The A110 road trip topic
Discussion
J321 ALP said:
Obligatory picture of my Alpine on the ferry to Santander. Travelled to San Sebastián and then to Salamanca. From here onwards to Portugal and the Douro Valley. Alpine faultless so far, just a joy to drive. One thing I have learnt is if you use the MyAlpine app don’t rely on being able to look up the online user manual unless you are fluent in the language of the country you’re visiting, mine has gone all Spanish! 
J321ALP what exhaust and trim do you have fitted to your car. I prefer that to the alloy surround.biggles330d said:
Four weeks until we're off. Scotland - Annecy - Uzes - Scotland, over 3 weeks, with a week in each intermediate location.
I love the route planning and journey as much as sitting by the pool and enjoying the sunshine.
A night in Beaune on the way, then when in Annecy taking in the TdF that passes nearby one day, pop into Switzerland for the Montreux Jazz Festival, mooch around the lower alps, down the N85 past Gap and across over the top of Mount Ventoux to Uzes, some looking around Avignon, back via Millau Viaduct and a couple of nights in Sancerre.
An A110 adventure of at least 3,000 miles and exactly the sort of trip I bought it for and it was excellent at in 2022. To say I'm excited is an understatement. And yes, all the Cabin Zero bags are sorted to optimise the luggage!
Just back from our adventure. Fabulous trip and confirmation that the little A110 is a hugely capable car. Motorways and twisties, no probs at all. I love the route planning and journey as much as sitting by the pool and enjoying the sunshine.
A night in Beaune on the way, then when in Annecy taking in the TdF that passes nearby one day, pop into Switzerland for the Montreux Jazz Festival, mooch around the lower alps, down the N85 past Gap and across over the top of Mount Ventoux to Uzes, some looking around Avignon, back via Millau Viaduct and a couple of nights in Sancerre.
An A110 adventure of at least 3,000 miles and exactly the sort of trip I bought it for and it was excellent at in 2022. To say I'm excited is an understatement. And yes, all the Cabin Zero bags are sorted to optimise the luggage!
The standard buckets are remarkably comfortable, even with 5-6-7 hours in the seat, helped no doubt by the ride quality.
Along the way we counted only 8 other Alpines, all in France, so it's a fairly uncommon thing there. No end of appreciative comments and people taking photo's, waving or flashing lights with thumbs up.
Over the trip it did everything, from mountain passes to autoroute blasts to crawling through congested city centres at 39c hot days. It performed perfectly and wa a joy to drive in every situation, all while averaging about 40mpg over the whole trip.
Some images..
Packed to perfection!
Gently roasting at 40c
Top of Mont Ventoux, utterly spectacular at the top and an amazing drive up and down.
Filthy but a great angle in the evening sun. But wow do the standard brakes create some brake dust.
Millau Viaduct, well worth a detour to see up close.
It's back, washed and ready to head back out to Angouleme for the Circuit de Remparts in September and another 2000+ mile French adventure.
Glad -but not surprised- to hear how the car performed. Having kicked off our Alpine's continental touring in Spain and France this May, we are now booked for the trip we originally intended: a brief mid-August jaunt to Honfleur, stopping by the Alpine factory, along with a number of cultural visits. A mere week poses no problems with packing!
LE62NDE said:
Glad -but not surprised- to hear how the car performed. Having kicked off our Alpine's continental touring in Spain and France this May, we are now booked for the trip we originally intended: a brief mid-August jaunt to Honfleur, stopping by the Alpine factory, along with a number of cultural visits. A mere week poses no problems with packing!
We’re planning an almost identical trip in the spring, would be interested to hear where you stay and how you get on 
Two of the CabinZero type bags in the front provided more than enough for a week away for my gf and I, with me doing a further week at a conference in central Italy.
They're really excellent cars to roadtrip in. I'm amazed you saw so many in France, I did 1,500km or so through France and didn't see one! Over 4,000km through France, Italy and Switzerland, I saw only one other.
They're really excellent cars to roadtrip in. I'm amazed you saw so many in France, I did 1,500km or so through France and didn't see one! Over 4,000km through France, Italy and Switzerland, I saw only one other.
leglessAlex said:
Two of the CabinZero type bags in the front provided more than enough for a week away for my gf and I, with me doing a further week at a conference in central Italy.
They're really excellent cars to roadtrip in. I'm amazed you saw so many in France, I did 1,500km or so through France and didn't see one! Over 4,000km through France, Italy and Switzerland, I saw only one other.
