Driving round Europe - where to go and what to drive?
Discussion
Next year I may find myself without a job, and rather than rush to find something else I'm tempted to do a bit of a European road trip.
Probably about a month away, though that could be longer if needed, or could be broken up into a couple of three week trips with a break at home in the middle.
In terms of destinations, I'd like to do places that aren't just the usual holiday or weekend break spots. I'd love to see the Baltics so maybe through Germany, Denmark, Sweden then across a ferry into Estonia then back down through to Poland, Slovakia and then through Austria and home.
The other loop could be France, Spain then back to France and Italy plus various bits of former Yugoslavia and up towards home through Austria and Germany.
Either way we'd fit in history, motor and air museums plus cities and some interesting roads and scenery.
As for what to drive, I could use my UK Mini convertible (luggage would be tight but doable), maybe buy something LHD in the UK to sell afterwards, or possibly buy/hire a camper van to minimise hotel costs.
Anyone done a similar trip and got suggestions on either location or choice of transport?
Interrail was an initial thought, but we might not be able to get everywhere easily.
Probably about a month away, though that could be longer if needed, or could be broken up into a couple of three week trips with a break at home in the middle.
In terms of destinations, I'd like to do places that aren't just the usual holiday or weekend break spots. I'd love to see the Baltics so maybe through Germany, Denmark, Sweden then across a ferry into Estonia then back down through to Poland, Slovakia and then through Austria and home.
The other loop could be France, Spain then back to France and Italy plus various bits of former Yugoslavia and up towards home through Austria and Germany.
Either way we'd fit in history, motor and air museums plus cities and some interesting roads and scenery.
As for what to drive, I could use my UK Mini convertible (luggage would be tight but doable), maybe buy something LHD in the UK to sell afterwards, or possibly buy/hire a camper van to minimise hotel costs.
Anyone done a similar trip and got suggestions on either location or choice of transport?
Interrail was an initial thought, but we might not be able to get everywhere easily.
Alex Z said:
possibly buy/hire a camper van to minimise hotel costs.
Hiring a campervan/motorhome is NOT a cheap option for any length of time.My first foray into mobile living was over 20 years ago, I looked at renting one then & it was going to be around £2000 for 10 days IIRC.
Ended up buying a cheapie that needed a few things doing to it, using it for a year & selling it for exactly what I paid for it.
E-bmw said:
Alex Z said:
possibly buy/hire a camper van to minimise hotel costs.
Hiring a campervan/motorhome is NOT a cheap option for any length of time.My first foray into mobile living was over 20 years ago, I looked at renting one then & it was going to be around £2000 for 10 days IIRC.
Ended up buying a cheapie that needed a few things doing to it, using it for a year & selling it for exactly what I paid for it.
Personally, I'd pick one or two destinations and find some non-hotel accommodation in those locations for maybe 5 days each. Somewhere with a washing machine, cooking facilities and some outside space with a fabulous view would be my choice.
Then I'd stitch together a road trip, using those locations as anchors - bearing in mind that a 1 night stay can be quite restrictive - 2 nights in a place gives you a much better opportunity to immerse yourself in where you are. So, maybe 10 days to get to the first stop, 10 days to get to the second stop and maybe 5 or 6 days to get home (I always find that I prefer to amble out to where I'm going, but when it's time to head home, I just want to be there).
Take the above concept and adjust it to suit your preferences and available time. We did a 6 week roadtrip round the coast of Spain and Portugal - 6 weeks, with 3 * 5 day stops in AirBnbs - it was brilliant.
Overnight ferries are generally brilliant, and in Europe they are much better value than the options we have for crossing the channel.
Then I'd stitch together a road trip, using those locations as anchors - bearing in mind that a 1 night stay can be quite restrictive - 2 nights in a place gives you a much better opportunity to immerse yourself in where you are. So, maybe 10 days to get to the first stop, 10 days to get to the second stop and maybe 5 or 6 days to get home (I always find that I prefer to amble out to where I'm going, but when it's time to head home, I just want to be there).
Take the above concept and adjust it to suit your preferences and available time. We did a 6 week roadtrip round the coast of Spain and Portugal - 6 weeks, with 3 * 5 day stops in AirBnbs - it was brilliant.
Overnight ferries are generally brilliant, and in Europe they are much better value than the options we have for crossing the channel.
Alex Z said:
Next year I may find myself without a job, and rather than rush to find something else I'm tempted to do a bit of a European road trip.
Probably about a month away, though that could be longer if needed, or could be broken up into a couple of three week trips with a break at home in the middle.
