Advice on a Stelvio/Nurburgring trip in 911s please?
Discussion
Gents - I'm seeking some advice on a Euro road trip 8 of us are about to book this side of Xmas for next May. Sorry if it isn't in the Track/Roads section but I'm specifically after thoughts from Pork owners. Cars include a variety, but with the following Pork: '6 C4S, '6 C4 Cab, '7 GT3 Clubbie.
Any thoughts/advice on the following route?
Day 1: Leave UK and drive to Davos, Switzerland for the night. Travel via derestricted autobahn to speed up journey :-)
Day 2: Drive from Davos to the Stevlio Pass, down then back up and take in a few alpine routes, arriving in Stuttgart for the night.
Day 3: Drive from Stuttgart to the Nurburgring for a few laps then head to Lille for the night (great town!).
Day 4: Easy drive back home from Lille.
Would really welcome you thoughts/advice - has anyone done a similar trip and/or have advice on whether this is too much driving to be fun in 911s and/or have advice on if we are missing anything out?
Any thoughts/advice on the following route?
Day 1: Leave UK and drive to Davos, Switzerland for the night. Travel via derestricted autobahn to speed up journey :-)
Day 2: Drive from Davos to the Stevlio Pass, down then back up and take in a few alpine routes, arriving in Stuttgart for the night.
Day 3: Drive from Stuttgart to the Nurburgring for a few laps then head to Lille for the night (great town!).
Day 4: Easy drive back home from Lille.
Would really welcome you thoughts/advice - has anyone done a similar trip and/or have advice on whether this is too much driving to be fun in 911s and/or have advice on if we are missing anything out?
Edited by Skittles001 on Wednesday 16th November 10:39
I've been doing a big European trip with a bunch of PHers every september since 2004.
You've planned far too much driving each day. Add another 2/3 days. Take your time, concentrate on doing more decent quiet mountain passes rather than charging down motorways.
With Stelvio, avoid weekends. Weather can close it even in July. Best time is a midweek dawn raid or a 7pm run over. With the GT3 tell him to keep wide on some of the lacets or he'll be losing his splitter.
As for Nurburg you'll have to check the 2012 public opening times, don't think they normally go live until late jan early feb. Even then they can also change after you've made your plans!
You've planned far too much driving each day. Add another 2/3 days. Take your time, concentrate on doing more decent quiet mountain passes rather than charging down motorways.
With Stelvio, avoid weekends. Weather can close it even in July. Best time is a midweek dawn raid or a 7pm run over. With the GT3 tell him to keep wide on some of the lacets or he'll be losing his splitter.
As for Nurburg you'll have to check the 2012 public opening times, don't think they normally go live until late jan early feb. Even then they can also change after you've made your plans!
Having just done the Stelvio Pass and a few others in a banger rally in a mk1 MR2, I think there are better roads for a Porsche than Stelvio - and they are nearer to the Nurburgring: I know that JC immortalised Stelvio on Top Gear, but IMO it is too tight for a 911 - In a works Mini, an Elise or an Exige, it would be an absolute hoot and I was grinning from ear to ear in £100-worth of MR2, but I KNOW I wouldn't enjoy it so much (or probably be as quick) in my Turbo, with another 300 horses!
Why not do the San Gottardo instead? A little bit closer and much more suited to a big supercar than Stelvio - hairpins you can actually drive around without needing the handbrake, smoother wider tarmac and stunning views into the bargain...
Why not do the San Gottardo instead? A little bit closer and much more suited to a big supercar than Stelvio - hairpins you can actually drive around without needing the handbrake, smoother wider tarmac and stunning views into the bargain...
What Daz said.
Davos > Stelvio > Stuttgart in one day is, quite frankly, ridiculous. As is Calais to Davos. I also wouldn't recommend the Stelvio for a 911, although it is an iconic road. You'll barely get out of 1st gear and if you don't hit it at dawn you'll get stuck behind something slower anyway. I did it on my bike so I was able to nip past all the cars, but if I was doing it on four wheels it would have been very frustrating.
Instead of bashing the autobahn you'll have a far better time on the 500 in the Black Forest - that is an awesome ribbon of tarmac and much more suited to the Porsche.
Incidentally, I preferred the Pyrenees to the Alps - far better road surface and higher speed roads.
Davos > Stelvio > Stuttgart in one day is, quite frankly, ridiculous. As is Calais to Davos. I also wouldn't recommend the Stelvio for a 911, although it is an iconic road. You'll barely get out of 1st gear and if you don't hit it at dawn you'll get stuck behind something slower anyway. I did it on my bike so I was able to nip past all the cars, but if I was doing it on four wheels it would have been very frustrating.