One was owned by the family in whose house we were staying (separate annex as a holiday let). Tucked away in the garage, not sure who was more surprised at the coincidence, the owner or me as we rolled up and parked on the drive. His was immaculate of course, mine loaded up like a pack horse and already filthy having done 1,000 miles over a couple of days in pouring rain and accumulated road grime. I put it down to good taste and selection of accommodation! They're really excellent cars to roadtrip in. I'm amazed you saw so many in France, I did 1,500km or so through France and didn't see one! Over 4,000km through France, Italy and Switzerland, I saw only one other.
At the Eurotunnel in Calais on the way back we did park up next to a light blue UK registered one in in light blue matt / frosted, with carbon roof and fuchs wheels, out on a trip with buddies in a vantage, cayman and Jag XKR. Only UK registered car all trip though. Maybe someone on here.
Looks like a great trip Biggles, thanks for sharing. I have just got back from two weeks in Northern Spain and Portugal - I will post the details later. In terms of other Alpines, I saw a grand total of 0, the same number I saw my c2000 mile Scottish trip earlier this year. The A110 did draw lots of positive comments in both Spain and Portugal, quite a few people knew what it was but had never seen one. Sadly I missed out on what I thought would be an interesting conversation in Santiago de Compostela, I checked my car one morning to find a Morgan parked next to it with I think French plates. I couldn’t find the owner so was unable to have a chat about why an Englishman was driving a French sports car while a Frenchman was driving and English one
Not a great European adventure but I did 470 miles in my GT yesterday so I think that qualifies as a road trip!
I'm in Essex and once a year I go to see my brother-in-law compete at the Wiscombe Park Hillclimb in Devon with his Caterham Hayabusa. Usually this includes an overnight stay at my brother's just north of Bristol but this year other commitments meant I only had a day to do it in.
So left home at 5.30am, took a scenic route to the M25 then used the A4 to head west which is a nice road in parts rather than sitting in interminable 50 mph speed traps on the M4, got to Bristol just before 9.00 for breakfast, brother had got his 1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 out for the day so we convoyed down to Wiscombe, another 2 hours and very few chances to drive properly.
Enjoyed spectating at Wiscombe, brother-in-law won his class as usual plus beat all the sports libre Radicals, Pilbeams, Mallocks etc.
Left Wiscombe at about 5.30, headed up the A303, again good in parts, a brief stop and a strategic energy drink, got home by 10.00pm.
So 470 miles in about 9 hours of driving, got out of the car no stiffer than in any other car.
I think GT seats do help, my back can seize up but being able to change the back rest angle and generally alter the seat position every now and again is a good thing.
Android Auto nav and music was great as well and averaged nearly 45 mpg.
Interesting seeing the 2 cars side by side, a bit of research confirms the Alpine is slightly lower and shorter but the 911 is quite a bit narrower, very close in weight but an extra 100 bhp in the Alpine and probably a similar value right now but going in opposite directions!
I'm in Essex and once a year I go to see my brother-in-law compete at the Wiscombe Park Hillclimb in Devon with his Caterham Hayabusa. Usually this includes an overnight stay at my brother's just north of Bristol but this year other commitments meant I only had a day to do it in.
So left home at 5.30am, took a scenic route to the M25 then used the A4 to head west which is a nice road in parts rather than sitting in interminable 50 mph speed traps on the M4, got to Bristol just before 9.00 for breakfast, brother had got his 1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 out for the day so we convoyed down to Wiscombe, another 2 hours and very few chances to drive properly.
Enjoyed spectating at Wiscombe, brother-in-law won his class as usual plus beat all the sports libre Radicals, Pilbeams, Mallocks etc.
Left Wiscombe at about 5.30, headed up the A303, again good in parts, a brief stop and a strategic energy drink, got home by 10.00pm.
So 470 miles in about 9 hours of driving, got out of the car no stiffer than in any other car.
I think GT seats do help, my back can seize up but being able to change the back rest angle and generally alter the seat position every now and again is a good thing.
Android Auto nav and music was great as well and averaged nearly 45 mpg.
Interesting seeing the 2 cars side by side, a bit of research confirms the Alpine is slightly lower and shorter but the 911 is quite a bit narrower, very close in weight but an extra 100 bhp in the Alpine and probably a similar value right now but going in opposite directions!
