Road trip advice

[MrMcG]

Hi All,

New to forum and just looking for a few tips to prepare for a road trip I’m planning having not done anything like this before, I thought it prudent to see if anyone has or might have experience in this so here goes –

Car is a vantage V8 and im planning on going to Switzerland ( Alps for skiing ) Italy, onto Germany into France then home, Would like to stop off at a few places on the way Monte Carlo etc. Aiming to spend 2 nights in each place except Alps which will prob be 3 or so for skiing with the missus.
My queries are driving in Switzerland I assume I need snow chains or similar as well as the normal travel pack with triangle breathalyser etc.. I’ve seen murmurs that winter tyres have to be put on which if so won’t be good when going to the other countries if its not cold enough etc..
Has anyone used a vantage v8 for skiing how did you store the ski’s or did you use a roof rack?

Literally just asking for any advice

Cheers

[MrMcG]

RizzoTheRat said:

In switzerland you need to buy a pass if you want to use the motorways, it's not like a French Payage where you pay on entry/exit, but to buy a pass for a period of time and display it on the windscreen.

DO NOT GET CAUGHT SPEEDING IN SWITZERLAND! The fines are eyewatering.

Ahh thank you very much for that something i didn't know, ill check that out and where to buy.

thanks

[MrMcG]

Gents what can i say

thank you very much for everything so far

Really appreciate this and its proven to be very helpful so far.

[MrMcG]

Fantastic,

I do want some twisties and the pass was on my mind, looking to take the vid cam as well to catch some of the "action" on the pass.

Some really good tips and ideas in here i may have to extend the original 7 day plan hahaha

[MrMcG]

J12MOC said:

If you are looking for snow chains...I bought these for my Vantage http://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.php...

They really are quick and easy to fit and remove which was my main criteria when looking. Do a couple of trial fits in your drive to get familiar with them and to select the correct clamps etc. They come in a bag which doesn't take up much room in the boot.

Thanks for that link just what i was looking for.

Do i need chains for just the rears or for front and back

[MrMcG]

8Tech said:

Correct, you buy a pass to allow you to use the motorways.

He is not joking about the speeding fines and the Police actively intimidate you into speeding. Entrapment I believe is the term.

I got caught by driving along ON the speed limit in the outside lane with both lanes doing the same speed. I got a pair of knobheads right up my arse for about 5 miles, about 12" off my rear bumper. After a while they started flashing me so to get rid of them I accelerated slowly and within 200 yards, fed into a gap in the inside lane.

They were Police who gave me a massive fine and tried to confiscate the car until I insisted that was not going to happen as I was the holder of a Blue Disabled Badge. So they told me to stay on the same road until I exited the country and gave me a 12 month on the spot ban, starting the minute I crossed the border.

That is disgusting, makes a mockery of the whole police force out there, that type of driving is far more dangerous than doing 10mph over the speed limit. How can they justify that??

I might rig the camera in the car then facing out of the rear view mirror just incase anything like this happens, I wont speed up while the local police may do nothing about it some shaming on the web wont go amiss.

Sorry to hear that, they do sound like complete nobbers

[MrMcG]

Jesus!

By the sounds of it ill be spending the whole time looking at the speedo.

That is the rules though and since I will be going to their country I have to abide by them, I do think i may only do a couple of days in the swiss region and move on to more car friendly places the autobahn being one.

Learnt so much already

Thanks to everyone