Driving from Cyprus to the UK
Discussion
Afternoon all,
I'm relocating from Cyprus to the UK in Jun and rather than shipping my car via Ro-Ro ferry or container, I've decided to drive as it looks like its considerably cheaper (circa £1600 for Ro-Ro and more for a container). This will also allow me to pack the car with the essentials that we will need immediately in the UK whilst we wait for our shipping and avoid having to hire cars at both ends during the 3 or 4 week transit.
I've never done a European road trip so just wondering if anyone has any advice.
Proposed route as follows (shortest/fastest on the day based on traffic):
Day 1 - Ferry from Limassol to Athens
Day 2 - Disembark the ferry in the evening and head to Larissa, Greece. 209 miles and 4 hrs.
Day 3 - Larissa, Greece to Slavonski Brod, Croatia. 595 miles and 10 hrs.
Day 4 - Slavonski Brod, Slovakia to Stuttgart, Germany. 600 miles and 9.5 hrs.
Day 5 - Stuttgart, Germany to Gatwick, UK. 540 miles and 11 hrs (inc ferry).
Day 6 - Gatwick, UK to Edinburgh, UK. 437 miles and 7.5 hrs.
I'm doing the trip solo whilst the family fly back to the UK so not a driving holiday where I need to stop off to see the sights. The idea is to take the most direct route back, eating up the miles as fast as I can.
I appreciate that four days of driving circa 8 - 10 hours is a lot but I'm quite chilled when driving alone, listening to some music or an e-book. If I do less hours driving, I'll just end up sat bored in a hotel room somewhere so may as well be on the road.
Car is a new Skoda Octavia so pretty comfortable on any long journeys I've done so far and sits happily at 70+ MPH.
Any hints, tips or advice from experienced European drivers?
I'm relocating from Cyprus to the UK in Jun and rather than shipping my car via Ro-Ro ferry or container, I've decided to drive as it looks like its considerably cheaper (circa £1600 for Ro-Ro and more for a container). This will also allow me to pack the car with the essentials that we will need immediately in the UK whilst we wait for our shipping and avoid having to hire cars at both ends during the 3 or 4 week transit.
I've never done a European road trip so just wondering if anyone has any advice.
Proposed route as follows (shortest/fastest on the day based on traffic):
Day 1 - Ferry from Limassol to Athens
Day 2 - Disembark the ferry in the evening and head to Larissa, Greece. 209 miles and 4 hrs.
Day 3 - Larissa, Greece to Slavonski Brod, Croatia. 595 miles and 10 hrs.
Day 4 - Slavonski Brod, Slovakia to Stuttgart, Germany. 600 miles and 9.5 hrs.
Day 5 - Stuttgart, Germany to Gatwick, UK. 540 miles and 11 hrs (inc ferry).
Day 6 - Gatwick, UK to Edinburgh, UK. 437 miles and 7.5 hrs.
I'm doing the trip solo whilst the family fly back to the UK so not a driving holiday where I need to stop off to see the sights. The idea is to take the most direct route back, eating up the miles as fast as I can.
I appreciate that four days of driving circa 8 - 10 hours is a lot but I'm quite chilled when driving alone, listening to some music or an e-book. If I do less hours driving, I'll just end up sat bored in a hotel room somewhere so may as well be on the road.
Car is a new Skoda Octavia so pretty comfortable on any long journeys I've done so far and sits happily at 70+ MPH.
Any hints, tips or advice from experienced European drivers?
Not a bad route although you will be crossing more borders by going the balkan way which could take a while if there are delays (Especially at the serbian border).
You could also check the ferry from Greece to Italy (especially the one to Ancona) from there I would do A14-A1-A22 and get to the Brenner. The up in Austria and Bavaria. You can then follow on to Stuttgart. From there it is west to Saarbrücken, Luxemburg and then Belgium/ and France. Other than the italian tolls and the vignette for Austria there are no further tolls.
