What do you think of this for a road trip?

[randomman]

Hi all,

planning a pan-European road trip for 2 years time. We have put together a rudimentary list of destinations (the Wife and I) and will be looking at staying at camp-sites for the most part to keep costs down. Additionally any suggestion of a car (must be a convertible) suitable for such a trek would be appreciated.
Rough daily travel times are in brackets and each new line signifies a new day.

Northampton > Calais > Dunkirk (4hrs)

Dunkirk > Lille > Reims (3hrs 15)

Reims > Champaigne (1hr)

Champaigne > Dijon (2hrs 24)

Dijon > Lausanne (2hrs)

Lausanne > Brig (1hr 49)

Brig > Furka Pass (google it, looks amazing) > Chur (3hrs)

Chur > Stelvio Pass (2hrs 16)

Stelvio > Stuttgart (4hrs 41)

Stuttgart > Saarbrukken (2hrs 25)

Saarbrukken > Reims (2hrs 30)

Reims > Calais (2hrs 53)

Calais > Northampton (3hrs 30)

Total 13 days and just under 2500km. Highlights will be camping at Lausanne and driving Furka and Stelvio pass. Any suggestions at all for this trip, places to see, places to avoid, any help appreciated?

Cheers

[Yell_M3]

Furka is indeed amazing I done it two years ago. San Gottardo is nearby too, so fit that in if you can. They are much better than stelvio (but it's still worth ticking that box). Enjoy.

[Chrisw666]

That's a lot of putting the tent up and taking it down the next day.

I'd plan for longer days driving with 2 or 3 night stops or would break it up with some hotels.

[PHmember]

Chrisw666 said:

That's a lot of putting the tent up and taking it down the next day.

Agreed, maybe stay in a few Formule1 'hotels', they're basic, cheap - & almost better than sleeping in a field.

[randomman]

I think the plan is to include a few hotels (3 maybe) anyway as some of the larger cities are not conducive to camping. Cheers for the driving heads up will check that out.

Question of the day, just how much can you fit in an MR2 Mk3 Roadster with a boot rack?

[davepoth]

randomman said:

I think the plan is to include a few hotels (3 maybe) anyway as some of the larger cities are not conducive to camping. Cheers for the driving heads up will check that out.

Question of the day, just how much can you fit in an MR2 Mk3 Roadster with a boot rack?

Plenty. But not many pairs of shoes.

Work on 4 hours of driving a day if I were you. Also, on the way back from Stuttgart, the most direct route to Calais puts you within half an hour of the Nurburgring...

Edited by davepoth on Tuesday 28th August 17:43

[billzeebub]

randomman said:

I think the plan is to include a few hotels (3 maybe) anyway as some of the larger cities are not conducive to camping. Cheers for the driving heads up will check that out.

Question of the day, just how much can you fit in an MR2 Mk3 Roadster with a boot rack?

Virtually nothing, there is no internal storage space whatsoever! For that trip a 3 Series 6 cylinder Vert is your best bet , or Chimaera if you can stretch

[PHmember]

randomman said:

Question of the day, just how much can you fit in an MR2 Mk3 Roadster with a boot rack?

The MK3 has got virtually no storage space, so really your question should be, how much luggage can you get on a boot rack.

[theironduke]

PHmember said:

Chrisw666 said:

That's a lot of putting the tent up and taking it down the next day.

Agreed, maybe stay in a few Formule1 'hotels', they're basic, cheap - & almost better than sleeping in a field.

Give me a field over one of those holes any day!

[eyebeebe]

Rather than do the Furkapass, turn left at Oberwald and do the Grimsel pass, then take the Susten pass over to the Gottard pass. At Airolo join the Nufenen pass to take you pack towards Oberwald, then do the Furka. If you are driving all that way, you would be mad not to do some of the best driving roads in the world.

Also, you've clearly used Google Maps to get the distances and times: The distances stand, but the times are probably a little tight and don't allow for you getting stuck behind slow moving traffic on single track roads, stops for pictures, a bite to eat or even just a rest. Those mountain roads can be very tiring if done at a decent pace.

[edc]

Boxster? 2 boots.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

First post after the OP & it's rubbishing the stelvio.

PH never disappoints

[edc]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

First post after the OP & it's rubbishing the stelvio.

PH never disappoints

Not sure what you are reading but 2nd post is merely saying some of the other locations en route are better, and suggests another good one but since Stelvio is on the list do it anyway. It doesn't say avoid it because it is crap.