First European Trip
Discussion
OK so booked my first road trip in July and was just after a few pointers. We are going to Nurburgring, then down through Switzerland onto Monaco, few days rest and then back through France and home. Total 7 days.
Main things are that the car is booked in for a service next month with new tyres so hopefully thats the car taken care of. Also uprated breakdown cover purchased.
The question is what else should I do in preparation and what "essentials" should I take (things that may go wrong with the car or what equipment needed whilst travelling through Europe)
Any help appreciated as I have seen other peoples photo's and I am getting more and more excited the closer I get to D day
Main things are that the car is booked in for a service next month with new tyres so hopefully thats the car taken care of. Also uprated breakdown cover purchased.
The question is what else should I do in preparation and what "essentials" should I take (things that may go wrong with the car or what equipment needed whilst travelling through Europe)
Any help appreciated as I have seen other peoples photo's and I am getting more and more excited the closer I get to D day
As I found out last year, taking drivers license, vehicle registration and insurance documents would have been useful. Unfortunately I left in a frenzy of excitement, forgetting all of them, and the dutch copper was not best pleased!
Other than that, you need safety triangle, fluorescent waistcoats etc by law to drive in France. Check up on other requirements, as they like to pick on brits as majority dont know the euro laws and end up with fines.
Also, dont take a speedcam snooper device, as you'll end up with an impounded car.
Other than that, you need safety triangle, fluorescent waistcoats etc by law to drive in France. Check up on other requirements, as they like to pick on brits as majority dont know the euro laws and end up with fines.
Also, dont take a speedcam snooper device, as you'll end up with an impounded car.
Edited by kryten22uk on Monday 1st March 13:09
kryten22uk said:
As I found out last year, taking drivers license, vehicle registration and insurance documents would have been useful. Unfortunately I left in a frenzy of excitement, forgetting all of them, and the dutch copper was not best pleased!
Other than that, you need safety triangle, fluorescent waistcoats etc by law to drive in France. Check up on other requirements, as they like to pick on brits as majority dont know the euro laws and end up with fines.
Also, dont take a speedcam snooper device, as you'll end up with an impounded car.
Defo agree on this one, I took all my papers with me and the Policeman in Monaco who pulled me over still didn't seem best pleased, best to be safe than sorry. Other than that, I can recommend the route Napoleon when you head north from Monaco through France, we did the other direction, but it's a great road. Also if you have the time, might as well nip to Modena, we managed to do the Ferrari and Lamborghini museums in one day and still had time for a tour at Pagani, which incidentally is fantastic (Especially as we got to see the test mule for the new car, sounding amazing as it screamed off up the road).Other than that, you need safety triangle, fluorescent waistcoats etc by law to drive in France. Check up on other requirements, as they like to pick on brits as majority dont know the euro laws and end up with fines.
Also, dont take a speedcam snooper device, as you'll end up with an impounded car.
Edited by kryten22uk on Monday 1st March 13:09
Hi
Yes definitely take all the paperwork that ID's the car as yours as well as insurance docs also. The Po leese checked mine at Dover on the way out!!! The AA website tells you useful info about driving in Europe. Halfords will sell you a European kit with all the bits you need to be legal. French cops tend to have a SOH failure over brits speeding.......... although i was positively encouraged to reach the speed limit as quickly as possible in the Lambo on exiting the payage stations by a load of froggie bike cops :-)
If you have a right hooker, its essential to brief your passenger in the Left Hand Seat about how to pay at the payage stations, saves you getting in and out of the car every 30 miles!!!!!!! Have plenty of euro change.
Take a couple of tyre inflation kits (Manufactures recommended as the capacity is 2 times greater than a standard Halfords which wont inflate a Lambo tyre), as sods law says you will need them in a tunnel and a queue of 6000 card behind whilst you wait for a tow truck is not a great thing to experience. Bear in mind also that temps in tunnels can be 20-30 degrees warmer than outside.
As soon as you enter Switzerland........ assuming you are going to, ask to pay the road tax and get a nice little sticker. Its about 30sf from what i remember and will save you problems in case you manage to attract some unwanted attention from plod.
Depending on what car you have, you might attract a lot of attention at petrol stations etc. I was more than happy to keep up international relations and allow people to take photos etc. They seem to appreciate it and class you as an enthusiast rather than a rich prick, for which my bank manager will confirm that i am definitely the former and not the latter.
I took a Road Angel Pro and set the speed read out in KMH, its so much easier to keep a check on speed than looking down at an MPH speedo and either trying to do the mental maths or reading the out side of the scale. Also had a snooper SATNAV which had European Fixed Safety Camera database in it so was very useful.
I drove from Scotland to Cyprus and had a bloody good time doing it and avoided unpleasant fines in the post.
Enjoy it. Its great fun.
GW
Yes definitely take all the paperwork that ID's the car as yours as well as insurance docs also. The Po leese checked mine at Dover on the way out!!! The AA website tells you useful info about driving in Europe. Halfords will sell you a European kit with all the bits you need to be legal. French cops tend to have a SOH failure over brits speeding.......... although i was positively encouraged to reach the speed limit as quickly as possible in the Lambo on exiting the payage stations by a load of froggie bike cops :-)
If you have a right hooker, its essential to brief your passenger in the Left Hand Seat about how to pay at the payage stations, saves you getting in and out of the car every 30 miles!!!!!!! Have plenty of euro change.
Take a couple of tyre inflation kits (Manufactures recommended as the capacity is 2 times greater than a standard Halfords which wont inflate a Lambo tyre), as sods law says you will need them in a tunnel and a queue of 6000 card behind whilst you wait for a tow truck is not a great thing to experience. Bear in mind also that temps in tunnels can be 20-30 degrees warmer than outside.
As soon as you enter Switzerland........ assuming you are going to, ask to pay the road tax and get a nice little sticker. Its about 30sf from what i remember and will save you problems in case you manage to attract some unwanted attention from plod.
Depending on what car you have, you might attract a lot of attention at petrol stations etc. I was more than happy to keep up international relations and allow people to take photos etc. They seem to appreciate it and class you as an enthusiast rather than a rich prick, for which my bank manager will confirm that i am definitely the former and not the latter.
I took a Road Angel Pro and set the speed read out in KMH, its so much easier to keep a check on speed than looking down at an MPH speedo and either trying to do the mental maths or reading the out side of the scale. Also had a snooper SATNAV which had European Fixed Safety Camera database in it so was very useful.
I drove from Scotland to Cyprus and had a bloody good time doing it and avoided unpleasant fines in the post.
Enjoy it. Its great fun.
GW
Two things I just thought of, be careful with speed camera detectors even GPS based ones. They are pretty much illegal everywhere on the continent, though only if you get caught with it. Just something else to be aware of.
Plus if your staying in Monaco and want a nice but not crazy money place to stay, then I can recommend the Vista Palace Hotel, it has probably (provided you book a Monaco facing room) the best view you will get anywhere of the whole of Monaco, I mean proper jaw dropping stuff. Plus as it's back over the border in France the prices are a little more palatable, great restaurant there to, to soak up the view with. They also run a free shuttle down to the Casino very regularly, good if you fancy a few drinky poo's.
Hotel Linkage
For once the view are actually better than the photographs.
Plus if your staying in Monaco and want a nice but not crazy money place to stay, then I can recommend the Vista Palace Hotel, it has probably (provided you book a Monaco facing room) the best view you will get anywhere of the whole of Monaco, I mean proper jaw dropping stuff. Plus as it's back over the border in France the prices are a little more palatable, great restaurant there to, to soak up the view with. They also run a free shuttle down to the Casino very regularly, good if you fancy a few drinky poo's.
Hotel Linkage
For once the view are actually better than the photographs.
djtex said:
Two things I just thought of, be careful with speed camera detectors even GPS based ones. They are pretty much illegal everywhere on the continent, though only if you get caught with it. Just something else to be aware of.
Plus if your staying in Monaco and want a nice but not crazy money place to stay, then I can recommend the Vista Palace Hotel, it has probably (provided you book a Monaco facing room) the best view you will get anywhere of the whole of Monaco, I mean proper jaw dropping stuff. Plus as it's back over the border in France the prices are a little more palatable, great restaurant there to, to soak up the view with. They also run a free shuttle down to the Casino very regularly, good if you fancy a few drinky poo's.
Hotel Linkage
For once the view are actually better than the photographs.
What's the parking like? I stayed at one hotel there that had underground parking. Although secure, I would not have wanted to be driving my own car up and down those ramps. Thankfully we had a hire car.Plus if your staying in Monaco and want a nice but not crazy money place to stay, then I can recommend the Vista Palace Hotel, it has probably (provided you book a Monaco facing room) the best view you will get anywhere of the whole of Monaco, I mean proper jaw dropping stuff. Plus as it's back over the border in France the prices are a little more palatable, great restaurant there to, to soak up the view with. They also run a free shuttle down to the Casino very regularly, good if you fancy a few drinky poo's.
Hotel Linkage
For once the view are actually better than the photographs.
Webber3 said:
djtex said:
Two things I just thought of, be careful with speed camera detectors even GPS based ones. They are pretty much illegal everywhere on the continent, though only if you get caught with it. Just something else to be aware of.