You could also check the ferry from Greece to Italy (especially the one to Ancona) from there I would do A14-A1-A22 and get to the Brenner. The up in Austria and Bavaria. You can then follow on to Stuttgart. From there it is west to Saarbrücken, Luxemburg and then Belgium/ and France. Other than the italian tolls and the vignette for Austria there are no further tolls.
MatteAva said:
Not a bad route although you will be crossing more borders by going the balkan way which could take a while if there are delays (Especially at the serbian border).
You could also check the ferry from Greece to Italy (especially the one to Ancona) from there I would do A14-A1-A22 and get to the Brenner. The up in Austria and Bavaria. You can then follow on to Stuttgart. From there it is west to Saarbrücken, Luxemburg and then Belgium/ and France. Other than the italian tolls and the vignette for Austria there are no further tolls.
Thanks for the reply mate.You could also check the ferry from Greece to Italy (especially the one to Ancona) from there I would do A14-A1-A22 and get to the Brenner. The up in Austria and Bavaria. You can then follow on to Stuttgart. From there it is west to Saarbrücken, Luxemburg and then Belgium/ and France. Other than the italian tolls and the vignette for Austria there are no further tolls.
Did consider the Greece - Italy ferry routes but the Ancona one is fairly expensive (circa £300+) and doesn't actually knock that many miles off the trip. It actually works out longer in terms of time due to the slow speed of the ferry.
The other routes to Bari or Brindisi are more of a hindrance as they are pretty far south in Italy.
This will be a great trip. I remember looking out for English plates whilst on hols in Cyprus in the 90s 
I did a Madrid return (solo) in 2011 when I'd just got my A1 but the novelty did wear off a good couple of hours before arrival at each end - more so on the return to UK roads! I unintentionally ended up doing the return in one go - 17h20m on the DIS when I got home!
Took the same car down to Bordeaux and Toulouse on two separate trips a couple of years later. If I was doing your trip I'd extend it by a couple of days to stop off and see friends. Otherwise, enjoy!
I did a Madrid return (solo) in 2011 when I'd just got my A1 but the novelty did wear off a good couple of hours before arrival at each end - more so on the return to UK roads! I unintentionally ended up doing the return in one go - 17h20m on the DIS when I got home!
Took the same car down to Bordeaux and Toulouse on two separate trips a couple of years later. If I was doing your trip I'd extend it by a couple of days to stop off and see friends. Otherwise, enjoy!
Nice trip.
Consider re-routing in Europe to Ijmuiden (amsterdam) then using the ferry to newcastle from there.
It's an overnight ferry so rest time is spent moving, but the main bonus being you're much closer to Edinburgh when you depart - missing out 99% of england inc. m25 etc......
I would follow a similar route to Stuttgart - then head north through germany basically a direct route to Ijmuiden on the A2 from there following the Rhine. Google maps put it at 7 hrs from Stuttgart to Ijmuiden - then overnight on the boat, then less than 3 hrs up the A1 to Edinburgh.
this cuts almost a whole day off your plan - and avoids England Motorways
Consider re-routing in Europe to Ijmuiden (amsterdam) then using the ferry to newcastle from there.
It's an overnight ferry so rest time is spent moving, but the main bonus being you're much closer to Edinburgh when you depart - missing out 99% of england inc. m25 etc......
I would follow a similar route to Stuttgart - then head north through germany basically a direct route to Ijmuiden on the A2 from there following the Rhine. Google maps put it at 7 hrs from Stuttgart to Ijmuiden - then overnight on the boat, then less than 3 hrs up the A1 to Edinburgh.
this cuts almost a whole day off your plan - and avoids England Motorways
Edited by scotlandtim on Thursday 17th April 13:51
scotlandtim said:
Nice trip.
Consider re-routing in Europe to Ijmuiden (amsterdam) then using the ferry to newcastle from there.
It's an overnight ferry so rest time is spent moving, but the main bonus being you're much closer to Edinburgh when you depart - missing out 99% of england inc. m25 etc......
I would follow a similar route to Stuttgart - then head north through germany basically a direct route to Ijmuiden on the A2 from there following the Rhine. Google maps put it at 7 hrs from Stuttgart to Ijmuiden - then overnight on the boat, then less than 3 hrs up the A1 to Edinburgh.
this cuts almost a whole day off your plan - and avoids England Motorways
Thanks for the reply mate.Consider re-routing in Europe to Ijmuiden (amsterdam) then using the ferry to newcastle from there.
It's an overnight ferry so rest time is spent moving, but the main bonus being you're much closer to Edinburgh when you depart - missing out 99% of england inc. m25 etc......
I would follow a similar route to Stuttgart - then head north through germany basically a direct route to Ijmuiden on the A2 from there following the Rhine. Google maps put it at 7 hrs from Stuttgart to Ijmuiden - then overnight on the boat, then less than 3 hrs up the A1 to Edinburgh.
this cuts almost a whole day off your plan - and avoids England Motorways
Edited by scotlandtim on Thursday 17th April 13:51
Need to swing by Gatwick airport to collect my cat who is arriving on the last day otherwise I'd be using the Newcastle ferry
Martin4356111 said:
scotlandtim said:
Nice trip.
Consider re-routing in Europe to Ijmuiden (amsterdam) then using the ferry to newcastle from there.
It's an overnight ferry so rest time is spent moving, but the main bonus being you're much closer to Edinburgh when you depart - missing out 99% of england inc. m25 etc......
I would follow a similar route to Stuttgart - then head north through germany basically a direct route to Ijmuiden on the A2 from there following the Rhine. Google maps put it at 7 hrs from Stuttgart to Ijmuiden - then overnight on the boat, then less than 3 hrs up the A1 to Edinburgh.
this cuts almost a whole day off your plan - and avoids England Motorways
Thanks for the reply mate.Consider re-routing in Europe to Ijmuiden (amsterdam) then using the ferry to newcastle from there.
It's an overnight ferry so rest time is spent moving, but the main bonus being you're much closer to Edinburgh when you depart - missing out 99% of england inc. m25 etc......
I would follow a similar route to Stuttgart - then head north through germany basically a direct route to Ijmuiden on the A2 from there following the Rhine. Google maps put it at 7 hrs from Stuttgart to Ijmuiden - then overnight on the boat, then less than 3 hrs up the A1 to Edinburgh.
this cuts almost a whole day off your plan - and avoids England Motorways
Edited by scotlandtim on Thursday 17th April 13:51
Need to swing by Gatwick airport to collect my cat who is arriving on the last day otherwise I'd be using the Newcastle ferry
Safe travels.
Edited by scotlandtim on Thursday 17th April 15:01
Looks like an ace trip.
Back in the mid-70s we went to a wedding in Cyprus. My Dad’s brother-in-law (my uncle) was a Greek Cypriot (died recently) and one of his brothers was getting married.
My mum was packed up with me and my sister and put on the plane. That journey in itself was a disaster with my poor mother, travelling with not-quite 2 year old me and not-quite 1 year old sister, being so delayed that the hotel had given her room away.
My dad, on the other hand, was in a car with my uncle, who was giving the car to his brother as a wedding gift. My dad hasn’t told me much about what they got up to - they were a pair of lads together I believe so I dread to think!
I’m told as well as getting lost in the balkans, they got stopped for speeding in Yugoslavia. The policeman approached the car and starting b
king my dad, first in whichever language and then in broken English. He didn’t take to my dad protesting until the penny dropped for the poor guy - he was shouting at the person sitting on the left side of a right hand drive car! They got away with that one.
Sounds like an awesome trip OP. Enjoy it whenever way you go and careful not to get stopped for speeding..!
Back in the mid-70s we went to a wedding in Cyprus. My Dad’s brother-in-law (my uncle) was a Greek Cypriot (died recently) and one of his brothers was getting married.