Instead of bashing the autobahn you'll have a far better time on the 500 in the Black Forest - that is an awesome ribbon of tarmac and much more suited to the Porsche.
Incidentally, I preferred the Pyrenees to the Alps - far better road surface and higher speed roads.
Totally agree that UK to Davos in a day is a bit much...
I was down that way early Oct and took 3 days to get there
Couldn't do the Stelvio in the end as it was covered in snow and I was on summer tyres
As mentioned the 500 through the Black Forest is a great road with fast sweeping bends and great scenery, my favorite of my trip.
Take your time to get there and do the smaller roads as they are more enjoying to drive.
Autobahns are fun too
Have a look through these to help plan your route.
http://www.petrolheadnirvana.com
http://www.ultimatedrives.net
http://www.alpineroads.com
I was down that way early Oct and took 3 days to get there
Couldn't do the Stelvio in the end as it was covered in snow and I was on summer tyres
As mentioned the 500 through the Black Forest is a great road with fast sweeping bends and great scenery, my favorite of my trip.
Take your time to get there and do the smaller roads as they are more enjoying to drive.
Autobahns are fun too
Have a look through these to help plan your route.
http://www.petrolheadnirvana.com
http://www.ultimatedrives.net
http://www.alpineroads.com
Pistonheads Ecosse is doing a euro road trip around the same time next year:
Click Gumbaw
Dates and routes etc are in the thread.
I originally planned to do Stelvio but our dates are very touch and go for it being open so we have de risked the plan by staying west of stelvio and doing the roads around Davos and down to the area around Garmisch before doing San Bern' and the Rue de Napoleon on our way to Monaco.
Feel free to have a look at our routes etc - maybe see you somewhere!
Click Gumbaw
Dates and routes etc are in the thread.
I originally planned to do Stelvio but our dates are very touch and go for it being open so we have de risked the plan by staying west of stelvio and doing the roads around Davos and down to the area around Garmisch before doing San Bern' and the Rue de Napoleon on our way to Monaco.
Feel free to have a look at our routes etc - maybe see you somewhere!
said: Another one for "What Daz said" 
I'd also add that having done the Stelvio this Sept I think it's a pretty rubbish road to drive. It's certainly very interesting - and has great scenery - but it's far too busy to be a great driving road.
Agree completely with this- Having driven the Stelvio in a 996C4S, it was a BIG let down. Generally a lot of traffic, the hairpins are very tight and my front splitter grounded out 3 times- and that's going slowly in 1st gear as you couldn't see what is around the corner. Followed a dumper truck down the last part (heading towards Meran) and he was going some.I'd also add that having done the Stelvio this Sept I think it's a pretty rubbish road to drive. It's certainly very interesting - and has great scenery - but it's far too busy to be a great driving road.
There are FAR better mountain passes to try out- all with stunning scenery- and a huge number of them too. A fvaourite circular route for me (and others in the Switzerland forum) is Susten-Grimsel-Furka-Gotthard-Nufenen-Grimsel-Susten. You can't go wrong on these- some nice tunnels on this route too
)Agree with the other comments here. I think you're being too optimistic and trying to do too much in too few days. I'd spread it out over a longer trip or reduce the number of places visited in this one trip.
Even the last day if Stuttgart to the 'ring (doing some laps) and then onto Lille is pushing it. When I've been to the ring, I have often stopped off at Lille for a night out on the way back, and I'm sure I wouldn't want to drive the 350 odd kilometres from Stuttgart before doing some very tiring nordschleife laps and then having to drive all the way to Lille.
Good luck with your planning and I hope you find some great roads and have a great time.
Even the last day if Stuttgart to the 'ring (doing some laps) and then onto Lille is pushing it. When I've been to the ring, I have often stopped off at Lille for a night out on the way back, and I'm sure I wouldn't want to drive the 350 odd kilometres from Stuttgart before doing some very tiring nordschleife laps and then having to drive all the way to Lille.
Good luck with your planning and I hope you find some great roads and have a great time.
kVA said:
I know that JC immortalised Stelvio on Top Gear, but IMO it is too tight for a 911 - In a works Mini, an Elise or an Exige, it would be an absolute hoot
LOL. Looks like I am not the only one to look at the footprint of cars in relation to road size ! When I recently dared say the Nissan GTR was to big for some fun back roads, people didn't seem to know what I was on about.Whitean3 said:
There are FAR better mountain passes to try out- all with stunning scenery- and a huge number of them too. A fvaourite circular route for me (and others in the Switzerland forum) is Susten-Grimsel-Furka-Gotthard-Nufenen-Grimsel-Susten. You can't go wrong on these- some nice tunnels on this route too )
+1 for Grimsel, Furka and Gotthard - did it in 2008 - awesome )
"Lille for the night (great town!)."