In terms of destinations, I'd like to do places that aren't just the usual holiday or weekend break spots. I'd love to see the Baltics so maybe through Germany, Denmark, Sweden then across a ferry into Estonia then back down through to Poland, Slovakia and then through Austria and home.
The other loop could be France, Spain then back to France and Italy plus various bits of former Yugoslavia and up towards home through Austria and Germany.
Either way we'd fit in history, motor and air museums plus cities and some interesting roads and scenery.
As for what to drive, I could use my UK Mini convertible (luggage would be tight but doable), maybe buy something LHD in the UK to sell afterwards, or possibly buy/hire a camper van to minimise hotel costs.
Anyone done a similar trip and got suggestions on either location or choice of transport?
Interrail was an initial thought, but we might not be able to get everywhere easily.
Check out Slovenia and Croatia for motorways that are gloriously smooth/new/quiet/(optional) speed limits, plus good country driving roads as well. Probably about a month away, though that could be longer if needed, or could be broken up into a couple of three week trips with a break at home in the middle.
In terms of destinations, I'd like to do places that aren't just the usual holiday or weekend break spots. I'd love to see the Baltics so maybe through Germany, Denmark, Sweden then across a ferry into Estonia then back down through to Poland, Slovakia and then through Austria and home.
The other loop could be France, Spain then back to France and Italy plus various bits of former Yugoslavia and up towards home through Austria and Germany.
Either way we'd fit in history, motor and air museums plus cities and some interesting roads and scenery.
As for what to drive, I could use my UK Mini convertible (luggage would be tight but doable), maybe buy something LHD in the UK to sell afterwards, or possibly buy/hire a camper van to minimise hotel costs.
Anyone done a similar trip and got suggestions on either location or choice of transport?
Interrail was an initial thought, but we might not be able to get everywhere easily.
omniflow said:
Personally, I'd pick one or two destinations and find some non-hotel accommodation in those locations for maybe 5 days each. Somewhere with a washing machine, cooking facilities and some outside space with a fabulous view would be my choice.
Then I'd stitch together a road trip, using those locations as anchors - bearing in mind that a 1 night stay can be quite restrictive - 2 nights in a place gives you a much better opportunity to immerse yourself in where you are. So, maybe 10 days to get to the first stop, 10 days to get to the second stop and maybe 5 or 6 days to get home (I always find that I prefer to amble out to where I'm going, but when it's time to head home, I just want to be there).
Take the above concept and adjust it to suit your preferences and available time. We did a 6 week roadtrip round the coast of Spain and Portugal - 6 weeks, with 3 * 5 day stops in AirBnbs - it was brilliant.
Overnight ferries are generally brilliant, and in Europe they are much better value than the options we have for crossing the channel.
Pretty much this! We started doing 2 week roadtrips every year from 2020 and we're properly addicted now. Plan it right (sports car and nice roads) and it's like an episode of Top Gear. The good ones. Northern Spain is our favourite (empty amazing roads, food, value) and we're back there again in a week for the fourth time. But Germany, Switzerland and Austria all have some mighty fine roads and scenery and more museumy stuff. Then I'd stitch together a road trip, using those locations as anchors - bearing in mind that a 1 night stay can be quite restrictive - 2 nights in a place gives you a much better opportunity to immerse yourself in where you are. So, maybe 10 days to get to the first stop, 10 days to get to the second stop and maybe 5 or 6 days to get home (I always find that I prefer to amble out to where I'm going, but when it's time to head home, I just want to be there).
Take the above concept and adjust it to suit your preferences and available time. We did a 6 week roadtrip round the coast of Spain and Portugal - 6 weeks, with 3 * 5 day stops in AirBnbs - it was brilliant.
Overnight ferries are generally brilliant, and in Europe they are much better value than the options we have for crossing the channel.
I've often thought about buying a LHD car for this purpose but with a passenger (for car parks) and a toll tag it's really no worries to take a RHD. That shouldn't stop you buying something "for the trip" though.
We got 2 weeks worth of winter clothing in an R8 - this may require an understanding partner regarding shoe choice. I've documented trips and routes in my ownership threads, all here if you need inspiration:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
MOMACC said:
Campervan advice
Good sites are now 50 a night. Aires can be free or a few quid if you're happy sleeping in a car park.
Factor this cost in plus hire costs and you're likely best in hotels / b&bs.
Drivel. We have wild campoed all arounf the EU and stayed in some fantastic places.Good sites are now 50 a night. Aires can be free or a few quid if you're happy sleeping in a car park.
Factor this cost in plus hire costs and you're likely best in hotels / b&bs.