My mum was packed up with me and my sister and put on the plane. That journey in itself was a disaster with my poor mother, travelling with not-quite 2 year old me and not-quite 1 year old sister, being so delayed that the hotel had given her room away.
My dad, on the other hand, was in a car with my uncle, who was giving the car to his brother as a wedding gift. My dad hasn’t told me much about what they got up to - they were a pair of lads together I believe so I dread to think!
I’m told as well as getting lost in the balkans, they got stopped for speeding in Yugoslavia. The policeman approached the car and starting b
king my dad, first in whichever language and then in broken English. He didn’t take to my dad protesting until the penny dropped for the poor guy - he was shouting at the person sitting on the left side of a right hand drive car! They got away with that one. Sounds like an awesome trip OP. Enjoy it whenever way you go and careful not to get stopped for speeding..!
. The policeman approached the car and starting bking my dad, first in whichever language and then in broken English. He didn’t take to my dad protesting until the penny dropped for the poor guy - he was shouting at the person sitting on the left side of a right hand drive car! They got away with that one.
I had a similar experience many years ago in Cahors France.
The gendarme was giving me a serious bking for indicating left where he was on point duty, and then going straght on.
Twelve year old me was in the front passenger seat of my fathers RHD Morris 1100. Dad got out and led the gendarme to the back of the car pointing out the "GB" sticker." Pardon Monsieur" was repeated many times
king my dad, first in whichever language and then in broken English. He didn’t take to my dad protesting until the penny dropped for the poor guy - he was shouting at the person sitting on the left side of a right hand drive car! They got away with that one. I had a similar experience many years ago in Cahors France.
The gendarme was giving me a serious b
king for indicating left where he was on point duty, and then going straght on.Twelve year old me was in the front passenger seat of my fathers RHD Morris 1100. Dad got out and led the gendarme to the back of the car pointing out the "GB" sticker." Pardon Monsieur" was repeated many times
Metric Max said:
.
I had a similar experience many years ago in Cahors France.
The gendarme was giving me a serious bking for indicating left where he was on point duty, and then going straght on.
Twelve year old me was in the front passenger seat of my fathers RHD Morris 1100. Dad got out and led the gendarme to the back of the car pointing out the "GB" sticker." Pardon Monsieur" was repeated many times
Haha that’s brilliant..! I had a similar experience many years ago in Cahors France.
The gendarme was giving me a serious b
king for indicating left where he was on point duty, and then going straght on.Twelve year old me was in the front passenger seat of my fathers RHD Morris 1100. Dad got out and led the gendarme to the back of the car pointing out the "GB" sticker." Pardon Monsieur" was repeated many times
superpp said:
if you afford the different ferry route, Rotterdam to Hull removes the hideous traffic section of England and gives you an overnight sleep.
Trouble is, OP has a moggy flying into Gatwick which he needs to pick up. Moggy likes a few Tributes in Club Europe so won't be able to drive itself up to Edinburgh. Personally, I'd drive from Piraeus to Igoumenitsa and then get the ferry to Bari.
The ferry only takes 8 hours and you can probably make this overnight.
The drive from Bari to Calais is doable in 2 days. Most of the first day will be spent on one pretty much dead straight motorway that goes all the way through Italy.
Overnight ferry crossings really make journeys like this much easier. Book a decent cabin, have a nice meal, a couple of drinks and then a decent nights sleep. Wake up in the morning refreshed and in a new place ready to start driving. For the sake of €30 or so, don't skimp on the cabin. The decent ones are really nice, the cheap ones - less so.
The ferry only takes 8 hours and you can probably make this overnight.
The drive from Bari to Calais is doable in 2 days. Most of the first day will be spent on one pretty much dead straight motorway that goes all the way through Italy.
Overnight ferry crossings really make journeys like this much easier. Book a decent cabin, have a nice meal, a couple of drinks and then a decent nights sleep. Wake up in the morning refreshed and in a new place ready to start driving. For the sake of €30 or so, don't skimp on the cabin. The decent ones are really nice, the cheap ones - less so.