Plus if your staying in Monaco and want a nice but not crazy money place to stay, then I can recommend the Vista Palace Hotel, it has probably (provided you book a Monaco facing room) the best view you will get anywhere of the whole of Monaco, I mean proper jaw dropping stuff. Plus as it's back over the border in France the prices are a little more palatable, great restaurant there to, to soak up the view with. They also run a free shuttle down to the Casino very regularly, good if you fancy a few drinky poo's.
Hotel Linkage
For once the view are actually better than the photographs.
What's the parking like? I stayed at one hotel there that had underground parking. Although secure, I would not have wanted to be driving my own car up and down those ramps. Thankfully we had a hire car.Plus if your staying in Monaco and want a nice but not crazy money place to stay, then I can recommend the Vista Palace Hotel, it has probably (provided you book a Monaco facing room) the best view you will get anywhere of the whole of Monaco, I mean proper jaw dropping stuff. Plus as it's back over the border in France the prices are a little more palatable, great restaurant there to, to soak up the view with. They also run a free shuttle down to the Casino very regularly, good if you fancy a few drinky poo's.
Hotel Linkage
For once the view are actually better than the photographs.
Thanks for all the comments, we haven't decided on the exact route yet (to be organised down a pub shortly) but all hotels have been booked (apparently all with secure parking... hope the access is good as one of the chaps has an Ultima!!!!!)
All routes or roads that you recommend will also be welcolmed
All routes or roads that you recommend will also be welcolmed
I was stopped the day before yesterday just outside Passau on the German-Austrian border, by an unmarked Audi A6 police car, by German police.
They demanded to see our passports, the V5 registration document and insurance details. For some reason they had a really good look in and around the engine bay too.
They also wanted to hear the Ferrari redline at 8500rpm, and I duly obliged.
They demanded to see our passports, the V5 registration document and insurance details. For some reason they had a really good look in and around the engine bay too.
They also wanted to hear the Ferrari redline at 8500rpm, and I duly obliged.
In the last 12 months or so, most mainland authorities have made agreements to exchange information about speeders. So beware.
My suggestion would be to purchase a coyote mini, I believe it's now also on offer in the UK. It's legal everywhere in Europe, bar germany and switzerland. It's very popular in Belgium and France already.
Both French and Belgian police are fed up with speeding (or is that "we like pissing off car enthusiasts"?), and you might find your car impounded if you overdo it (160KPH+ in Belgium, 180KPH+ in france)
As pointed out, bring a fluo thingy for all occupants (France), at least one of the driver (Belgium). Just put it under your front seats for easy access. If you break down or need to stop and get out of the car, put it on. Safety triangle should be put 100m behind the car on highways, 30m everywhere else.
For the rest, put a GB-country sticker next to the rear license plate, make sure you have the film on your headlights to correct the lights.
If you're going through france, you might consider getting a tag from Sanef (tol-road company). Saves you lots of time, no hassle with payments etc. just wave it above the car when you approach, don't attach it to the windscreen, as reception is not great. Don't leave the tag visible in france, as it's popular to steal it.
You can get the sticker for Switzerland in most petrol stations along the highways in Belgium too (i've seen it in the Total station just after Tienen on the E40 Brussels-Liege.
Always welcome if you're coming by the E40, I live about 2mins from one of the exits.
My suggestion would be to purchase a coyote mini, I believe it's now also on offer in the UK. It's legal everywhere in Europe, bar germany and switzerland. It's very popular in Belgium and France already.
Both French and Belgian police are fed up with speeding (or is that "we like pissing off car enthusiasts"?), and you might find your car impounded if you overdo it (160KPH+ in Belgium, 180KPH+ in france)
As pointed out, bring a fluo thingy for all occupants (France), at least one of the driver (Belgium). Just put it under your front seats for easy access. If you break down or need to stop and get out of the car, put it on. Safety triangle should be put 100m behind the car on highways, 30m everywhere else.
For the rest, put a GB-country sticker next to the rear license plate, make sure you have the film on your headlights to correct the lights.
If you're going through france, you might consider getting a tag from Sanef (tol-road company). Saves you lots of time, no hassle with payments etc. just wave it above the car when you approach, don't attach it to the windscreen, as reception is not great. Don't leave the tag visible in france, as it's popular to steal it.
You can get the sticker for Switzerland in most petrol stations along the highways in Belgium too (i've seen it in the Total station just after Tienen on the E40 Brussels-Liege.
Always welcome if you're coming by the E40, I live about 2mins from one of the exits.
krallicious said:
SimonSays said:
In the last 12 months or so, most mainland authorities have made agreements to exchange information about speeders. So beware.
I thought this was only being phased in during the summer? Is Britain part of this agreement are are we opting out Swiss style?I know france, netherlands, belgium and luxembourg are ready, I suppose other countries are in full force to get things sorted too...
And you'd hate to get stopped on the eurotunnel on your way home, i'm sure...
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