Park4night
DSMSMR said:
MOMACC said:
Campervan advice
Good sites are now 50 a night. Aires can be free or a few quid if you're happy sleeping in a car park.
Factor this cost in plus hire costs and you're likely best in hotels / b&bs.
Drivel. We have wild campoed all arounf the EU and stayed in some fantastic places.Good sites are now 50 a night. Aires can be free or a few quid if you're happy sleeping in a car park.
Factor this cost in plus hire costs and you're likely best in hotels / b&bs.
Park4night
I travel with my kid so require EHU, play areas and swimming facilities so my cost is higher than those who are happy with a more basic set up.
I drove from London to Santa Cruz, Tenerife and back in an Alpine A110 (talk about lack of luggage space )
I just booked hotels along the way through France and Spain. Never paid more than 50 Euros a night and quite often right in the centre of the cities I stopped in. Used Booking.com.
Basic hotels, nothing fancy, but the locations meant that I had access to great city centres, restaurants and bars.
Must do it again. In an MX5 now, so even less luggage space and no room behind the seats
)I just booked hotels along the way through France and Spain. Never paid more than 50 Euros a night and quite often right in the centre of the cities I stopped in. Used Booking.com.
Basic hotels, nothing fancy, but the locations meant that I had access to great city centres, restaurants and bars.
Must do it again. In an MX5 now, so even less luggage space and no room behind the seats
Watching this thread with interest.
Myself - bored with all the rubbish in the UK - I am seriously thinking next year taking 2 months off - get on the ferry and go to europe and do the sights I want to see rather than bloody disneyland paris for the 6th time.
My thinking was a sort of loop - but mainly focusing on countries I haven't been to before.
So starting from tunnel - although will probably just do ferry as its just me.
I have driven through france to monaco / alps. Been to germany and seen most the museums I want to see.
I have been to the museums in italy - although picked the wrong lambo museum.
A very rough plan currently, but want to go Berlin, then into poland (I'm not sure if I want to go up to lithuania / Latvia / Estonia, so will probably avoid them, but go from poland, into slovakia, hungary (for budapest (3 days probably), go to Tokaji wine region for a few days and have a bit of a chill, beefore into romania to do the 2 mountain roads, into bulgaria (see some friends who have moved back there), into serbia, montenegro / bosnia depending on what tickles my fancy, into croatia, slovenia, into austria / switzer,land alps, maybe pop down to monaco again or drive a few french alpine roads, before coming home.
Krakow in poland is a must - one of my dads favourite cities - he went there in the 70's before going to moscow. Got quite a few ideas of places I want to go, but am reading various travel websites etc currently. WIll cut journey if need be, but I have a few musts that are on the bucket list.
Hotels / air bnb for me personally. Nothing fancy - holiday inn express etc I have done many times / B & B hotels. I have budgeted currently around the £60 a night, but also one or two "must do" hotels also. Have to find out about car parks as well. Can be a pain - find a good hotel then parking is incredibly expensive, or just doesn't have it.
Organising it for me feels as good as the holiday
Myself - bored with all the rubbish in the UK - I am seriously thinking next year taking 2 months off - get on the ferry and go to europe and do the sights I want to see rather than bloody disneyland paris for the 6th time.
My thinking was a sort of loop - but mainly focusing on countries I haven't been to before.
So starting from tunnel - although will probably just do ferry as its just me.
I have driven through france to monaco / alps. Been to germany and seen most the museums I want to see.
I have been to the museums in italy - although picked the wrong lambo museum.
A very rough plan currently, but want to go Berlin, then into poland (I'm not sure if I want to go up to lithuania / Latvia / Estonia, so will probably avoid them, but go from poland, into slovakia, hungary (for budapest (3 days probably), go to Tokaji wine region for a few days and have a bit of a chill, beefore into romania to do the 2 mountain roads, into bulgaria (see some friends who have moved back there), into serbia, montenegro / bosnia depending on what tickles my fancy, into croatia, slovenia, into austria / switzer,land alps, maybe pop down to monaco again or drive a few french alpine roads, before coming home.
Krakow in poland is a must - one of my dads favourite cities - he went there in the 70's before going to moscow. Got quite a few ideas of places I want to go, but am reading various travel websites etc currently. WIll cut journey if need be, but I have a few musts that are on the bucket list.
Hotels / air bnb for me personally. Nothing fancy - holiday inn express etc I have done many times / B & B hotels. I have budgeted currently around the £60 a night, but also one or two "must do" hotels also. Have to find out about car parks as well. Can be a pain - find a good hotel then parking is incredibly expensive, or just doesn't have it.
Organising it for me feels as good as the holiday
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff