Planning a tour of Europeland, breakdown cover and other q's

[Nic jones]

After I (hopefully!) graduate in late May/early June the missus and I are planning to go over to the continent for a week or so and tour around taking in the Nurburg region of Germany the Alps, and the Med (Monaco/Nice) amongst other places.

This will be the first time I've ventured properly into Europe driving as opposed to a day or two driving around the North of Belgium/France and I'd like some info from those who do it regularly on breakdown cover and accomodation.

Breakdown Cover: I currently have this through my bank account and I think it is only useable in the UK, who would you recommend for European breakdown cover?

Camping/Accomodation: Do you just rock up to campsites/B+B's and see if they have room or do you normally plan properly (planning really isn't a strongpoint of mine! )

'Ring insurance: Not that I'll be going anywhere near it of course hello dearest but if I happened to take a wrong turning onto the tollroad is it a necessity/good idea to take out insurance for it or just hope I don't hit anything? My Admiral policy won't cover me (bloody spoilsports )! Who is good to use?

On route planning: Do you work out a proper itinerary before going or just wing it on the way and hope you get back to Dover in time for your ferry?!

I'm sure it will be fine once we're over there, but having not done a proper long distance road trip abroad before there are many questions!

Other than that, any more advice is most welcome.

Thanks

Edited by Nic jones on Wednesday 3rd February 10:11

[Hugo a Gogo]

ADAC no doubt about it

I have partner plus, me and the missus, either of us in any car, recovery or assistance anywhere in europe

http://www.adac.de/mitgliedschaft/adac_membership/...

if you do end up joining them, let me know, if you say I recommended you I can get a free gift

[318is boy]

i dont think a week will be long enough to do what your hoping. im planning a similar trip and am allowing 16 days to take nurburg, then into switzerl and over alps to milan, down the coast to monaco and back up along route napoleon - it works out at nearly 2500 miles.

to do that in a week is 350 miles a day - not my idea of a holiday take your time and enjoy it

[Nic jones]

Cheers Hugo, nearer the time when I start planning properly I'll arrange some cover.

Itt is a bit further to the Med than I thought now I look at it, might have to have a bit of a rethink!

Anyone got a decent route itinerary planner (preferably free!)?

Edited by Nic jones on Wednesday 3rd February 14:36

[TheDetailDoctor]

Will watch this with ionterest as I'm hoping to do a similar thing.

[TonyHetherington]

European breakdown cover; AA 5 star, you're looking at under £100 for 7-10days (something like that).

I've done lots of trips (about 13) in 5 yrs, every time at least one car (cough, TVR, cough ) has needed their 5 star membership and it's been great and well received.

[Gillet]

Hugo a Gogo said:

ADAC no doubt about it

I have partner plus, me and the missus, either of us in any car, recovery or assistance anywhere in europe

http://www.adac.de/mitgliedschaft/adac_membership/...

if you do end up joining them, let me know, if you say I recommended you I can get a free gift

I'm with this guy, i pay £97 a year, for me and the girlfriend, any car we're in is covered, everywhere in Europe, includes home start etc. Best thing is they're also the only company that will recover you from the Ring for free.

On the planning side, there are definate merrits to just going and turning up at B+B's or campsites, thats the way my dad always used to do it, but i prefer a bit more planning so i know at least which B+B i'm staying at. Then again 1 year i was due to stay in Germany, drove straight through to Italy and rocked up to a random campsite at 1am, they let me in, let me set up, no problems.

[Hugo a Gogo]

Gillet said:

Hugo a Gogo said:

ADAC no doubt about it

I have partner plus, me and the missus, either of us in any car, recovery or assistance anywhere in europe

http://www.adac.de/mitgliedschaft/adac_membership/...

if you do end up joining them, let me know, if you say I recommended you I can get a free gift

I'm with this guy, i pay £97 a year, for me and the girlfriend, any car we're in is covered, everywhere in Europe, includes home start etc. Best thing is they're also the only company that will recover you from the Ring for free.

