Just back from a little trip

[iandc]

Hi All, just got back from 2 week trip around Europe and thought I would share some thoughts/observations. Sadly (before you all ask) no pictures as (a) I am crap with a camera and (b) I was too busy driving!.
Countries visited: France (briefly as they charge on their motorways), Belgium (god their roads are nearly as bad as ours and their drivers are from a different planet), Germany (very busy on Autobahns so no really high speed runs on way down, Austria including Vienna, Slovenia (great roads and no traffic), Croatia (roads fine until you get into the countryside), back through Slovenia to Italy (the Dolomite passes are superb and little traffic), Switzerland (God it's expensive, how do normal people live there!)with Alpine passes and Germany (faster this time as Sunday and no traffic) then Belgium again (no better) and France to Eurotunnel.
3000 miles in 2 weeks with lots of 2/3 night stopovers so only really 7 days of hard driving.
The car was magnificent ( Gallardo 560-4) and used no oil and averaged 20 mpg including 8 mpg on the Autobahn and temperatures of over 35 degrees most days.
Most interesting bits:

• Loading all the luggage for 2 into a boot the size of a postage stamp ( we smelt a bit after 2 weeks!!)
• Putting the car on a flat bed railway truck to go through the mountains of Slovenia (all for 6 Euros)
• Doing 150 mph in the driving rain on the Autobahn ( no traffic and car was absolutely stable)
• Getting caught for speeding in Slovenia (150 Euros in cash for doing 68kph in 50 kph caught by mobile camera police officer in a village with nobody in it and miles from anywhere!)
• Lots of police catching people on the restriced parts of the Autobahn (but not me as I had learnt my expensive lesson!)
• Petrol is bloody expensive (1.79 Euros per litre for 100 octane) except in Slovenia where they have 100 octane for 1.30 Euros per litre.
• Trying to get started after services breaks on all the motorways as usually 20/30 people around the car taking photos (after all it is bright green!)
• Best roads are in Slovenia, Italy and Swiss passes (how can they have roads like billiard tables when they are closed for snow 6 months in the year!)
• Worst roads are England ( Surrey) and Belgium
• Autobahns are slowly being eroded of derestriced bits. Lots of roadworks plus more 130kph speed limit sections. I think they are bringing in speed limits by stealth rather than making a big issue of it.
• A generalisation, but most German and Austrian drivers are very good, Belgium and Netherlands are worst with manic behavour on the motorways.
• Best passes were Albulapass, Ofenpass (great name hey!)Passo di Gardena plus other Dolomite passes around Cortina d'Ampezzo. Little traffic, great roads and the 4 wheel drive plus E Gear coming into its own.
• Eurotunnel were excellent as usual as we went in the high vehicle section so plenty of width.
• UK Border Control in Calais were apalling taking 5 minutes for each vehicle just to check passports and causing us to miss a train. Train we missed got stuck in the tunnel so every cloud .... French customs were great and efficient moving through the queue to check details rather than sitting in their office like their UK equivalent.

So overall a great trip and well worth it even if petrol expensive and no luggage space. Apologies I know this is useless without pictures, but as I said I am crap with a camera. Sorry this is a little long but I thought it worth sharing with anyone thinking of doing similar.
Cheers Ian

[CIE561]

No need to apologise, great read. Shame there's no pictures but oh well.

[GFWilliams]

Sounds epic. I'm really hoping you've got some pictures otherwise you'll have to do the trip again and bring me to take photos

[Justices]

The trip sounds incredible. I am insanely jealous.

Has anyone driven from Blighty to Budapest by any chance? I have plans but have never driven past Italy.

[70proof]

hi guys, sounds like a great trip...... who needs clothes when you are wearing a car like that....

didn;t you pack any ferrari deodarant, i take my eau d'toilette everwhere!!

[iandc]

Justices said:

The trip sounds incredible. I am insanely jealous.

Has anyone driven from Blighty to Budapest by any chance? I have plans but have never driven past Italy.

Didn't get as far as Budapest but there is a motorway from Vienna to Budapest so should be a doddle. We stayed overnight in Nurnburg on the way down and got to Vienna in the early afternoon so Blighty to Budapest should be easy with one overnight i Germany. Motorway all the way so boring but easy drive.

[ChrisFitz]

iandc said:

French customs were great and efficient moving through the queue to check details rather than sitting in their office like their UK equivalent.

That depends on what colour your skin is. They are right racist gits and that's being polite.
Apparently all Asian/British Asian Women are suicide bombers so we get stopped every time and checked for explosives. As I'm really like to blow up my Lambo and kill myself too. Tossers.
British Customs great.....
Guess it all comes down to who you get on what day, but never been stopped once in over 20 years and everytime we've been over with Jags stopped every single time. best one when coming into France from CH in a transit. 2 hours later after they searched the van and all our luggage/clothes then they let us go. How kind...

Anyway, rant over, yes there are all of 2 of us on here looking to meet up to test out the tunnel....

[iandc]

ChrisFitz said:

That depends on what colour your skin is. They are right racist gits and that's being polite.
Apparently all Asian/British Asian Women are suicide bombers so we get stopped every time and checked for explosives. As I'm really like to blow up my Lambo and kill myself too. Tossers.
British Customs great.....
Guess it all comes down to who you get on what day, but never been stopped once in over 20 years and everytime we've been over with Jags stopped every single time. best one when coming into France from CH in a transit. 2 hours later after they searched the van and all our luggage/clothes then they let us go. How kind...

Anyway, rant over, yes there are all of 2 of us on here looking to meet up to test out the tunnel....

Agreed it depends who you get. It was just funny that the UK guys were taking 5-10 minutes just to check passports and I got really "annoyed" as I missed the train - then it got stuck in the tunnel for 1 hour so I guess last laugh to me. I must say I was amazed the French guys were so co-operative going along the queue with their drug test stick thing. next time it will be different I am sure.

[Not Ideal]

Good write up.

Had my first foray onto Italian motorways last week driving 1200 km's to and from Tuscany from St Tropez and find it easier than driving on French autoroutes! Lane discipline was surprisingly good!

[iandc]

Not Ideal said:

Good write up.

Had my first foray onto Italian motorways last week driving 1200 km's to and from Tuscany from St Tropez and find it easier than driving on French autoroutes! Lane discipline was surprisingly good!

cheers and thanks for the kind comment. I had a Ferrari 360 Spider a few years back and driving "enthusiastically" on the Autostrada spotted a police car in middle lane. Slowed down to be given the "go faster" signal by the cops! Could only happen in Italy!!!

[Not Ideal]

Yeah I passed one doing a fair rate of knots and he didn't even blink!

[Justices]

iandc said:

Didn't get as far as Budapest but there is a motorway from Vienna to Budapest so should be a doddle. We stayed overnight in Nurnburg on the way down and got to Vienna in the early afternoon so Blighty to Budapest should be easy with one overnight in Germany. Motorway all the way so boring but easy drive.

Fantastic. It's going to be an epic drive and I cannot wait.