General: 3000 Mile Euro Trip - Tips and Advice

[maccas]

Hi,

We depart on the Chunnel in a little over a week and will be heading to Slovakia via France, Belgium, Germany, Austria. After a week we will then be heading to Italy and then after another week, home again.

I'm pretty set on the route out there as it will use the fast motorways and autobahns but I wanted to ask if anyone had any guidance on what to take in the car such as spares/tools/supplies etc? I've seen the AA country guide for what is required so we have the Hi-Vis vests and warning triangle amongst the other stuff.

Anyone else done a similar journey? Anyone got any suggestions for a return route home from Italy (Naples area) with a 1 night stop over?

I'll be using the S60 D5 SE MY05 (126k) and it's fully serviced and all the final checks will be done prior to setting off (fluids/Tyres etc). I'll pack some rainx so that it makes visibility a bit better as well.

Any tips and advice welcome...

Cheers

Macca

[Mike1967]

Having driven to France ... Belgium ... Germany ... Luxembourg . Dont forget that while in France and on certain motorways that you will have the Péage depending on how long you have driven on them .
Also dont forget that when in Germany not all the autobahns are unlimited in speed . Certain parts do have a set speed limit .
Be aware of speed cameras .... most I situated under bridges and you wont know until they have flashed you , while others maybe in view . If it rains in France the speed limit reduces from also .
But with all the above things ...... I really find driving on the continent much better than UK roads . Just be aware of the truckers in Germany .... they do have a tendancy to just pull out LOL .
But car lane discipline on the autobahns I have found to be very good ....... you just wont see drivers hogging the outside lane .

Have fun on your trip !

[RobbieH]

WRT to spares: take a full sized spare wheel/tyre if possible. If I'm right, in Germany for instance you have to replace tyres in pairs.

On my last trip to the French Alps we picked up a puncture in the rear passenger side tyre, bloomin' great screw. Only realised when we stopped to refuel and noted that the car wasn't sitting right. Never noticed anything whilst on the peage crusing at 80mph to that point but boy was the tyre hot, looked like it'd been on a track day.
Late afternoon on Saturday on the way home, just south of Reims. Luckily I was carrying a full size spare so just swapped over and carried on my way. I couldn't think of driving back on the elastic band skinny spare or of the hassle of trying to get a tyre repaired or changed given the time of day and the weekend.

In France the hi-viz vests have to be in the front with you (front seat pockets are good for that). Also, no speed camera detectors in France, they rather frown on such.

[Bernard333]

Look out for the speed traps in Belgium between Brugge /Ghent /Brussels , they hide in the central reservation and the camera gets you when you are within 20 feet of it so there is no chance of slowing down for it , then a fat bloke on a motorbike stops you and relieves you of 190 Euros .

[Mike1967]

And on some speed cameras your your registration plate will flash up on a screen .

[Moondust70]

With regard to fixed cameras, there is no legislation that allows you as an English registered car to be chased for a fine by the French authorities……………………. I just ignore that the cameras even exist and I drive about 20K per annum on French roads.

You can use a GPS device with a built in camera database legally, however, an active device such as a 'road angel' in prohibited by law in France.

However, an on the spot fine from a mobile patrol is a different ball game.

[steveshaw]

If you wear glasses to drive, you need a spare pair.

[Brendan W]

iirc warning triangles are compulsory in France as well as the high vis vests.

[maccas]

Cheers for all your tips so far guys, I don't plan on going mental on the motorways, set the cruise between 75-85 mph. We've got the triangle and hi-vis vests so will keep the vests in the seat pockets as advised...

Cheers...

[Fordy]

2 years ago we did a Baltic tour; through Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Holland, UK. Should have taken a decent tent as it rained almost constantly. Ended up buying a large polythene sheet which kept the worst off but the tent was binned at the end of it. The only car issue was Sweden use a different LPG connector to the other 2 European adaptors so had to run on petrol instead.

Last year we went to Greece via Switzerland and Italy. Had the air con regassed but didn't realise the ac clutch was worn resulting in intermittent ac in 40+ degree heat; it would work for 10 minutes, get hotter and hotter, turn off, open windows for 20 minutes and repeat. Only fixed that a month ago.

This year we only had a short trip to Northumberland. I had the Polish car wash clean my car, and in the time I saved I dressed all the black bits. Didn't realise until the rain started at Scotch Corner that I'd let the wiper drop back too hard and it sheared the end of the wiper blade. I had the twist clip from a brioche bun bags that I cut the wire out and managed to wire tie the wiper blade back together to last until home.

Take the owners manual so if something does go wrong you have a reference. I carry a box of electrical fuses, 12v sockets always seem to blow as they get more use on holidays. I also try and carry bulbs in pairs as they usually blow within a few days of each other. Other than that just a roll of gaffer tape, some cable ties and a multitool. For anything else there's European breakdown cover. If you take kids DVD players are a must.

Different countries have different driving styles, it takes a while to synch with it but watch and learn and it makes things safer and easier.

Driving back through Italy we left Pompeii late, camped in Tuscany, then again in Lake Guardia, and the next day followed TomTom avoiding tolls which took us through Austria, Germany and 1,000km and 12 hours later crashed in the Aachen Ibis, found on TomTom. Naples to UK in 2 days will be tough going, if you can find another day I'd split the journey to give a few hours chill time at the beginning or end of a full days drive.

These journeys were in a 2001 V70 between 135k and 170k.

Good luck and have fun