On the planning side, there are definate merrits to just going and turning up at B+B's or campsites, thats the way my dad always used to do it, but i prefer a bit more planning so i know at least which B+B i'm staying at. Then again 1 year i was due to stay in Germany, drove straight through to Italy and rocked up to a random campsite at 1am, they let me in, let me set up, no problems.

I think it's 95 euros, or thereabouts

[Nic jones]

Right then, been playing with the route and have come up with this so far:

Hitchin, Herts
Bruges (The missus wants to go there for some shopping)
T'Ring
Stelvio
Bonaduz (Heading West onto road 19)
Sierre
Chamonix
Geneva

• From here avoiding Autoroutes as much as possible**

Reims/Dijon (possibly)
Back to Hitchin
The tidy end of 2000 miles iirc.

I'm thinking this may be better the other way round, so at least we should in theory have some tyres left by the time we get to the 'ring. Rather than knacker them at the 'ring then have to do 1500miles ish down around the Alps with not a lot of meat left!

Any thoughts? Don't think we'll bother with heading to the med (It's further south than I thought!).

Edited by Nic jones on Friday 5th February 12:35

[Longers]

I've done the Bruges and Ring parts of your route and heading to Chamonix area for the first time in Sept. Not been to Stelvio area (yet )

The Ring is a fantastic experience (much more info in the trackday forum) but seems to get busier and busier with more and more closures each time I go. Worth going for a couple of laps to "tick the box" but the roads to / from it in the surrounding area hold as much appeal for me now as the track itself

Nic jones said:

Anyone got a decent route itinerary planner (preferably free!)?
[/footnote]

http://www.viamichelin.com/

Longers

[RobinFocus]

Just to say that if your camping in my experience in Europe they are very friendly to campers. Have done 2 tours with 3/4 guys and never any problems getting into a site, campsites are so welcoming and happy to help. We were driving till we couldnt and satnaved the nearet site and always came up trumps 14/14 times, must be ultra lucky or thats the norm.GL

[dcb]

Nic jones said:

Right then, been playing with the route and have come up with this so far:

Hitchin, Herts
Bruges (The missus wants to go there for some shopping)
T'Ring
Stelvio

1. Do the shopping on the way back. Whatever Madam invests
in will need to be carried for the rest of the trip. This
could affect your lap time.

2. It's a long way from T'Ring to Stelvio, about 450 miles
and you are passing almost all the Alps to get to it.

The Stelvio is tall, but I wouldn't go 900 miles out my way for it.

Suggest almost anywhere between Bregenz, Landeck and Innsbruck
is both closer (330 miles to Bregenz) and a more interesting drive.

Since you are taking Madam, suggest limit distance driven
in one day to about 300 miles - it is supposed to be a holiday,
not an endurance and Madam will want to exercise her shopping
glands in preference to spending 8-10 hours in the car.

[gtidriver]

Back in august 2005 the wife,her brother,myself and the outlaws,did a 14 day european tour uk-paris-spain- gibraltar-spain-france-monaco-italy-switzerland-germany-luxembourg-belgium-france then back to the uk.Over 4500 miles great fun (man at hertz wasnt happy though hire car was only 2 days old yhank god for unlimited mileage).This one was part planned due to visas.

2006 did another trip 6 days wife and myself,uk-france-belgium-holland-germany(ring)-austria-italy-switzerland-germany-luxembourg-belgium-france-uk. This was a wing it.

2008 myself the wife my parents and our 18 month-old.7days uk-france-italy-france-monaco-france-italy-switzerland-luxembourg-belguim-france-uk.This one we stayed in a chalet in france and went out on day trips.

2009 me wife and son went to frankfurt motorshow.Came back via the ring which my lad loved kept telling me to go faster and to be careful.Another wing it.

2010 might go to the geneva motorshow, may fly to that one.



All of our euro trips have been great. looking to do a charuty drive later this year to see how many countries its possable to drive through in 24 hours..



op make sure the day that your going to the ring its actually open to the public,its a long way to go to find its closed to the public.

Edited by gtidriver on Wednesday 10th February 11:46