I think you said in another thread that you bought the car while out there. You probably have all this sorted but just in case - if you have lived outside the UK for twelve months (and can prove that, eg payslips, rental agreements) and have owned the vehicle for six months (and again can prove that, eg purchase receipt, registration doc), you are eligible to import tax-free as part of your personal effects on moving permanently to the UK. I had my vehicles shipped to the UK so that shipping company handled the transfer of residence declaraion
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/transfer-of-residence-...
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/transfer-of-residence-...
Hi . I used to drive from Norfolk to SW Bulgaria just near the Greek border.
I have tried many routes over the past 20 years , I enjoyed the Italian route with the ferry from Ancona to Igoumanitsa , then a 6 hour drive to my house , A lot less driving and felt more like a holiday.
The other routes Bulgaria-Romania-Hungary -Austria Germany -then depending on traffic /roadworks a variety of routes can get you to Calais to catch the ferry.
Serbia was generally a quicker route but Serbian border guards do not enter into discussions .I had numerous problems there and just found the country best avoided in my experience , not just the border guards but the fact of leaving Europe to transit Serbia involved stress and cash to solve import export fees and usually involved paying to have a customs agent supervise you across the country by sitting next to you .eating the crumbliest flakiest food they can find
Austrian police are the strictist
Do not gamble on picking up a vignette at the next convenient petrol station , try and purchase before entering the country ...official outlets usually allow you to buy several countries vignette in one place
I always packed my vehicle so I could lay down stretch my legs out when needed. After a few days at the wheel the driving shifts become shorter and less enjoyable
Flexi ferry ticket takes the stress off the whole journey
I have tried many routes over the past 20 years , I enjoyed the Italian route with the ferry from Ancona to Igoumanitsa , then a 6 hour drive to my house , A lot less driving and felt more like a holiday.
The other routes Bulgaria-Romania-Hungary -Austria Germany -then depending on traffic /roadworks a variety of routes can get you to Calais to catch the ferry.
Serbia was generally a quicker route but Serbian border guards do not enter into discussions .I had numerous problems there and just found the country best avoided in my experience , not just the border guards but the fact of leaving Europe to transit Serbia involved stress and cash to solve import export fees and usually involved paying to have a customs agent supervise you across the country by sitting next to you .eating the crumbliest flakiest food they can find
Austrian police are the strictist
Do not gamble on picking up a vignette at the next convenient petrol station , try and purchase before entering the country ...official outlets usually allow you to buy several countries vignette in one place
I always packed my vehicle so I could lay down stretch my legs out when needed. After a few days at the wheel the driving shifts become shorter and less enjoyable
Flexi ferry ticket takes the stress off the whole journey
Thanks all for the advice, top stuff.
Have found a lot of people warning me off the Serbia route due to the unpredictable queues at the borders. Some suggest half an hour, other say it can take four or five! Most seem to suggest just getting the ferry to somewhere in Italy and heading up through there.
The thing that puts me off are the eye watering tolls on the motorways, somewhere in the region of €130 to get through Italy alone!
However, I could be naughty and just blast through the pre-paid lane as I’ll be in a Cypriot registered car that will be re-registered in the UK upon my arrival. I wonder how much effort it would take the Italians to reach out to the Cypriots only to find it had been exported to the UK lol!
Have found a lot of people warning me off the Serbia route due to the unpredictable queues at the borders. Some suggest half an hour, other say it can take four or five! Most seem to suggest just getting the ferry to somewhere in Italy and heading up through there.
The thing that puts me off are the eye watering tolls on the motorways, somewhere in the region of €130 to get through Italy alone!
However, I could be naughty and just blast through the pre-paid lane as I’ll be in a Cypriot registered car that will be re-registered in the UK upon my arrival. I wonder how much effort it would take the Italians to reach out to the Cypriots only to find it had been exported to the UK lol!
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