Quick summary of my trip to Northern Spain and Portugal. Ferry from Plymouth to Santander, great way to start a holiday as the overnight trip eases you into holiday mode. Recommend getting cabin and eating in the a la carte restaurant, if you just choose the buffet option I think it's great value for money. On the way out and back we saw dolphins and possibly some pilot whales. First stop was San Sebastián, which has a great reputation for food, particularly sea food. Then on to Salamanca where we spent 4 nights. During our stay here we took the train to Madrid for a day. If you're going to do this book well in advance so you can get seats on the fast train, about an hour and half as opposed to the 3 hour slow train. Unfortunately the day we went coincided with the Euros football final and when we got back to Salamanca there were very few taxis until the game had finished! Salamanca well worth a visit, wonderful traditional Spanish city. From there we drove to the Douro Valley in Portugal. Probably the best driving roads of the trip, N229 and N222 were excellent although the N222 has lots of tight hairpins with lazy drivers coming the other way crossing the centre of the road. The Alpine was the perfect car for a quick overtake of a slower vehicle on the short straights. We then went on to Porto where the size of the Alpine made city centre driving a breeze, we stayed in an airbnb with underground parking accessed by a car lift - a first for me! Again the size of the A110 very useful here. From Porto we drove north back into Spain to Santiago de Compostela. Another beautiful city. From there we drove to Finisterre, the most westerly point in Spain and then on to the Asturian coast with amazing coastline walks. From there it was back to Santander and the ferry home. If you are thinking of doing something similar then the roads are great for the Alpine, except perhaps the Spanish motorways which were bumpier than a British b road in the inside lane, I guess something to do with the heat and the heavy lorries. Overall the roads were very quiet and good to drive.There are some toll roads in Spain and loads in Portugal, the latter tend not to have barriers but use sensors on overhead gantries and with this in mind we got a tag which works in both countries and took the hassle out of being in a righthand drive low sports car. The Alpine did not miss a beat as we travelled around. A couple of days it was in the high 30's and at one point the car registered 42 degrees. We didn't do high mileage, about 1k, and the only issue with refuelling was as we entered Portugal and filled up in a well known French supermarket garage only to be told, once the tank was full that they only accepted cash. Fortunately there was an ATM in the supermarket. In terms of luggage we managed to fit two cabin max bags in the frunk, two more behind the passenger seat, a rucksack behind the drivers seat and another in the boot with a couple of spare sets of shoes/trainers. Both the storage compartments got quite warm particularly the boot. I have created a route plan which shows the gist of where we went, limited to four way points, so not 100% accurate but it gives you an idea.
Derek182 said:
Not a great European adventure but I did 470 miles in my GT yesterday so I think that qualifies as a road trip!
I'm in Essex and once a year I go to see my brother-in-law compete at the Wiscombe Park Hillclimb in Devon with his Caterham Hayabusa. Usually this includes an overnight stay at my brother's just north of Bristol but this year other commitments meant I only had a day to do it in.
So left home at 5.30am, took a scenic route to the M25 then used the A4 to head west which is a nice road in parts rather than sitting in interminable 50 mph speed traps on the M4, got to Bristol just before 9.00 for breakfast, brother had got his 1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 out for the day so we convoyed down to Wiscombe, another 2 hours and very few chances to drive properly.
Enjoyed spectating at Wiscombe, brother-in-law won his class as usual plus beat all the sports libre Radicals, Pilbeams, Mallocks etc.
Left Wiscombe at about 5.30, headed up the A303, again good in parts, a brief stop and a strategic energy drink, got home by 10.00pm.
So 470 miles in about 9 hours of driving, got out of the car no stiffer than in any other car.
I think GT seats do help, my back can seize up but being able to change the back rest angle and generally alter the seat position every now and again is a good thing.
Android Auto nav and music was great as well and averaged nearly 45 mpg.
Interesting seeing the 2 cars side by side, a bit of research confirms the Alpine is slightly lower and shorter but the 911 is quite a bit narrower, very close in weight but an extra 100 bhp in the Alpine and probably a similar value right now but going in opposite directions!
I've heard it said that many find the A110 relatively similar to the earlier 911's in terms of power, size, weight and usability. A modern day interpretation v the 911 that got lardy and overpowered in recent years. I'm in Essex and once a year I go to see my brother-in-law compete at the Wiscombe Park Hillclimb in Devon with his Caterham Hayabusa. Usually this includes an overnight stay at my brother's just north of Bristol but this year other commitments meant I only had a day to do it in.
So left home at 5.30am, took a scenic route to the M25 then used the A4 to head west which is a nice road in parts rather than sitting in interminable 50 mph speed traps on the M4, got to Bristol just before 9.00 for breakfast, brother had got his 1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 out for the day so we convoyed down to Wiscombe, another 2 hours and very few chances to drive properly.
Enjoyed spectating at Wiscombe, brother-in-law won his class as usual plus beat all the sports libre Radicals, Pilbeams, Mallocks etc.
Left Wiscombe at about 5.30, headed up the A303, again good in parts, a brief stop and a strategic energy drink, got home by 10.00pm.
So 470 miles in about 9 hours of driving, got out of the car no stiffer than in any other car.
I think GT seats do help, my back can seize up but being able to change the back rest angle and generally alter the seat position every now and again is a good thing.
Android Auto nav and music was great as well and averaged nearly 45 mpg.
Interesting seeing the 2 cars side by side, a bit of research confirms the Alpine is slightly lower and shorter but the 911 is quite a bit narrower, very close in weight but an extra 100 bhp in the Alpine and probably a similar value right now but going in opposite directions!
I love the look of the twin tips, I also enjoy the sound which is different from the standard sports exhaust, not louder necessarily but just different. In terms of sound in the cabin a performance air filter also helps. I do have a query that I am waiting to hear back on which is around the discolouration of one of the tips.
I’ve recently enjoyed a week away on the Isle of Lewis and some good roads of the NC500 up to and around the ferry at Ullapool.
Left Aberdeen, out to Tarland, then Ballater, and over the Lecht for a breakfast stop in Granton on Spey.
Carried on to Nairn, then Inverness, 10am snack at the Kinlochewe service station, then round Gairloch etc, quick just in-time fuel stop in Ullapool, then on to Lochinver for lunch. Finished the day back in Ullapool to catch the ferry the next morning.
My car was great (A110 S) but I do suspect a GT or Pure would have been better on some of the ‘less well maintained’ sections.
Horizontal rain most of the week in Lewis but still a great place to visit.
[url]
|https://forums-images.pistonheads.com/196940/202408127811241
Left Aberdeen, out to Tarland, then Ballater, and over the Lecht for a breakfast stop in Granton on Spey.
Carried on to Nairn, then Inverness, 10am snack at the Kinlochewe service station, then round Gairloch etc, quick just in-time fuel stop in Ullapool, then on to Lochinver for lunch. Finished the day back in Ullapool to catch the ferry the next morning.
My car was great (A110 S) but I do suspect a GT or Pure would have been better on some of the ‘less well maintained’ sections.
Horizontal rain most of the week in Lewis but still a great place to visit.
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Edited by kdempsie on Monday 12th August 21:46
Edited by kdempsie on Monday 12th August 21:48
kdempsie said:
I’ve recently enjoyed a week away on the Isle of Lewis and some good roads of the NC500 up to and around the ferry at Ullapool.
Left Aberdeen, out to Tarland, then Ballater, and over the Lecht for a breakfast stop in Granton on Spey.
Carried on to Nairn, then Inverness, 10am snack at the Kinlochewe service station, then round Gairloch etc, quick just in-time fuel stop in Ullapool, then on to Lochinver for lunch. Finished the day back in Ullapool to catch the ferry the next morning.
My car was great (A110 S) but I do suspect a GT or Pure would have been better on some of the ‘less well maintained’ sections.
Horizontal rain most of the week in Lewis but still a great place to visit.
[url]|https://forums-images.pistonheads.com/196940/202408127811241
Mega! Some of the sections of road on Harris/Lewis live rent-free in my mind (happily so) - and that was just in a TT. Can't imagine how good they'd be in the Alp!Left Aberdeen, out to Tarland, then Ballater, and over the Lecht for a breakfast stop in Granton on Spey.
Carried on to Nairn, then Inverness, 10am snack at the Kinlochewe service station, then round Gairloch etc, quick just in-time fuel stop in Ullapool, then on to Lochinver for lunch. Finished the day back in Ullapool to catch the ferry the next morning.
My car was great (A110 S) but I do suspect a GT or Pure would have been better on some of the ‘less well maintained’ sections.
Horizontal rain most of the week in Lewis but still a great place to visit.
[url]
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