And… away

[_Leg_]

Parking at the hotel in Madrid was err, ‘fun’.

[seefarr]

_Leg_ said:

Parking at the hotel in Madrid was err, ‘fun’.

Yeah I think Spain does the smallest parking garages in the world! We asked ahead of the hotels what the parking situation was and a couple of times parked in large outdoor public car parks or just on the street rather than the minuscule underground hotel dungeons.

[eyebeebe]

_Leg_ said:

Usually do 3 roadtrips into mainland Europe each year either with my wife or a bunch of mates. After 2 years of road tripping in the U.K. I’m finally back on a road trip into mainland Europe. Oh how I’ve missed it.

Anyone else back in the saddle or planning one?

Car



Yesterday



Today



Tomorrow and Thursday



Picking Mrs Leg up at Alicante Airport Friday and viewing villas for a couple of weeks before she flies back and I take 5 days to drive back via the Pico Mountains.

I do quite a bit of triathlon training around Alicante and am planning to retire in the area. I've only cycled them so far, but there are some fantastic looking driving roads out in the hills behind El Campello around Busot, Aigues and Jijona if you want a break from house shopping. Driving them in something interesting is certainly going to be one of my favourite retirement pastimes.

[Alexandra]

Resurrecting this to see what people are planning for 2023.

Last Christmas I left the car in Colorado due to the snow and flew back, so doing the reverse this year and flying out in a couple of weeks. It's been sat a long time so I've booked a service tech to come and get it started. The snow isn't so bad at the moment so at least we can make a few local trips to iron out any problems and get it serviced. Last year my youngest was pretty bored after a day or so, so it's his brother's turn and we'll find some things to do along the way. Maybe we'll see the Bulls play in Chicago if they're at home. Any suggestions for child-friendly things to do en route are welcome...



So, who's going where?

[DRZ]

I'm doing a big Euro trip this year with a club, that should be awesome fun. Hitting all the usual mountain passes and so on.

I've also got a trip booked in to watch the F1 at Spa. I've taken the McLaren camping previously so it should be a good laugh

I'm also planning a trip to the Arctic Circle in it. This is going to be quite tight with timings and it might yet get pushed into 2024. We'll see...

[DeejRC]

Euro road trip planned for this summer. Route still under discussion. This is a much delayed trip with friends due to reasons various. The last 2 yrs its been reduced to autumn long weekends around Wales and Yorks/Lakes and I even missed this yr due to Covid

Really hoping the week long Euro tour goes ahead. I need to buy something in time for said fun

[ghost83]

I’d love to do a good euro trip

[willy wombat]

We’ve got our normal hotel in St Tropez booked for the last week of June and will definitely drive there and back but haven’t decided how much of a tour we will make of it. Either we will just make it a French tout or maybe we will go down into Italy as well. We’d quite like to drive down to the Amalfi Coast but it is a fair distance (the furthest south I’ve driven from the UK so far is Rome).

[MingtheMerciless]

Do not drive in a car bigger than a Smart Car or with overhangs lower than a Range Rover in the Amalfi coast. Just saying.

[willy wombat]

Understood but Leg seemed to manage it with his F12 judging by his previous, pre covid, threads. I’ve driven various Ferraris up and down the roads along the sides of Lake Como and that’s quite a challenge. Anyone who wants to see what that’s like search for TG race down Lake Como with Hammond in an Alfa and JC on a jet ski.

Edited by willy wombat on Thursday 8th December 10:14

[targarama]

willy wombat said:

Understood but Leg seemed to manage it with his F12 judging by his previous, pre covid, threads. I’ve driven various Ferraris up and down the roads along the sides of Lake Como and that’s quite a challenge. Anyone who wants to see what that’s like search for TG race down Lake Como with Hammond in an Alfa and JC on a jet ski.

Edited by willy wombat on Thursday 8th December 10:14

Pfft, the roads are wide enough around Como, easy peasy



Had to make this turn into the carpark though ...

[andyr]

I'm planning on driving my 458 down to next years Monza F1 via South of France - booked the Airbnb for the week already. Then down to Genoa for a week or two and will take in Maranello. I think I'm going to get the car transported back to the UK rather than drive it so I can spend a few more days in Italy.

Anyone have experience of driving to Monza ?

[Pepperpots]

I did a road trip a few years back, route took me straight down to Nice, across to Monaco and Genoa up to Como. It was the fifth night of the trip at a campsite in Como and I was knackered! It was me and my 11 year old daughter in a Lotus Esprit S4

[willy wombat]

Drove to Monza about 10 years ago as part of an Italian tour. Don’t want to sound too up myself but we were in the Paddock Club which meant we had parking right next to the paddock. Driving a Ferrari through the Tifosi in Monza Park remains one of the highlights of my life.

[andyr]

Pepperpots said:

I did a road trip a few years back, route took me straight down to Nice, across to Monaco and Genoa up to Como. It was the fifth night of the trip at a campsite in Como and I was knackered! It was me and my 11 year old daughter in a Lotus Esprit S4

Ah, thats exactly the route I was thinking of with a stop partway down to Nice. Did you do the Riviera route in one drive or split it up ?

[andyr]

willy wombat said:

Drove to Monza about 10 years ago as part of an Italian tour. Don’t want to sound too up myself but we were in the Paddock Club which meant we had parking right next to the paddock. Driving a Ferrari through the Tifosi in Monza Park remains one of the highlights of my life.

Ah, that's really interesting. I was going to buy the Ferrari paddock tickets for the Saturday. Is that what you bought ? I'm not sure about parking there though as I want to drink as much of the booze as possible !

[_Leg_]

Not planned any trips for next year yet although there’ll be plenty. Planning more mountain bike trips too after a superb weeklong series of trail rides around Lake Orta in the Italian Alps this year.

Currently on our way up to Edinburgh for just shy of a week for the Christmas Market in the Flying Spur. Perfect car for winter driving in the U.K. comfy, quiet, warm. Stopped off en route to drop the dog off at my eldest’s. Practical car is a Spur. :-)



Need to find somewhere to watch the match tonight. I’m sure the Scots will rally behind the England team and make us feel welcome. Hahahaha, not.

[Pepperpots]

andyr said:

Pepperpots said:

I did a road trip a few years back, route took me straight down to Nice, across to Monaco and Genoa up to Como. It was the fifth night of the trip at a campsite in Como and I was knackered! It was me and my 11 year old daughter in a Lotus Esprit S4

Ah, thats exactly the route I was thinking of with a stop partway down to Nice. Did you do the Riviera route in one drive or split it up ?

Left Nice early to spend a few hours mooching around Monaco, saw the sights, drank coke at the Cafe de Paris and later that day went straight along the coastal road, some amazing tunnels and bridges and in the evening arrived at the campsite. The route was terrific really, nicest drive I think I've ever had. Arrived knackered again! Ordered a beer and some delivered pizza and collapsed.

[willy wombat]

andyr said:

Ah, that's really interesting. I was going to buy the Ferrari paddock tickets for the Saturday. Is that what you bought ? I'm not sure about parking there though as I want to drink as much of the booze as possible !

On that occasion we went to the bit of the Paddock Club that’s not affiliated to any team although we have been to the Ferrari bit at other races (all the various bits of the Paddock Club are next to each other). I kept the drinking very moderate and made up for it when I got back to the hotel.