I worked in Lille a few years ago for a year or so & everybody on the team (approx 30 or so) had there cars vandalised, keyed, broken into or if there was nothing to steal, a hack saw blade inserted into the locks & the locks destroyed.
One chap arrived from the UK & as he was unpacking the car, walking up the steps to his apartment, he heard his car alarm go off, a false alarm he thought, he was wrong, it was broken into by the time he walked back down the stairs. I lived 10 miles out side of Lille, rented a house in a nice area & still had my car vandalised (locks hack sawed) & stuff stolen.
Lille, great city for bars & restaurants etc, but I wouldnt take any car there let alone a Porsche.
I worked in Lille a few years ago for a year or so & everybody on the team (approx 30 or so) had there cars vandalised, keyed, broken into or if there was nothing to steal, a hack saw blade inserted into the locks & the locks destroyed.
One chap arrived from the UK & as he was unpacking the car, walking up the steps to his apartment, he heard his car alarm go off, a false alarm he thought, he was wrong, it was broken into by the time he walked back down the stairs. I lived 10 miles out side of Lille, rented a house in a nice area & still had my car vandalised (locks hack sawed) & stuff stolen.
Lille, great city for bars & restaurants etc, but I wouldnt take any car there let alone a Porsche.
Where would people recommend for a Northern France stopover then? On the way back from Magny Cours last year we stopped off in Reims which was ok, but a little touristy/overpriced in the pedestrianised centre bit.
Next year we are looking at Chalons-en-Champagne as there's a nice looking square with about 10 bars on which looks ok. We're not looking for clubbing - just a nice pictoresque place to sit down and enjoy a few cold ones after 150 miles on the bike... anyone found a funky little town that might meet the criteria?
Next year we are looking at Chalons-en-Champagne as there's a nice looking square with about 10 bars on which looks ok. We're not looking for clubbing - just a nice pictoresque place to sit down and enjoy a few cold ones after 150 miles on the bike... anyone found a funky little town that might meet the criteria?
layo said:
"Lille for the night (great town!)."
I worked in Lille a few years ago for a year or so & everybody on the team (approx 30 or so) had there cars vandalised, keyed, broken into or if there was nothing to steal, a hack saw blade inserted into the locks & the locks destroyed.
One chap arrived from the UK & as he was unpacking the car, walking up the steps to his apartment, he heard his car alarm go off, a false alarm he thought, he was wrong, it was broken into by the time he walked back down the stairs. I lived 10 miles out side of Lille, rented a house in a nice area & still had my car vandalised (locks hack sawed) & stuff stolen.
Lille, great city for bars & restaurants etc, but I wouldnt take any car there let alone a Porsche.
Layo - nightmare! We parked in an underground car park so avoided all of this. I had no idea it was that bad - it's quite a student town and we know thrie views on nice cars... I worked in Lille a few years ago for a year or so & everybody on the team (approx 30 or so) had there cars vandalised, keyed, broken into or if there was nothing to steal, a hack saw blade inserted into the locks & the locks destroyed.
One chap arrived from the UK & as he was unpacking the car, walking up the steps to his apartment, he heard his car alarm go off, a false alarm he thought, he was wrong, it was broken into by the time he walked back down the stairs. I lived 10 miles out side of Lille, rented a house in a nice area & still had my car vandalised (locks hack sawed) & stuff stolen.
Lille, great city for bars & restaurants etc, but I wouldnt take any car there let alone a Porsche.
I had my iphone nicked there last year but that's a complicated story and not one for the internet...!
Great pubs/bars/clubs though.
hornetrider said:
Where would people recommend for a Northern France stopover then? On the way back from Magny Cours last year we stopped off in Reims which was ok, but a little touristy/overpriced in the pedestrianised centre bit.
Next year we are looking at Chalons-en-Champagne as there's a nice looking square with about 10 bars on which looks ok. We're not looking for clubbing - just a nice pictoresque place to sit down and enjoy a few cold ones after 150 miles on the bike... anyone found a funky little town that might meet the criteria?
Not little, and maybe too far from the channel, but the centre of Strasbourg is nice & picturesque.Next year we are looking at Chalons-en-Champagne as there's a nice looking square with about 10 bars on which looks ok. We're not looking for clubbing - just a nice pictoresque place to sit down and enjoy a few cold ones after 150 miles on the bike... anyone found a funky little town that might meet the criteria?
Gassing Station | Porsche General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff