over in the Pyrenees this summer and on one part after only three miles we pulled off the 260. The road was that bad.
Still plenty of fab roads though, but we found that the very minor roads (quite often unclassified)were best tarmacked as they had such low traffic.
Enjoy your trip ...... it sounds epic. The only advice I'd give is spend a month in and around Spain. You will not get better roads or less traffic anywhere else in Western Europe, and the scenery is simply stunning.
Edited by Wozy68 on Thursday 9th October 22:54
OP keep away from Spain, roads are shocking and the scenery awful.
Pennick93 said:
...... not forgetting the essential trip through the Mont Blanc tunnel
Why on earth would you think that over 7 miles through a 50 mph speed limited, traffic fumed, boring tunnel, that costs over €40 for the pleasure, is "essential"I would say it is essential to miss it out completely by going over the top of Grand St bernard pass instead and through Aosta
sjw said:
Pennick93 said:
...... not forgetting the essential trip through the Mont Blanc tunnel
Why on earth would you think that over 7 miles through a 50 mph speed limited, traffic fumed, boring tunnel, that costs over €40 for the pleasure, is "essential"I would say it is essential to miss it out completely by going over the top of Grand St bernard pass instead and through Aosta
Wozy68 said:
Personally if you want a decent tunnel, in fact a fabulous (well as as fab as one can be) tunnel then Vielha in the Pyrenees is the one. Brand new and yes a 50MPH speed limit, but at least its free and you can free wheel from the tunnel crest downhill for over 10 miles into the town.
Definitely need to do a decent tunnel in the run, to get some good audio on the GoPros :P Had never heard of the Vielha tunnel before! How much traffic does it get?Gassing Station | Roads | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff